Faux News: Atheism is a religion, too

[frz]

So wait, not believing in any religion is a religion?

[TaraJo]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/03/1...=pulsenews



I wonder if these guys really understand what a religion is? It honestly doesn't look like it.

it is a religion.

Ok, I'll bite. How do you define a religion that atheism would qualify as one?

[Angrboda]

If it's nothing but 'opinion' then why does it have 'news' in the name?

While I'm sure this is just more conservative crap, it's equally unproductive to go entirely the other direction as well. I don't think atheism properly qualifies as a religion, but there is a valid demarcation problem involved. Just as it's not well defined what separates pseudoscience from science proper, just what makes one thing a religion and another thing not a religion is still an outstanding question. For a more relevant example, I was once excluded from being allowed to participate in a comparative religion discussion on a Christian forum because "Taoism is a philosophy, not a religion," and only religious people were allowed to participate. (I had only declared one of my religions at the time.) And indeed there are strains of Taoism which are almost entirely philosophical. (And also, ones that are balls to the walls religious.) I used to consider my Taoism religious based on certain understandings of what makes something a religion, but have since retrenched on that point, and am no longer sure whether my basis for calling my Taoism religious is still sound. There may be other frameworks that I'm unaware of, but Ninian Smart's seven part definition is probably one of the best and least controversial, but it's still very difficult to come to agreement on where on these seven criterion atheism actually lies. Statler Waldorf attempted to make the case that atheism is a religion according to Smart's criteria about two years back. () I'll leave you to make up your own mind.

(And this may be more than merely an academic question. If we could more definitively understand what makes some behaviors religious, and other behaviors not, we would be better able to figure out the cause and nature of those behaviors, as well as protecting secularism and secular efforts from these sorts of attacks, and perhaps more importantly, allow us to appeal to justifications and motivations for them which are both defensible and capable of appealing to the religious on their own merits.)

[Whateverist]

There may be other frameworks that I'm unaware of, but seven part definition is probably one of the best and least controversial, but it's still very difficult to come to agreement on where on these seven criterion atheism actually lies.

Have to admit I don't see quite how to take those categories as offering a definition of religion, though they do suggest some signs to look for.

Would loyalty to clan or family count as a religion? How about a belief in the progress of science and its eventual ability to answer all questions? Nationalism? Valuation of the unconscious and creativity? Devotion to health and fitness?

Surely gods, personal or otherwise, aren't central to religion. Perhaps an intuition of purpose? I really do not know.

[Angrboda]

There may be other frameworks that I'm unaware of, but Ninian Smart's seven part definition is probably one of the best and least controversial, but it's still very difficult to come to agreement on where on these seven criterion atheism actually lies.

Surely gods, personal or otherwise, aren't central to religion. Perhaps an intuition of purpose? I really do not know.

What the fuck are you talking about?

[Creed of Heresy]

Yeah well if Fox News said it it's GOTTA be true... 9_9

[Whateverist]

Surely gods, personal or otherwise, aren't central to religion. Perhaps an intuition of purpose? I really do not know.

What the fuck are you talking about?

I meant I didn't find a definition in the source you provided. Then I went on to brainstorm some possible definitions of religion. Why, do you think gods are central to religion?

So what the fuck do you think religion is?

[Angrboda]

So what the fuck do you think religion is?

Hellifiknow.

[Whateverist]

So what the fuck do you think religion is?

Hellifiknow.

C'mon. There's gonna be a quiz on this. Some other definitions I find on wiki include:

"There is no precise equivalent of "religion" in Hebrew, and Judaism does not distinguish clearly between religious, national, racial, or ethnic identities.[15] One of its central concepts is "halakha", sometimes translated as "law"", which guides religious practice and belief and many aspects of daily life."

"The anthropologist Clifford Geertz defined religion as a "system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic."

So it seems to me that religion is pretty much whatever you feel is especially important and place in a prominent position within your beliefs. Maybe. Not really very well defined, is it?

[Esquilax]

it is a religion.

Yep. You got us. Your incredibly powerful skills of argumentation have logicked us to a standstill. You have defeated us, through your amazing wit. Well done, sir. Atheism simply must be a religion, we were blind not to see it before. Thank you, sir, for putting us on the straight and narrow. Thank you for showing us just how blind we were. If only more of us were as reasoned as you...

/sarcasm.

Hey, dude? Do you want to provide literally any-fucking-thing to back up that statement, or are you really that utterly arrogant that you think your by fiat assertions count for shit?

As to the article itself... well, it's just a checklist for tired old anti-atheist canards, isn't it? There wasn't an original thought to be had, let alone one that hasn't yet been refuted. Jeez.