re: Is Atheism a religion?

Quoting HopingforaMiracle:" I'm ignorant of this subject. But does atheist mean you don't believe in religion at all? But I thought that's what agnostic means..."

I'm an agnostic.
We're kind of in the same boat with Atheists when it comes to an absence of religion.

The difference is that as an agnostic, I don't claim to know if there is or isn't a God. It's something I cannot know, and therefore, I don't care about. Atheists believe for sure that there isn't a God.

Quoting HopingforaMiracle:" I'm ignorant of this subject. But does atheist mean you don't believe in religion at all? But I thought that's what agnostic means..."

Agnostics basically means you can't prove or disprove anything, you open to the idea, but you don't know for sure.

Atheists don't believe in a higher power at all.

<blockquote><b>Quoting The Doctor:</b>" Agnostic means you can neither prove nor disprove the existence of a god or gods, and will not claim to "know" (though there are different types of agnostics)."</blockquote>




Oh okay I'm sorry for not knowing  

<blockquote><b>Quoting Crystallized:</b>" I'm an agnostic. We're kind of in the same boat with Atheists when it comes to an absence of religion. ... [snip!] ... isn't a God. It's something I cannot know, and therefore, I don't care about. Atheists believe for sure that there isn't a God."</blockquote>




That makes sense thank you for explaining

Quoting LolaMcKitten:" Ok, but by those standards, scientists could also be considered a religion, since groups of them have ... [snip!] ... concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe" , and I think we can all agree that science is not a religion."

Hm. Yes, in some ways, science is a religion. Science says something as "fact" until we gain more information, and it is disproved, and we take something else as "fact" (until that is disproved because we learn more).

Calling atheism religion is like calling bald a hair color.

You can't quit not smoking...


get it?

Atheism is a belief or a set of ideas, but no its not a religion, not to me anyways and I'm atheist.

Quoting Crystallized:" I'm an agnostic. We're kind of in the same boat with Atheists when it comes to an absence of religion. ... [snip!] ... isn't a God. It's something I cannot know, and therefore, I don't care about. Atheists believe for sure that there isn't a God."

There are theist agnostics who believe in "god or gods" but do not think they (as humans) can know.

There are many different types of Agnostic, some that are more "religious" some more "atheistic".

I would consider you an atheist agnostic.

Quoting Ur Local Frnt Desk Clrk:" Calling atheism religion is like calling bald a hair color. You can't quit not smoking... get it? ... [snip!] ... not smoking... get it? Atheism is a belief or a set of ideas, but no its not a religion, not to me anyways and I'm atheist."

Lol.
I like that analogy.

Quoting The Doctor:" Hm. Yes, in some ways, science is a religion. Science says something as "fact" until we gain more information, ... [snip!] ... more information, and it is disproved, and we take something else as "fact" (until that is disproved because we learn more)."

But does the simple belief or non-belief in one aspect of something constitute a whole group being considered a religion? It's not like Atheists gather and sing songs, praise anything, practice rituals or any of the things other "religions" do.

Like I said - it's a group of people who all don't believe in one thing. That's like saying that people who don't believe in santa are also a religion.

ETA- omg, pregnancy brain is killing my grammar. >_<

Quoting Ur Local Frnt Desk Clrk:" Calling atheism religion is like calling bald a hair color. You can't quit not smoking... get it? ... [snip!] ... not smoking... get it? Atheism is a belief or a set of ideas, but no its not a religion, not to me anyways and I'm atheist."

Exactly what I am trying to get at - great analogies, lol.

I'm an atheist, and I don't consider myself part of a religion. I don't get together with other atheists and talk about our non-belief in god or anything. I still celebrate "christian" holidays, but I consider it more of a time with family.

Quoting LolaMcKitten:" But does the simple belief or non-belief in one aspect of something constitute a whole group being considered ... [snip!] ... of people who all don't believe in one thing. That's like saying that people who don't believe in santa are also a religion. "

EXACTLY!

I believe gays should be allowed to marry, not every one that believes that should be considered part of a religion of gay marrying worshippers or whatever. lol

Quoting LolaMcKitten:" But does the simple belief or non-belief in one aspect of something constitute a whole group being considered ... [snip!] ... of people who all don't believe in one thing. That's like saying that people who don't believe in santa are also a religion. "

That's the funny thing about religion: anything can constitute a religion.

Personally, I think organized religion is just like..... a socially acceptable OCD.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: unwanted thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (like, say, about death) that make someone feel driven to do something (compulsions) in a ritualistic sense. Something that they can repeat over and over, and if they do, their fears will be stopped. (If I go to church every sunday, for example, I'll go to heaven.)

Quoting Ur Local Frnt Desk Clrk:" EXACTLY! I believe gays should be allowed to marry, not every one that believes that should be considered part of a religion of gay marrying worshippers or whatever. lol"

Exactly. I think I kind of get WHY the surpreme court acknowledges it as a Religion, but in reality....it's not.

The example I used in the other thread was that Buddhists are technically atheists, but not all atheists are Buddhist....you can be an atheist and still subscribe to belief systems that don't believe in a higher power.

Quoting The Doctor:" That's the funny thing about religion: anything can constitute a religion. Personally, I think organized ... [snip!] ... over and over, and if they do, their fears will be stopped. (If I go to church every sunday, for example, I'll go to heaven.)"

Ha! I like that.