existence of the soul
Atheism and the Denial of the Soul
Atheism MUST deny the existence of the immaterial self (the soul) because if consciousness can exist independent of matter (referring, of course, to the matter that makes up the human brain), then there is no reason to disbelieve in an immaterial, disembodied conscious being such as God.
But, unfortunately for atheism, there are very powerful scientific and philosophical reasons to believe in immaterial conscious beings.