Is atheism a religion?

Is that what you were taught at Atheist Church?

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Are you a Christian or are you hiding your light under a bushel?

 

You appear to be playing a game, I'm not about to play.

 

excellent post!

I agree with pretty much all of it. And like you, I've not met an atheist who adamantly denies the existence of gods. They must exist, since theists seem to come across them frequently, but I would submit they're rare.

Also like you, I see non-belief as the sane default position, and that an acceptance of the lack of evidence does not make us anti-whatever. I'd personally like it if both unicorns AND gods existed (as long as they're relaxed and benevolent of course)!

 

WHY is it so important for some to NEED atheism to be called a religion......are religious people that greedy, "EVERYTHING IS RELIGION! IT IS! IT IS! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"""? Or just desperately needy?

 

I am not even sure what game I am playing... debate, exploration, discussion... exploration seems the best fit. It feels like fun. I am certain lewis and clark had fun in their exploration. Didn't make it any less valid.

 

because to accept that millions of people can live good and happy lives without ever feeling the need to believe puts the lie to the indoctrinated 'truth' that life is dreadful without religion. that hurts .. mainly because it was dear old mom & dad who taught the lie. plus, there's the programmed notion that religion is a universal need. when folk demonstrate that that's also a lie, you're assaulted on two fronts.

it's like a safety switch, which, when engaged (ie, confronted by things which demonstrate that mom & dad were mistaken, or worse, liars) will protect the system from a dangerous surge of cognitive dissonance.

 

How can a lack of belief be a religion?

And that article sickens me from the religious hatred of the non religious.

 

I've had a similar response from the odd pastor who has made the mistake of eagerly soliciting any and all questions. when I actually start asking questions, I get the huffy and indignant "what sort of game are you playing?".

 

Atheism is a belief system built on faith...like all religions. The faith that a God does not exist. Its seems to have its own set of values and world view---like all belief systems do.

 

No, this is not true. Atheism is a belief system built on evidence and skepticism. It's not faith that no gods exist, it's simple observation that no gods have ever been found, except in the imaginations of the Believers. So the default position of the atheist is that until gods (or pink unicorns) are evidenced, they don't exist. Another way of putting it is, Believers have made the claim that gods exist, so the onus is on the Believer to demonstrate the evidence for his claim. So far, no evidence has ever been produced despite thousands of years of efforts, leading to the tentative conclusion that the atheist's default position is probably most nearly correct.

But I will agree that atheism has a separate world view, as one would expect given the distinction between those who can tell reality from fantasy, and those who can't.

 

I disagree. Being an Atheist in past and knowing family members who are evangelistic Atheists (as many on this board are)...I think logically it classifies as a faith that they depend on.

 

this being a perfect example of the need to believe we're all compelled by 'faith'. it's the attempt to normalize what they're doing.

Incidentally, CKW, we don't have faith that gods don't exist, we simply don't know if they do. and there is no reason at all to behave as though they do. if they started showing up and proving themselves (see re-grown limbs and/or feeding starving kids), I'd expect atheists to sign up as readily as anyone. myself included. as it is, we're simply responding to the evidence. or rather, the lack thereof.

 

I am a Deist. Spent my time in the Church but never really took to it... to much hypocrisy... do as I say and not as I do. Know a handful of Christians who walk the talk and they are my spiritual betters... but they are also the exception and not the rule. The rule seems to be casting self-righteous judgment towards atheist/non believers which from my reading of the Bible contradicts the teachings of Jesus.

 

By that measure a political ideology is a faith.

 

Convoluted logoc but no, its not a belief...how does one believe in nothing?

 

It's so far beyond "absence of religion", it's become evangelical atheism - they don't just not believe, they want you to not believe and are willing to stop at nothing to make you not believe.

 

Matthew 7 warns about being self-righteous, not from looking at a person trying to rape a child and thinking judging him to be a bad person.

I lean toward Deism myself. I do not believe in a "personal God" like modern Christians. On an atheist forum I labeled myself a "Panentheist Zen Gnostic Christian". In the beginning there were many forms of Christianity. Much wider than the 30,000+ denominations we see now. Things like Constantine and the Spanish Inquisition literally killed off competing forms.

 

Can you believe a glass is empty??? There ya GO!!

 

Now where did you dig up THAT crap?? I know of absolutely no athiest person who does that. Some believe that theists are idiots and the like, but that's not the same.

 

20 years of observation, and I am pleased to know that you know of no atheists who do this, but I do.

 

Who are these mysterious "they"s ???

I am an atheist....I don't give a damn what you believe....as long as you don't try to shove it down my throat as some religious people tend to do.

 

Because some christians have huge egos , commit the sin of Pride, and are arrogant *&^% who think EVERYTHING MUST revolve around religion because they believe in religion.

Believers historically simply make stuff up and then just believe it so they have no ability to use logic, they can't see that everything does NOT come from religion, everything is not based on religion...

If they want to cuddle up with each other and in shouts, murmurs, mumblings and whispers, declare that people who don't agree with them DO have a religion that's fine, ya can't cure stupid...but they shouldn't in all decency try to tell others whether they're in a religion or not....

These poor creatures have NOTHING but their religion to keep them in line so they use the "everything is Religion" to try to influence others,,,

 

I know the glass is empty....belief is an opinion not a fact...

 

I adamantly deny the existence of gods...

 

fundamentally incorrect...non theists don't believe in anything, facts not opinion (belief) are all that matters...it either is or it isn't, there is no assumption involved in the process...

Dark matter is logic driven, if an equation doesn't balance there is something missing..the known factual evidence supports the conclusion...religion requires no factual evidence hence it's a belief