Atheism proclaims that there is nothing out there, no transcendence, no God. Therefore, there is no theism or belief in God. There is nothing but us mere humans, so that we have to do the best that we can do. There is nothing but individual concerns that sometimes merge into some common causes. This world is full of nothingness or just plain old materialism. Get as much as you can now. There is nothing more. Quite often, this is a reasoned position, in that atheism is a minority opinion, since the natural tendency of most people is to believe in something other than yourself.
nothingness
Hear the prayer of the passing traveler (Ps 39:12-39:13)
“Hear my prayer!
Yahweh!
Give ear to my cry!
Do not hold your peace at my tears!
I am your passing guest
An alien,
Like all my forbearers.
Turn your gaze away from me!
Then I can smile again
Before I depart.
Then I am no more!”
The psalmist concluded this psalm by once again asking Yahweh to hear his prayer. He wanted the ear of Yahweh to hear his crying. On this earth, he was nothing but an alien, a passing guest, just like his forefathers. He wanted Yahweh to turn his gaze away so that he could smile again before he departed into nothingness since he would be no more.