Is atheism a religion?

[Unknown Soldier]

Some people have quipped that if atheism is a religion, then celibacy is a sex position. Yes, I think it's a stretch to categorize atheism as a religion because many people, atheists in particular, see their atheism as freedom from religion. If you have religion, then like anything else you may have, you can lack it too. To be an atheist is to lack religion.

Or is it? Lately I'm seeing a lot of behavior among atheists that I used to think only resulted from religion. Such behaviors include but are not limited to:

• Intolerance of Alternate Viewpoints
• Emotional Upset When One's Own Viewpoints Come Under Question
• Powerful Dogmatic Thinking Held On to With Fierce Tenacity
• Being Told that One Must Believe What the Group's Leader(s) Say is True
• Disregarding, Denying, and Even Ridiculing Any Science That Does Not Support One's Dogmas
• Seeing Death as an Escape From Life's Difficulties
• Forming Groups That Are Bound Together by Powerful Group-Think
• The Desire to Expel Naysayers and Independent Thinkers From the Group And/Or Silence Them

Is atheism a religion? The answers may be surprising.

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

 

[Ford]

The behaviors you've listed are for the most part what I'd classify as "being an asshole."

Does that make atheism a religion? No. It just makes those individuals guilty of bad behavior. Try to not judge entire groups based on the bad behavior of certain individuals.

I work with this guy who is a Christian. Plays bass in his church band. He showed me a video of last Thursday's service and it's totally a strip mall mega-church trying to be "hip" with live music and what not. I looked at it and said "looks like a rave, man." He laughed. Great guy. We're friends. Does that mean all Christians are great people I'd want to be friends with? No. Does the fact that he's a great guy validate his religion? No.

You said: "To be an atheist is to lack religion."

Yes. That's all it is.

 

[DBT]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

Intolerance? What does intolerance have to do with lack of evidence?

 

[bilby]

Betterridge's Law applies here.

 

[Rhea]

Is atheism a religion?

No.

 

[steve_bank]

I do not think US is capable of frustrating the op.

In the interest of intellectual honesty he should post ta link to the place he is getting it from.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

This thread is another ad hom trap.

AtheISM is a belief or disbelief or lack of a particular belief.

AtheISTS are a large, diverse population of myriad personalities. Of course, some of that population may engage in ridicule, intolerance or emotional upset. That is OBVIOUS.

 

[ideologyhunter]

First: the answer is still NO.
Second, may I suggest your next 10 threads?

1. Is Dawkins a Deity of Sorts?
2. Are There Really Atheists in Foxholes?
3. 32 Atheists Who Were Mean to Me for No Reason
4. Is The God Delusion Not a Liturgy?
5. 18 Atheists Who Called Me Names, and What I Said Back
6. Who Do Atheists Pray to, When They Have, Like, Surgery?
7. Are Atheists Really Really Really Atheists?
8. Hmmmm??
9. Why Are There More Christians Than Atheists in Heaven?
10. The Dedicated Life of a Truth Seeker, Plus I Get Death Threats.

That'll keep you busy.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Breakfast can be a religion and some atheists eat breakfast so I guess maybe you’re right.

 

[TomC]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

Speaking for myself,
I'm not big on "argumentum ad dictionarium". But my old Mirriam-Webster sounded reasonable to me.

It had several definitions, starting with "worship or service of god or the supernatural". A few more that included that phrase, like "an organization for the worship..."

Towards the bottom of the list was one that didn't include it. It was something like "belief or ideology held with intense fervor". That includes lots of things. Sports fans, Communists, foodies, Trumpies, a very long list.

Nontheists are humans and generally behave like humans. That includes the worst behavior of any large group of people. There are certainly militant hard atheists, I find them annoying myself. But they are usually people reacting to having been mistreated by theists in the past. That's wildly more common than nontheists mistreating theists. Theists are nearly always the people who feel entitled to impose their views on others, whether nontheists or other religionists.
Tom

 

[Shadowy Man]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

According to you no definition can ever be complete or specific enough so there really is no way to differentiate between the two absolutely. Attempting this will be a fool’s errand.

Don’t you agree?

Atheism is a religion. Sports is a religion. Breathing is a religion.

Why limit ourselves?

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

According to you no definition can ever be complete or specific enough so there really is no way to differentiate between the two absolutely. Attempting this will be a fool’s errand.

Don’t you agree?

Please post a direct quotation, and I'll let you know if I agree. For now, let me say that there's no need to "differentiate between the two absolutely" (whatever that might mean) because imperfect definitions should be clear enough.

Atheism is a religion. Sports is a religion. Breathing is a religion.

Why limit ourselves?

Make a case for any of those propositions, and we can discuss it. It's not good thinking to dismiss one claim by citing other claims you dismiss.

 

[Shadowy Man]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

According to you no definition can ever be complete or specific enough so there really is no way to differentiate between the two absolutely. Attempting this will be a fool’s errand.

Don’t you agree?

Please post a direct quotation, and I'll let you know if I agree.

I won’t get in a quote war with a pedant. I am telling you how I am interpreting what you are saying. If you think I’m misunderstanding you then use different words.

You said that circles can have corners, bachelors can be married, and atheists can believe in god.

For now, let me say that there's no need to "differentiate between the two absolutely" (whatever that might mean) because imperfect definitions should be clear enough.

it doesn’t seem so with you. If we don’t define things precisely you use pedantry to understand however you want.

Atheism is a religion. Sports is a religion. Breathing is a religion.

Why limit ourselves?

Make a case for any of those propositions, and we can discuss it. It's not good thinking to dismiss one claim by citing other claims you dismiss.

Look at your initial list items and Sports is clearly a religion. Breathing meets many of them as well.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

Atheism v theism. Theism breaks down into individual religions with varying god(s), dogmas, rules. And those religions usually have a spectrum of differing ideals within each of them.

Atheism really just dead ends at atheism. Atheists are beholden to any dogma. They can ascribe to anything out there without a god.

 

[Thomas II]

 

[EricH]

Or is it? Lately I'm seeing a lot of behavior among atheists that I used to think only resulted from religion. Such behaviors include but are not limited to:

• Intolerance of Alternate Viewpoints
• Emotional Upset When One's Own Viewpoints Come Under Question
• Powerful Dogmatic Thinking Held On to With Fierce Tenacity
• Being Told that One Must Believe What the Group's Leader(s) Say is True
• Disregarding, Denying, and Even Ridiculing Any Science That Does Not Support One's Dogmas
• Seeing Death as an Escape From Life's Difficulties
• Forming Groups That Are Bound Together by Powerful Group-Think
• The Desire to Expel Naysayers and Independent Thinkers From the Group And/Or Silence Them

No, you are not seeing such behavior amongst atheists on these forums. You are simply making this up.

Is atheism a religion? The answers may be surprising.

No. Atheism is not a religion. And I think you know that just as well as I do.

 

[DBT]

The answer to your question is no. So you can end this thread now, as you have the answer.

Can you define what you mean by religion and atheism and how the two differ?

According to you no definition can ever be complete or specific enough so there really is no way to differentiate between the two absolutely. Attempting this will be a fool’s errand.

Don’t you agree?

Please post a direct quotation, and I'll let you know if I agree. For now, let me say that there's no need to "differentiate between the two absolutely" (whatever that might mean) because imperfect definitions should be clear enough.

Atheism is a religion. Sports is a religion. Breathing is a religion.

Why limit ourselves?

Make a case for any of those propositions, and we can discuss it. It's not good thinking to dismiss one claim by citing other claims you dismiss.

Why not explain how a lack of conviction can be defined as a religion.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Is atheism a religion? The answers may be surprising.

No. Atheism is not a religion. And I think you know that just as well as I do.

he didn’t say the answers would be correct, just that they’d be surprising.