Atheists Haven (Not heaven).

Atheists Haven (Not heaven).

Spirituality

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The Axe man

Brisbane,QLD

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21 May 15

Originally posted by twhitehead
So why bring attention to similarities if you are not claiming atheism is a religion? You could just as well have said we are all human. Of course we have similarities. No, you clearly wanted to argue that atheists behave in ways that are religious. Your error is to group atheists together and think atheism is what defines them or their behavior. Even in ...[text shortened]... non-Buddhists members of a single non-Buddhist religion even if they were to behave religiously.
I put forth the question as a result of it coming up on a recent documentary where the various people were talking about god (or atheism) during one episode.
It seems that there is more than one relatively intelligent person that would say atheism is like a religion.
(of course these people may not be all that intelligent, but I bet they still influence a lot of others views. )

The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

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24 Jan 11
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22 May 15

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I put forth the question as a result of it coming up on a recent documentary where the various people were talking about god (or atheism) during one episode.
It seems that there is more than one relatively intelligent person that would say atheism is like a religion.
(of course these people may not be all that intelligent, but I bet they still influence a lot of others views. )
And of course you also have ....

The Near Genius 😏

Cape Town

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22 May 15

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I'm not a Buddhist.
I didn't think you were. I was just cautioning you against saying things like 'Buddhists believe ....'.

Cape Town

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22 May 15

Originally posted by karoly aczel
It seems that there is more than one relatively intelligent person that would say atheism is like a religion. (of course these people may not be all that intelligent, but I bet they still influence a lot of others views. )
Well intelligent or not, they are wrong.

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24 May 15

It tends to be non-atheists who put forward the idea of atheism being a religion. As others have said, i think this is just a misunderstanding of atheism and seeing a collective 'belief' system that simply isn't there.

Walk your Faith

USA

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24 May 15

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I put forth the question as a result of it coming up on a recent documentary where the various people were talking about god (or atheism) during one episode.
It seems that there is more than one relatively intelligent person that would say atheism is like a religion.
(of course these people may not be all that intelligent, but I bet they still influence a lot of others views. )
A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.[note 1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle. Wikipedia

Atheism has all of this, they just deny what is before their eyes, just because God, or
gods are not part of their stories doesn't change they have stories that about the cosmos
and so on. More than a few different sources give this type of description.

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24 May 15

Originally posted by KellyJay
A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.[note 1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality ...[text shortened]... at about the cosmos
and so on. More than a few different sources give this type of description.
Thanks for the reminder Kelly that i need to take the rubbish out. (Hope they collect on a Bank Holiday).

Joined
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24 May 15

Originally posted by KellyJay
A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.[note 1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality ...[text shortened]... at about the cosmos
and so on. More than a few different sources give this type of description.
You're conflating atheism with science. To be an atheist is to reject religious claims. That's all it is. That's all it ever will be. Try as you might to compare our lack of beliefs with your own delusional world views.

Cape Town

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24 May 15
1 edit

Originally posted by KellyJay
A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.[note 1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality ...[text shortened]... at about the cosmos
and so on. More than a few different sources give this type of description.
This is what happens when you refuse to read certain posters posts. You end up saying something that has already been dealt with and you look stupid.

Anyway, for those who do read my posts and still don't get it, let me try again:
1. Many atheists do hold a collection of beliefs that fit well with the definition of religious beliefs.
2. Those collections of beliefs are not 'atheism'.
3. There are atheist Buddhists that hold Buddhist beliefs that could well be called religious beliefs. There are atheist Jews that hold Jewish beliefs that could well be called religious beliefs. Neither set could be called 'atheism'.
4. I myself am an atheist and have a number of beliefs about the meaning of life, the origin of life, the universe, human nature, a preferred lifestyle etc. However, many of those beliefs are identical to those of my parents and other family members who are all Christian. I think it would be quite obviously incorrect to label the set of beliefs I hold 'atheism'.
So in summary, there are religious atheists, but there is no religion reasonably called 'atheism'.

Cape Town

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24 May 15

Originally posted by C Hess
To be an atheist is to reject religious claims.
No, it isn't. It is to not hold a belief in the existence of a God or gods. An atheist can still accept other religious claims.

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24 May 15
1 edit

Originally posted by twhitehead
No, it isn't. It is to not hold a belief in the existence of a God or gods. An atheist can still accept other religious claims.
I tend to conflate religious and supernatural claims. I admit you're right, though. Being an atheist is strictly about not believing in deities. There's no word for rejecting supernatural claims in general, I suppose, but if there was such a word, it would describe me fairly well.

Cape Town

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24 May 15

Originally posted by C Hess
I tend to conflate religious and supernatural claims. I admit you're right, though. Being an atheist is strictly about not believing in deities. There's no word for rejecting supernatural claims in general, I suppose, but if there was such a word, it would describe me fairly well.
Skeptic / skepticism or more specifically religious skepticism. Although you might want to be clear when you use it what you mean as it can have a wide range of meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skepticism

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24 May 15

Originally posted by twhitehead
Skeptic / skepticism or more specifically religious skepticism. Although you might want to be clear when you use it what you mean as it can have a wide range of meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skepticism
My dog is the perfect atheist. I admire his single minded focus on the priorities of life, never troubled with thoughts of the supernatural. Don't make him aware of this thread though. The buffet would be in serious jeopardy.

Misfit Queen

Isle of Misfit Toys

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24 May 15

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
My dog is the perfect atheist. I admire his single minded focus on the priorities of life, never troubled with thoughts of the supernatural. Don't make him aware of this thread though. The buffet would be in serious jeopardy.
No, your dog's understanding of God is innate. Therefore, he doesn't feel the need to bother you about it. 🙂

Walk your Faith

USA

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24 May 15

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Thanks for the reminder Kelly that i need to take the rubbish out. (Hope they collect on a Bank Holiday).
LOL, you are a piece of work, reject anything that does not promote your views.
I suppose you can feel secure in your thinking if never have to face what does not agree
with you.