Is atheism a religion

[Bradskii]

M: You don’t believe in God.
B: Yeah. I’m an atheist.
M: And you don’t believe that God created the world.
B: Yeah, like I said. I’m an atheist.
M: And you don’t believe that He sent His son to save us.
B: Well, as I said…
M: And you don’t believe that He answers prayers.
B: You seem…
M: And you don’t believe that He is omnipotent.
B: Look, I have to be somewhere.
M: And you don’t believe…
B: Bye.
M:…that there’s a heaven.
M: That’s right. Deny all of it! Hello? Hello?

 

[MPat]

M: You don’t believe in God.
B: Yeah. I’m an atheist.
M: And you don’t believe that God created the world.
B: Yeah, like I said. I’m an atheist.
M: And you don’t believe that He sent His son to save us.
B: Well, as I said…
M: And you don’t believe that He answers prayers.
B: You seem…
M: And you don’t believe that He is omnipotent.
B: Look, I have to be somewhere.
M: And you don’t believe…
B: Bye.
M:…that there’s a heaven.
M: That’s right. Deny all of it! Hello? Hello?

Precisely.

You are doing a very good job at arguing against your own position.

For, just as you end up arguing here, there are many beliefs that come with Atheism.

Some of those beliefs are direct consequences of belief that God (or Supernatural) does not exist. Maybe it is possible to believe both “God does not exist.” and “God created the Universe.”, but, um, that does not seem to be a very stable state of affairs…

Some other atheist beliefs “guard” other beliefs. For example, in principle it might be possible for an atheist not to believe that new species of animals can arise with many minor changes. But in practice that also would not be a stable state of affairs. The obvious alternative would be creationism, and it is too obviously incompatible with Atheism.

Some other beliefs are distant consequences of main beliefs of Atheism. For example, that would be the belief that morality is not objective. It might be possible to find an atheist who just hasn’t thought about it.

Then there are some beliefs that belong just to some branches of Atheism, like belief in basis and superstructure for Marxism.

So, Atheism is a system of beliefs with several branches.

What is interesting is that, as we can see, at least some of those branches include a belief that Atheism is not a system of beliefs.

So, again, what does this belief guard?

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

You relate by not relating? This just gets wierder.

Fair enough, I get where that wouldn’t make any sense for you coming from your belief system.
And I’m prolly not explaining myself well.
The point of my post was to see where atheism could be seen as either a religion or not a religion.

Because I believe there is a God, from my POV, you have decided to opt-out of a relationship with Him.

From your POV there is no “Him” to have a relationship with?

Anyway, Happy New Year

 

[SunshineGrandma]

So Bradskii does have a belief system?

 

[SunshineGrandma]

Actually there was a Saint Nicholas.

He was a real person. Much is known about him.

Are you saying he never existed?

 

[goout]

M: You don’t believe in God.
B: Yeah. I’m an atheist.
M: And you don’t believe that God created the world.
B: Yeah, like I said. I’m an atheist.
M: And you don’t believe that He sent His son to save us.
B: Well, as I said…
M: And you don’t believe that He answers prayers.
B: You seem…
M: And you don’t believe that He is omnipotent.
B: Look, I have to be somewhere.
M: And you don’t believe…
B: Bye.
M:…that there’s a heaven.
M: That’s right. Deny all of it! Hello? Hello?

The obvious problem with this Brad is you haven’t walked away from this search for truth for what, 15 years?
So, it is obvious to everyone (well, ironically almost everyone) that you are religious in your atheism.

Why are you here making religious proposals Brad, when you think you are above religion?

 

[Damian]

I am pointing out what a theocratic nation does when it is officially a religious government. These countries are the current example of this. Historically, when Catholicism held this much power over nations, the same civil rights were being violated as well. The same barbarism as well with violation to women, children, minorities, and other tribes basic human rights, capital punishment administered via body mutilation, outlawing of blasphamy under pain of death, No free press, no freedom of speech, infallible leadership, no democratic process, etc. Just the Sharia Law is the Muslim version of how they express their theocracy, but the catholic version was no different when they were in power. But instead of throwing acid in people’s faces, they would just hack peoples’ bodies apart or burn them a live.
Difference now is that Catholicism has had its teeth removed after 300 years of secular values and enforcement.

 

[Aquinas11]

Just the Sharia Law is the Muslim version of how they express their theocracy, but the catholic version was no different when they were in power.

Except that Muhammad was a Warlord who personally executed nonbelievers including 600 jews for peacefully refusing to help him fight in battle (Invasion of Banu Qurayza). He decapitated them all and threw their bodies in a mass grave. So Muslims can easily justify kililng nonbelievers since Muhammad did it and he’s the model for what Muslims are to live by. Catholics can’t justify killing nonbelievers in that same way by pointing to Jesus’ life.

 

[goout]

I am pointing out what a theocratic nation does when it is officially a religious government. These countries are the current example of this. Historically, when Catholicism held this much power over nations, the same civil rights were being violated as well. The same barbarism as well with violation to women, children, minorities, and other tribes basic human rights, capital punishment administered via body mutilation, outlawing of blasphamy under pain of death, No free press, no freedom of speech, infallible leadership, no democratic process, etc. Just the Sharia Law is the Muslim version of how they express their theocracy, but the catholic version was no different when they were in power. But instead of throwing acid in people’s faces, they would just hack peoples’ bodies apart or burn them a live.
Difference now is that Catholicism has had its teeth removed after 300 years of secular values and enforcement.

This is absolutely nonsense, I’m sorry.
Civil rights owes most of it’s initiative and follow through to Christianity.
All of western civilization was nourished by Christianity. Art, music, learning, human dignity and equality, science.

There are certainly theocracies that have oppressed people of all kinds, but that is not Christianity any more than your drunk brain surgeon is neurosurgery.

And the theocracies of atheism and paganism lead the way in atrocities.
You shouldn’t want to get into body counts here if you are going to assign blame to various philosophies and religions.

 

[QwertyGirl]

Why are you here making religious proposals Brad, when you think you are above religion?

Why do you assume that because someone is atheist they believe they are “above religion”?

 

[goout]

goout:

Why are you here making religious proposals Brad, when you think you are above religion?

Why do you assume that because someone is atheist they believe they are “above religion”?

Read his comments. And the many like it. Not an assumption, it’s the observable stance of just about all atheists regarding religion.

To be fair, the word religion has taken on a negative connotation in our culture that many people should run from. Ok, fine, but that’s a very narrow view (fundamentalist) of the thing.

 

[QwertyGirl]

No. That isn’t correct at all. It is an erroneous assumption. He has no belief in religion. Therefore, he can’t beleive he is “above it”. There is nothing “it” for him to believe he is above.

 

[goout]

No. That isn’t correct at all. It is an erroneous assumption. He has no belief in religion. Therefore, he can’t beleive he is “above it”. There is nothing “it” for him to believe he is above.

Yea I hear that claim. And I also know he’s been making religious claims here for about 15 years.
So…do words mean something or do they not?

 

[QwertyGirl]

He is atheist. He doesn’t believe in God, and therefore doesn’t believe in the religions that believe in a God. Pretty simple to me. No need to tell people what they are and what they aren’t. He has a pretty good handle on what he is, I would say, by reading his posts.

 

[goout]

When a person spends decades discussing, and making claims for absolute truth, it becomes unavoidable that the person is worshiping the matter religiously.

To say otherwise is disingenuous and silly.

 

[Aquinas11]

And the theocracies of atheism and paganism lead the way in atrocities.
You shouldn’t want to get into body counts here if you are going to assign blame to various philosophies and religions.

120,000,000+ Killed in merely past 100 years by Atheist Governments in China/Russia/etc
doesn’t compare with
2000 killed by Church 800 years ago during Inquisition

Clearly barbarism isn’t the issue with Atheists, its Christianity and the Church. If barbarism was really the issue, they’d be going crazy over those 120,000,000+ killed in merely past 100 yrs by Atheist Communist/Socialist governments, instead of the 1000-2000 killed 800 years ago.

https://scottmanning.com/content/communist-body-count/

 

[goout]

He is atheist. He doesn’t believe in God, and therefore doesn’t believe in the religions that believe in a God. Pretty simple to me. No need to tell people what they are and what they aren’t. He has a pretty good handle on what he is, I would say, by reading his posts.

That dodges the point…and continues the charade. Well done.
No one is telling you what you are, we are taking your words and behavior at face value.
And many of you are here religiously, almost every day for years, while out of the other side of the mouth comes a snicker at religion.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

The phrase “believe in” (and similar phrases such as “trust in”) has a spectrum of meanings including

• Evaluating as factual
• Encompassing someone’s position
• Seen as beneficial

Among other meanings. When talking about religion 8ve found the phrase can add confusion to a discussion. People may be using different senses of the phrase.

 

[goout]

If you want me to tell you the truth I am only 16 and I have a catholic family, but I have come to believe that religion is pointless. For example the church only had power because people were ignorant (before the renaissance) now people only believe in God because that is what they have been taught to do by their family. I can state many reasons why religion is bad one being the Dark Ages. During the Dark Ages there was a stagnation of intelectual developments (remember that the romans ended right before the dark ages). The thing that brought Europe back to its place as a center of learning was the renaissance. The renaissance was the opposite of the dark ages, but one of the key differences was that it emphasized detachment from religion and focused more on man. In summary religion is just a big lie that was used to explain the unexplained, but is no longer necessary since we have answers to those questions

Congrats on being 16.

 

[Aquinas11]

He has no belief in religion.

God isn’t required to believe in religion. Buddhism doesn’t require belief in God. Athesim is no different. Like all religions, it has its doctrines (e.g. evolution), its saints (e.g. Darwin) and its inevitable consequences (e.g. Communist/Socialist governments, since when people don’t idolize God, they idolize people…every human has a “worship slot”) and results (e.g. 150M+ killed in past 100 yrs)