Australian Politics Forum - Is Atheism a Religion?

Kytro

Gold Member

Offline

Blasphemy: a victimless
crime

Posts: 3409
Adelaide
Gender: male

Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #165 - Sep 26^th, 2011 at 3:53pm

muso wrote on Sep 26^th, 2011 at 2:35pm:

http://firstchurchofatheism.com/

Actually, you're both right. There is obviously a religion around atheism(where else but in the USA?), however it obviously doesn't include all atheists. Wow - 4840 ministers ordained!

Sure, someone can create a religion around some of the common beliefs of atheists (people tend to have some common reasons for not believing in God, but it is by no means a given) but that does not mean atheism is a religion. It simply means they don't believe in any gods.

Personally I'm an agnostic atheist, and my lack of belief is due to the lack of evidence, but I'm not religious at all.

Back to top

IP Logged

muso

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 13151
Gladstone, Queensland
Gender: male

Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #166 - Sep 26^th, 2011 at 10:25pm

Kytro wrote on Sep 26^th, 2011 at 3:53pm:

muso wrote on Sep 26^th, 2011 at 2:35pm:

http://firstchurchofatheism.com/

Actually, you're both right. There is obviously a religion around atheism(where else but in the USA?), however it obviously doesn't include all atheists. Wow - 4840 ministers ordained!

Sure, someone can create a religion around some of the common beliefs of atheists (people tend to have some common reasons for not believing in God, but it is by no means a given) but that does not mean atheism is a religion. It simply means they don't believe in any gods.

Personally I'm an agnostic atheist, and my lack of belief is due to the lack of evidence, but I'm not religious at all.

Most atheists are agnostic atheists to some extent. Very few atheists (if any) will say "I know for a fact that there are no gods"

Personally I believe in a naturalistic world, free of supernatural or mystical deities, forces, and entities. That probably describes my core worldview better than the negation of somebody else's religion. The word "Atheist" is specific to the non belief in the assortment of different entities that various religions

and philosophies

(inserted) call gods and is consequently not a very useful term to me.

My own belief is broader than that. I don't know this for a fact, but I just choose not to believe in things like gambling mythologies, horoscopes, gods (apart from mass psycho-social phenomena) and pink kangaroos. There may well be a pink kangaroo bouncing around Mount Isa way, but I have no evidence for its existence right now. The same goes for everything else of that nature. Gods are not a special case.

Back to top

« Last Edit: Sep 27^th, 2011 at 6:21am by muso »

1523 people like this. The remaining 7,134,765,234 do not

IP Logged

muso

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 13151
Gladstone, Queensland
Gender: male

Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #167 - Sep 27^th, 2011 at 10:54am

Soren wrote on Sep 26^th, 2011 at 3:25pm:

Varieties of irreligious experience
http://newhumanist.org.uk/2657/varieties-of-irreligious-experience

I agree with the conclusion of that article.
Quote:

James liked to define religion by contrast: it was the opposite, he suggested, of the smug facetiousness and cackling je m’en fichisme cultivated by 18th-century philosophes like Voltaire, who treated any display of tenderness or solemnity as a sign of weakness or folly.

As opposed to the Je m'en foutre-ism of today. At least 18th century Atheists were polite about not giving a damn.

Back to top

1523 people like this. The remaining 7,134,765,234 do not

IP Logged

Soren Gold Member Offline Posts: 25654 Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #168 - Oct 28^th, 2011 at 10:30pm 'An atheistic protest against God and belief itself stands on the soil of belief in a divine order of goodness and justice, and it actually confirms and acknowledges that belief by that pain and protest.'
Back to top	IP Logged

muso

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 13151
Gladstone, Queensland
Gender: male

Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #169 - Oct 29^th, 2011 at 3:06pm

That's one aspect of it. It's also a protest about blustering arrogant proponents of the "one true religion:" who claim with absolute faith and conviction that they have found the way and that everybody else is lost.

The main problem is that (in common with many other religions) they bear no resemblance to the founder of their religion. The "Born Again" brigade have forgotten the message of humility. They eat 'stale bread instead of heavenly manna' (paraphrased, and I'm too lazy to find the Biblical reference).

Quote:

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

Mohandas Gandhi

Back to top

1523 people like this. The remaining 7,134,765,234 do not

IP Logged

Dnarever Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 61786 Here Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #170 - Oct 29^th, 2011 at 3:11pm Is Atheism a Religion? It they made atheism a Religion atheists would not be able to believe in it. Athiesm would be the only religion which could have no members.
Back to top	IP Logged

BETEARS New Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 19 Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #171 - Feb 2^nd, 2012 at 2:36pm No, it's not. It's knowledge.
Back to top	IP Logged

muso Gold Member Offline Posts: 13151 Gladstone, Queensland Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #172 - Feb 2^nd, 2012 at 2:46pm For most of us, it's not a religion, but I make an exception in your case, BETEARS. Here - you can get ordained: http://firstchurchofatheism.com/ Every Christmas they sing Handel's Messiah, but they change the words. My personal favourite is: "I know that my redeemer doesn't liveth...."
Back to top	« Last Edit: Feb 2^nd, 2012 at 2:51pm by muso » 1523 people like this. The remaining 7,134,765,234 do not IP Logged

nairbe Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 2587 Rural NSW Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #173 - Feb 2^nd, 2012 at 6:55pm NorthOfNorth wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 7:13am: Would there be any atheists who would be prepared to die for the cause of atheism? Oh my, we really have no idea do we.
Back to top	"Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage." Confucius IP Logged

It_is_the_Darkness

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 4000
in a ReTardis
Gender: male

Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #174 - Feb 7^th, 2012 at 10:54pm

Atheism is a Religion if it does base its existence via the expression of Reading and Writing.
Something I mentioned on the AFA Forum ans subsequently got banned ...in writing. Roll Eyes

The majority of Atheists come from a Scientific and black-skivy Music / quasi 'satanic metal' music background.

I guess Scientology is where Science and Religion meet , much like the Medical and Military does in a M.A.S.H unit or something 'hybrid'.
A Flag is were politics and art meet.
etc,
etc.

So a lot of Occidentalists (who don't even know their home ground is that part of the world that stretches in the midst of the new worlds from the Caribbean/Central America to New Zealand ...the Silverado to the Silver Fern) and their Science and Music dont' like the Middle-East and its Spirituality (Fashion) and Religion.
The fact that the Fashion of the Middle-East is still stuck in the past, doesn't make a Rock Star look any better. Roll Eyes

Back to top

SUCKING ON MY TITTIES, LIKE I KNOW YOU WANT TO.

IP Logged

muso Gold Member Offline Posts: 13151 Gladstone, Queensland Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #175 - Feb 8^th, 2012 at 10:45am Maybe somebody should tell generation Z about that. They make up the group with the highest proportion of atheists, and the black garb of their parents (and grandparents) is total anathema to them.
Back to top	1523 people like this. The remaining 7,134,765,234 do not IP Logged

It_is_the_Darkness Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 4000 in a ReTardis Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #176 - Feb 12^th, 2012 at 11:54pm Someone should (Bank) Teller them that 'Black' is the colour of Money. Maybe all those 'Entertainers/Musos/etc' will eventually 'Fade to Grey' one day?
Back to top	SUCKING ON MY TITTIES, LIKE I KNOW YOU WANT TO. IP Logged

muso Gold Member Offline Posts: 13151 Gladstone, Queensland Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #177 - Feb 14^th, 2012 at 11:13am It_is_the_Darkness wrote on Feb 12^th, 2012 at 11:54pm: Someone should (Bank) Teller them that 'Black' is the colour of Money. Maybe all those 'Entertainers/Musos/etc' will eventually 'Fade to Grey' one day? I'm glad that (like me), you make light of the matter.
Back to top	1523 people like this. The remaining 7,134,765,234 do not IP Logged

Grey Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 5341 Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #178 - Feb 14^th, 2012 at 12:11pm Is not collecting stamps a hobby?
Back to top	"It is in the shelter of each other that the people live" - Irish Proverb IP Logged

Grey Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 5341 Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #179 - Feb 14^th, 2012 at 12:14pm Soren wrote on Oct 28^th, 2011 at 10:30pm: 'An atheistic protest against God and belief itself stands on the soil of belief in a divine order of goodness and justice, and it actually confirms and acknowledges that belief by that pain and protest.' I bet you believe that to be a sane and rational statement
Back to top	"It is in the shelter of each other that the people live" - Irish Proverb IP Logged