Is Atheism a religion?

Malpaisian

Discuss!

The Mad Hatter

Nope.

swampgas

Malpaisian wrote: »

Is Atheism a religion?
Discuss!

Why don't you start by telling us what you think.

mallachyrivers

No it's not

shizz

Theism isn't a religion where as say Catholicism is. So how can Atheism be a religion?

frozenfrozen

its a belief system, or rather the lack thereof.

MagicMarker

Boring thread is boring.

Delirium

Malpaisian wrote: »

Discuss!

I agree, OP.

Sarky

Yes. Dawkins is the pope, we ritually eat live babies and send our minions out to turn people gay, liberal, communist, Nazi, and genocidal.

Except on Tuesdays, that's bridge night.

Ellis Dee

Atheism is a refusal/failure/inability/unwillingness to believe the unbelievable. Atheists believe only things that can be observed or detected with the senses or instruments.:rolleyes:

Therefore atheism is not a religion.:)

Anyway, even if it was a religion, it would never catch on, because no atheist claims that there is pie in the sky, that there is an afterlife full of winged former mortals who strum harps when they aren't riding virgins ...;)

And if only we had a priesthood like this::D

Ickle Magoo

Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby...

Colibri

Atheism is a religion like 'off' is a TV channel.

cowzerp

No.

Liamario

This is why I'm starting to hate the word atheism. As soon as you give something a name, people start categorising you. And then, because of their ignorance and laziness, they make blind leaps and put you in the category of religion- like a marketing surey.

endacl

Atheism is a religion, like this is an original thread topic. Did you not try a bit of an aul' search first OP?

robindch

Atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position.

Any more like this, folks?

GLaDOS

robindch wrote: »

Atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position.

Any more like this, folks?

Like bald is a hair colour is always a good one

Ickle Magoo

Atheism is a religion like nudity is an outfit...

swampgas

<grumpy>
FFS - two minutes reading the dictionary definitions of "atheism" and "religion" will answer the OP's question, if he/she is actually interested.
</grumpy>

G.K.

Those 2 are the only ones Bill Maher has said, unfortunately...

Fortyniner

Here's a contribution from the OP in August last year:

'I have no interest in religion or religious forums. I've given far more evidence than you've given to the contrary. You are still doing your cowardly little drive-by postings without actually saying anything yourself.

Why don't you have the guts to do the following things for me:

1) Tell me exactly what you think about the BBC (and the mainstream news-media in general), It's real purpose and the veracity or otherwise of its reportage.

I have already asked you to do this, but you seem unwilling for some reason.

2)Define what you mean by "evidence"

3)Define what you mean by "opinion"

4)Make an effort to actually engage, in detail ,with the points I've made and the examples I've given to back them up.

5) Tell me exactly what you find amusing and why. (pathetic little comments like: "Amusing, for a number of reasons"
are a poor replacement for real arguments)

6) Tell me what is your interest in this conversation. Do you work for the media? Have you some agenda?

If you cannot do these simple things, then you are either incapable and/or cowardly.'

source: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74116162

I think this thread should be closed..

kylith

Atheism is a religion like:
Not collecting stamps is a hobby
Clear is a colour
Bald is a hair colour
'Off' is a television channel
Abstenance is a sexual position
Nudity is an outfit
Unemployed is a job description
etc.

Bannasidhe

Sarky wrote: »

Yes. Dawkins is the pope, we ritually eat live babies and send our minions out to turn people gay, liberal, communist, Nazi, and genocidal.

Except on Tuesdays, that's bridge night.

Heresy!!!!

Tuesdays are canasta night.

Sarky

Look, you're in a different parish. You can have canasta night on Tuesday, but WE have bridge. I suppose you don't have a BBBBQ* at weekends, either!


*The first extra B is for BYOBB**. The second is for Baby.


** That extra B is a typo.

Bannasidhe

kylith wrote: »

Atheism is a religion like:
Not collecting stamps is a hobby
Clear is a colour
Bald is a hair colour
'Off' is a television channel
Abstenance is a sexual position
Nudity is an outfit
Unemployed is a job description
etc.

Like betting is a sport.

Bannasidhe

Sarky wrote: »

Look, you're in a different parish. You can have canasta night on Tuesday, but WE have bridge. I suppose you don't have a BBBBQ* at weekends, either!


*The first extra B is for BYOBB**. The second is for Baby.


** That extra B is a typo.

None of that BBBBBBQ* newfangled nonsense in these here parts - we are traditionalists and pit cook** on weekends.

*may have lost count of the number of B's.

**several whole babies can be cooked at once.

Sarky

Well, so long as you don't spitroast them.

That's for the Catholics :pac:

MisterEpicurus

I think this is a shocking thread, and question the intelligence of the individual who posted this thread. Of course atheism isn't a religion.

A thread with this lack of integrity would have been closed elsewhere on boards.ie

If I went into the Health & Fitness forum and started a thread asking 'Is doing absolutely nothing an active exercise regime?', it would be rightly closed.

The mind boggles at the desperate questions that goes through the minds of believers in any desperate attempt to reconcile their own beliefs as somehow on-par with atheism.

Downright crazy.

/thread

Whelpling

Since atheists tend to organise and come together in countries like the US and Ireland, where theism is the state of most of the population, I can see why people would think it a religion. In fact, the coming together of atheists is not driven by their belief or lack thereof - it is driven by their desire to be treated as equals under law and policy along with theists. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that atheists are viewed negatively by many theists, and this creates a culture where some people don't even want to be 'out' as atheists, because of potentially negative family/friend reactions. One thing that theism, or organised religion does very well is create a community (church etc) for its belongers. Atheists coming together is in some way a replica of that very positive part of religion, I think - but is driven by the aforementioned desire for equality (including a release from stigma) and a desire for community such that many people in religion enjoy. We are not solitary, antisocial creatures just because we don't believe that gods exist. Many atheists are also humanist, and value other people, community and good company very highly.

MisterEpicurus

Whelpling wrote: »

Since atheists tend to organise and come together in countries like the US and Ireland, where theism is the state of most of the population, I can see why people would think it a religion. In fact, the coming together of atheists is not driven by their belief or lack thereof - it is driven by their desire to be treated as equals under law and policy along with theists. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that atheists are viewed negatively by many theists, and this creates a culture where some people don't even want to be 'out' as atheists, because of potentially negative family/friend reactions. One thing that theism, or organised religion does very well is create a community (church etc) for its belongers. Atheists coming together is in some way a replica of that very positive part of religion, I think - but is driven by the aforementioned desire for equality (including a release from stigma) and a desire for community such that many people in religion enjoy. We are not solitary, antisocial creatures just because we don't believe that gods exist. Many atheists are also humanist, and value other people, community and good company very highly.

The nonsense persists.

If a group of people interested in history collected annually, would you re-frame it in terms of religion? Going to some history lecture once a year is equally as 0% religious as atheists doing it. Atheists don't do it 'to feel better' as a group. It's simply a shared common thread, as is these history meetings. There's nothing more to it.

Religion requires a gigantic leap of faith in believing resurrections and flying horses which has exactly zero evidence. It requires pray, suspensions of nature, believing you'll survive death, etc.

How many times do we have to say - there's NOTHING in common which makes atheism akin to religion. This 'collective' analogy works for everything, as it isn't a wholly exclusive religious practice for people with something in common to meet.

Give me strength!

yellowfish

Whelpling wrote: »

Since atheists tend to organise and come together in countries like the US and Ireland, where theism is the state of most of the population, I can see why people would think it a religion. In fact, the coming together of atheists is not driven by their belief or lack thereof - it is driven by their desire to be treated as equals under law and policy along with theists. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that atheists are viewed negatively by many theists, and this creates a culture where some people don't even want to be 'out' as atheists, because of potentially negative family/friend reactions. One thing that theism, or organised religion does very well is create a community (church etc) for its belongers. Atheists coming together is in some way a replica of that very positive part of religion, I think - but is driven by the aforementioned desire for equality (including a release from stigma) and a desire for community such that many people in religion enjoy. We are not solitary, antisocial creatures just because we don't believe that gods exist. Many atheists are also humanist, and value other people, community and good company very highly.

I agree that the sense of community is a positive part of religion and I can see how some theists might see Atheists coming together as somehow aping this aspect.
But how someone could be so stupid to confuse Atheism with a religion, I just do not understand.
Though in fairness they might just be doing it to annoy us, I can appreciate that.
On rare occasions a religious person has told me that i require as much faith as they do in their beliefs to conclude there is no God. Its a very effective way of making me rant and its lucky I do not own a gun, but its the sort of thing I do to religious people who annoy me, so fairs fair i suppose. (Bastards)

EDIT When I say it may be viewed as aping, this obviously does not mean it actualy is aping any more than going to a football match would be.