Atheism is a religion.

[Zidneya]

Okay first of all I want to know that right know I am a little angry, but don’t let that stop from speaking your mind okay, nor I want you to think I'm attacking someone in here.
Now the stuff is this. I was talking with a creationist that suffers from atheophobia. Even when she is an atheophobic she doesn't encourage anyone to hurt atheist however she constantly do what most atheophobics do, you know: diminish, ridicules, ignore, mock, denigrate and insult atheism. And while we were talking she drops out the classical “Atheism is a religion.” Witch of course I claim it wasn’t truth. And imagine my surprise when she gave me a list of names and locations and examples of atheist churches. I am from a third world country and in here there aren't such churches much less heard of anything like that. And so I decided to look and prove that there aren’t such things, which I can’t because there are in fact atheist churches.
So I was wondering if anyone could be so kind of explaining to me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THOSE CHURCHES!!

Because I always thought that CREATING A CHURCH IS THE LAST DAMN THING WE ATHEIST WILL DO!
Why would we create them in the first place. What would atheists go there? What the hell do they do there? And most important: WHY THE HELL DO THOSE ATHEISTS THINK THAT ASSIST TO A CHURCH ISN’T RELIGIOUS?

[Umberto]

Okay first of all I want to know that right know I am a little angry, but don’t let that stop from speaking your mind okay.
Now the stuff is this. I was talking with a creationist that suffers from atheophobia. Even when she is an atheophobic she doesn't encourage anyone to hurt atheist however she constantly do what most atheophobics do, you know: diminish, ridicules, ignore, mock, denigrate and insult atheism. And while we were talking she drops out the classical “Atheism is a religion.” Witch of course I claim it wasn’t truth. And imagine my surprise when she gave me a list of names and locations and examples of atheist churches. I am from a third world country and in here there aren't such churches much less heard of anything like that. And so I decided to look and prove that there aren’t such things, which I can’t because there are in fact atheist churches.
So I was wondering if anyone could be so kind of explaining to me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THOSE CHURCHES!!

Because I always thought that CREATING A CHURCH IS THE LAST DAMN THING WE ATHEIST WILL DO!
Why would we create them in the first place. What would atheists go there? What the hell do they do there? And most important: WHY THE HELL DO THOSE ATHEISTS THINK THAT ASSIST TO A CHURCH ISN’T RELIGIOUS?

Take a breath... 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.

[Polaris]

Atheism in certain forms can be viewed as religion as can many other ideas per the definition "a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance."

[Jenny A]

Atheism in certain forms can be viewed as religion as can many other ideas per the definition "a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance."

I doubt that for many atheists, atheism is a "pursuit or interest" let alone one of "supreme interest"--rather fewer as a % than say chess enthusiasts or liberals or tea party conservatives. I'm enjoying the forum, but "supreme interest?" Hardly.

[ignoramus]

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....

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

[Mudhammam]

Whatever it is that forms the basis of their so-called church must be something other than atheism.
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. Add a value system that includes political action and unfettered devotion to unsubstantiated claims and now you're in religion's domain.

[Umberto]

Atheism in certain forms can be viewed as religion as can many other ideas per the definition "a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance."

Ascribing supreme importance to limiting your beliefs to things which can be shown to exist or those things which exhibit constructive applications to understanding reality can only be a religion if it is associated with a specific and unchanging doctrine, and usually associated with ritual.

Most atheists do not adhere to any doctrine or practice ritual and consequently we refer to the 'adherence' by another name; education. For which the institutions are referred to as colleges or schools and not churches.

[Cato]

What the hell do they do there?

Fuck and make little atheists?

[Whateverist]

Some atheists have told me they miss the 'community' of church going. Then there is the obvious tax break angle. Even if one were to go this route, it would hardly make atheism a religion. (I personally would never attend one.)

[Mudhammam]

I would give a weekly atheist group a try if only from a desire to further community causes without the stupid pretext of rescuing souls.