I've been asking many people this question, and theyre answers have varied greatly. Yes, Atheism is the belief of no higher power, but is that really a [i]lack of religion, or is it a religion? 1. This depends on peoples beliefs or what constitutes as a religion. 2. Is a lack of religion, a religion?
your argument seems to be that Atheism requires faith and thus is a religion
what is faith? strong believance? if you strongly believe that gravity will make a pencil drop it would be faith, though there is still a chance (because of quantum mechanics) that the pencil will defy gravity
in my eyes it is impossible not to have faith in something, atheism could be having faith there's no god
Your saying that religion requires a god in order to be valid. I have faith that religion is wrong. I place everything in that, just like many people within religions place their faith in being right and there being a good. The statement beliefs don't equate to religion is a little off, because Buddhism is a religion, yet it doesn't have faith in a good. I think the problems not really whether Atheism is a religion or not, but what is religion?
No, I am not saying that religion needs a God to be valid. On the first page I clearly stated what I religion is:
I've always thought of religion as something that defined, or at least shaped the decisions you make and how you run your life and since my beliefs on the topic give me free reign, then no, it is not a religion.
If you go back a few pages I stated how Buddhism was in fact a religion.
I would also like to reiterate the point that beliefs don't equate to religion. Look up the definition of religion. I can think of any number of examples of belief that do not equate religion. Religion is according to wiki:
A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth.
You can believe somethign without having to incorporate life changes in order to accomodate these pre-requisites.
what is faith? strong believance?
Faith is holding a strong belief on something without evidence.
I posted something quite similar in the Christianity V Atheism post, so forgive me if you've read some of it before; I have mixed up and re-written my response a little bit with some different examples.
Atheism is a viewpoint which you arrive at from examining the available evidence from a position of logic and reasoning, and the scientific method.
The existence of 'god' or that miracles are real & these things are true, are outside the bounds of what we experience in our lives. I've never seen or heard of a miracle that hasn't been shown to be a hoax (or has been shielded by those wishing no scientific scrutiny). I don't know anyone that can control the fabric of the universe, or anyone that can return from the dead - so the claims that are made in many religions are 'extraordinary'.
Now, the problem with extraordinary claims, is that they require extraordinary evidence. You can't say "god exists because it says so in the bible" - a man could easily have written the bible, for whatever reason they wanted to. There needs to be some incredible proof that he does indeed exist.
Without that evidence, it falls apart as a hypothesis, and is summarily dismissed. Atheists do not 'disbelieve' the existence of god, anymore then I 'disbelieve' that the people in this forum are murderers and rapists. I have absolutely no valid logical reason to believe anyone in this forum is guilty of wrong-doing, so it doesn't come into any serious consideration.
You can't hold atheists responsible for proving the non-existence of god either; because we're not the ones making incredible claims of an all-knowing all-powerful being that governs the universe. The burden of proof lies with the religious, and they just don't have the evidence to support it.
exactly! why do people insist that it is a religion?! it is the absence of religion! A-theist notice the "A"!!
well said, dude. i mean, -I'm- an atheist, and i don't consider it to be a religion, even in the most remote sense. atheism is the product of critical thinking skills and an open mind. there is no god
I'd have to say atheism is not technically a religion, but you can't have no belief or you believe in nothing. So it's a belief, definitely, but not a religion.
No, not really, atheism is the absence of religion, just like apathy (i.e. voter apathy) is the absence of feeling.
I think he was saying atheism is not a theism because of the *A* (like you said earlier). I don't think he was disagreeing.
No, not really, atheism is the absence of religion, just like apathy (i.e. voter apathy) is the absence of feeling.
Ouch. Absence of feeling? Harsh comparison
Still, reading over the posts I guess it'd make sense for it not to be an official religion. To me it is a religion, as its a way of life, but for definition of it I'd say its not seeing how the definition of it is absence of religion...
