Is atheism a religion?

[rainbows]

Atheism means denial of the belief that a God exists.

How does an atheist know that a belief in God is false?

An atheist cannot know whether God exists or not.

An atheist cannot know whether belief is valid.

Christianity is based on God's revelation of
himself through the Holy Spirit.

No one can know God unless it is granted by
God in the first instance.

Atheist make assumptions about God.

Christians respond to God's revelation.

Atheism is due to a lack of revelation.

 

[FrMattCH]

It has been my experience and therefore my opinion is as follows. Atheism is filled by those who have one or more of the following:
Don't know who God is
Don't trust God

From my experience they want a savior, an all powerful being. They want Jesus. They are just unsure and have not been guided correctly.

In my honest opinion I believe that Scientology and Buddhism are both truly Atheist followings for there is no central diety.

So it cannot be a religion without a Centralized Diety in my opinion. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Satanists - all religions....Central Diety. Atheism? No, there is no centralized diety.

Afterall, a set of ideas is just a set of ideas and nothing more than that without a God.

 

[izzy]

I would say atheism is a philosophy that encompasses all of life, just like a religion. Doesn't necessarily make it a religion, though, in the sense that the atheists do not practice a set of rituals and commandments in order to get what the religion promises.

Under atheism, the universe began as the result of impersonal forces and objects and by chance, our form of life came to be about. There is no real purpose to our existence and so we are reduced to "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die." Nietzche would add something about the "will to power" and creating the "ubermensch", but there really isn't much for an atheist to live for. Good and evil are merely ideas in the human mind and do not actually exist apart from the human mind. Therefore, "might makes right." No basis for human rights. Atheism is a set of philosophical conclusions that result from the premise that there is no God and we exist by chance. These premises cannot be proven, just as the existence of God cannot be proven and must be taken as a matter of faith. In this sense, atheism is a religion.

 

[heymikey80]

I would say atheism is a philosophy that encompasses all of life, just like a religion. Doesn't necessarily make it a religion, though, in the sense that the atheists do not practice a set of rituals and commandments in order to get what the religion promises.

But, uh, what if religion isn't rituals and commandments?

"True religion is this -- to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to stay unstained by the world."

 

[Stormcrow]

Hello,

I'm new to these forums so I'm unsure whether or not this is the appropriate place to post this new thread. If it's not I'm hoping one of the moderators can move it to it's right place.

I'm here to ask if atheism should be considered a religion. I'm curious to hear all responses and am most interested in those that are thought out and intelligent.

Thanks for anytime you guys give me!

Atheism - at it's heart - is usually both naturalistic and humanistic in its world view. Insofar as any belief system can inform and motivate one's words and deeds, atheism can possess attributes that are "faith-based" without appealing to the supernatural.

Put another way, if every man has to believe in something, some men choose to believe in something other than God. Those beliefs, whatever they are, form the basis for their moral code.

The question of moral necessity or consistency apart from belief in God is, however, an entirely different question.

 

[jaydee]

As an atheist, I will say that atheism in and of itself, is not a religion. It is a lack of religion pertaining to gods. For example, there are many denominations of Christianity, all with similar or common beliefs that they share. This is not the case with atheism, as the only thing atheists tend to share is that they don't believe in god.

If you want to use the definition of religion being "The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods," then atheism cannot fall into a category of religion because we do not believe or worship a higher power.

I think that it ultimately depends on the person, whether they want to consider their atheism a religion or not. I personally, do not consider myself any sort of religion, because I am atheist, and that word for me defines a lack of religion.

 

[Artie]

I would say atheism is a philosophy that encompasses all of life, just like a religion.

Atheism is not a philosophy. It's simply a lack of belief in deities.

Under atheism, the universe began as the result of impersonal forces and objects and by chance, our form of life came to be about.

This has nothing to do with atheism. There's no scientific evidence that any deity created the universe and this is true no matter whether you are an atheist or not.

There is no real purpose to our existence and so we are reduced to "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die." Nietzche would add something about the "will to power" and creating the "ubermensch", but there really isn't much for an atheist to live for.

And what does a Christian live for?

Good and evil are merely ideas in the human mind and do not actually exist apart from the human mind.

Which concepts of good and evil exist apart from the human mind and how would you even know of them since they exist apart of the human mind? I have never come across a concept of good and evil except for those that was made by a human mind. Have you? If so, how would you know it if it couldn't be grasped by a human mind?

Atheism is a set of philosophical conclusions that result from the premise that there is no God and we exist by chance.

No, it's simply understanding that there's no evidence for the existence of any deities and therefore no belief in them. There's no evidence for the existence of Santa Claus either and therefore I am also an asantaist, right? ;)

 

[Athos]

Well, logically speaking, atheism can't be a religion. The reason is simple: Atheism is the lack of belief in dieties. Saying that atheism is a religion is like saying "not playing football" is a sport. Or saying that "not collecting stamps" is a hobbie.

Another argument is that being an atheist doesn't mean that you must have a belief concerning the origin of the universe, existance, etc. You can technically be an atheist that does not concern him/herself with those things. Which is simply boring if you ask me, but the possibility exists.

Well, that's what I think.

Hugs
Athos.

 

[heymikey80]

As an atheist, I will say that atheism in and of itself, is not a religion. It is a lack of religion pertaining to gods.

Ultimately, atheism is a religion pertaining to gods. It's a religion based on the assertion that gods don't exist -- an assertion pertaining to gods.

 

[DarkHorseRising]

Some people seem to have a narrow view of atheism. As an atheist myself, we don't all "not believe in God"... Just as the term "religious" can have an extremely wide range of meanings depending on the individuals involved, so too does "atheist" have a very wide scope.

Some atheists don't believe in any sort of God, or gods, or deities at all. I'd argue this is still a religion but I accept that a good argument could be made for the reverse as well.

Other atheists are "spiritual" and believe in forces such as karma and zen, but don't really follow anything more than loosely defined concepts. Unstructured nature worship might also fit in here.

Sort of a tangential clade would be agnostics, who believe the question to be irrelevant, impossible to know, or who simply don't care enough to seek it out.

Then there's people like myself, who believe strongly that God does exist, but who cannot or choose not to identify with or join a religious movement. In this sense, I suppose it could be defined as a religion, but that would actually be rather ironic. Still, if the shoe fits....

 

[Free]

As an atheist myself...

Then there's people like myself, who believe strongly that God does exist, but who cannot or choose not to identify with or join a religious movement. In this sense, I suppose it could be defined as a religion, but that would actually be rather ironic. Still, if the shoe fits....

If you believe God exists, then by definition you are not an atheist.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=atheist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

 

[ColdBlooded]

True Atheism relies on faith that there exist no ways do disprove a God.

I recognize that there are no ways to completely disprove a God, but the same can be said of Dwarfs, Fairies, or Unicorns.

There exists no scientifically recognizable evidence for God, therefore, the only logical conclusion is that there is none.

Many disagree, but there is a reason why "The Theory of Jesus Christ" does not exist.

 

[Atothetheist]

Some people seem to have a narrow view of atheism. As an atheist myself, we don't all "not believe in God"... Just as the term "religious" can have an extremely wide range of meanings depending on the individuals involved, so too does "atheist" have a very wide scope.

Some atheists don't believe in any sort of God, or gods, or deities at all. I'd argue this is still a religion but I accept that a good argument could be made for the reverse as well.

Other atheists are "spiritual" and believe in forces such as karma and zen, but don't really follow anything more than loosely defined concepts. Unstructured nature worship might also fit in here.

Sort of a tangential clade would be agnostics, who believe the question to be irrelevant, impossible to know, or who simply don't care enough to seek it out.

Then there's people like myself, who believe strongly that God does exist, but who cannot or choose not to identify with or join a religious movement. In this sense, I suppose it could be defined as a religion, but that would actually be rather ironic. Still, if the shoe fits....

Stop calling yourself an atheist.. You are not one. You are probably a deist.

Just because you don't belong to any religion doesn't make you an atheist... It makes you "nonreligious."

 

[Atothetheist]

True Atheism relies on faith that there exist no ways do disprove a God.

I recognize that there are no ways to completely disprove a God, but the same can be said of Dwarfs, Fairies, or Unicorns.

There exists no scientifically recognizable evidence for God, therefore, the only logical conclusion is that there is none.

Many disagree, but there is a reason why "The Theory of Jesus Christ" does not exist.

Atheism is does not rely on any type of faith.

 

[Atothetheist]

Ultimately, atheism is a religion pertaining to gods. It's a religion based on the assertion that gods don't exist -- an assertion pertaining to gods.

It has no creed, and no structure. Atheists do think there is no God, but that doesn't make it a religion in any sense.

If not believing in Gods a religion, they all of us have more than one religion, because you disbelieve in the Muslim God, etc for all others.

 

[Grazer]

I wouldn't call it a religion but I would call it a form of faith. It is the belief that there is no God.

 

[Atothetheist]

I wouldn't call it a religion but I would call it a form of faith. It is the belief that there is no God.

...

Be careful where your treading bro. I can see where you are going, but some of us might disagree.

 

[Grazer]

...

Be careful where your treading bro. I can see where you are going, but some of us might disagree.

You are more than welcome to disagree, it's more fun when people do

I had a quick look at the Oxford Dictionary online for the definition of faith. Made for interesting reading;

Definition of faith
noun [mass noun]
1 complete trust or confidence in someone or something:
this restores one’s faith in politicians

2 strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof:
bereaved people who have shown supreme faith
[count noun] a particular religion:
the Christian faith
[count noun] a strongly held belief:
men with strong political faiths

Taken from latin fides;

Definition of bona fides
noun
[mass noun]
a person’s honesty and sincerity of intention:
he went to great lengths to establish his liberal bona fides
[treated as plural] informal documentary evidence showing that a person is what they claim to be; credentials:
he set about checking Loretta’s bona fides

Origin:
Latin, literally 'good faith'


I don't like the word "proof", causes too many issues. You don't get absolute proof outside of mathematics, not even in natural sciences. I can't prove my fiance loves me like we can prove 1 + 1 = 2 (though there some maths professors who argue we can't even prove that) but I'd be willing to stake my life on it as I have enough evidence to go on (she did agree to marry me after all ) John Lennox has done some great talks on this (limits of proof not me getting married) I'll see if I can dig some out.

 

[heymikey80]

True Atheism relies on faith that there exist no ways do disprove a God.

I recognize that there are no ways to completely disprove a God, but the same can be said of Dwarfs, Fairies, or Unicorns.

There exists no scientifically recognizable evidence for God, therefore, the only logical conclusion is that there is none.

Many disagree, but there is a reason why "The Theory of Jesus Christ" does not exist.

Y'don't think theology is a science, I take it.

Every philosophy is attended by assumptions, primarily about existence. These are assumptions: conclusions can't be drawn without assumptions. The assumption you're bringing up is an assumption about empirical evidence, combined with a large number of a priori assumptions about the validity of logic, the ability to communicate, the idea that meaning exists, quite a number of ... assumptions ... taken on ... faith.

Do you exist? As a life, that is. How about as a person? As an intelligence, how about that? Does logic exist? Am I communicating? Are you? Is there something I'm communicating? What's thought? Do you have evidence of the existence of thought? Can't such phenomena be explained by other means? Why then assume thought, life, even existence ... exist?

The fact is, science recognizes that existence is not eternal, and has no response to the questions of existence, life, thought, personhood, logic.

And ultimately, atheism does admittedly need to explain a couple of things, probably most significantly to me being the death, then return to life, of Jesus of Nazareth. But also, why large numbers of people actually do think God exists. And indeed, how the universe has the quantity of unity among its diverse elements that it does have, and how they have managed to interact with one another the way they do. We in science disciplines can describe these interactions. But we're baffled as to how they've actually come into ... existence.

Atheism is does not rely on any type of faith.

Atheism relies on a great deal of faith.

 

[Atothetheist]

Y'don't think theology is a science, I take it.

Every philosophy is attended by assumptions, primarily about existence. These are assumptions: conclusions can't be drawn without assumptions. The assumption you're bringing up is an assumption about empirical evidence, combined with a large number of a priori assumptions about the validity of logic, the ability to communicate, the idea that meaning exists, quite a number of ... assumptions ... taken on ... faith.

Do you exist? As a life, that is. How about as a person? As an intelligence, how about that? Does logic exist? Am I communicating? Are you? Is there something I'm communicating? What's thought? Do you have evidence of the existence of thought? Can't such phenomena be explained by other means? Why then assume thought, life, even existence ... exist?

The fact is, science recognizes that existence is not eternal, and has no response to the questions of existence, life, thought, personhood, logic.

And ultimately, atheism does admittedly need to explain a couple of things, probably most significantly to me being the death, then return to life, of Jesus of Nazareth. But also, why large numbers of people actually do think God exists. And indeed, how the universe has the quantity of unity among its diverse elements that it does have, and how they have managed to interact with one another the way they do. We in science disciplines can describe these interactions. But we're baffled as to how they've actually come into ... existence.

Atheism relies on a great deal of faith.

No, it doesn't. You can't have faith that something doesn't exist.