The Religion of Atheism

I haven't noticed that atheists are particularly more skeptical than anyone else. In particular, many of them appear to have an inexhaustible faith in academic "experts."

 

Given the Germans were teaching Bible "truths" when the Nazis were in power that's straight up nonsense.

You are saying being a secular-humanist implicitly makes someone "religious"? You have as yet to show how this is so.

How's that?

LOL But you haven't shown that atheism is a religion. Atheism is a-religious.

This OP is so retarded I dont think anyone will get a serious response in questioning it.

 

And yet I doubt Richard Dawkins would link philosophical arms with a Buddhist, a Taoist, a panpsychist, a believer in ghosts, or a Platonic realist, despite the fact that such worldviews could be compatible with a lack of belief in a God. What do we mean by God anyhow? The gods of the Greeks were created beings that arose from a primordial chaos more in common with the idea that the Universe arose from chance than that it was divinely created--why should believers in Zeus not also, then, be atheists in that sense?

The vast majority of Westerners who label themselves atheists derive it from a naturalistic worldview, consciously or unconsciously held, to one degree or another. They are not Buddhists.

 

I am an atheist. I worship nothing. Well, al pastor burritos and women in tight black leather mini's, but otherwise, nothing. I do not meet with other atheists although I encounter them online sometimes. We do not have regular meetings, do not go to confession, do not pray at intervals and if you find me kneeling it means I dropped my pen and I'm looking for it. Secular humanism has no set dogma but has a few common tenants which most atheists recognize. Your fear that we will take over the world and force you to not believe or persecute you is baseless, a quick look around will show that most people are weak and need a god to lean on so hucksters will forever be able to delude a large segment of the populace barring a an evolution that simultaneously raises the IQ of the entire populace, a quick scan of the electorate on the right makes this highly unlikely, in fact the opposite seems to be happening. Still, as an American I will readily fight for your right to believe in fairy tales as the Constitution made that one point clear. Still, if you wish to be persecuted I suggest blame the Canadians for all your ills, surely Carl Rove can manufacture some "facts" to support this. The good news is they cannot easily fight back as one would have to be crazy to live in such a frost-bitten tundra. After all, facts have never been your strong suit.

 

And what logical link is there between killing people and atheism?
Isn't religion the one that dictates you to kill people under certain circumstances?
Stalin was mad he was neither committing genocides because of his atheism or his political ideology.
Hitler's crimes were affected by his political ideology and his religion,as well as because he was mad.


(My avatar may seem ironic)

 

ALTER2EGO -to- MEGADETH FAN:
Teaching and doing are two entirely different things. Ever heard of "hypocrisy" aka "do as I say not as I do"? Not doing what the Bible says and then committing human rights violations equates to false religion. Or didn't you know that? Jesus gave us a clue as to how to figure out false religionists. He said to observe their fruits aka their behavior.

"{15} Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to you in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. {16} by their fruits [meaning their actions] you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? {17} Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. {20} Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men." (Matthew 7: 15-17, 20)

ALTER2EGO -to- MEGADETH FAN:
No, I didn't say it. Two different U.S. courts said people that are atheists are by default secular humanists, as follows.

1. The 2005 Wisconsin Federal Court in the case of Kaufman v. McCaughtry
2. The 1961 U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Torcaso v. Watkins

A secular humanist is a person who is convinced he or she can do a better job without the input of a supernatural God. Atheism's belief system is secular humanism and the belief that there is no God or gods. Those are unifying beliefs found among the average atheist.

DEFINITION OF HUMANISM:
1. the quality of being human; human nature

2. any system of thought or action based on the nature, interests, and ideals of humanity; specif., a modern, nontheistic, rationalist movement that holds that humanity is capable of self-fulfillment, ethical conduct, etc. WITHOUT RECOURSE TO SUPERNATURALISM
http://www.yourdictionary.com/humanism


A person who does not believe in God or gods is generally a humanist, because it means he/she feels that he/she does not need a supernatural god to instruct him/her about how best to live. This philosophical idea is the backbone of atheism. Two different U.S. courts agreed this equates to "religious belief."

 

ALTER2EGO -to- EVERYONE:

Below is evidence that exposes atheists as hypocrites for insisting they are not religious. This evidence involves the 2005 Wisconsin Federal Court ruling in the case of of Kaufman v. McCaughtry, in which a judge recognized Atheism as a religion.


EVIDENCE FOR THE HYPOCRISY OF ATHEISTS:
"Court Rules Atheism A Religion
Decides 1st Amendment protects prison inmate's right to start study group

Published: 08/20/2005 at 1:00 AM

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate’s rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

"Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being," the 7th Circuit Court Of Appeals said."

The court decided the inmate’s First Amendment rights were violated because the prison refused to allow him to create a study group for atheists.

Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, called the court’s ruling "a sort of Alice in Wonderland jurisprudence."

"Up is down, and atheism, the antithesis of religion, is religion," said Fahling.

The Supreme Court has said a religion need not be based on a belief in the existence of a supreme being. In the 1961 case of Torcaso v. Watkins, the court described "secular humanism" as a religion."
http://www.wnd.com/2005/08/31895/

~***~​

 

You just said the solution to moral problems is to teach Biblical values, however I just showed you that doesn't have ANY impact.

Quote the court judgments where they say this because I dont believe you.

Yes, but they could be agnostic or apatheist - not just atheist.

No atheist simply dont believe in God - they have no set value system. Some believe in morality some are amoral.

Wrong. The only constant belief amongst atheists is a conviction that there are no Gods.

Yeah GENERALLY - not always as you seem to believe. You cannot attribute the qualities of some atheists to all atheists.

And that is entirely correct.

Wrong. Atheism is the rejection of the existence of Gods/gods. It has nothing to do with morality. An atheist can be a secular humanist, or be nihilist, or amoral etc.

You have not shown that. Quote directly from the courts where they said th

 

The court's ruling is retarded and I do not agree with it, nor do I have to. The lawyer quoted in the article makes the point clear:

Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy, called the court’s ruling “a sort of Alice in Wonderland jurisprudence.”

“Up is down, and atheism, the antithesis of religion, is religion,” said Fahling.

Fahling said today’s ruling was “further evidence of the incoherence of Establishment Clause jurisprudence.”

“It is difficult not to be somewhat jaundiced about our courts when they take clauses especially designed to protect religion from the state and turn them on their head by giving protective cover to a belief system, that, by every known definition other than the courts’ is not a religion, while simultaneously declaring public expressions of true religious faith to be prohibited,” Fahling said.


What you have is not "evidence of the hypocrisy of atheists" but rather 'evidence of how stupid an American court can be'.

 

Atheism is a religion. It holds a belief about God: that he does not exist.
There are plenty of atheists that a just as zealous about spreading their beliefs as the most militant muslims are.

 

You are saiyng ONE belief constitutes a religion? So if I believe cheese is good, that's a religion?

Sure but that doesn't make them religious.

 

Very interesting and articulate thoughts on the subject here. In my view, atheism only exists because of the prevalence of theism, which leads theists and non-theists alike to think in terms of non-believers. I must argue that atheism is indeed the default position, however, since there is nothing which establishes the existence of a god - it is a claim that people make and a belief they hold. Not believing in a theos is like not believing in Russell's Teapot, nothing more.

However, people are certainly free to critique my positions where gods and the various beliefs in them are concerned.

 

Exactly. The only reason the religious want to call atheists religious is because atheists are stepping on their toes. It's the same thing with those who accept evolution - they're branded evolutionists or darwinists, and the religious also go so far as to claim that evolution is "just as religious as creationism," or some such.

They think that if they ignore the evidence and reasoning behind evolution, then it's on a par with their own silly views.

 

I don't believe the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has the power to define terms in general (only for the case in question, which is what they did). Language is defined by usage, not by law. And even if they did, I don't see how that decision has any bearing on me who haven't even been to America.

As I've said before, I have no particular problem with calling atheism a religion, but that doesn't mean I'm going to accept bad arguments for it.

 

There are many kinds of atheism, not all take the position that a god does not exist.

You seem to have this idea that if people are being vivid in their spread of their beliefs, that makes them a religion. Would you back up that please?

 

Good point, this 'equality of ideas' nonsense is really quite absurd. I find it remarkable how creationists want it to be called science when these are the same people who call science bs because it leads to factual theories like evolution and the rotation of planets etc.

 

ALTER2EGO -to- MEGADETH FAN:

Obviously you are in error as you are suggesting that people who learn Biblical values, as a rule, are not influenced to do the right thing. The Roman Catholics--of which Hitler and the Nazi Germans were prominent members--have had a long history of false religious teachings. Roman Catholicism is based upon the following pagan teachings.

1. Trinity -- taken from pagan trinities that existed centuries before Jesus Christ appeared on earth in the 1st century AD. See my thread entitled: "Where Did the Trinity Teaching Come From?" at the following weblink.
http://www.politicalforum.com/religion/247420-where-did-trinity-teaching-come.html


2. Hellfire -- copied from pagan religions that predate Christianity. See my thread entitled: "Is Hellfire A Bible Teaching?" at the following weblink.
http://www.politicalforum.com/religion/247421-hellfire-bible-teaching.html

3. Christmas -- copied from the pagan Saturnalia (worship of the unconquered sun) in Rome

4. Easter -- copied from worship of the pagan fertility goddess Oestra


And I haven't even mentioned the long list of "saints" invented by the Roman Catholics, which amounts to idolatry. Contrast the above historical facts with your initial post.

In other words, your initial post in which you claimed the Nazi Germans were being taught Biblical "truths" is your opinion and yours alone, and it's not historically correct.

ALTER2EGO -to- MEGADETH FAN:
That's incorrect. Atheists, by default, in rejecting God have decided they are capable of self-ruling without the requirement of a supernatural being. That equates to "secular humanism" and secular humanism has been defined as a religious belief by two important courts in the USA: a federal court and the U.S. Supreme Court which is the highest court in the land.

 

Alter2Ego: "Atheism is itself a religion aka a cult. While atheist will argue that they don't believe in any god, the issue is not merely non-belief in God or gods but in having ANY sort of belief system. The belief system of atheism is centered around the philosophy of "secular-humanism."


["Atheism is a religion according to the 1961 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Torcaso v. Watkins and the 2005 Wisconsin Federal Court ruling in the case of Kaufman v. McCaughtry. Since, by definition, all religions are classified as cults, atheism is therefore a cult."

sorry but atheism isn't a religion. The Supreme Court decides law and not reality. Remember when they "found" a right to abortion in the Cosntitu8tion.

if you have faith you should consider enjoying your faith and ignoring atheist. Childish arguments don't help your position.

And please, let me know when an atheist comes and knocks on your door, disrupts whatever you're doing, so they can nag you. Don't forget now. Be sure and let me know.

 

ALTER2EGO -to- SWENSSON:
You can't be serious. The definition of Atheism is that there is no God or gods.

Definition of "atheist"
a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheist


Definition of "atheist"
one who believes that there is no deity
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheist


Definition of "atheism"
1. the belief that there is no God, or denial that God or gods exist
2. godlessness
http://www.yourdictionary.com/atheism?

~***~​

 

ALTER2EGO -to- DURANDAL:
Not, that's not it at all. The atheists themselves sued for their "religious rights" and insisted they deserve all the benefits of theist religions. Below is more evidence of the hypocrisy of atheists.


EVIDENCE #2 FOR THE HYPOCRISY OF ATHEISTS:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-lose/atheism-religion_b_867217.html



EVIDENCE #3 FOR THE HYPOCRISY OF ATHEISTS:
Definition of Religion:
1. any specific system of belief and worship, often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy: the Christian religion, the Buddhist religion, etc.

2. any system of beliefs, practices, ethical values, etc. resembling, suggestive of, or likened to such a system: HUMANISM AS A RELIGION
http://www.yourdictionary.com/religion

 

No I am saying that your assertion that Biblical values will always lead to good action and that all bad action is the result of a lack of biblical education is absolutely false. Biblical values can have good results, but they can also have meaningless even very negative results.

Keep your anti-Catholic bull(*)(*)(*)(*) to yourself. It doesnt matter if its Catholic or Protestant or ANY Christian denomination - Biblical values have, at best, mixed results in improving social morality.

I think you have yet to understand the fact that "biblical truth" is non existent since its all in the eye of the beholder - all religion can be manipulated. One Christians truth is another Christians heresy. This is another reason why religion is a poor instructor of moral action.

No "default". Atheism is only a rejection of God. That's it. The beliefs that follow from that have nothing to do with atheism.

The court can define the sun as a God and you would agree with it also? Sorry but the courts you reference are laughable. Secular humanism is not a religion.

 

An article from the Huffington post is not evidence.

Atheism does not have a code of ethics, so #1 does not include atheism.

Once again, atheism does not include "ethical values" thus #2 does not include atheism.


By your own definition, atheism is not a religion. Thanks for playing.

 

Notice how not one definition of atheism includes a set of ethical codes? Notice how there is not one mention of secular-humanism?

 

Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby.

 

ALTER2EGO -to- MEGADETH FAN:
Application of religious truths in one's life NEVER has negative results. That's why it's called "truth," because it changes people for the better. It sets people free from harmful behavior. As Jesus Christ himself said:

"and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)


Furthermore, you are in no position to argue that the learning of religious truths does not have a positive influence on those who apply it in their lives. Why? Because you erroneously claimed that the Nazi Germans were teaching religious truth when they were not doing anything of the kind.

Your erroneous personal opinion above has been debunked by the following facts. Opinions are always trumped by facts because opinions are unreliable and are based upon one's subjective ideas. Facts, on the other hand, are unchangeable.

FACT #1: The German Nazis were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.

FACT #2: The historical record of Roman Catholicism is a dismal one: Roman Catholicism comes from a long history of polytheism. That's where they got the Trinity, hellfire, Christmas, Easter, and a long list of other false teachings. The Catholic Church burned people at the stake to stop them from translating the Bible and reading it in the common language of English; they executed people for correctly arguing that the earth is not the center of the universe. They instituted and advanced African slavery during the Atlantic Slave Trade. That's the history of Catholicism. That's your idea of Catholic Nazi Germany teaching religious "truths"! You lack credibility.