Atheism is a religion.

[Jenny A]

[quote='Jenny A' pid='710969' dateline='1405636250']


Firstly, there are more than three agnostic/atheist commentators in the world. I was raising a point I find interesting in that these three are often presented together in media like a 'trinity'. It's a comment on the media, not them.

Everybody has a system of belief, there is no such concept as lack of belief. The idea that religion is the only social construct that supports the human need for a system of belief is nonsense. I've not yet met a scientist who doesn't believe that scientific endeavour will lead to human progress. But the very idea of human progress is not a scientific one, there is no universal standard by which humans can be empirically measured, this irrational faith, that technology and knowledge will deliver human progress, is part of the system of belief that props up science.

What I am saying is that these systems of belief meet our human needs, whether they are religious or not. We can replace our prophets of god with prophets of science but that will not change a thing. Each generation will continue to irrationally believe they are more enlightened than the previous generation, we will continue to believe we have made progress as a species, we will continue to believe we are masters of our own destiny. All of these are not scientific facts, they are articles of faith born of our hubris, and the only reason we elevate these prophets is they support the delusions we have about ourselves.

MM

Hmmm. Still don't see atheism as a religion or even a philosophy. Atheism by itself is at most a premise: I don't have a belief in god. It is not a system of anything.

It is possible to make science into a kind of religion though one can be a scientist without making science a religion or even a philosophy. Science is a useful method. But you don't have to know much or any science to lack a belief in god.

Belief in human progress is getting closer, but there are atheists who think we are going to hell (excuse me, nuclear oblivion or global warming toast) in a hand basket.

But although both might be hindered by a belief in god, neither science nor belief in human progress flows from a lack of belief in god.