Is Atheism a Religion?

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Why yes, yes it is.
Now send me money for the cause and I'll mail you a receipt for your taxes.

Please also send me your details and $49.95 (+$ 27.50 P&H) and I'll send you a welcome kit

The kit contains an Atheist baseball cap,(red with white logo) and a lapel badge (gold plated,5 microns) with the logo in red and white enamel.

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PS The Flying Skeptic has been a member for a long time but has mercifully been or hiatus or lurking. I still have him om ignore from last time.

[Skeptic]

Really? You do realize how attempts at conversion work, don't you? Arguing against a person's belief system isn't an attempt at conversion. Offering them salvation from an eternity of hellfire or offering them cookies is. As of yet, I have seen no atheist here offer either.

Oh, you deleted your post. Good thing I quoted it here.

Uhm, where did you get this definition of conversion from? Persuading someone to give up their religion is as much conversion as persuading them to adopt one, regardless of the means.

BTW - The classy thing to do would have been to not have quoted my post since I deleted it.

[Shell B]

Uhm, where did you get this definition of conversion from?

It's called sarcasm. However, half of it is true. Trying to convert someone pretty much means you are invested in what they believe. Most atheists don't give a fuck if you believe in god or not, in my experience. They simply don't agree with people who do.

Persuading someone to give up their religion is as much conversion as persuading them to adopt one, regardless of the means.

So, disagreeing with someone is somehow tantamount to trying to get them to give up their religion? Therefore, essentially the only way to avoid being accused of attempts at conversion is to agree with everyone?

BTW - The classy thing to do would have been to not have quoted my post since I deleted it.

Don't give me lessons in class, dude. I quoted you before you deleted it. It's not my fault you didn't have enough conviction to stand by your post.

[Skeptic]

So, disagreeing with someone is somehow tantamount to trying to get them to give up their religion? Therefore, essentially the only way to avoid being accused of attempts at conversion is to agree with everyone?

No, but I've seen posts on this forum from people going out of their way to argue with the religious.

Don't give me lessons in class, dude. I quoted you before you deleted it. It's not my fault you didn't have enough conviction to stand by your post.

And just like me you had the option to delete it.

[Shell B]

No, but I've seen posts on this forum from people going out of their way to argue with the religious.

Most people here are (I believe) atheists. We're not going out of our way. We are participating in the forum.

And just like me you had the option to delete it.

Why would I have done that? It had already been read by other members. I am not going to delete my posts and responses because you wimped out. That doesn't make me less classy, as if class is a concern of mine.

[Judas BentHer]

One might dare make the observation that since this is clearly an atheist forum, (see banner), that it is Theists or the religious, that have clearly gone out of their way to choose to argue with us.

KJV) Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

St. Francis preached the gospel to animals and birds. So, going out of their way isn't something new to the religious. They do it all the time, when they visit impoverished countries that are use to sympathetic magic's, primitive belief systems, and hoping all get's better as they bury their emaciated babies, while flies drink from the living's mucous membranes because even they are thirsty. They go there, affording a new myth, a new fiction, a new way out. If only the people shall believe. If only they'll be Baptized with what little water may be found, to give a sprinkle unto salvation. They are told if they but obey the new god and his son, all of whom are the only true one's out there, that mercy shall be granted unto them for the faith they show the word.

Crops do not then spring forth, the dry riverbed does not overflow with water. The well, does not bear fresh water. The disease does not cease to take them. But Bibles suddenly appear. And if the people are lucky, so too shall shipments of medicine, first aid supplies, seed's and bottled water. All brought by the emissaries of the new god, to those that believe.
And only until then.
Why? Because god, who knows all and is everywhere at all times, is only available when believers go forth and spread the good news. That now, if they but accept it on faith that it's all true, they shall be saved.

Saved from being human. Saved from the fires and torture after this life. Saved from what ails them in this life, if they make the free will choice to permit missionaries bearing conditional gifts to stay and teach how wrong the people were, until the new god's ambassadors arrived.

And if the people do everything just right, they shall be saved from the god that watched them suffer before the mission arrived. And this time, when they die with flies drinking from their eyes, they shall be better people when they're dead.
IF they're on the guest list and are allowed past the gate that stands before the mouth of Heaven.


So when it's charged that atheists here go out of their way to argue with the religious, perhaps it may be said they arrived here in this place to speak to we atheists they call damned, because we do not accept their god is real because compassion, if it were doled out by the invisible, could never look like that what is described in their book that's held forth as a tome to teach us how we're all so mistaken and deluded not to accept every word as holy writ.

Who is it then that is going out of their way.

[Anymouse]

Having read several posts on here from atheists that seem to want to go out of their way to 'convert' others to think the same I can see the similarity in some cases.

"Going out of their way to convert others?"

This is atheistforums.org and anyone coming to this forum either knows that or was Rickrolled here (or possibly atheist rolled).

Anyone coming here (Christian, Muslim, deist, agnostic, pagan, atheist or others not defined) should be able to figure out from the name of the forum what the topic of discussion is here, before they come to this site.

I can only conceive of three reasons why a Christian would come here (besides being atheist rolled):
1) They came here to preach
2) They came here because they question their own faith
3) They came here to learn more about either their own faith or about atheism.

No one forces anyone to come here, so people on this site are hardly going out of their way to convert others. Should someone on this site raid a Christian forum, that might be a valid observation. As for myself I would not do that; Wicca is not big on suicidal behaviour in the name of religion.

I came here for 3). I am neither interested in converting an atheist to any other position, nor am I interested in my own conversion (though, I am always open to opinion and evidence).

No one ever has attempted to "try and convert me" to atheism. Several have challenged me to think about things. The horror. Thinking about things. Next they might even pervert me into showing evidence to support my statements or something.

It seems laughable that someone could accuse atheists here of being "preachers in disguise for the cause of atheism" on a forum which clearly states its purpose and aims, without a viewer being required to log in.

Would it be better, if like some porn sites, the site had a pre-log in page that said something like "I am open-minded and wish to continue to atheistforums.org (press yes button) or "I am here by mistake - get me out of here! (press no button, which takes you to Google)?

Or a cautionary statement: Warning: this site has discussions about atheism. If you make a post to this site, it may be supported, challenged, or debunked, depending on its content. This is not to "convert" nor "proselytise" but to ensure accuracy in presentation of facts and theory.

James.

[The Grand Nudger]

I would love to see what passes for proof of faeries in wiccan circles nowadays. It's been a decade since I checked last, easily.

[Skeptic]

This is why I deleted my post.

I was actually referring to comments I'd seen that led me to believe that some members of this forum seem to want to convert theists outside of the forum.

[Shell B]

This is why I deleted my post.

A good discussion ensued. I would honestly have deleted it as well, if it hadn't already been read and given kudos. I didn't want to disrupt the thread. However, I do think you should roll with the discussion and not worry too much about backlash. You now have an opportunity to discuss your position.

I was actually referring to comments I'd seen that led me to believe that some members of this forum seem to want to convert theists outside of the forum.

I don't think that is the case. However, if it is, I can guarantee it is a small population. Proselytizing is frowned upon here. Generally speaking, the atheists here disagree with it.