Is atheism a religion[W:711:831]

[Xsnake1]

Is atheism a religion

 

[Anagram]

Re: Is atheism a religion

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. If atheism is a religion it makes all atheists hypocrites I guess. I just think there are better ways to attack it if that's what you want.

 

[DiAnna]

Re: Is atheism a religion

A lack of belief is not a belief. Atheism is not a religion or a belief.

 

[a351]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Absolutely not. In my experience nearly all who label it so are religious themselves and do so in an attempt to discredit the stance.

 

[Goshin]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Don't know, don't care.


In other news, is an apple a banana?

Is an acorn an oak tree?

If a bear craps in the woods, is he Catholic?


Meanwhile, back on the farm...


... if you're asking whether atheism is an unproveable belief, then yeah it is... the existence of God can neither be proven nor disproven scientifically at this time.

 

[Fiddytree]

Re: Is atheism a religion

No, but it can become an extensive worldview that may allow many of the benefits of religion in a more secular context (morality, charity, etc etc.).

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: Is atheism a religion

... if you're asking whether atheism is an unproveable belief, then yeah it is... the existence of God can neither be proven nor disproven scientifically at this time.

Most atheists don't believe that no god exists.

They simply don't believe claims made by the religious, because there's no evidence for them.

Rejecting someone else's positive claim is not a belief.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Absolutely not. In my experience nearly all who label it so are religious themselves and do so in an attempt to discredit the stance.

Yup. And I always find that really ironic.

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.

It makes me wonder if a lot of religious people know what shaky ground they're on when trying to tell an atheist they should believe.

 

[Goshin]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Most atheists don't believe that no god exists.

They simply don't believe claims made by the religious, because there's no evidence for them.

Rejecting someone else's positive claim is not a belief.

Atheist, agnostic, potato, tomato... I think that's a hair-splitting definition but whatever works for ya. :shrug:

 

[Anagram]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Yup. And I always find that really ironic.

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.

It makes me wonder if a lot of religious people know what shaky ground they're on when trying to tell an atheist they should believe.

I think its more trying to make atheists look like hypocrites for having a religion, than it is saying that religion is bad.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Atheist, agnostic, potato, tomato... I think that's a hair-splitting definition but whatever works for ya. :shrug:

Ehh, no, it isn't. This perception that atheists in general make a claim that no god exists is not and has never been the definition of atheism. In fact, there's an entirely different word for that. That belief persists because of wild characterization of atheists by religious people.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: Is atheism a religion

I think its more trying to make atheists look like hypocrites for having a religion, than it is saying that religion is bad.

Yeah, except for the way they usually defend it.

They defend it by aping the way atheists usually present their case against religion; no evidence. Of course, that's really silly when they're the ones making a claim, but that's beside the point.

They are saying that having no evidence is bad (I'm using good/bad in a really generic "debate terminology" sense). That's the basis of their attack on atheism, once they've succeeded in mischaracterizing what it actually is.

 

[Goshin]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Ehh, no, it isn't. This perception that atheists in general make a claim that no god exists is not and has never been the definition of atheism. In fact, there's an entirely different word for that. That belief persists because of wild characterization of atheists by religious people.

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.

 

[ThePlayDrive]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Ehh, no, it isn't. This perception that atheists in general make a claim that no god exists is not and has never been the definition of atheism.

False.

atheism

1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.
2. disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

Atheism | Define Atheism at Dictionary.com

I always chuckle when I see atheists claim "belief that no god exists" is not a definition of atheism when all they have to do is go to the dictionary to find out that that is not true. For a group of people who are always on their high horses about evidence and not making false claims, you guys sure do seem to lack the latter and do the former often.

 

[Anagram]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Yeah, except for the way they usually defend it.

They defend it by aping the way atheists usually present their case against religion; no evidence. Of course, that's really silly when they're the ones making a claim, but that's beside the point.

They are saying that having no evidence is bad (I'm using good/bad in a really generic "debate terminology" sense). That's the basis of their attack on atheism, once they've succeeded in mischaracterizing what it actually is.

Either way it's silly but I've seen it more often as attempting to prove atheists take things based on no evidence too. Not saying it's bad, but that everyone does it.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: Is atheism a religion

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.

And yet statistically there are so few of them. I can't say I've met more than a couple, and I've lived in majority non-religious countries.

My first inclination is to wonder if you were mis-interrpreting their argument. They may have argued against a god in particular (i.e. the Christian one). That's entirely possible to do, because Christianity sets forth a bunch of specific characteristics of that particular god, and many of them can be proven or disproven -- even just logically.

It's entirely possible to disprove the existence of a particular god, at least in the specific way it's presented. It just isn't possible to disprove the entire concept of some kind of god existing.

 

[a351]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Yup. And I always find that really ironic.

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.

It makes me wonder if a lot of religious people know what shaky ground they're on when trying to tell an atheist they should believe.

Agreed on the irony of attacking the (supposedly) faith based approach. The comparison in terms of dogmatism also falls short on the grounds that one party is not attempting to make a positive claim.

 

[Redress]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Atheist, agnostic, potato, tomato... I think that's a hair-splitting definition but whatever works for ya. :shrug:

Much like Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist...I think it is just hair splitting but whatever works for ya.

There is a clear difference between atheists and agnostics, just as there are clear differences between ideologies and religions.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Is atheism a religion

No. Since there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere it cannot be called a religion. Not all beliefs are relgious beliefs. I believe I'll have another beer.

 

[Redress]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Most atheists don't believe that no god exists.

They simply don't believe claims made by the religious, because there's no evidence for them.

Rejecting someone else's positive claim is not a belief.

It varies broadly, from there is no evidence for a god so it's not worth discussing, to there is no god, period.

 

[ThePlayDrive]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Is atheism a religion

Atheism is no more of a religion than theism is. Both just describe a type of belief or attitude towards God.

I think atheism gets called a religion because atheism has become more than a belief in a certain sense, particularly in the West. It's turned into a movement of sorts as many vocal atheists seem to have a shared collection of beliefs about theism, religion, religious people and the world, in general. When people see that, they feel the need to label it as something and religion seems like an apt label given the subjects that prominent atheists and atheist movements tend to concern themselves with. However, I would just say that it's a movement rather than a religion. That's more accurate.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: Is atheism a religion

False.



I always chuckle when I see atheists claim "belief that no god exists" is not a definition of atheism when all they have to do is go to the dictionary to find out that that is not true. For a group of people who are always on their high horses about evidence and not making false claims, you guys sure do seem to lack the latter and do the former often.

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.

 

[ThePlayDrive]

Re: Is atheism a religion

And yet statistically there are so few of them.

Can you link to the statistics?

 

[AuntiE]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Don't know, don't care.


In other news, is an apple a banana?

Is an acorn an oak tree?

If a bear craps in the woods, is he Catholic?


Meanwhile, back on the farm...

:applaud:yt

... if you're asking whether atheism is an unproveable belief, then yeah it is... the existence of God can neither be proven nor disproven scientifically at this time.

Basically, many things are taken on "faith".

 

[TiredOfLife]

Re: Is atheism a religion

Atheism, like Theism, is nonsense. Neither have any idea what the hell they are talking about because both claim to know what isn't known.