Atheism as Religion?

How do you define religion?
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
How do you define religion?
Kelly

How about any institution which worships god(s) or idol(s) as a spiritual gateway to the supernatural.

Originally posted by KellyJay
How do you define religion?
Kelly

I usually go for the nearest dictionary I can find. In this case it was Marriam Webster

Religion
Etymology: Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back
Date: 13th century

1 a: the state of a religious
b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

I would go with 2 and 4 as being the usage in this thread.But they depend on the word:
Religious
1: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity
2: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances
3 a: scrupulously and conscientiously faithful b: fervent zealous

I don't think atheism fits.

Originally posted by KellyJay
How do you define religion?
Kelly

Like TWhitehead, I will reach for the dictionary and grab the definitions that best fit my view:

- a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
- an institution to express belief in a divine power
- a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.
- a system of beliefs relating to supernatural or superhuman beings or forces that transcend the everyday material world.
- belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe

The Oxford English gives a pretty good summary:
1 the belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship.
2 the expression of this in worship.
3 a particular system of faith and worship.

There was a long descussion on this 'what is a religion' a few months ago. I think it was in the 'Religeous Scientist' thread, though I could be wrong.

--- Penguin

Originally posted by Nemesio
When I though I had seen it all.......

Call me naïve, but I didn't see this coming: Despite Rwingett's protestations to the contrary, there
is a growing movement to label Atheism/Secularism as a 'religion.' Consequently, the separation
of Church and State represents a violation of First Amendment's guarantee to a freedom of
religion; that is, when th ...[text shortened]... t to hear justification for it here. So, hit me
with it: I'm now prepared.

Nemesio

Atheism is not a religion, and it's disingenuous for any Christian to pretend it is. Kind of like when atheists declare that Christians believe in a mean, tyrannical being who likes to torture people. Both misrepresentations serve as convenient Strawmen.

Originally posted by Jorge Borges
Atheism is not a religion, and it's disingenuous for any Christian to pretend it is. Kind of like when atheists declare that Christians believe in a mean, tyrannical being who likes to torture people. Both misrepresentations serve as convenient Strawmen.

There are very good reasons to believe the Christian god is a tyrant: the argument from evil, the OT, the threat of force in the form of hell, the paradox of free will etc. Whether you agree or not, it is certainly not a strawman.

Originally posted by Jorge Borges
Atheism is not a religion, and it's disingenuous for any Christian to pretend it is. Kind of like when atheists declare that Christians believe in a mean, tyrannical being who likes to torture people. Both misrepresentations serve as convenient Strawmen.

Yet not many atheists consider atheism a religion but a significant number of Christians portray the God they claim to believe in as a mean, tyrannical being who likes to torture people.
OK I admit it, those words are a bit strong, but it is not unusual for a Christian to imply that:
1. The Biblical representation of God is accurate.
- though when challenged they will jump through hoops trying to claim that what they really meant was their personal interpretation of the Bible, or some interpretation only obtainable via secret decoder rings.
2. God can and has in the past tortured people to 'test' their faith, and has committed other acts which could reasonably be interpreted as tyrannical (genocides etc.)
3. As for 'mean' I believe that the Bible specifically quotes God calling himself selfish does it not?

Originally posted by twhitehead
3. As for 'mean' I believe that the Bible specifically quotes God calling himself selfish does it not?

"I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous god"

Originally posted by Penguin
Like TWhitehead, I will reach for the dictionary and grab the definitions that best fit my view:

- a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
- an institution to express belief in a divine power
- a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.
- a system of beliefs relating to superna I think it was in the 'Religeous Scientist' thread, though I could be wrong.

--- Penguin

"Like TWhitehead, I will reach for the dictionary and grab the definitions that best fit my view: "

If it is a matter of grabbing the definitions that makes our side of the
discussion get put in a better light does it matter what we or anyone
brings to board? We can just say I like that one or this one afterwards
and we all go back to going around and around again. Is there a
better way of coming to terms with that term?
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
"Like TWhitehead, I will reach for the dictionary and grab the definitions that best fit my view: "

If it is a matter of grabbing the definitions that makes our side of the
discussion get put in a better light does it matter what we or anyone
brings to board? We can just say I like that one or this one afterwards
and we all go back to going around and around again. Is there a
better way of coming to terms with that term?
Kelly

I go with the root meaning: obligation, bond, scruple, reverence (OED). Religion is what binds you.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I usually go for the nearest dictionary I can find. In this case it was Marriam Webster

[b]Religion
Etymology: Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back
Date: 13th century

1 a: the state of a religious
b ...[text shortened]... a: scrupulously and conscientiously faithful b: fervent zealous

I don't think atheism fits.[/b]

Besides the cherry picking of the parts you liked and disliked even
those you used to say atheism isn't a religion I wondering if you gave
it a great deal of thought?

"1: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity "

I tend to look at religion as people's world view, thier foundation views
they have about reality. With your nr 1. it is acknowledged that there
could be two choices here, the untimate reality or deity. Simply not
having a deity does not dismiss your notion that the universe does
not have a grand designer behind it, no meaning being instilled into
us from the designer that is a grand statement of reality is it not? You
without a doubt show great devotion to this belief here, you are always
pushing against those that have a different take on reality. I do not
see how you can say you still reject atheism as a religion on this
bases.

"2: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances"
I dislike using the "religious" to color beliefs or observances when
trying to define religion. It is like using the word to define the word.

"3 a: scrupulously and conscientiously faithful b: fervent zealous"
Again, the lenghts people here go to, to promote their beliefs is
both fevent and zealous and some have been faithful towards that
end for a long time.

It does point to more than just a deity that one can be religious
about.
Kelly

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
I go with the root meaning: obligation, bond, scruple, reverence (OED). Religion is what binds you.

Binds us to?
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
Binds us to?
Kelly

It differs in each case.

Originally posted by jaywill
Excuse me, but in the former USSR, the country of Albania had Atheism as the official state religion.

That is inaccurate; Communist Albania banned religion, period; there was no "state religion".

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
"I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous god"

What on earth is that?

Throughout Exodus and Deuteronomy the Bible states in different ways.

New Living Translation (NLT)
"You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you."
Exodus 34:14