Could Atheism be technically considered a religion?

Why cant you people leave us

athiests alone!!!


Are you afraid of something?

reply to post by JayinAR


While I will admit that my original post may have grouped all Atheists together, that has been my personal experience with the few self-proclaimed Atheists that I have met. It wasn't my intention.

As I had stated in the original post, I am curious as to opinions regarding the thought itself. So, in order to soothe your feathers a bit, let me put it this way: Could Atheists who adhere to evolutionary science as their basis for the origin of life, be considered to be in a religion?

I honestly don't care about bickering as to whether or not you happen to think people who hold religious views are intellectually dishonest or not. The question was an honest one.

reply to post by PassiveObserver


ATS is hereby the biggest religious website on the Internet. Conspiracy theorists for the win!
(No sarcasm meant, since I am one myself.)

reply to post by VoidHawk


Afraid of hell apparently... but I dont need a mythical place to be afraid of to be a good person.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos

This had only been discussed here 8000 times before (SEARCH).

That being said, no, atheism is not a religion. That is why it is called A-theism, as in lack thereof.

Your flamewar disclaimer doesn't work. This isn't Gary Larson's School for the Gifted.

DEFINITION OF RELIGION -

re·li·gion  /riˈlijən/Noun
* The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.
* Details of belief as taught or discussed.

As much as abstinence can be considered sex

If atheism is a religion then so is not believing in santa, A-santa-ism is a religion followed by most of us then


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by ProfessorChaos

And I gave you an honest answer. No, it isn't.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos

'The lack of a belief' is not the same thing as 'a belief in something else'.

There is no specific type of person whom does not believe in a god.

There is no set criteria for those who do not believe in a god.

The way in which the word 'Atheism' is so commonly used, is what leads to the misinterpretations.





Personally, I think this↓ makes it easier to understand.
[color=DECC5B]

I don't believe in god.

I don't believe in Atheism.

I don't believe in categorization.

edit on 12/2/12 by BrokenCircles because: (no reason given)

Originally posted by ProfessorChaos
reply to post by JayinAR

 

As I had stated in the original post, I am curious as to opinions regarding the thought itself. So, in order to soothe your feathers a bit, let me put it this way: Could Atheists who adhere to evolutionary science as their basis for the origin of life, be considered to be in a religion?

No people who adhere to science are not part of a religion.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos


The adherence to scientific explanations of anything is as much an indication of religion as believing in aliens makes someone a priest. If a whole group of people made a shrine of evolutionary science materials and bowed down to it, vowing to the natural universe that they would spread the Gospel of Darwin, then perhaps I'd think differently.

Originally posted by BrokenCircles
reply to post by ProfessorChaos

 

'The lack of a belief' is not the same thing as 'a belief in something else'.

There is no specific type of person whom does not believe in a god.

There is no set criteria for those who do not believe in a god.

The way in which the word 'Atheism' is so commonly used, is what leads to the misinterpretations.



Personally, I think this↓ makes it easier to understand.
[color=DECC5B]

I don't believe in god.

I don't believe in Atheism.

I don't believe in categorization.

I was looking for a way to say exactly that, thank you

reply to post by PrplHrt


No need to be rude about it. If the topic has been covered so often, there would be no need of responses at all would there?

I also specifically asked for opinions regarding the thought, not a debate.

I am also fully aware that there will be absolutely no "resolution" to this thread, Resolution wasn't the intention. This type of topic will never go away.

Also, I don't believe I've been disrespectful to those of other belief systems by simply asking a question have I?
Being as how I personally have a religion and couldn't imagine not having that religion in and of itself indicates ignorance of other beliefs does it not?

Hence the question in the first place.

If we were atheists simply because we wanted to rebel against a religion then this tactic might affect us (the atheism is a religion), unfortunately it doesn't affect us nice try though religious people :p


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by justwokeup

There is no evidence for god. Therefore there is no reason to believe in god.

The Atheist prayer,

Thank you God, for giving us freedom of choice. I realize that if there were any empirical evidence at all, for your existence, I would not be allowed this freedom. So thank you for allowing me to not believe in you.

And when the time comes it will all be Gods fault for allowing them to believe a lie.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos

DEFINITION OF RELIGION -

re·li·gion  /riˈlijən/Noun
* The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.
* Details of belief as taught or discussed.

DEFINITION OF ATHEISM -

a·the·ism  /ˈāTHēˌizəm/Noun
* The theory or belief that God does not exist.

It doesn't get any clearer than that.

There are religions that don't believe in God or Gods.
There are also religions that don't believe in
creation.
IMO the only religion that has ever been proved scientifically wrong is "seeing is believing"! (through the double-slit experiment)
After looking at the facts I think that THE religion that needs the most faith is actually atheism!
Ignoring the power of spirituality and denying the possibility of a God requires IMHO a lot of faith.

That's why: yes, atheism IS a religion.

I'm not having a go at anyone, I believe in religious freedom, feel free to be an atheist, but please don't say it's not a religion.

Love and blessings, Sam


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Reply to post by PrplHrt

Would you say any and all beliefs are religion?


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

There are religions that don't believe in God or Gods.
There are also religions that don't believe in
creation.
IMO the only religion that has ever been proved scientifically wrong is "seeing is believing"! (through the double-slit experiment)
After looking at the facts I think that THE religion that needs the most faith is actually atheism!
Ignoring the power of spirituality and denying the possibility of a God requires IMHO a lot of faith.

That's why: yes, atheism IS a religion.

I'm not having a go at anyone, I believe in religious freedom, feel free to be an atheist, but please don't say it's not a religion.

Love and blessings, Sam


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by strafgod


Firstly, if it was a "tactic" as you claim, There would have been some kind of prosthelytizing on behalf of religion on my part. There wasn't.

I don't really care what your personal beliefs are, in fact, I do not want to know at all. I only asked for opinions regarding my question.

You could worship a wad of bellybutton lint that you extracted before your last shower, It really wouldn't change my views in any way.