@Catholic_Lady
That definition is used in a different context than the one the OP is describing.
For example, someone might "religiously follow football", but that's not the same as treating football as an actual religion, is it? You're comparing an apple and an orange here. By that kind of logic, anything can be a religion. Political parties are a religion. Donating to charity is a religion. Raising a child is a religion. Sports is a religion. Bike-riding is a religion. Just because you see something as important or you get into debates about it or you care about it, doesn't automatically make it religious as in the same context as actual religion. Those definitions are separated for a reason. It is to separate their uses in our society. Religion (as in religious beliefs like Christianity or Catholicism) is under the first definition. And so to say that atheism is a religion in the same way, it must be proven to fall under the first defintion as well. Or else you are not making an accurate comparison.
That definition is used in a different context than the one the OP is describing.
For example, someone might "religiously follow football", but that's not the same as treating football as an actual religion, is it? You're comparing an apple and an orange here. By that kind of logic, anything can be a religion. Political parties are a religion. Donating to charity is a religion. Raising a child is a religion. Sports is a religion. Bike-riding is a religion. Just because you see something as important or you get into debates about it or you care about it, doesn't automatically make it religious as in the same context as actual religion. Those definitions are separated for a reason. It is to separate their uses in our society. Religion (as in religious beliefs like Christianity or Catholicism) is under the first definition. And so to say that atheism is a religion in the same way, it must be proven to fall under the first defintion as well. Or else you are not making an accurate comparison.
