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Atheism is not a religion and is perfectly fine in society. Prove me wrong.

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I believe that Atheism is not a religion and is perfectly fine in society. In history and still today, Atheists are looked as evil people that do immoral acts 24/7 as they no longer live by the Bible. I believe this is not true because very few Atheists commits crimes or wrongful acts, as compared to Christians, where very few but still some perform crimes. Try to persuade me otherwise. I'm interested to know what you have to say.
PlaffelvohfenCYDdhartaAlofRIVaulkZombieguy1987LogicalThinker



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  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -  
    By definition Atheism cannot be a religion... It's an absence of belief about the existence of a specific entity (God). Atheists don't have creed, don't have prescribed rituals, don't have prescribed dogmas, don't have holy texts, don't perform ceremonies relating to their absence of belief in gods, don't have a cosmology derived from their unbelief, etc... 
    CYDdhartaAlofRIDeeBrainSocksZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    It's definitely a belief system about the origins of the universe, thus it is a religion.  As far as it's role in society, it's no worse than other religions.
    PlaffelvohfenpiloteerAlofRIVaulkcalebsicaZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021
  • piloteerpiloteer 1577 Pts   -  
    Atheism is most certainly a religion. 

    Religion. 

    noun
    •the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
    "ideas about the relationship between science and religion"
    synonyms:faith, belief, divinity, worship, creed, teaching, doctrine, theology; More

    •a particular system of faith and worship.
    plural noun: religions
    "the world's great religions"

    •a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
    "consumerism is the new religion"

    I'd say the last aspect of the definition of religion perfectly describes atheism. I think all religions are socially acceptable as long as they don't impede on other peoples rights. As long as a believer of any religion doesn't practice the aspects that violate the law, have at it.
     
    PlaffelvohfenDeeCYDdhartaVaulkBrainSocksZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021
  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    @CYDdharta

    It's a single position regarding a very specific claim and thus it cannot be defined as a "belief system"...  And atheism has absolutely nothing to say about the origins of the universe, science does... Atheism as nothing to say on anything but the theist claim that a specific type of god exists... 
    AlofRIDeeCYDdhartaZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • TKDBTKDB 694 Pts   -  
    I have read some of the quotations of Richard Dawkins the Athiest, and have watched some of the videos on YouTube, in regards to how this individual Athiest, expresses himself.

    And his own word's, are an education unto themselves, if someone wants to be educated from this individuals Athiest perspective, or opinion?

    Before Gas Buddy.com discontinued their debate forums, that debate website, is where I got my original anti religious, Athiest education at.

    "There is no Go, here is why."

    The guy who started that forum, rather enjoyed, the fruits, of his Athiest teachings. 

    RichardCarter2021
  • DeeDee 5395 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    It's definitely a belief system about the origins of the universe, thus it is a religion.

    It’s not nor has it anything to say about such . Atheism is concerned about one question only as in is there  a god , it’s a rejection of claims by theists that there  is a god. You really need to look up the definition of religion 

      As far as it's role in society, it's no worse than other religions.

     That statement makes no sense regarding what I’ve just told you what Atheism is 

    PlaffelvohfenCYDdhartaZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021BrainSocks
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    It's a single position regarding a very specific claim and thus it cannot be defined as a "belief system"...  And atheism has absolutely nothing to say about the origins of the universe, science does... Atheism as nothing to say on anything but the theist claim that a specific type of god exists... 
    It's single position, as you put it, is about about God, the Creator, a Supreme Being, or whatever you want to call it.  Atheism very obviously is a belief about the origins of the universe. 
    PlaffelvohfenDeepiloteerAlofRIRichardCarter2021
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    Dee said:
    @CYDdharta


    It’s not nor has it anything to say about such . Atheism is concerned about one question only as in is there  a god , it’s a rejection of claims by theists that there  is a god. You really need to look up the definition of religion 



    I don't need to, but obviously you do;

      religionnounmass noun
      • 1The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.


      • 1.1count noun A particular system of faith and worship
      • 1.2count noun A pursuit or interest followed with great devotion.
    It takes a lot of faith to be an atheist.
    PlaffelvohfenDeeZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021
  • AlofRIAlofRI 1484 Pts   -  
    Religion is a belief in a supernatural entity. 

    I couldn't be a Muslim. I don't believe in their supernatural entity. I couldn't be a Christian, I don't believe in THEIR supernatural entity either. I just don't believe in supernatural entities! That makes me a criminal??? I DO believe in common sense. I DO believe in compassion. I DO believe in human rights. I DO believe in helping others that need help. I do NOT need a Bible or Koran or any other religious doctrine to stay out of jail. I can read the laws of society and I know right from wrong. I'm an atheist, I guess, to some, that makes me a criminal. I'll try to figure that one out!

    There are good people in ALL religions, there are BAD people in all religions, there are good people without a religion, there are bad people without religion. Religion itself does not make a person good or bad. Jim Jones, Warren Jeffs and David Koresh LOVED GOD! They had religion … at least THEY thought so. Their followers thought so Do YOU think you've got religion?

    "Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions." *Blaise Pascal*

    "I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has produced, the cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!" *John Adams in a letter to Thomas Jefferson*

    "It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it, some clever fables and some good morals, a wealth of obscenity and upwards of a thousand lies." *Mark Twain (on the Bible)

    "Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived." *Isaac Asimov*

    Just a few quotes from my fellow criminals. o:)
    PlaffelvohfenCYDdhartaZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021
  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    @CYDdharta

    How you get from a) a single position on a single matter, to b) a belief system about the origin of the universe? It's nonsensical...
    AlofRIRichardCarter2021
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • DeeDee 5395 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    @CYDdharta

    I don't need to, but obviously you do


    You really do , you’re using a tactic only used by the more   American theists of which there seems to be a good supply on D I 



    .....A pursuit or interest followed with great devotion

    Using your interpretation of what religion is ........... That means that golf , chess and kite flying are all religions ........oh dear ........and lacking a belief in Ghosts , Goblins and U FO’s are all religious beliefs according to you .......You really are offensively  



    It takes a lot of faith to be an atheist


    Faith is based on spiritual conviction so tell me how is Atheism a faith based claim? ......congrats you’ve made 3 remarks one after another 

    PlaffelvohfenCYDdhartaAlofRIRichardCarter2021
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    How you get from a) a single position on a single matter, to b) a belief system about the origin of the universe? It's nonsensical...
    Atheism is a "particular system of faith", the very definition of religion.
    AlofRIRichardCarter2021
  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    @CYDdharta

    Could you explain how atheism can ever be considered a "particular system of faith"? Anything to support that claim?
    RichardCarter2021
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    Could you explain how is atheism can ever be considered a "particular system of faith"? Anything to support that claim?
    Atheism is "Disbelief in the existence of God or gods".  It takes a lot of faith to hold such a view.
    AlofRIZombieguy1987RichardCarter2021BrainSocks
  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    How so? You're just throwing assumptions without support at the moment... 
    DeeZombieguy1987
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • PlaffelvohfenPlaffelvohfen 3985 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    Do you believe in leprechauns? If not, you would be an aleprechaunist and your religion would be aleprechaunism and it would be so because it takes a lot of faith to hold the view that leprechauns do not exist... See how much sense that makes?
    CYDdhartaAlofRIDeeZombieguy1987BrainSocks
    " Adversus absurdum, contumaciter ac ridens! "
  • Without getting into an argument about definitions the idea that the OP is expressing is exactly what is known as lacking belief, without belief, having no belief etc.

    To have a belief system you have to have a belief in the first place; if you have no belief then it obviously follows that you do not have a particular belief system revolving around a belief that you don't have; that just wouldn't make any sense. And in this particular insistence if you are suggesting that a belief system is a religion then you don't have a religion that you follow either because you have no belief system revolving around a belief you don't have, as that would be impossible. This bit of the OP I do agree with, if we're following the idea of Atheism being a lack of belief that is.

    Having said that I cannot agree with the other part of the OP which was:

    I believe this is not true because very few Atheists commits crimes or wrongful acts, as compared to Christians, where very few but still some perform crimes. Try to persuade me otherwise. I'm interested to know what you have to say.
    This is a very broad generalization without any data to support it being presented. I would imagine there is an almost equal amount of crimes being committed by both religious and non-religious people, and with varying individual reasons for those crimes. Of course, there are cases of religious extremist cases but these cases are very rare, unlike what the media would like you to believe. Talking of the media, what's interesting to note is that things like Smoking and Cancer are killing millions more people every year than multiple other causes of death combined but you don't see that getting much media coverage! (Sorry, might have digressed a bit here).


    Plaffelvohfen



  • piloteerpiloteer 1577 Pts   -  
    @ZeusAres42

    You misrepresent Atheism. It is not a lack of any belief system, it's just a lack of belief in a god, or gods. Nihilism is a total lack of beliefs, not atheism. Does Neil Degrasse Tyson believe this universe was created from the big bang? Of course he does, because it's a part of his belief system. You also misrepresent what a belief system is. A belief system is not inherently tied to a religion. Science is a belief system as well.     
    BrainSocks
  • ZeusAres42ZeusAres42 Emerald Premium Member 2665 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    piloteer said:
    @ZeusAres42

    You misrepresent Atheism. It is not a lack of any belief system, it's just a lack of belief in a god, or gods. Nihilism is a total lack of beliefs, not atheism. Does Neil Degrasse Tyson believe this universe was created from the big bang? Of course he does, because it's a part of his belief system. You also misrepresent what a belief system is. A belief system is not inherently tied to a religion. Science is a belief system as well.     
    As I said, Without getting into an argument about definitions of what atheism is the idea that the OP is expressing is exactly what is known as lacking belief, without belief, having no belief etc. If you want to explore this idea then I am very willing to engage. I would much rather explore an idea that we can both agree on rather than debate definitions and/or interpretations of etymological stuff.

    I also didn't say anything about what I thought a belief system is. All I said was that if you call a belief system a religion then it can't follow that you have a religion about something of which you don't believe in; you simply just don't have a belief about it.

    Oh, I wasn't misrepresenting anything; I just failed to add the bit about a lack or not having a belief in a God, or any other theistic attributes; I thought that bit was a given though.



  • piloteerpiloteer 1577 Pts   -  
    @AlofRI

    "Belief in a supernatural entity" is not the definition of religion. You can base your life around objective reasoning which leads you to a rejection of the idea of a god or gods. That objective belief system absolutely fits the criteria of a religion. A religion can be anything that you find important enough to base your life around, and it doesn't have to be a god or gods.        
  • piloteerpiloteer 1577 Pts   -  
    @ZeusAres42

    I'm sure we could both agree that most of the values that religious people have, will have an abstract atheist version of that value, whereas nihilists will have none. Nihilistic people are obviously atheists, but the vast majority of athiests have values and ethics that puts their belief system in line with religious belief systems, especially if those athiests accept objective rationale.    
    BrainSocks
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  

    As I said, Without getting into an argument about definitions of what atheism is the idea that the OP is expressing is exactly what is known as lacking belief, without belief, having no belief etc. If you want to explore this idea then I am very willing to engage. I would much rather explore an idea that we can both agree on rather than debate definitions and/or interpretations of etymological stuff.

    I also didn't say anything about what I thought a belief system is. All I said was that if you call a belief system a religion then it can't follow that you have a religion about something of which you don't believe in; you simply just don't have a belief about it.

    Oh, I wasn't misrepresenting anything; I just failed to add the bit about a lack or not having a belief in a God, or any other theistic attributes; I thought that bit was a given though.

    In you opinion, does atheism mean simply being confused about the issue?  "I don't know how we got here, all I know is that there's no creator."
  • CYDdharta said:

    As I said, Without getting into an argument about definitions of what atheism is the idea that the OP is expressing is exactly what is known as lacking belief, without belief, having no belief etc. If you want to explore this idea then I am very willing to engage. I would much rather explore an idea that we can both agree on rather than debate definitions and/or interpretations of etymological stuff.

    I also didn't say anything about what I thought a belief system is. All I said was that if you call a belief system a religion then it can't follow that you have a religion about something of which you don't believe in; you simply just don't have a belief about it.

    Oh, I wasn't misrepresenting anything; I just failed to add the bit about a lack or not having a belief in a God, or any other theistic attributes; I thought that bit was a given though.

    "I don't know how we got here, all I know is that there's no creator."
    lol. I didn't even say that or imply it. Nowhere in my previous posts exist any indication of me saying or implying that. But that was rather funny to read though.




  • In my opinion denying the existence of something is not the same thing as not having a belief about it, to put it simply. Not having a belief about something is simply not having a belief about it.



  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    Some people use the term "belief" sparingly. They think that every opinion is a belief. But it is not so; "belief" is a very specific kind of opinion.

    If I say, "I think that there is no need to introduce any gods into equation, because there is no evidence of their existence", then I am not describing a belief; I am describing an opinion. I do not "believe" that there are no gods; I simply think that there is no point considering gods until we are faced with evidence of their existence. I support the burden of proof and the Occam's razor principles because of their practicality.

    Faithful belief in the lack of gods is not called atheism, it is called antitheism. Atheism, on the other hand, is generally defined as lack of belief in god. Lack of belief in god does not imply belief in lack of god.

    "Agnosticism" is a different beast entirely; there, the person states that, for the lack of evidence, neither existence of god nor its non-existence should be assumed. It is the most neutral position one can have.

    In my opinion, the popular conflation of lack of belief in god and belief in lack of god is simply a product of projection of religious minds. Someone who deeply believes in god is likely to assume that those who do not believe in god, must believe in his absence; after all, they must believe in one of these two, right? How can it be any other way? Yet us, non-religious people, see the distinction very well. We know that belief is not required in order to have a stance, because we practice having stances not based on any particular beliefs all the time.

    I do not "believe" that if I do not eat food for 100 days, I will die; I know it, or, at least, I know that it is very likely to be true. Similarly, I do not need to "believe" in the lack of god to not take the idea of god seriously. Maybe there is god, maybe there is not. But whether there is one or many or not, does not change the now: no evidence, no point philosophising. That is my position, and you will have to try very hard to paint it as a belief.
    CYDdhartaPlaffelvohfen
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  

    In my opinion denying the existence of something is not the same thing as not having a belief about it, to put it simply. Not having a belief about something is simply not having a belief about it.

    ...and atheism is denying the existence of God/Gods/Supreme Being/Creator, etc.etc.?  Just trying to make sure I know where you're coming from.
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    MayCaesar said:
    Some people use the term "belief" sparingly. They think that every opinion is a belief. But it is not so; "belief" is a very specific kind of opinion.

    If I say, "I think that there is no need to introduce any gods into equation, because there is no evidence of their existence", then I am not describing a belief; I am describing an opinion. I do not "believe" that there are no gods; I simply think that there is no point considering gods until we are faced with evidence of their existence. I support the burden of proof and the Occam's razor principles because of their practicality.

    Faithful belief in the lack of gods is not called atheism, it is called antitheism. Atheism, on the other hand, is generally defined as lack of belief in god. Lack of belief in god does not imply belief in lack of god.

    "Agnosticism" is a different beast entirely; there, the person states that, for the lack of evidence, neither existence of god nor its non-existence should be assumed. It is the most neutral position one can have.

    In my opinion, the popular conflation of lack of belief in god and belief in lack of god is simply a product of projection of religious minds. Someone who deeply believes in god is likely to assume that those who do not believe in god, must believe in his absence; after all, they must believe in one of these two, right? How can it be any other way? Yet us, non-religious people, see the distinction very well. We know that belief is not required in order to have a stance, because we practice having stances not based on any particular beliefs all the time.

    I do not "believe" that if I do not eat food for 100 days, I will die; I know it, or, at least, I know that it is very likely to be true. Similarly, I do not need to "believe" in the lack of god to not take the idea of god seriously. Maybe there is god, maybe there is not. But whether there is one or many or not, does not change the now: no evidence, no point philosophising. That is my position, and you will have to try very hard to paint it as a belief.

    Antitheists, like Nihilists, are subcategories of atheism.

    BrainSocks
  • AlofRIAlofRI 1484 Pts   -  
    @piloteer Apparently you have your definition of religion and legitimate dictionaries have their definition. I'll go with the legit dictionaries, that is, if you don't mind. Well, even if you do. You have a good day / night. :)
    Plaffelvohfen
  • DeeDee 5395 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    @piloteer


    "Belief in a supernatural entity" is not the definition of religion. 

    Yet religious define religious belief as a set of opinions based on Faith, so that it does not require evidence to support it and will in fact operate the same in the face of contradictory evidence.

    It is and accepted as such by believers universally.Tell me when someone says to you “I’m religious “ do you assume that they are not talking about their relationship with a god or devotion to one?


    You can base your life around objective reasoning which leads you to a rejection of the idea of a god or gods. 

    A belief or lack of is subjective 


    That objective belief system absolutely fits the criteria of a religion. 


    How so? What is an objective belief system?



    A religion can be anything that you find important enough to base your life around, and it doesn't have to be a god or gods.     


    So anyone who finds the world view of the KKK important and base their life around such is “religious”.

    So tell me how is Atheism a religion when I and others don’t base our lives around it? 

    CYDdhartaAlofRIBrainSocks
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta

    Atheism, antitheism and nihilism are all very different things, and can come in all possible combinations.

    Nihilism is something along the lines of "everything is relative, so nothing matters". A religious person can be a nihilist, and a non-religious person can be a nihilist.

    Atheism is lack of belief in god. It does not imply belief in lack of god and allows for a large variety of nuance.

    Antitheism is the stance against theism, allowing for a lot of nuance for exactly what parts of theism one opposes. An atheist may or may not be antitheist.

    You could say I am a bit of an antitheist, because I find the whole notion of "believing" something without due evidence ridiculous - but at the same time I do not mind other people believing what they want. I find their beliefs silly, but I do not get out of my way to try to change them, and, in fact, I find that some religious people have very interesting and logical positions, worthy discussing.
    I am certainly an atheist, as described above; I do not "believe" in something that I cannot support by evidence.
    I am not a nihilist in any reasonable way; I do not think that "nothing has a meaning", instead I think that we all make our own meanings out of things, and a fulfilling life requires making meanings that serve a positive function in our lives.

    I would also offer a logically difficult possibility of a person being simultaneously theist and atheist. Consider someone like Musk: he is not particularly interested in any religions and does not believe in gods, as I understand - at the same time, he supports the simulation theory, stating that our Universe is merely a simulation ran by beings in a different world, who are gods in the sense that they have full control over the Universe.

    As you can see, these matters are very complex. The statement that atheism is a religion makes no sense, and even theism being a religion does not always have to be true. Not every belief forms a religion, and not even every belief in existence of supernatural beings forms a religion, and it all depends on the nuances.
    CYDdharta
  • piloteerpiloteer 1577 Pts   -  
    @AlofRI

    Well thank you, and I hope you have a good day/night as well.  
  • piloteerpiloteer 1577 Pts   -   edited September 2019
    @Dee

    It doesn't matter what religious people think religion actually is. It's plainly written in the definition. Yes, people who believe the KKK have an important worldview, are religious. The KKK adhere to a strict interpretation of protestant Christianity, so I'm not sure what it is about the KKK that you don't think is religious. Whether or not an objective belief system is achievable or not is of no value in the context of this conversation. The only thing that matters is that it is believed by those who adhere to it, therefore it is their religion. If it was true that an objective belief system is an illusion, and it would actually be subjective, that would lend credence to my argument because those people would be believing in a system based only on their faith, and it will "operate the same in the face of contradictory evidence." But here's a bit of objective reasoning for you. Your argument that you don't base your life around atheism is not a legitimate argument, because you are not the end all be all to what constitutes religion. You can claim that you don't live any specific religion all you want, but you could be lying, or you could not understand certain aspects of your life that is religious. We, out here on the other side of the screen have no idea about your life, so your argument is invalid.     
  • Some people define Atheism as the denying of the existence of God while others define it as simply not believing in a Creator, lack of belief, without belief etc. If one is using the former definition then it does follow that, that could be viewed as a religious belief system. Since the idea of God is an unfalsifiable idea that cannot be tested then it does take an certain amount of faith to deny the existence of that idea as it does to believe in it.

    However, If on the other hand, Atheism is being defined as just being without a theistic belief then it cannot follow that, that is a religious belief system. To put it another way, there is no such thing as a "I don't believe in the existence of a creator" religion. Furthermore, being without a theistic belief does not equate to the denying the existence of a Creator, nor does it mean one will never believe in it; all it means is that the person does not currently believe in something due to their own individual reasons for not believing in it.





  • jesusisGod777jesusisGod777 115 Pts   -  
    Fallacy. Any religion that replaces Yahweh God with something else is what defines religion.

    Atheists are completely religious and worship dead monkeys.

    Jesus is Lord and God.
    대왕광개토AlofRIBrainSocks
  • Fallacy. Any religion that replaces Yahweh God with something else is what defines religion.

    Atheists are completely religious and worship dead monkeys.

    Jesus is Lord and God.
    Troll confirmed!
    대왕광개토AlofRIBrainSocks



  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    Some people define Atheism as the denying of the existence of God while others define it as simply not believing in a Creator, lack of belief, without belief etc. If one is using the former definition then it does follow that, that could be viewed as a religious belief system. Since the idea of God is an unfalsifiable idea that cannot be tested then it does take an certain amount of faith to deny the existence of that idea as it does to believe in it.
    I have a problem with this argument. It is only logical to not accept the existence of things that are a product of human imagination and have no evidence behind them. It is not the same as simply not knowing either that something is true or it is false; but it is the fact that it is natural for humans to imagine things that are not there.

    Does it take a certain amount of faith to not accept the existence of, say, intelligent dinosaurs somewhere in the Universe? Yes: they may or may not exist, and there is no significant reason to reject either possibility.

    On the other hand, does it take a certain amount of faith to not accept the existence of unicorns on Earth? Not really: unicorns are a product of human imagination, and are merely a modified version of horses, that do exist. You do not have to "believe" in the lack of unicorns on Earth to understand that they were conjured up in a human mind, not based on any real evidence.

    As such, I would make the following distinction: things that we simply do not know anything about do require a certain amount of faith to either accept or not accept, but things that we know were made up by human tradition based on no real evidence or logical reasoning do need to be rejected, when theorising about the objective reality.
    BrainSocks
  • DeeDee 5395 Pts   -  
    @piloteer


    *****It doesn't matter what religious people think religion actually is. 


    But religious people believe in a god so indeed it does matter 


    ****It's plainly written in the definition


    It’s not 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.


    That’s what anyone claiming to be religious accepts as a definition 


    ****Yes, people who believe the KKK have an important worldview, are religious. 


    ****Yes people who claimed to be  Nazis were Catholic and Protestant 


    ****The KKK adhere to a strict interpretation of protestant Christianity, so I'm not sure what it is about the KKK that you don't think is religious. 


    KKK’s members who claim to be religious believe in a creator god and you admitted such by claiming they’re Christians , otherwise they would be  atheists KKK members 


    ****Whether or not an objective belief system is achievable or not is of no value in the context of this conversation. 


    But you brought it up 


    ****The only thing that matters is that it is believed by those who adhere to it, therefore it is their religion. 


    So again not believing in a god is a religion so not believing in ghosts , goblins or UFO’s is also a religion?


    If you ask a religious person what is religion how do you think they would answer?


    ****If it was true that an objective belief system is an illusion, and it would actually be subjective, 


    It is true that it’s an illusion and it’s all subjective 



    ****that would lend credence to my argument because those people would be believing in a system based only on their faith, and it will "operate the same in the face of contradictory evidence." 


    What people? Faith is based on spiritual conviction nothing else , how is Atheism a fate based position?


    ****But here's a bit of objective reasoning for you. Your argument that you don't base your life around atheism is not a legitimate argument


    Actually that’s your subjective opinion hows it “objective reasoning”?


    Atheism is a position on one question alone how you don’t get this is beyond me , I do not base my life around the rejection of a belief in gods , ghosts or goblins 


    ****because you are not the end all be all to what constitutes religion. 


    Yet definitions are used to give clarity the very thing you wish to avoid , so tell me do the billions of religious believers believe in a god or not as the correct definition claims?


    ****You can claim that you don't live any specific religion all you want, but you could be lying, or you could not understand certain aspects of your life that is religious. 


    What parts of my life are “religious” if I don’t believe in a god?


    ****We, out here on the other side of the screen have no idea about your life, so your argument is invalid.     


    As is yours if that’s the case , as usual you totally ignore  and redefine accepted definitions to make an argument without substance.


    You also never answered .....Religious  define religious belief as a set of opinions based on Faith, so that it does not require evidence to support it and will in fact operate the same in the face of contradictory evidence.

    It is and accepted as such by believers universally.Tell me when someone says to you “I’m religious “ do you assume that they are not talking about their relationship with a god or devotion to one?

  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    MayCaesar said:
    @CYDdharta

    Atheism, antitheism and nihilism are all very different things, and can come in all possible combinations.

    Nihilism is something along the lines of "everything is relative, so nothing matters". A religious person can be a nihilist, and a non-religious person can be a nihilist.

    Atheism is lack of belief in god. It does not imply belief in lack of god and allows for a large variety of nuance.

    Antitheism is the stance against theism, allowing for a lot of nuance for exactly what parts of theism one opposes. An atheist may or may not be antitheist.

    You could say I am a bit of an antitheist, because I find the whole notion of "believing" something without due evidence ridiculous - but at the same time I do not mind other people believing what they want. I find their beliefs silly, but I do not get out of my way to try to change them, and, in fact, I find that some religious people have very interesting and logical positions, worthy discussing.
    I am certainly an atheist, as described above; I do not "believe" in something that I cannot support by evidence.
    I am not a nihilist in any reasonable way; I do not think that "nothing has a meaning", instead I think that we all make our own meanings out of things, and a fulfilling life requires making meanings that serve a positive function in our lives.

    I would also offer a logically difficult possibility of a person being simultaneously theist and atheist. Consider someone like Musk: he is not particularly interested in any religions and does not believe in gods, as I understand - at the same time, he supports the simulation theory, stating that our Universe is merely a simulation ran by beings in a different world, who are gods in the sense that they have full control over the Universe.

    As you can see, these matters are very complex. The statement that atheism is a religion makes no sense, and even theism being a religion does not always have to be true. Not every belief forms a religion, and not even every belief in existence of supernatural beings forms a religion, and it all depends on the nuances.


    atheism

    nounmass nounDisbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

    nihilism

    noun

    mass noun
    • 1The rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless.
    • 1.1 Philosophy - The belief that nothing in the world has a real existence.
    • 1.2 historical - The doctrine of an extreme Russian revolutionary party c.1900 which found nothing to approve of in the established social order.

    antitheism

    noun

    Opposition to belief in the existence of a god or gods.




    If one rejects of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless, they disbelieve in the existence of God or gods.  OTOH, one who disbelieves in the existence of God or gods doesn't necessarily reject of all religious and moral principles, thus nihilism is a subset of atheism.

    If one is opposed to belief in the existence of a god or gods, they disbelieve in the existence of God or gods.  OTOH, one can disbelieve in the existence of God or gods without being opposed to such a belief, thus antitheism is a subset of atheism.

    BrainSocks
  • AlofRIAlofRI 1484 Pts   -  
    Okay. From now on I'm a religious non-believer! …. this is a somewhat new kind of religion! I'm a dyslexic Christian that doesn't believe in Dog. Thank DOG Jesus was a kind of "off-white"! I'm going to join the KKK (a religious organization) and repent!  Maybe I can kind of "evolve" and re-create myself as "one of the good guys" under the sheet. 

    Can I still believe a church massacre is not a gun issue? It's a mental health issue brought on by crazy gun laws?? This new born again life is confusing!

    Dog help me!
    BrainSocksPlaffelvohfenZeusAres42

  • Not accepting in something does not equate to denying it. You have to have faith to deny something that which is unfalsifiable; not accepting that something however, requires no such conviction.



  • This was definitely a very interesting thing to read days after I completely forgot of making this post. I can't even directly quote anyone and try to disassemble everything. All I can say is that if people think Atheism is a religion because they have faith that a God doesn't exist, that's just purely wrong.

    Dictionary.com states

    noun

    1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
    2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
    3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
    4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
    5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
    6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

    Every single one of these does not fit what Atheism is.

    1 doesn't relate to religion necessarily
    2 This could fit for gnostic Atheists, who don't believe in a God without any proof. But for agnostic, this isn't true.
    3 Atheism is the opposite of this
    4 This doesn't relate to religion necessarily
    5 There's no such thing as an "Atheist faith", unless there's proof of that.
    6 This is not religious
    PlaffelvohfenDee
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