In what way is atheism a religion? Please explain this to me.?

Question

Religions have beliefs all members follow. Religions members have a common belief system.

Atheists have no beliefs. Atheists only agree on one thing, there is no deity. Atheists do not have any sort of belief system, being in order for something to be a system of belief it would have to have at least two beliefs. If you count the lack of a belief in a deity as a belief it is still only one belief. They only sense you can call atheism a religion at all is in the sense everyone is labeled as a member of a religion. Once again lack of a belief is not a belief, just like bald is not a hair style.

Answer 1

Exactly right. It's just that religious people can't seem to get their heads around that.

Answer 2

Logic, please: who says atheism is a religion? Not any atheists I've ever met! And not most of the religious folk I've ever met, either.



Atheism is a "religious belief." That's not the same thing as a religion.



Who decided that a belief system has anything to do with atheism? You? Not good enough, I'm afraid. That's not to insult you, but, please, you need to stop putting yourself out as the definer of these matters for all the rest of us. Humility, please.



And back to logic again: you've used a very bad analogy. "Once again lack of a belief is not a belief, just like bald is not a hair style," you say. But "bald" is very much a hairstyle, when some folks shave their heads to baldness every day (all that work certainly counts as "styling"), and when alternatives to natural baldness exist, such as wigs and hair implants -- and combovers.



If, by some chance, you want to slam atheism or atheists, this is NOT the way to go about it.

Answer 3

Here is my definition of Religion. Religion-Religion is when you believe a higher being(s) controls everything.The universe,earth,stars,basically anything.Religion has some form of a holy book.Holy Books show life lessons,morals,and teaching of the particular God(s) and other people who correlate with there deity. Here is my definition of Atheism. Atheism-Atheism is when you have an absence of a belief in a deity.Since Atheist don't belive in a deity they don't belief in anything that has to deal with Holy Books.Although,some atheists belive in morals.Atheism, instead of believing in an intelligible creator,Is commonly affiliated with Science as the answer to life by Scientific Theories. You see,atheism doesn't follow a Holy Book,but instead textbooks,preferably Science Textbooks.Science does not have morals,life lessons,or deity(s) involved when explaining something.Hence the "a" in atheism,which changes the meaning of theism.

Answer 4

This is a political canard. If the courts were to declare atheism to be a religion, there would be a spate of law suits trying to declare a bunch of science to be "atheist doctrine" and try to sue to pull them for schools. It would be as dumb as arguing that since "thou shalt not kill" appears in the Bible, making murder criminal violates the Constitution by endorsing a religious doctrine. It's not like any suits would be won, but the leadership could raise millions for the suit, spend thousands, and pocket the difference.

Answer 5

The church of Atheism says this about atheism being a religion:

Atheism as a Religion

Atheism is a result of eager ardent interest in persuing Theological Truth. Atheists are enthusiastically devoted to Theological Truths and by devoting ourselves to this principle we, Nontheists, Apatheists, Ignostics, Agnostics, Freethinkers, Spiritualists, Skeptics, Materialists, Humanists, Metaphysical Naturalists, Deists, Pantheists, or otherwise traditionally Nonreligious or Irreligious that compose the related and or sub-sects of Atheism, currently find that god(s) has not been properly defined and cannot exist in their traditionally defined concepts



Many Atheists think that they are part of a religion. Argue with them.



edit: Wow! Thumbs down, yet I'm just quoting other Atheists. Ignorance is for everyone I see.

Answer 6

Here is the definitions of "religion":



"a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny"



"an institution to express belief in a divine power"



Someone please explain to me how atheism is a religion.



EDIT: Douglas - so, believing that racism is wrong is a religion too? Damn, every person on this planet must have millions of different religious beliefs, then, according to your logic.

Answer 7

I am an Atheist.Therefor,I can tell you,It is not a religion,It is the absence of one,no Beliefs involved.

Answer 8

Atheism is in no way a religion.

Answer 9

atheism is to religion as not collecting stamps is to hobbies

Answer 10

Well, we may have beliefs other than "there is no God", but correct, they are not religious beliefs.

Answer 11

atheist- no god



means your not worshiping anyone.. so it means you dont have any religion

Answer 12

Good job! You put your thinkin' cap on!

Answer 13

I believe you answered the question yourself. All atheists BELIEVE there is no deity. Therefore using your definition of a religion Atheism is in fact a religion.

Answer 14

I'm an Atheist, I believe there are no Gods 2 PTS I WIN!!!!!!!!!

Answer 15

its kinda like my hobby of not collecting stamps.





I enjoy that too; or is it that I don't enjoy that too...

Answer 16

sorry, you'll have to ask someone with a smaller IQ - someone who can't read a dictionary....

Answer 17

religion=belief

atheism=beliefs.

UNDERSTAND?