Atheists Haven (Not heaven).

Regarding atheism, I reckon it's quite like a religion (I am not the first to note this). I'm not saying that they are conciously religious, however, they do exibit the same narcassistic tendencies as religions like Christianity do.
And like Christians, there are good ones too who unfortuanately get lumped in with the rest . But really , no one likes smug pseudo intellectuals trying to convince others that there is no afterlife or god and that they are all just going to rot in the ground. Like they all know something that is so plainly obvious that how cannot 100% of the population know it too.

So let me just stop here and ask : Is Atheism a religion? ( albeit unconciously?)

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Difficult to post anything in the other spirituality threads at the moment. A lot of full gusto arguments are under way, making it tricky to interject with any insightful and ever so slightly sarcastic observations.

Have therefore created this atheistic refuge of reason and common sense where we can retreat to when we've had our fill of extreme religious beliefs that defy logic and threaten to numb our senses.

Religious folk are welcome here; but in the same way that you might invite the geeky neighbour to your party.

Hey. How can you yourself a decent atheist? I came to this party expecting crack, call girls, and Piñatas full of smack.

Don't you know atheists can't be decent people?

Oh, have I introduced you to my new yak girlfriend? I mean, gays can marry now, so...

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Regarding atheism, I reckon it's quite like a religion (I am not the first to note this). I'm not saying that they are conciously religious, however, they do exibit the same narcassistic tendencies as religions like Christianity do.
And like Christians, there are good ones too who unfortuanately get lumped in with the rest . But really , no one likes ...[text shortened]... opulation.

So let me just stop here and ask : Is Atheism a religion? ( albeit unconciously?)

Sentences that start "I reckon..." have a tendency to be ignorant and wrong...

This one wasn't an exception.

No atheism is not a religion.

It is not a belief system, there are no 'atheist practices' or rituals.
There are no leaders, or holy men/women.

Atheists are not homogeneous, and share little in common beyond all lacking a belief in god/s.

Atheists are simply people who are not people who believe in god/s.

Atheism is simply the collective term for people who are not people who believe in god/s.

It is not a religion, just like not-stamp collecting is not a hobby.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Sentences that start "I reckon..." have a tendency to be ignorant and wrong...

This one wasn't an exception.

No atheism is not a religion.

It is not a belief system, there are no 'atheist practices' or rituals.
There are no leaders, or holy men/women.

Atheists are not homogeneous, and share little in common beyond all lacking a belief in god ...[text shortened]... le who believe in god/s.

It is not a religion, just like not-stamp collecting is not a hobby.

I understand your point.

And yet I can see a difference between an 'atheist' and say a Buddhist.
Why the difference?

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Regarding atheism, I reckon it's quite like a religion (I am not the first to note this). I'm not saying that they are conciously religious, however, they do exibit the same narcassistic tendencies as religions like Christianity do.
And like Christians, there are good ones too who unfortuanately get lumped in with the rest . But really , no one likes ...[text shortened]... ow it too.

So let me just stop here and ask : Is Atheism a religion? ( albeit unconciously?)

Court rules atheism a religion

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate’s rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

“Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being,” the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said.

The court decided the inmate’s First Amendment rights were violated because the prison refused to allow him to create a study group for atheists.

http://www.wnd.com/2005/08/31895/#!

Atheism is a religion according to a 2005 Wisconsin Federal Court ruling on the matter of Kaufman v. McCaughtry, as well as the Torcaso v. Watkins case that was affirmed by the 1961 U.S. Supreme Court--the highest court in the land--where court rulings become national law.

Originally posted by RJHinds
[b]Court rules atheism a religion

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate’s rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

“Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being,” the 7 ...[text shortened]... Supreme Court--the highest court in the land--where court rulings become national law. [/quote][/b]

Even though I don't agree with that judgment, it does not surprise me.

It seems some atheists are in denial of their own inherent identity and fail to become (proper) atheists in their own right, but followers of atheists, much like followers religions or religious figures..

And googlefudge, you can drop the personal slurs, if you please, - this is not a court room 🙂

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I understand, and yet I can see a difference between an 'atheist' and say a Buddhist.
Why the difference?

There are atheist Buddhists. Also atheist Hindus [I recently learned].

There will be a difference between any two people or groups of people who do not share
certain beliefs/'systems of belief' in common.

Thus a big difference between non-Buddhist atheists, and Buddhists, is that the former
are not Buddhists.

This doesn't mean that atheism is a religion.

Even if atheism WAS a belief system, that wouldn't make it a religion.

Not all belief systems are religions.

Secular Humanism for example, is not a religion. And that IS a belief system.

[Almost] all Secular Humanists are atheists. However not all atheists [or even most atheists]
are Secular Humanists.

We are not any kind of homogeneous group.


That said, There tends to be more commonalities between people who actively declare themselves
to be atheists. However, even in that subgroup, there are huge disparities in beliefs outside of the
singular core tenet of atheism.

Originally posted by googlefudge
There are atheist Buddhists. Also atheist Hindus [I recently learned].

There will be a difference between any two people or groups of people who do not share
certain beliefs/'systems of belief' in common.

Thus a big difference between non-Buddhist atheists, and Buddhists, is that the former
are not Buddhists.

This doesn't mean that atheism i ...[text shortened]... subgroup, there are huge disparities in beliefs outside of the
singular core tenet of atheism.

No , atheism is not a religion, I agree. That was not what I was inferring. I was just asking the question and pointing to some similarities.(I know, not strong evidence or anything like that, just observations.)

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Even though I don't agree with that judgment, it does not surprise me.

It seems some atheists are in denial of their own inherent identity and fail to become (proper) atheists in their own right, but followers of atheists, much like followers religions or religious figures..

And googlefudge, you can drop the personal slurs, if you please, - this is not a court room 🙂

It seems some atheists are in denial of their own inherent identity and fail to become (proper) atheists in their own right, but followers of atheists, much like followers religions or religious figures..

There is no inherent identity in atheism. It is not a belief system.
Atheists are united only in not being theists. [ignoring the things that all humans share in common regardless]
There is nothing else.

And googlefudge, you can drop the personal slurs, if you please, - this is not a court room

What personal slur?

Originally posted by karoly aczel
No , atheism is not a religion, I agree. That was not what I was inferring. I was just asking the question and pointing to some similarities.(I know, not strong evidence or anything like that, just observations.)

You asked the question "is atheism a religion?"

If you didn't want that question answered why did you ask it?

Originally posted by RJHinds
[b]Court rules atheism a religion

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate’s rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

“Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being,” the 7 ...[text shortened]... Supreme Court--the highest court in the land--where court rulings become national law. [/quote][/b]

A ruling that your link declares incoherent.

The law also can declare a corporation to be a person.

That doesn't mean that a corporation is actually a person.

Originally posted by googlefudge

It seems some atheists are in denial of their own inherent identity and fail to become (proper) atheists in their own right, but followers of atheists, much like followers religions or religious figures..

There is no inherent identity in atheism. It is not a belief system.
Atheists are united only in not being theists. [ignoring the th ...[text shortened]... rop the personal slurs, if you please, - this is not a court room[/quote]

What personal slur?

Atheists are related by belief systems and books like religions are.



The post starting with "Sentences start..", do you really think the first two lines were necessary. Your point would've been stronger without them,imo. (and it seemed like slurring a defendents character in a court of law than what I would expect from public forum with seemingly decent posters)

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
hmm an unusually thoughtful post by you.

You really should read more, then. 🙂

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Regarding atheism, I reckon it's quite like a religion (I am not the first to note this). I'm not saying that they are conciously religious, however, they do exibit the same narcassistic tendencies as religions like Christianity do.
And like Christians, there are good ones too who unfortuanately get lumped in with the rest . But really , no one likes ...[text shortened]... ow it too.

So let me just stop here and ask : Is Atheism a religion? ( albeit unconciously?)

Better not let GF see this post.


Edit: Oops, too late. 🙁

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Atheists are related by belief systems and books like religions are.



The post starting with "Sentences start..", do you really think the first two lines were necessary. Your point would've been stronger without them,imo. (and it seemed like slurring a defendents character in a court of law than what I would expect from public forum with seemingly decent posters)

Atheists are related by belief systems and books like religions are.

There are all kinds of belief systems. Some of which are religions.

Secular Humanism is one such belief system that is not a religion and includes no gods.

However only a minority of atheists are Secular Humanists.

Atheists have all kinds of belief systems but there is no one belief system we all share in
common. Nothing that relates us all together beyond all being human beings other than
the one singular lack of belief in gods.

Atheism is thus not at all in any way like a religion.

The post starting with "Sentences start..", do you really think the first two lines were necessary.

Yes. Otherwise I wouldn't have included them.
I also thought that they were applicable.

and it seemed like slurring a defendents character in a court of law than what I would expect from public
forum with seemingly decent posters

After declaring that atheists "exhibit the same narcassistic tendencies as religions like Christianity do" and
"no one likes smug pseudo intellectuals trying to convince others that there is no afterlife or god and that they
are all just going to rot in the ground." you are going to lecture me on slurring someone?

Anyhow I was 'slurring', if that's the term we're going to use, the content of your post and not your character.