RE: Is it true that atheism has killed more people then organized religion?...
September 7, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I agree that atheism isn't an ideology or belief system. I have no ties or dogmas or creeds tying my actions and my motivation doesn't lie in anything other than reason and observation of the world around me.
Basically I don't rely on information that is supernatural in nature. It could exist, it could not exist, but it's not reliable. I don't tie a "disbelief" in God to my atheism, my atheism is rooted in that I believe in what exists, and my belief is strengthened by evidence I see for and against different things. By that token, I have little to no belief in God, but I could be persuaded with evidence and observation.
Now see, my atheism is my own, and most likely very different from many others. But then again, each person's religion is their own and unique I've noticed. So if I try to look at the situation from the shoes of a theist I can understand why atheism might be seen as a belief system or ideology.
Many atheists I have known, myself included, define Christianity as the belief in jesus and the resurrection, salvation, etc.. We define it really loosely in all honesty. Christians within themselves segregate into hundreds of groups, some with violently opposing views, and a Baptist would not want to be called a Lutheran. It's the same for all the religions.
So in the shoes of a theist, I see a group of people who deny the existence of God, they all have this trait in common, and I am used to separating people into religious groups as the majority of the population put themselves into one already. I think it is fair to say (though this may be a point of dissension) that atheists have a tendency to share some demographic or social characteristics, or at least publicly known or activist atheists that make national news.
I think it is perfectly justifiable, if wrong, to say Atheism is an ideology or belief system. We are already so used to loosely categorizing people and using a single belief or set of beliefs to categorize entire spectrums that atheism fits the bill for common perception of a belief system. I think the more important thing to take away from this discussion is that the broader personality of the people who share a common single idea or belief can't be categorized inside any single definition.
Basically I don't rely on information that is supernatural in nature. It could exist, it could not exist, but it's not reliable. I don't tie a "disbelief" in God to my atheism, my atheism is rooted in that I believe in what exists, and my belief is strengthened by evidence I see for and against different things. By that token, I have little to no belief in God, but I could be persuaded with evidence and observation.
Now see, my atheism is my own, and most likely very different from many others. But then again, each person's religion is their own and unique I've noticed. So if I try to look at the situation from the shoes of a theist I can understand why atheism might be seen as a belief system or ideology.
Many atheists I have known, myself included, define Christianity as the belief in jesus and the resurrection, salvation, etc.. We define it really loosely in all honesty. Christians within themselves segregate into hundreds of groups, some with violently opposing views, and a Baptist would not want to be called a Lutheran. It's the same for all the religions.
So in the shoes of a theist, I see a group of people who deny the existence of God, they all have this trait in common, and I am used to separating people into religious groups as the majority of the population put themselves into one already. I think it is fair to say (though this may be a point of dissension) that atheists have a tendency to share some demographic or social characteristics, or at least publicly known or activist atheists that make national news.
I think it is perfectly justifiable, if wrong, to say Atheism is an ideology or belief system. We are already so used to loosely categorizing people and using a single belief or set of beliefs to categorize entire spectrums that atheism fits the bill for common perception of a belief system. I think the more important thing to take away from this discussion is that the broader personality of the people who share a common single idea or belief can't be categorized inside any single definition.
My religion is the understanding of my world. My god is the energy that underlies it all. My worship is my constant endeavor to unravel the mysteries of my religion. 
