(January 7, 2012 at 6:48 am)amkerman Wrote: Faith: I just saw your question...
Before I reply I'd just like to say that I am here to discuss whatever I find interesting or worthy of discussion. I do not see everything and will not be on here enough to respond to all queries. When I am I will do my best to answer any honest question posed to me.
No problem. I did feel that you were ignoring it, but apparently I was wrong.
amkerman Wrote:Do I believe it is possible for a person to not be a part of any religion?
- well, first and foremost that would depend on how you define religion.
Well, I would like to hear your definition since you are the one claiming atheism is a religion
amkerman Wrote:But yes
. If you ACTUALLY form your own beliefs by thinking for yourself then regardless of what those beliefs are and regardless of how similar those beliefs are to any religion you would not be a part of that religion, unless of course you chose to be.
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.
amkerman Wrote:However, since religion is illusory whether or not someone "belongs" to a particular religion doesn't is meaningless. I colt call myself an atheist if I wanted to.
Well, this was actually a stepping stone to another point I was going to make about the absence of religion, but I've realized it won't work until we agree on a definition of religion. So again I ask, what is your definition of religion?
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
