First, what is a Religion?
1. It is a pursuit or interest in which someone ascribes extreme importance.
Link: https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/religion
2. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience
Link: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/religion
3. an activity that someone is extremely enthusiastic about and does regularly
Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/religion
Based on the above, I think it's safe to say that atheism is indeed a religion.
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J5... same can be said about masturbation.
The religion of “jerk offs”. Try again.
Edited to add: where’s my tax free status????
@Jackson5
"Based on the above, I think it's safe to say that atheism is indeed a religion'
Gee,what can one say to such faultless logic?. Apart from the fact that those arguments are regularly trotted out by apologists
I'll start with NO it cannot be said that atheism is a religion.
The word 'atheism' comes from the Greek: atheos= not/without gods. It is not a belief system , code of ethics or philosophy.
Atheism is simply the non belief in gods.The antithesis of religions, which are faith*** based belief systems . That's it.
THIS definition of Atheism is the simplest and most accurate I've come across:
"Atheism is not an affirmative belief that there is no god nor does it answer any other question about what a person believes. It is simply a rejection of the assertion that there are gods. Atheism is too often defined incorrectly as a belief system. To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods."
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=atheist&t=hk&ia=web
@ Jackson5
All you have done is selected superficial features of the religious experience and attempted to apply them to your faulty perception of the word "atheist". Your selection can be applied to a whole range of other human activities that generate extreme interest, involvement and absorption.
You have notably avoided all the very central core tenets that adhere specifically to the religious experience such as faith in the existence of an disembodied creator deity, eternal life after death, souls, miracles, etcetera, etcetera. And for failing these core tenets atheism falls outside the scope of religion and faith.
For your benefit, again: Atheism is the lack of belief in gods.
Based on your limited selection of attributes of religion, I think it could be safe to say that:
Football is indeed a religion.
Claiming the 2nd Amendment as a basic human right is indeed a religion.
Butterfly collecting is indeed a religion.
Serial killing is indeed a religion.
Attempting to legalise euthanasia is indeed a religion. Halleujah!
Fishing is indeed a religion. The sport of apostles!
Defence of animal rights is indeed a religion.
Attempting to be a millionaire before the age of twenty five is indeed a religion.
Insisting on the superiority of the white race over all others is indeed a religion.
Championing animal rights is indeed a religion.
Having regular bowel movements in an appropriate place and setting is indeed a religion. (it is at my age)
You will never convince an atheist that your god is real with argument, but you might with a miracle. Restore someone's sight and get back to us with the independent media coverage.
@Grinseed
"Football is indeed a religion."
Going by the fervour , ritual and mindless violence of some supporters,I agree.
In Oz, it has long been said, half seriously that Football is our national religion. It certainly ain't christianity. Aussies en masse go into a church for three reasons; hatchings, matchings and dispatchings.
At my age, I attend far more funerals than weddings.I have been gratified to notice that in recent years, more funeral services are held at the undertaker's premises rather than at a church. By 'services' I mean people give eulogies, but there are no prayers or any other religious trapping.
If I were not so terrified of being buried alive, I'd opt for a wicker coffin an having a tree planted on top of me, somewhere a long way from any cemetary*** . Sadly, the fear remains even after my funeral director sister in law tried to reassure me by saying "If you're not dead when we get you, you bloody well are when we're finished with you"
*** here in South Oz, in some cemetaries, burial plots are leased for 25 years only. If no renewal after that time, up you come.
I don't collect stamps either....is that a religion?
Fucking muppet.
@cowardlylion
How can a disbelief in gods, be a religion? Give your head a shake, and try again.
BTW, you never answered the question posed to you last post...which was...
Do you have any objective evidence of your gods existence?
Jackson, call my rejection of you gawd claim anything you like. It does change a damn thing. I still do not believe in your (or anyone else’s) god.
@Jackson5: First of all, I don't place much weight on dictionary definitions. Dictionaries are written by people, like bibles. Perhaps you should share your own ideas about what a religion is.
Second, my perception of the way the word "religion" is used these days is that belief in one or more deities a core element. Religions also encompass rituals, songs, jewelry, facial hair, and funny hats. But without the promise of a god to bestow favors on followers, how can a religion hope to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them? (Did you know that "religion" is derived from the Latin word "religare" meaning "to bind"?)
...*standing behind pulpit in large tent*.... *sweating profusely*... *tie loosened*... *collar button undone*.... *booming voice*.... BROTHERS AND SISTERS!... Hallelujah!.... I stand up here today to deliver the BLESSED NEWS to you about the glories of the gods in which we DO NOT BELIEVE!... Praise the Blue Bunny!... Can I not get an amen?!?... *placing cupped hand to ear awaiting the overwhelming silence*... *crickets chirping*... That's right! Hallelujah, hallelujah!... *using white hanky to wipe sweat from forehead*... I look out over this crowd today and I see all you godless children sweating your asses off in this UNBEARABLE HEAT!.. Thank you, Big Yellow Banana!.... And your devotion to those gods in which you do not believe fills me with a surge of AWE AND WONDER!... Hallelujah!... Because I wonder to myself, "What the fuck, you idiots? Why are you guys and gals all out here packed into this suffocating oven of a tent? You should have better things to do with your time!"... *waving hands in shooing motion*... Now get out of here and go find somewhere cool off and hydrate. Geez... Thought you all had more sense than this!... *concerned look*.... *suddenly reading OP*.... Oh, okay... I get it. The puny kitty-cat says atheism is a religion, and all of a sudden you brainiacs are jumping on the bandwagon to get tax breaks and special treatment... *rolling eyes*... *heavy sigh*.... Well, have fun with that. The IRS already told me I cannot deduct this tent from my taxes... *signaling to crew to disassemble tent*... Hope I'm able to get a refund... *patting pockets*.... Dammit, where's that receipt?...
@funnelhead
Huh...I have been an atheist since my early twenties, and I have never heard a hint of a GTG like that, let alone having never gone to one.
I am always the last one to hear about the kewl GTG's
:(
Re: OP
"1. It is a pursuit or interest in which someone ascribes extreme importance.
2. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience
3. an activity that someone is extremely enthusiastic about and does regularly"
1. I have a keen interest in NOT watching professional basketball, and I actively pursue ways to avoid watching professional basketball. It is extremely important to me.
2. I believe in not watching professional basketball, and I am very much devoted to not watching it. My own personal ethics and my conscious guide me in not watching professional basketball.
3. I am extremely enthusiastic about not watching professional basketball, and I make it a point to not watch professional basketball on a daily basis.
Moreover, I would probably even consider myself one of those non-basketball radical extremists. Because even if somebody were to attempt to force me to watch a basketball game, I would be highly resistive, even to the point of becoming physically violent if circumstances dictated such.
...*look of realization*... Aw, crap. Does this mean I now have to start carrying around some type of non-basketball holy book? Oh, and who the hell am I suppose to pray to in order to get guidance in not watching professional basketball? Dammit, this religion stuff is complicated.
not like you Tin to forget the most important part of the service.
You FREAKING FORGOT to pass the hat!!!!!
Ok. So this isn't about YOUR perception of the word and its use, is it?
@cowardlylion
This is a debate forum. You answer questions that are posed to you. Simple. I answered your above question, but you don't answer mine.
You are being dishonest by not answering these questions. You have done this every time. That tells everyone on here, that you are dishonest, not interested in debate, and only interested in asserting things you believe fit your narrative.
I will ask you a yes or no question, to make it easier for you to answer...
Do you have any objective evidence of your gods existence? Can you be honest and answer the question please.
JACKSON5 = troll
1. An internet troll is a person who posts inflammatory messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses.
2. That's all JACKSON5 has ever done on here.
3. JACKSON5 never addresses valid responses to his religious rhetoric and unevidenced claims, he's annoyed that others don't share his superstitious beliefs, so he trolls them constantly.
I believe this forum does not allow trolling. Now the evidence that he's a dishonest troll:
Atheism is defined as the lack or absence of belief in a deity or deities.
Religion is defined as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
So he's started a thread with an obvious lie, in the hope he can provoke a reaction.
Here's another thread he started:
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/forums/debate-room/validity-bible
Of the 87 posts in that thread, just 6 are by the author JACKSON5, including the OP. The conclusion is inescapable, he was trolling for a response and had no interest in debating the topic.
Another thread JACKSON5 started here:
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/forums/debate-room/things-atheists-misun...
There are currently 51 posts in that thread, JACKSON5 has yet to post on it after starting the thread attacking atheists in his OP with a generic troll.
So ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, I rest my case. JACKSON5 is demonstrably a religious troll, trying to provoke atheists whom he dislikes.
quod erat demonstrandum
Oh Sheldon, the non god has not, not given you great insight!
Hallowed be no name!
So atheism can be registered as tax exempt then?
This is great news...
It is extremely important that I don't kill my neighbor.
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Not killing my neighbor is a matter of ethics/conscience.
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I'm always not killing my neighbor.
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So yeah, by your definition: atheism is a religion; and so is not collecting stamps, not killing your neighbor, a lots of other weird things.
The lesson is: if you define something broad enough, all kinds of things will start to match the definition; generally making the word useless in the process. Since with your definition everyone on the planet would be a "religious person", making that phrase meaningless; it wouldn't convey any information.
Yes.... JACKSON5 ..... is an undoubted TROLL....
But there is yet something of significance to be gleaned from his efforts.....
For instance .... look at his selective use of dictionary definitions....
each one a "lesser " or "subsidiary definition" .... selected to suit JACKSON 's preconceptions.
And of course each one compltly ignoring the main definition ,each of which completley
undermines his intended purpose.
IE.....
1 The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
1 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.
1 the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship:
None of which would fit his fraudulent idea of atheism as a religion ......
Thus he obfuscates ,he attempts manipulation of the very definition ..... using language ,not to inform
and communicate but rather to hide and obscure.
So ,what JACKSON has actualy accomplished is to demonstrate the inate dishonesty of his popsition.
BUT ... even in that he has ,unwitingly, provided a small lesson about RELIGION..... one of his references
has this....
Origin
Middle English (originally in the sense ‘life under monastic vows’): from Old French, or from Latin religio(n-) ‘obligation,
bond, reverence’, perhaps based on Latin religare ‘to bind’.
so....
Latin religare ‘to bind’
Well that says it all really..
Thank you JACKSON .... you really have demonstrated so very much about the validity of your position.
I'm not sure why I should care about whether someone thinks atheism is a religion. These arguments get silly
1) arbitrarily state what constitutes a religion
2) use those arbitrary statements to 'prove' atheism is/isnot a religion.
pointless
@AWWW FUCK! I was going to respond to this post this morning. Read the OP and gave myself a face palm so hard that I knocked myself out. No wonder my brows hang so far over my frigging eyes. How in the hell am I going to evolve with all these theists making inane BS comments?
You’re evolving :)
Minds like the OP are more Neanderthal;)
Even if I grant that JACKSON5's word games have any validity, that does not put us any closer to the real question .. please provide evidence for a god.
I don't ascribe any importance to being an atheist, or have an atheistic world view.
It is simply an answer to a question, that question being, "do you believe in a god and/or gods?
My atheism is as unimportant in my as religion is, someone's imaginary friend which is completely unproven and holds no evidence cannot hold any vague notion of importance to my life.
I do not follow anything devotedly, atheism again, is simply an answer to a question.
I am as much an atheist and I am an atoothfairyist, aunicornist or aneonspacebunnies
As per 1 & 2, being an atheist is not an activity, but an answer to a question.
I do not even think about atheism, mostly because the claims of religion are so ridiculous and the evidence to support a deity so woeful, no work is required.
So all in all, an utter ridiculous and fallacious post.
Better luck next time.
I find it quite a stretch to consider Atheism itself to be considered a religion because some atheists subscribe extreme importance to disbelief. It's taking a part of a group and labeling the whole as something, and using a tertiary definition of the word to boot.
I don't see how defining belief/disbelief like this does anyone any good.
Hello. New guy here.
While I don't totally agree with the OP that atheism in itself is a religion. I do think that atheism, like any other idea out there, can become a religion for even those who hold that belief. I have come to discover that many atheists are themselves shackled in this same religious bondage.
Henry Shymexx, you wrote, “I have come to discover that many atheists are themselves shackled in this same religious bondage.”
Please provide a description of the qualifications you have assigned to this shackling.
Hey Henry, welcome.
Well what defines a religion?
For me religion involves the worship of a god or gods. Most people associate the word and meaning itself with, a spiritual, transcendental or supernatural element, who's supreme omniscience should be worshiped. Which makes atheism, a disbelief in god or gods, in direct opposition of being a religion. How can something that has no deity, no dogmatic beliefs or no scripture, be a religion? It can't.
Now, some people use the word religion, to describe their interest or pursuit, to which they ascribe supreme importance. That pursuit or interest does not necessarily have to include a god. But, is just a descriptor, relaying the supreme importance of their interest or pursuit, at the same level of importance that a belief in a deity commands.
I disagree that atheism can become a religion, because it needs the opposite belief to exist. How can you worship a disbelief in someone else's belief? Again...you can't.
1. Atheism isn't an idea, it is the lack or absence of a belief in any deity or deities.
2. Atheism is not a belief, see above, and the dictionary definition.
3. I have come to discover that theists love to use false sweeping generalisations about atheists, and that they feel no more obliged to evidence these erroneous claims, than they do to evidence their theistic beliefs.
Religion
noun
The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
Atheism
noun
Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.
Atheism is not, and cannot be a religion, by definition.
As Nyarlathotep pointed out, to use the word religion in this context is to render the word meaningless. I understand the theistic motive though, they find atheists and atheism irksome, and wish we would all keep it to ourselves, so they could have a free run at proselytising the world, sadly they will have to suck it up.
@Sheldon
I agree atheism is not a religion.
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