Atheism is a religion.

[ignoramus]

What the hell do they do there?

Fuck and make little atheists?

It could be the official establishment for "swingers".
Who knows?

Their moto is "fuck god, ( and anyone else who takes your fancy!)"

[Zidneya]

I can already see the headlines Bryan Fischer saved by an atheist….although I still don't know if it will be seen as a good thing or a bad thing

You have issues.

And now the one who lectured me about that comes up with:

What the hell do they do there?

Fuck and make little atheists?

Yeah.

I think I'll never let you lecture me about issues after that statement. Like forever.

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Some atheists have told me they miss the 'community' of church going.

I can understand that however the reason why we atheist stop going to church I think is more important, meaningful and relevant don't you agree?

Then there is the obvious tax break angle.

Which only applies to religious, therefore it either turns atheism into a religion or makes those atheists hypocrites. I'm inclined to the second.

Even if one were to go this route, it would hardly make atheism a religion.

I alway ask the theist who claim atheism is a religion that:
Do we kneel? Because theists kneel.
Do we gather on Sunday? Because theists do.
Do we seek comfort in a church instead of knowledge? Because theists do that as well.
Do we have to pay penitence for breaking our convictions? Because theists pay penitence for breaking their religious convictions, or a promise of penitence.
Do we confess? Because theists confess.
Do our good deeds are done to fulfill the promise of a future reward? Because theists say their good deeds will give them a future reward.
Do we get our morals from hearing strangers reading lectures? Because theists use their sermons and texts as a sources of moral dogmas.
Apparently I can't never use that statement again do I?

(I personally would never attend one.)

I hope you don't mind if I sum myself to that statement.

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Atheism in certain forms can be viewed as religion

By whom?....

as can many other ideas per the definition "a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance."

Could you define supreme importance please?

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What is the definition of a "church"
The Freemasons gather in their "church"

I think of them as a club.
Mind you, with most clubs, moola needs to swap hands....

So technically that doesn’t makes us a religion but a…cult?
A lodge?

Do religious people have more respect (or a divine bond) with a believer from another eg, non Christian faith, or with an atheist?
Or do they oppose all others equally?
Interesting.

Considering that atheist receive more critics and attacks from theists I would say that religious people have more respect with a believer from another religion.
We are still considered very mistrusted among the general population.

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Whatever it is that forms the basis of their so-called church must be something other than atheism.

I think that only makes things worse isn't it?

My guess is anti-theism. Attaching the name church to it is a bit odd but not equal to religion in the sense anti-theism is typically concerned with.

Then why they did attached the name church? I mean do you think that’s the kind of atheism that we should pass to our future generations?

Add a value system that includes political action and unfettered devotion to unsubstantiated claims and now you're in religion's domain.

Oh great….

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I would agree that the use of the term 'church' to describe the places where these atheists, humanists, naturalists, etc. gather is ill conceived. In most circumstances they are similar to UU churches where they hold lectures on secular topics, sing encouraging songs, report on issues of mutual concern like the separation of church and state, and carry out social networking that would otherwise have been conducted at a religious church. In many cases this satisfies the desire of those atheist families, who can remember positive social experiences that revolved around church functions, without the cloud of theism. They could call them something else but most other terms which might be more appropriate usually have negative political connotations. In any case, having a church in the social sense is not a circumstance of being a religion which requires a doctrine. In all the cases that I'm familiar with, these churches do not profess a common doctrine other than the shared acknowledgement that they perceive no evidence of God.

Yeah….we are gonna have one hell of a ride trying to explain that and defend us against theists aren't we?

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It could be the official establishment for "swingers".
Who knows?

Yea I don't think we may be that lucky.

[rexbeccarox]

I can understand that however the reason why we atheist stop going to church I think is more important, meaningful and relevant don't you agree?

What would that reason be?

[Zidneya]

I can understand that however the reason why we atheist stop going to church I think is more important, meaningful and relevant don't you agree?

What would that reason be?

Ah I dunno maybe it's because.
That we don't believe in God?
Nor we want to be part of a religious system that: condones atrocities in it's name, encourage people to conform with ignorance and superstition and let a bunch two thousand year old scriptures tell us how to live our lives. Those are pretty good reasons of why leaving church don't you think?

[rexbeccarox]

What would that reason be?

Ah I dunno maybe it's because.
That we don't believe in God?
Nor we want to be apart of a religious system that: condones atrocities in it's name, encourage people to conform with ignorance and superstition and let a bunch two thousand year old scriptures tell us how to live our lives. Those are pretty good reasons of why leaving church don't you think?

Yes, I do. Now, what atheist doctrine is out there that would command atheists to do any of the things you just described?

ETA: Woohoo! Finally made it to my 2000th post!

[Zidneya]

Yes, I do. Now, what atheist doctrine is out there that would command atheists to do any of the things you just described?

Command atheist to do? Let me see if I understand this you are asking me to name or search an atheist doctrine that command us to do something? So that's why we stop going to church? In order to change one doctrine of commandments for another one?

[ignoramus]

Zidneya, I don't think I follow this either?

[Mudhammam]

Yes, I do. Now, what atheist doctrine is out there that would command atheists to do any of the things you just described?

Command atheist to do? Let me see if I understand this you are asking me to name or search an atheist doctrine that command us to do something? So that's why we stop going to church? In order to change one doctrine of commandments for another one?

I think she's merely pointing out the differences between a religious church (which demands adherence to a set of rules for no other reason than they appear in Scripture) and a group of atheists that use church as a broader synonym for like-minded community (and like I said, I would suspect this has more to do with anti-religious sentiments rather than simply skepticism).

[rexbeccarox]

Command atheist to do? Let me see if I understand this you are asking me to name or search an atheist doctrine that command us to do something? So that's why we stop going to church? In order to change one doctrine of commandments for another one?

I think she's merely pointing out the differences between a religious church (which demands adherence to a set of rules for no other reason than they appear in Scripture) and a group of atheists that use church as a broader synonym for like-minded community (and like I said, I would suspect this has more to do with anti-religious sentiments rather than simply skepticism).

Exactly. "Church" may be evolving to mean "congregation". This is just a matter of semantics. It's really unfortunate that groups of atheists are using the term, given its meaning, but it doesn't mean that the atheist "churches" are adhering to the contents of any religious (probably especially Christian) dogma; and I would be surprised if any have any dogma at all.

[ignoramus]

I just find it weird that we need a common place to celebrate the "default".
The whole world is the default. Those who want to believe in weird shit should go to a special place and congregate with others as they do now in church.

There must be another angle to it......