Why Atheism Is A Religion

Atheism is Atheism. Some may be more accepting of the fact that it's a Religion than others. But Atheism is the same for this "minority" you speak of and for you. They just are in tune with what looks obvious for me as well, and they don't seem to mind. On this forum, however, that's another story...

 

It is not a fact that atheism on itself is a religion

 

Atheism lacks faith in the supernatural/God which is an integral part of a religious belief system, so that disqualifies it as a religion to me. The billboards, cartoons and what not which have been posted in this thread as support for it being a religion come across at best as lobbying statements, which is not unprecedented actions from other organizations distinct from religion such as PETA, greenpeace, tobacco companies, so on and so forth.

 

Well it's certainly an argument if other Atheists are agreeing and writing books about it

 

Tobacco companies aren't lobbying about an existential concept, though.

And I will repeat, a Deity is not required for a Religion. Buddhism is a Religion.

 

Is atheism a religion in the traditional sense? No
Science is actually much closer to religion than is atheism simply because science and religion both strive to answer the same questions as it's main core tenant;
1) where did we come from?
2) why are we here?
3) where are we going?

Atheism in itself does not meet the criteria above nor others for being a religion.
Atheism turns to science to address such questions and that is the relationship between atheism and science.
Given that science is always tentative and open for revision, some atheist's would actually do well to not be so dogmatic in their rejection of the concept of a deity, after all, science is always tentative.

That being said, individuals can and do act "religious" concerning atheism and are very often just as hard-headed and stuck in dogmatic rhetoric as many religious individuals.

 

Well, Buddhism has long been classified as a religious belief system as well and it doesn't has a supernatural deity neither. So that on itself seems not an absolute disqualification. I agree that actively spreading a certain conviction through billboards can be done by any organisation and really is not a solid reason to define atheism as a religion.

I also have the feeling that sometimes secularity is being unified with atheism. As if they are exactly the same thing or that secularity is solely an effort of atheists. Not so of course.

 

Can't argue with that. And it seems it is one of the reasons for this tjread: an urge to point these things out. Unfortunately it seems to come with the wish to get an absolute certainty about this (which at this time seems clear to me we aren't gonna get. The majority concludes it is not a religion, a small minority concludes it is). But, I wanna add for Chinacat: just because some atheists have dogmatic convictions that they 'religiously' preach to others (mainly those with 'opposing' beliefs) does not make it a religion either. As been explained so can a communist, capitalist, member of the green party etc. etc. etc.

 

There are some supernatural aspects of Buddhism though.

 

My personal definition of religion:

- An organized ignorance with a common agenda based on fantasy.

Other prime definition of religion:

Webster - an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods

Oxford - The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods

Google - the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods

cambridge - the ​belief in and ​worship of a ​god or ​gods, or any such ​system of ​belief and ​worship

Wikipedia - a belief in, or the worship of, a god or gods or the service and worship of God or the supernatural

thefreedictionary.com - The belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers, regarded as creating and governing the universe - belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny

Dictionary.com - a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs

...

Prime definitions of atheism:

Google - disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

reference.com - a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings

Webster - a disbelief in the existence of deity

wikipedia - atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Most inclusively, atheism is the absence of belief that any deities exist. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which, in its most general form, is the belief that at least one deity exists


"In fact, "atheism" is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a "non-astrologer" or a "non-alchemist". We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattle. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs". - Sam Harris

Atheism IS NOT a belief system like religion. Atheism intrinsically holds absolutely no claims about anything let alone about unsubstantiated fantasy beings. Atheism is not an organization and sustains no irrational inventions. Even if some atheists unite in an organization, it is still not an organization that invents and sustains any belief in a supernatural God, which IS the primary accepted definition of religion.

 

And a point I have tried to make time and again is that a communist isn't making an assertion about the ultimate nature of reality.

 

Strong Atheism is a belief system. It's the assertion and belief that a God doesn't exist. Weak Atheism is the more cowardly version, which doesn't want to go so far to say that one doesn't exist but doesn't believe in one either.

 

But I think we both can agree that it is moslty an argument regarding those particular atheists. Not all those others who are only atheist because they lack the belief in a god (or as you would say, have the belief there is no god ). Just as a theist does not have to be affiliated with any religion necessarily, just because they have the belief there is a god (or more).

 

Pathetic, unneccessary and coming from a subjective dislike. Reminds me of a certain atheist. Rather disappointing you feel the need to steep down while it doesn't even make your argument stronger in any way.

 

No, what's pathetic is having the belief in no God but not willing to have the guts to say it, and so making a roundabout argument that you simply "lack belief".

 

That's how you choose to perceive the 'weak atheist' mindset. Nuff said.

The convinced belief that a god doesn't exist may be called strong atheism, but how does that simple assertion make strong atheism a belief system? It is nothing more then that particular assertion.

 

In other words, you're asking me, "A belief is a belief, but how does that make a belief a belief?"

Enough bias here. How can belief in God be called a belief system but the belief in no God not be a belief system?

 

The title matches perfectly. Weak Atheists are weaker than Strong Atheists, as they try to hide from the fact that they also have a belief.

 

No, I understand that a belief system can be easier identified with a religion (as it is a system of beliefs and not just one assertion on itself). You are the one suddenly making one assertion, one particular belief a belief system. I ask how so, what makes this strong atheist assertion a belief system. You know what the word system means right. It is not included in the concept belief system for nothing. It is something else then just an assertion that there are no gods. If there is nothing more than just that assertion what makes it a belief system.

Hope I clarified adequately.

 

Because, it's also the belief that Materialism is all that comprises reality, it uses logic and reason and lack of evidence of God as its rule of thumb system of inquiry, it has a narrative of the history of the cosmos and of humans, and groups of people follow it. Not to mention it was ruled a Religion by the Supreme Court, and it has opened a Church that is International. But, I guess it's not a Religion