Yes, Atheism is a Religion

[Brian37]

It's really obvious when you think about it: When atheism critiques religion, it inevitably ends up being either religious or very much like a religion.

Take, for instance, what atheism purports to say. Any meaningful form of atheism says either that God doesn't exist, or that one ought not to believe in God. They don't just mean this for themselves ("Oh, I personally don't believe, but it's perfectly okay if you believe"). Instead, they take it that not a single person has a rational basis for believing in God. 

These are very strong claims. There's no science to back it up. No empirical evidence for it. So on what basis are these claims made? 

There's one clear explanation: Blind faith. Atheists have blind faith in some claims, and hence they form part of an atheist's belief system.

We don't have to stop there. We can look at the definition of religion. Many scholars of world religions don't take religion to be defined as beliefs in God and the supernatural. This rules too many religions out. Instead, they look for one common ingredient in all religions, and that is the state of being ultimately concerned. Having a "most important thing" that you care about. And while, strictly speaking, atheism itself doesn't constitute all of one's religion, the broad pool of beliefs, of which atheism is a necessary and important feature. In that sense, atheism is a necessary part of one's religion. The transference of one's ultimate concern from God, to themselves. 

There's a third way in which atheism does the job that religion does. Atheism itself, or as part of a larger worldview, informs our answers to the ultimate questions in life. If you find yourself an atheist, you are NOT ALLOWED to believe some set of answers to questions like "What is the meaning of life?" "Where did all of reality come from?" "What happens after we die?" "Are we more than just our bodies?". As such, atheism not only plays the role of dogma, in defining what we are not allowed to believe. It defines the range of answers we can take to be true.

For these reasons, I think it's OKAY for people to believe atheism is a religion, and for atheism to be treated like a religion, even by atheists.

No and fuck you..........


Long before you posted this bullshit, I joined a website in 06 where my current poetry thread is now hosted. When I first joined it, most of us got along all of us still atheists, and still posting to this day. But one day after picking on Buddhism my fellow atheist reacted negatively. He suggested I talk to a another atheist because he thought that atheist was smarter, and yea, that atheist is he suggested IS smarter than I am.

I don't know if you saw or remember the Obama/ Mitt Romney debate where Mitt thought he had is facts right and Obama said "Go right ahead" and the moderator corrected Mitt.

Well my fellow atheist on that website who was getting all bent out of shape over me picking on Buddhism who suggested I talk to another poster and admin, did not know that that admin was a close friend of mine, and still is, and that accuser,  falsely assumed my friend would agree with him.

Point being is that the word "atheist" is not a religion. I am an atheist, but so was the jerk who thought he new better than me or my friend he pointed to.

I have run into atheists who value the bullshit of atheist Ayn Rand and her "fuck you I got mine" economic view. I have also run into other atheists who value Che, who led to Cuba which is also not an economic view I value. I hate guns myself but if you think there are no atheists who stupidly will protect an object like right wing religious nuts, guess what, you would be wrong.

"Atheist" is not a religion. It only addresses one claim. It only means "off" on the claim of a god existing. It is not a religion, it is not a political party, it is not an economic view. 

There ARE plenty of atheists I don't agree with and don't like. And even on this website, while the majority of the members are atheists, if you think everyone here likes me or agrees with everything I say, you are out of your mind.