OldWorldOrder
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Re: Is atheism a religion
It's a belief about a religion. Is it demographic (ie, Sunnis live in Anbar)? No? Is it actually about the beliefs themselves? Okay, it's a religious belief.
And the beliefs you hold? They're about that.
Describes a belief about them.
Does it describe a belief about them?
We can't.
Stop. You have a belief about the universe.
No, it's the same definition. Stop being so scared.
First of all, it's not a religious belief. It's a scientific belief that a concept so foreign to all known laws of physics can be considered probable. That's not a religious belief. Just because someone else worships the idea of a super-natural gobblin, doesn't make my dismissal of the idea religious (based on their worship).
It's a belief about a religion. Is it demographic (ie, Sunnis live in Anbar)? No? Is it actually about the beliefs themselves? Okay, it's a religious belief.
Wikipedia:
This does not describe the singular belief that there isn't a metaphysical universe ruled by a supernatural monster that's flying around in space.
And the beliefs you hold? They're about that.
Still does not describe a disbelief in things that are extremely improbable.
Describes a belief about them.
Nope, still doesn't do it.
Does it describe a belief about them?
We could go through every reference on language there is, and they'll all say the same thing. If you've redefined the word "religion" to mean "a belief or disbelief in something", you can't expect the rest of the world to start using your new definition just because you're so special.
We can't.
Second of all, a single religious belief is not a religion. Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Baha'i all believe in the same god, but they're all very different religions. To say that a belief or disbelief in a supernatural entity is, in itself, a religion would mean that those are all just different denominations of teh same religion, which is very far from any standard definition.
Stop. You have a belief about the universe.
I know you feel very strongly that the definition of "religion" you've made up is better than the one the rest of the English-speaking world uses, but that's not really meaningful to anyone but you.
No, it's the same definition. Stop being so scared.