RE: Atheism is a religion
January 7, 2012 at 3:43 pm
(This post was last modified: January 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm by amkerman.)
Quote:Well, I would like to hear your definition since you are the one claiming atheism is a religion
A group of individuals who think the same way about God.
Quote:Well, that is how I came to call myself an atheist. I actually was one by age 15, but it wasn't until I was 31 that I learned that my beliefs fell under the category of atheist. So you admit that I am not part of any religion.
Religions aren't real things. It is a word to describe a group of people who think the same way about God. That's what I am willing to admit. You can't be part of something that isn't real. Whether or not you believe you are is a different story. I believe atheism is a religion just as much as Catholocism or Judeasm are. I don't believe religions are real things. I make no claims whether or not YOU are part of atheism, or any other religion for that matter. If you blindly follow whatever other people say, you are a part of "a religion", but only in opinion. Depending upon what you are following I would determine which religion I believed your beliefs fell under.
Note: I am not saying religion is necessarily bad, I just read what I wrote and it seems to come off that way. Religion is just an idea, its a construct people use to label others or themselves depending on what they believe or percieve others believe. Religion is not real, so it is inherently harmless. PEOPLE, however, are not. Individuals and groups of individuals commit atrocities. If you mistakenly place blame on the religion when the blame should go on the people you are predjudiced. I believe that prejudice is not a innate quality, it is not a logical conclusion. If you are predjudiced about anything, towards any one or group of people, I believe that you are probably following the beliefs of others instead of thinking for yourself. In that sense I would consider anyone who holds prejudiced a part of a "religion" to some extent.
It could be possible that someone who is prejudiced is just thinking incorrectly; or that I am though.
A Catholic is not Catholocism; and atheist is not atheism. You can be one without being a member of that religion in my opinion, for you to be part of the "religion" you must blindly accept the beliefs of the religion.
