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Whilst some atheists do seem to make a sort of religion of it, atheism per se lacks any of the features of a religion. I don't see how it conforms to any of the definitions you listed.
It's not a belief. It's a lack of belief. It has no doctrine, no belief or faith in anything, no ethic, no world-view. It is not a belief that there is no God.
If they practice a religion, then they're irreligious.
I don't really understand that..
How can a capable and intellectual being lack belief? They make decisions, They observe and come to conclusions on the basis of God's existence. They decide there is no God. They believe there is no God. They don't just have the question answered for them.
It's an active decision, Not passive like weak atheism.
Irreligious means indifferent or hostile to religion?
So you're all saying that because Atheism is an absense of faith, It cannot be regarded as religion.
But is Atheism really an absense of faith?
How is saying "There is no God" Not a claim, Or not faith, Or not a belief?
How does having a belief in regards to God (Either His existence or non-existence), Not a religious sentiment? And if you have religious ideals, Would that not make you in some way religious?
I don't really understand that..
How can a capable and intellectual being lack belief? They make decisions, They observe and come to conclusions on the basis of God's existence. They decide there is no God. They believe there is no God. They don't just have the question answered for them.
It's an active decision, Not passive like weak atheism.
Weak atheism is atheism. It's the essence of atheism, the sine qua non. It's what is understood when you use the unmodified term.I don't really understand that..
How can a capable and intellectual being lack belief? They make decisions, They observe and come to conclusions on the basis of God's existence. They decide there is no God. They believe there is no God. They don't just have the question answered for them.
It's an active decision, Not passive like weak atheism.
It is and Gautama leads the path!Why Is Atheism Not a Religion?
Friend Thana,
It is and Gautama leads the path!
Unless you are speaking of something else when you talk of 'atheism'.
Love & rgds
I wonder how much the term 'agnostic' sidesteps this argument...
Weak atheism is atheism. It's the essence of atheism, the sine qua non. It's what is understood when you use the unmodified term.
When one says "atheism," weak atheism is what is meant. When you start tacking on beliefs ("there is no God"), or values, or doctrine, you've modified and expanded the basic concept.
Weak and strong atheism are two different things. When we non-believers say we're atheists, we're talking about fundamental, unmodified atheism -- weak atheism. When you declare atheism a religion you're talking about strong atheism; you're attributing values and beliefs where there are none.
To suggest atheism is a religion is laughable unless you re-define religion so that the very term becomes insipid -- so that it means little more than a belief system. And if you do that, all sorts of things suddenly become religions. Hell, even secular political parties -- and perhaps even their platforms -- would qualify as a religions.
But don't let me stop you from having your fun.
LaVeyan Satanism, forms of Luciferianism, Jainism and Buddhism are non-theistic religions. And they are religions. You're going to tell a Buddhist monk that he's not a religious man? :areyoucra
I really do not understand weak atheism, Or what you call weak atheism. I thought that term was generally used on infants and those who don't have any mental capacity to make an informed decision.
How can you, An adult, call yourself a weak atheist?
You've determined you're an Atheist, You've determined there is no God.
That's not a lack of a belief, That is a belief.
Weak Atheism according to Wikipedia - is any other type of atheism, wherein a person does not believe in the existence of any deities, but does not explicitly assert there to be none
What is the difference between not believing in a deity and not explicitly asserting there to be none? Is the difference just that one proclaims there is no God and the other thinks it but does not say it?
I really do not understand weak atheism, Or what you call weak atheism. I thought that term was generally used on infants and those who don't have any mental capacity to make an informed decision.
How can you, An adult, call yourself a weak atheist?
You've determined you're an Atheist, You've determined there is no God.
That's not a lack of a belief, That is a belief.
Weak Atheism according to Wikipedia - is any other type of atheism, wherein a person does not believe in the existence of any deities, but does not explicitly assert there to be none
What is the difference between not believing in a deity and not explicitly asserting there to be none? Is the difference just that one proclaims there is no God and the other thinks it but does not say it?
I'm not trying to re-define the term religion, Merely trying to understand the difference between religion and Atheism and why they're seperate.
Sure, as I said Budda is not a god. Buddism is commonly referred to as a philosophy. As to Satanism, Luciferianism and so on they refer to superhuman beings as higher powers and so I would see them as theistic. Satan for example is a character within Christianity, and so I would see it as a subset of theism.