Is atheism technically a godless religion?

1. 58

   andrew savageposted 11 years ago

   Is atheism technically a godless religion?

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2. 69

   JMcFarlandposted 11 years ago

   What makes something a religion?  Dogma, tennants, etc.  atheism is not a religion.  It is a lack of a belief in a god.

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3. 79

   jennshealthstoreposted 11 years ago

   I kind of think it is. It is still a belief in something. You are still following something. Even though someone does not believe in God, they must believe we came from somewhere.

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   1. 69

      JMcFarlandposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Not true.  I believe that my car will start in the morning because I maintain it properly.  Is that a religion too?

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   2. 79

      jennshealthstoreposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      One definition of religion is Details of belief as taught or discussed. I am such the opposite of judgmental, but I do think that believing in no God is a belief, an opinion of a group of people which is followed.

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   3. 69

      JMcFarlandposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      okay, so what do you call a group of people that don't believe in Unicorns or Bigfoot.  Does their lack of a belief in those creatures constitute a religion?

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   4. 79

      jennshealthstoreposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sure, you can call it that.

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   5. 69

      JMcFarlandposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A religion constitutes a belief in something, some higher power or deity.  A lack of belief in something, like atheism's lack of a belief in a god, is not a religion.  To say "they must belief in something" is an argument from incredulity.

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   6. 79

      jennshealthstoreposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You may be right, or maybe I am right. Either way we as people believe what we want to believe and have our own opinions, that is what makes us great and unique.

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4. 60

   tksabresinosposted 11 years ago

   Look up the definition of a religion:
   The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.
   Now the definition of atheism:
   The theory or belief that God does not exist.
   
   I think that speaks for itself.

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5. 85

   M. T. Dremerposted 11 years ago

   Religion and atheism are not opposites because someone can belong to a religion and be an atheist (Buddhism for example). The opposite of atheism is theism, which is the belief in deities. One could believe in god, but practice no formal religion. Beliefs, on their own, do not imply or create a religion. There is no church that atheists go to for community events. There are no rituals to be performed or holidays to be observed. Nor are atheists recognized by the government for tax exemption. Richard Dawkins once likened atheists to herding cats, and I think it's an appropriate comparison. Though we share that single belief, very little else unifies us. So, you could say that atheism is a godless belief, but calling it a religion just isn't accurate.

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