Do you believe there is a God? If no...then you believe there is no God and therefore are atheist. Which makes it the belief in no God. One again...Atheism IS a religion.
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Wait, so if one were to say he is not religious, then, that person is religious because he believes in no religion?
Religion, at it's broadest definition is, ardent belief in the supernatural. Atheism, since it goes so far as to disbelieve in the supernatural, is not a religion. Also, look at the word. Theism is synonomous with religion. When you tack on that 'A' before many words, you get some thing that means 'has no' whatever you tack it on to. Asexual means something has no gender, Asymmetrical means that it has no symmetry, and Atheism means that it has no theism or religion. The definition of Atheism is lack of belief in a religion.
On the other hand, having athiesm recognized as a religion allows secular fundies to be kept in check better. Even if it really isn't a religion.
After all, aren't some of these Christian fundamentalists some of the best people to affirm athiesm, their target audience?
*switches off irony meter*
The problem is that they're so narrow minded. A person can believe in something that isn't a God, but is still a supernatural entity. They still believe in something- so I don't think that makes them an atheist.
And, yeah, they're just lame at the concept of religion.
Darth: I'm not *really* serious about that, if that's what your comment was. I should have thought about it before I hit the submit button.
It was a situation whereby if we put checks on "abolish all religion" fundies, the Christian fundie community might just fold like a deck of cards. Reality check: Christian fundies will always find a convenient ass with which to dye everyone with a difference of opinion a much darker shade of grey.
Oh well, if I wind up being quoted here, I'll take my lumps. :)
Lack of religion isn't a religion. And the options aren't limited to "believe there is a God" and "believe there isn't a God" - there's also "have no idea whether there is a God or not", "believe there are several dozen Gods", etc.
Let's see ... belief == religion. Therefore, since I believe "Fountains and fluorescent lights" has no idea what he is writing about, that is now my religion. Okay.
I wonder what I will call this new belief/religion? "The Myspace poster known as 'Fountains and fluorescent lights' is an Idiotism" seems a bit cumbersome.
And now I ask myself, how will I fit the worship ceremonies of my new religion in with all of my other religions (Gravity is a Harsh Mistressism, Setting Myself on Fire Would Hurtism, Kittens are Cuteism, etc).
That's going to cause a bit of trouble.
Then, by your own opinion. You must NOT believe in God because (according to you and other Fundies) something has to exist to not believe it does.
I felt stupid even typeing those last nine words!
Add to that the old "Atheism IS a religion" statement which means you have a warped view of english. Get thee to a dictionary!
This also means, The Marvel Universe doesn't exist in real life. Which means it does, It must because I don't believe it.
I'm gonna find me a spider and radioactive the hell out of it, which should piss it off enough to bite me.
Atheism is not a religion, neither is theism. Both are simply position statements. One says there is a supernatural element to the universe, one says that everything is natural. It's what goes on above and beyond that which determines whether something is a religion.
Everyone has made some great points about athiesm NOT being a religion - but perhaps we should lobby to form an athiest religion, simply for the perks:
*tax breaks
*funding for faith based initaitives (such as the distribution of On the Origin of the Species to all school aged children)
*the ability to found athiest schools where the Word of Richard Dawkins would be endlessly studied and interpreted
*days off work to celebrate significant days in our religion (Sorry Boss, I won't be at work tomorrow - I'll be celebrating Christopher Hitchens' bithday)
*etc etc.
I really like chocolate. My friend Suzie does not like chocolate at all. Therefore my friend Suzie likes her dislike of chocolate (and never finds it at all socially awkward or minds everyone telling her 'no, really? maybe you just need to try x type of chocolate, and you'll totally change your mind.')
Oh yeah, makes total sense.
I really like chocolate. My friend Suzie does not like chocolate at all. Therefore my friend Suzie likes her dislike of chocolate (and never finds it at all socially awkward or minds everyone telling her 'no, really? maybe you just need to try x type of chocolate, and you'll totally change your mind.')
Oh yeah, makes total sense.
Atheism isn't a religion as long as it doesn't have tax exempt status, but still, for the sake of the arguement, fine, it IS indeed a religion. Okay...? Alright. Now what? ... ... ... see? Now go fucking grow a brain and try to come up with some REAL criticism, idiot.
"Atheism IS a religion."
Okay. What is our Holy Writ? "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins? Where is my local Atheist church? Because I'm buggered if i know where it is! And above all...:
What about our tax-exempt status? Are you & your ilk willing to arrange that for us, nay, pay our tax rebate - with interest? After all, the Christian church - even your denomination - is tax-exempt. Because yours is a religion.
Please send cash/make cheques payable to...:
The Church of No God Whatso-fucking-ever
69 Rammett Welwyn
Tillett
Herts
IM1 RU12
All we ask is for you to look up and live by the actual definition of a word. Look up Atheist, Religion and Christian.
You can't change these words, thye best you can manage is slang definitions. That'll take years and a slang definition isn't accepted as definitive.
Religion: needs a Diety, belief in same diety and adherance to ritual
Atheism: Literally, Without a God
Christian; Belief and worship of Jesus Christ, a God!
We don't have a church of Atheism guys, I think we should build one, and then, form an organized system of atheistic clergy that goes around telling people how NOT to worship one or more gods through a system of arcane and byzantine rituals. I would think that if we were ever to have a religion of Atheism, those would be the things we would need to do to get the ball rolling.
No, no, no. It's an absence of belief. Some atheists do have a positive belief in no gods, but that is not a requirement of atheism.
Only people like you see things in black and white. It's either left or it's right, but never in between. Guess what, things can be in between, and they usually are. Our choices aren't limited to belief that there absolutely is a god -and- belief that there absolutely are no gods. We can actually *gasp* say, "Maybe there are, maybe there aren't, but I am unable to believe such an extraordinary claim until I see evidence to prove that it has some basis in reality."
You say: God exists!
An atheists says: Show me evidence to prove your assertion.
Sexual = something that has sex.
Asexual = something that does not have sex.
If someone is political, they engage in politics.
If someone is a political, they don't engage in politics.
Theism = Having a religion.
Atheism = Not having a religion.
The "A" means "not" or "non". Get it now? Of course you don't. You're too dense to understand it.
We can actually *gasp* say, "Maybe there are, maybe there aren't,
Of course we can, but then we would be Agnostic, not Atheistic.
Theism = Yes there is a God.
Atheism = No there isn't.
Agnosticism = I think you both hold equally valid arguments (WTF?) and hence I'll hold back my decision until either the Theist proves god's existence to me or the Atheist proves otherwise. (Translation: I'm an undecisive and/or spineless moron who choses to think creationism sounds about as convincing as the modern scientific theory because otherwise I may have to chose a side in the argument.)
You cannot spell the word 'Believe' without the word LIE .
I Accept that a 'God' doesn't exist. Because he's done fuck all to prove me wrong to date, as per the first three words of 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJV), and seeing as Proof denies faith , and without 'faith' there can be no 'Belie f', therefore...!
Helluva paradox eh, Goddy-boy?
And you lot say that yours isn't a 'religion', but 'a personal relationship with Jesus'. You want to make that call to the IRS, re. tax exemption as a 'religion', or shall I? And that's after you've shelled out the untold billions in tax rebates - backdated and with interest - to we Atheists, seeing as you lot are so eager to claim that 'Atheism is a religion'. So c'mon, start unchaining those wallets fundies, chop-chop...!
Helluva paradox eh, pal...?! >:D
1210051: Well, aren't we so fucking superior? I suppose you know it all, to be able to call an entire section of people indecisive (note the spelling, retard) spineless morons! Come on, let's see your proof! You know so much; you're so sure that there's no question on the subject; so come on, ante up: let's see some proof already! You wouldn't be one of those stupid assholes who shouts about things they can't prove, would you? Of course not, you're too damned brilliant for that! You know it all, so come on, oh wise one... enlighten us!
Oh? You can't?
Just another asshole, then, beating up a strawman of agnosticism. You don't know shit, so stop talking as if you do, you arrogant little prick.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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