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Is atheism a religion[W:711:831]

Is atheism a religion

  • Total voters
    119
Re: Is atheism a religion

SmokeAndMirrors said:
I'm not surprised, after decades of this kind of falsification. But you go into philosophy, which is what atheism belongs to, and you find that not only is "atheist" never used that way, but there are different terms for people who believe there is no god.

There are lots of words that are used incorrectly so often that some dictionaries now include originally erroneous definitions of words. That's how dictionaries work: they follow the trends of language, even when they make no sense, or when it completely contradicts the other definitions of the word.

But if you want to talk about philosophy, which if you're talking about atheism, you do, equating atheism with a positive belief is not only nonsensical, given the root of the word itself, but will get you immediately corrected by anyone who knows anything about the subject.
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If atheism is defined as "belief that there is no God" in the dictionary, then someone who tells me that it can't be defined as such wouldn't be "correcting me." They would be denying reality. Now, if they want to make the argument that "lack of belief in God" should be the only definition, then that's fine and that's as far as it goes.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

If I say "yes", can I have tax exempt status?
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

ThePlayDrive said:
If atheism is defined as "belief that there is no God" in the dictionary, then someone who tells me that it can't be defined as such wouldn't be "correcting me." They would be denying reality. Now, if they want to make the argument that "lack of belief in God" should be the only definition, then that's fine and that's as far as it goes.
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I can't imagine what might happen to your cranium if two dictionaries disagreed with each other, which happens, well, constantly.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

SmokeAndMirrors said:
At its core, they're defending religious as something good. So... they try to label atheism as a "religion" in order to discredit it? But I thought religion was good.
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No. The one true religion is not a religion, but TRUTH, while all other religions are bad. ;)

As for the OP: No, lack of belief is not a belief, by definition. That simply doesn't make sense.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

If you have to ask this question, you don't understand Atheism. Which is weird since it's really simple.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

SmokeAndMirrors said:
I can't imagine what might happen to your cranium if two dictionaries disagreed with each other, which happens, well, constantly.
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Nothing. In fact, look at my very first post to you. I chose my words carefully to reflect reality.

ThePlayDrive said:
I always chuckle when I see atheists claim "belief that no god exists" is not a definition of atheism
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In other words, it is one definition out of at least two - it is A definition not THE ONLY definition. Therefore, given that I've acknowledged the multiple definitions of atheism in my posts to you which you presumably read, I can't imagine why you would even suggest that I would I have problem with multiple definitions unless you just wanted to be passive aggressive.

In any case, I'm still waiting on those statistics.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Goshin said:
Most of the atheists I've encountered are quite vigorous in proclaiming that no god exists, by which I mean actively and positively, so I consider the distinction more theoretical than pragmatic.
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I agree insofar as there are anti-religious zealots (which is pretty ironic, as this is a behavior usually attributed to religious people). But most atheists I know don't bother attacking believers and don't care.

Still atheism is not a religion, even in case of anti-religious zealots ... they may believe in all kind of different things and ideologies, and all they have in common is rejecting the belief in God.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Goshin said:
Atheist, agnostic, potato, tomato... I think that's a hair-splitting definition but whatever works for ya. :shrug:
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Except that one requires a belief, as you claim, whereas the other requires no belief, as S&M claims. So there is a difference, despite you pretending in this post that there isn't.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Surtr said:
Atheism isn't the lack of religion, it's simply the lack of belief in a deity. There are a few religions around that don't have deities.
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Most definitions of religion I've seen require believing in if not a deity at least supernatural events. I've never seen anyone making a distinction of people who believe in the supernatural but not any sort of deity. I suppose if they exist then its a worthwhile distinction.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Anagram said:
Most definitions of religion I've seen require believing in if not a deity at least supernatural events. I've never seen anyone making a distinction of people who believe in the supernatural but not any sort of deity. I suppose if they exist then its a worthwhile distinction.
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Buddhists, some variations of neopaganism, the occult, and LaVeyan Satanism are the more well known non-theistic religious beliefs.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Surtr said:
Buddhists, some variations of neopaganism, the occult, and LaVeyan Satanism are the more well known non-theistic religious beliefs.
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By most definitions I've seen of religion, if they did not have any supernatural beliefs, they wouldn't really qualify as a religion. If they involve supernatural beliefs, then they probably would.

It doesn't really matter though. Because its a rare distinction please consider the way I used Atheism in my first post as meaning the lack of belief in any deity or anything supernatural, since it's a distinction that I rarely see.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Anagram said:
By most definitions I've seen of religion, if they did not have any supernatural beliefs, they wouldn't really qualify as a religion. If they involve supernatural beliefs, then they probably would.

It doesn't really matter though. Because its a rare distinction please consider the way I used Atheism in my first post as meaning the lack of belief in any deity or anything supernatural, since it's a distinction that I rarely see.
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The supernatural and gods are two different things that aren't exclusive to each other.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Surtr said:
The supernatural and gods are two different things that aren't exclusive to each other.
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I understand that. The vast majority of people either believe in a deity and the supernatural or neither. I just rarely see anyone making the distinction between an atheist who believes in the supernatural but not a deity, which is why I did not make the distinction in my post.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

German guy said:
I agree insofar as there are anti-religious zealots (which is pretty ironic, as this is a behavior usually attributed to religious people). But most atheists I know don't bother attacking believers and don't care.

Still atheism is not a religion, even in case of anti-religious zealots ... they may believe in all kind of different things and ideologies, and all they have in common is rejecting the belief in God.
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And most of the supposed "zealots" against religion are people like scientists who don't want demonstably false things taught in science classrooms, people whose rights are in danger because of religious dogma, or people who are genuinely suffering under the power of organized religion (and sometimes those who fight on their behalf).
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Paschendale said:
And most of the supposed "zealots" against religion are people like scientists who don't want demonstably false things taught in science classrooms, people whose rights are in danger because of religious dogma, or people who are genuinely suffering under the power of organized religion (and sometimes those who fight on their behalf).
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Naw, that's not the people I meant. I totally understand these sentiments, as religion should never be confused with science. And I perfectly understand how you can be inclined to develop anti-religious feelings when you're sourrounded by Evangelicals constantly forcing their ideas down the throats of everybody else.

I mean the kind of people who, for example, keep posting Dawkins quotes and similar slogans on Facebook i.e., although they probably don't even have a single believer in their friends list, making the whole effort one big backslapping orgy of likeminded people. Who then even think they're somehow "critical" and "against the mainstream", although their thinking IS the mainstream in their environment, and not critical at all, as they don't even have basic knowledge about religion, and use the worst examples of religious people (such as bigoted Christian extremists or violent islamists) to paint all believers of all kind of religions with that same brush.

In my environment in Berlin, being atheist is about as original as being Jewish is in Israel. In my elementary school, the two or three pupils out of 80 in my year who claimed to believe in God were ridiculed like the kids who still believed in Santa Claus. When I joined a religion a couple of years ago, I met an amazing and very surprising surge of rejection and attacks from some people in my environment -- even from people who keep attacking religion for its alleged "intolerance" and "small-mindedness". And that although my religion even explicitly condemns zealousness, active proselytism or claims in contradiction to science.

THAT is the kind of people I mean.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Paschendale said:
And most of the supposed "zealots" against religion are people like scientists who don't want demonstably false things taught in science classrooms, people whose rights are in danger because of religious dogma, or people who are genuinely suffering under the power of organized religion (and sometimes those who fight on their behalf).
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Actually, I've found that the biggest zealots against religion tend to be middle to upper class straight white males who are either in college or recently graduated from college and think that their atheism makes them far more intellectually interesting than it actually does. They certainly aren't scientists or people who are "genuinely suffering" under organized religion.
 
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Re: Is atheism a religion

Xsnake1 said:
Is atheism a religion
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yes.Religion does not need to involve the belief of a supreme or divine being. If it involves a group of people who prescribe to a certain set of beliefs and generally live their lives based on those beliefs then it is a religion. For example a group of man made global warming fairy tale believers believe that people are causing the world to warm.So as a result of that man made global warming fairy tale belief they recycle, they buy recycled products, they sort their trash, they buy hybrid cars, they may even try to make their homes green and energy efficient, they push for laws that reflect their man made global warming fairy tale beliefs and they preach their man made global warming fairy tale beliefs on the internet and tv shows.



Religion | Define Religion at Dictionary.com

a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3.
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4.
the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5.
the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6.
something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.
7.
religions, Archaic . religious rites.
8.
Archaic . strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow.
 
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Re: Is atheism a religion

jamesrage said:
yes.Religion does not need to involve the belief of a supreme or divine being. If it involves a group of people who prescribe to a certain set of beliefs and generally live their lives based on those beliefs then it is a religion.
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So how do atheists live their lives that's different to anyone else? Or specific to atheism?
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Too true. I personally don't think that atheism is a religion. But you might think it would be if you saw the statements some "zealots" against religion would make. I remember I was in a Walmart with my friend near our college when another person in the aisle sneezed. Being the polite person that he is, my friend said "God, bless you." to which the guy yelled, "I'm an atheist! I hate it when people try to force their religious beliefs on me!"

It seems silly but, some people are very adamant about their assertion. One could argue that atheists are more adamant about atheism than the religious are about religion.
 
Re: Is atheism a religion

Anagram said:
No, by pretty much every definition of religion it isn't. I don't understand why this is something that a lot of people feel the need to argue for.
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I do understand, I think.

The answer is in the 20th century history. The "atheistic" totalitarian regimes, while murderously hostile to established religions, had fostered the atmosphere of irrational faith and quasi-religious ritualism. Sometimes copying the churchy stuff almost exactly. (Have you seen those Baby Lenin/Baby Jesus badges and statues?).

Nobody who has actually witnessed the spectacle of a Civilian Parade on the Red Square (the throngs of zombies marching under nonsensical slogans, to be greeted by the high priests perched on a Babylonian ziggurat of a tomb of the (officially Undead) Ultimate Prophet and Messiah) - nobody who actually did see that (I did, as a kid) will be able to shake the impression that these "atheists" were in reality just another weird religious cult, hell-bent on destroying all competition.

And hey, if the choice is between them and the old-style competition - baptize me all over again.
 
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