Atheism Is Not A Religion!!!

[Hollie]

The above may find an audience at your local chapter of the Jerry Falwell madrassah, but why would you think anyone else would take it seriously?

Have you ever read Nietzsche? I doubt you have but what Nietzsche told us is that if God is indeed dead then that has some very serious consequences on society that could ultimately lead us into nihilism.

You may have 'read' Nietzsche but clearly you didn't understand what you read.

All manifestations of morality, values, and ethical conduct were created by man – whether in the context of religious dogma or not is irrelevant, where those free from faith are perfectly capable of morality, values, and ethical conduct absent any religion at all.

And what does that have to do with my post. I notice you like to give out random pieces of information that barely have anything to do with the discussion in an attempt to make yourself look smart. I was talking about nihilism what the hell does your little diatribe have to do with nihilism? Absolutely nothing. Do have any concept of what a discussion is and how a discussion is framed or do you just go off and say whatever random thing loosely connected to the subject that pops in your head?

Your post was a confused, ignorant rant wherein you hoped to Invoke Nietzsche as supportive of some point you hoped to make. It's clear you don't understand the writings of Nietzsche and never made the effort to actually read his works.

What the heck are you talking about? Nietzsche wrote volumes about how the waning influence and dissolution of Christianity would be problematic for European civilization. Christianity gave Europe meaning and purpose and with it's diminished influence Nietzsche believe that European civilization could be endangered by embracing meaninglessness and purposelessness i.e nihilism. It very obvious that it is you who never read Nietzsche because if you did you would know that he spoke of Christianity and what its dissolution would mean extensively in his works even though he was an atheist.

You may wish to do your homework about what christianity gave to Europe. Christianity spent 800 years maintaining an institution of fear and superstition that literally held back humanity from escaping the Dark Ages that christianity helped to maintain.

 

[Hollie]

Have you ever read Nietzsche? I doubt you have but what Nietzsche told us is that if God is indeed dead then that has some very serious consequences on society that could ultimately lead us into nihilism.

I have read many excerpts of Nietszche, though not a whole book at once. Leading up through 50 years of peace until the world wars of the 20th century, the optimism of Hegel was in vogue (the inevitable positive progress of science). After the wars, people re-discovered Nietszche and Kierkegaard, men who uttered the uncomfortable truths that nobody else dared to. Nazi Germany, after all, was the most scientifically advanced and educated country of its time.
Today in America, that Hegelian optimism has crept back. Atheists and non-atheists alike tend to have a favorable view of the inevitability of progress. And in addition, the use of digital technology is completely changing the way our brains function. So, what I find most interesting about your Nietszche quote is not the God is Dead part. It's the next part of that sentence which says, "and we have killed him".

I am not a fundie and neither am I a Christian. Do you make assumptions about thing you have no information on? Because it really seems to be a trend with you.

I'm not a Christian either. I'm a pagan. But, I do like to study the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita.

It amazes me how some people actually think that scientific and technological gadgets are going to resolve all the problems that humanity faces. There are some who actually believe that if you throw enough technology at a problem it will magically disappear. I am also amazed how these supposedly rational and logical "freethinkers" actually believe that they can create some sort of utopia based on science and reason. It is utterly laughable how naive these people actually are. Their comedy never stops.

I have yet to see a coherent argument delineating how you Jerry Falwell madrassah graduates are going to resolve anything with prayer.

Let us know how prayers to the jeebus will resolve over-fishing of the world's oceans.

 

[Inevitable]

Atheism is completely without religion. I know this because as soon as I became an atheist, I lost my religion. That's the great thing about being an atheist....it requires so little of your time.

That is not exactly true. There are two religions that I know of that are atheist. Anton LeVey's church of Satan, and KSW.

Atheists who don't believe in a god also aren't going to believe in this god's supernatural competitor, and I have no idea what KSW is.

So no, I think that claim is false.

It depends on what you consider a religion. Satanism LeVey style is really more philosophy than religion to me, but it does also have trappings of magic involved which might make it fit into a definition of religion. From what I remember the use of anti-Christian, demonic style names is symbolic rather than from a belief those beings are real.

I would consider religion a practice ritual. It doesn't matter if people are doing it "ironically" or not.

Religion often has nothing to do with theism, it has more to do with socializing.

As I pointed out before, I'm a theist but I'm areligious.

I'd agree that rituals are a defining attribute of religions to include belief in one or more supernatural beings/entities, practices common to the religions' doctrines, a hierarchy of leadership, etc.

It seems to me that tagging the cult's of LeVay and Scientology is stretching the definition of religion. Remember, for example that Hubbard started Scientology on a bet and had few takers until he found a way to appeal those who had personalities / psychologies that were a "fit" for Dianetics.

I don't think belief in supernatural beings is the slightest bit relevant.

I say scientology is atheist because they fit the only criteria, which is no belief in God.

 

[asaratis]

This thread proves beyond all doubt that Atheists depend on mockery, ridicule and adolescent quips more often than not to rebut the opposition. How silly can one get?

Actually, this thread proves that fundie zealots must rely on deflection, mis-representation and obfuscation regarding questions to their dogma that are irresolvable.

Atheists seem to draw no distinction between natural and supernatural things. They do not accept that supernatural things exist because they cannot understand them...therefore they do not exist. To say that they do is 'laughable' and subject to ridicule.

Please provide testable evidence that any “supernatural” occurrence has ever, in fact happened. What you may not realize is that the assertion of “supernatural” suggests a different realm, that cannot be tested, cannot be accessed and cannot be quantified or qualified and is therefore no different from describing irrationality.

You know full well that tangible evidence of the supernatural does not exist. The fact that something is supernatural puts it out of the realm of human reason.

Why should I accept your claims to the supernatural when you admit your claims are untestable, unverifiable and that I must therefore accept them by way of your "because I say so", admonition.

Every discovery in the history of humanity has had a natural cause. Not a single, verifiable event in human history can be described by conceding "well, this event has no explanation by natural processes therefore, we can say with certainty, the gawds did it"

Feel free to share with us what “supernatural events” we should accept as indicative of a gawdly intervention. That’s actually a rhetorical comment because in my experience religionists are never able provide a meaningful context wherein their particular gawds can be described as the cause of some alleged supernatural event. It can be time consuming to address the confusions and errors inherent in religionist rhetoric and their actual content simply doesn't include anything at all of genuine interest.

So thrill us.

I've already dealt with the "because I said so" poppycock. I do not care what you believe or do not believe. Atheism is a religion. I don't expect you to believe that either...even though it has been clearly evidenced in this thread.

You too can be an Atheist Minister.

...and, by the way...I have never claimed that all unexplainable happenings are caused by God.

 

[Hollie]

In my personal experience, fundamentalist Christians are among the last people on the plane who should be lecturing anyone regarding ethics or morality.

Additionally, I find your attitudes about morality and it's derivation to be stereotypical in that you seem to believe your religion is somehow an arbiter of morality and ethics when in a historical sense, Christianity has been a wellspring of hate, derision and the source of divisions.

.

When have I ever said anything that could be considered fundamentalist?

I call it like I see it. You're free to disagree. But my post about atheism and the reasons why an increasingly atheist world would embrace transhumanism are my own thoughts and words. Nothing was copied and pasted. Nothing about it was stereotypical.

You, on the other hand, don't seem to have any original religion-bashing points. You randomly threw in something about Christians burning the library of Alexandria straight out of the atheist bag of memes. That's not creative.

Your comments really are stereotypical. Like every other religionist, you're certain that your religion is some panacea that will resolve the very problems created by your religions. I don't happen to accept that the division's created by religions will solve anything. And if you look around the world today, it's you religionists who are involved in the wars and antagonisms that are causing such death and misery.

 

[Carla_Danger]

That is not exactly true. There are two religions that I know of that are atheist. Anton LeVey's church of Satan, and KSW.

Atheists who don't believe in a god also aren't going to believe in this god's supernatural competitor, and I have no idea what KSW is.

So no, I think that claim is false.

It depends on what you consider a religion. Satanism LeVey style is really more philosophy than religion to me, but it does also have trappings of magic involved which might make it fit into a definition of religion. From what I remember the use of anti-Christian, demonic style names is symbolic rather than from a belief those beings are real.

I would consider religion a practice ritual. It doesn't matter if people are doing it "ironically" or not.

Religion often has nothing to do with theism, it has more to do with socializing.

As I pointed out before, I'm a theist but I'm areligious.

I'd agree that rituals are a defining attribute of religions to include belief in one or more supernatural beings/entities, practices common to the religions' doctrines, a hierarchy of leadership, etc.

It seems to me that tagging the cult's of LeVay and Scientology is stretching the definition of religion. Remember, for example that Hubbard started Scientology on a bet and had few takers until he found a way to appeal those who had personalities / psychologies that were a "fit" for Dianetics.

I don't think belief in supernatural beings is the slightest bit relevant.

I say scientology is atheist because they fit the only criteria, which is no belief in God.

Atheism is Not a Religion, Ideology, Belief System, Philosophy

Many Christians seem to believe that atheism is a religion, but no one with an accurate understanding of both concepts would make such a mistake. Atheism lacks every one of the characteristics of religion. At most, atheism doesn't explicitly exclude most of them, but the same can be said for almost anything. Thus, it’s not possible to call atheism a religion. It can be part of a religion, but it can’t be a religion by itself. They are completely different categories: atheism is the absence of one particular belief while religion is a complex web of traditions and beliefs.

Atheism is Not a Religion Ideology Belief System Philosophy World View or Anything Similar

 

[Treeshepherd]

Your comments really are stereotypical. Like every other religionist, you're certain that your religion is some panacea that will resolve the very problems created by your religions. I don't happen to accept that the division's created by religions will solve anything. And if you look around the world today, it's you religionists who are involved in the wars and antagonisms that are causing such death and misery.

War is sold to us today by appealing to humanism.

 

[Hollie]

Actually, this thread proves that fundie zealots must rely on deflection, mis-representation and obfuscation regarding questions to their dogma that are irresolvable.

Atheists seem to draw no distinction between natural and supernatural things. They do not accept that supernatural things exist because they cannot understand them...therefore they do not exist. To say that they do is 'laughable' and subject to ridicule.

Please provide testable evidence that any “supernatural” occurrence has ever, in fact happened. What you may not realize is that the assertion of “supernatural” suggests a different realm, that cannot be tested, cannot be accessed and cannot be quantified or qualified and is therefore no different from describing irrationality.

You know full well that tangible evidence of the supernatural does not exist. The fact that something is supernatural puts it out of the realm of human reason.

Why should I accept your claims to the supernatural when you admit your claims are untestable, unverifiable and that I must therefore accept them by way of your "because I say so", admonition.

Every discovery in the history of humanity has had a natural cause. Not a single, verifiable event in human history can be described by conceding "well, this event has no explanation by natural processes therefore, we can say with certainty, the gawds did it"

Feel free to share with us what “supernatural events” we should accept as indicative of a gawdly intervention. That’s actually a rhetorical comment because in my experience religionists are never able provide a meaningful context wherein their particular gawds can be described as the cause of some alleged supernatural event. It can be time consuming to address the confusions and errors inherent in religionist rhetoric and their actual content simply doesn't include anything at all of genuine interest.

So thrill us.

I've already dealt with the "because I said so" poppycock. I do not care what you believe or do not believe. Atheism is a religion. I don't expect you to believe that either...even though it has been clearly evidenced in this thread.

You too can be an Atheist Minister.

...and, by the way...I have never claimed that all unexplainable happenings are caused by God.

I found it comically tragic that you have declared your dealing with the "because I say so" poppycock and then proceed to announce "Atheism is a religion."

How do we know atheism is a religion?

".......because I say so"

 

[Hollie]

Your comments really are stereotypical. Like every other religionist, you're certain that your religion is some panacea that will resolve the very problems created by your religions. I don't happen to accept that the division's created by religions will solve anything. And if you look around the world today, it's you religionists who are involved in the wars and antagonisms that are causing such death and misery.

War is sold to us today by appealing to humanism.

Did that come from today's sermon at the Jerry Falwell madrassah?

 

[CynthiaZ]

Have you ever read Nietzsche? I doubt you have but what Nietzsche told us is that if God is indeed dead then that has some very serious consequences on society that could ultimately lead us into nihilism.

You may have 'read' Nietzsche but clearly you didn't understand what you read.

All manifestations of morality, values, and ethical conduct were created by man – whether in the context of religious dogma or not is irrelevant, where those free from faith are perfectly capable of morality, values, and ethical conduct absent any religion at all.

And what does that have to do with my post. I notice you like to give out random pieces of information that barely have anything to do with the discussion in an attempt to make yourself look smart. I was talking about nihilism what the hell does your little diatribe have to do with nihilism? Absolutely nothing. Do have any concept of what a discussion is and how a discussion is framed or do you just go off and say whatever random thing loosely connected to the subject that pops in your head?

Your post was a confused, ignorant rant wherein you hoped to Invoke Nietzsche as supportive of some point you hoped to make. It's clear you don't understand the writings of Nietzsche and never made the effort to actually read his works.

What the heck are you talking about? Nietzsche wrote volumes about how the waning influence and dissolution of Christianity would be problematic for European civilization. Christianity gave Europe meaning and purpose and with it's diminished influence Nietzsche believe that European civilization could be endangered by embracing meaninglessness and purposelessness i.e nihilism. It very obvious that it is you who never read Nietzsche because if you did you would know that he spoke of Christianity and what its dissolution would mean extensively in his works even though he was an atheist.

You may wish to do your homework about what christianity gave to Europe. Christianity spent 800 years maintaining an institution of fear and superstition that literally held back humanity from escaping the Dark Ages that christianity helped to maintain.

Oh my. I take it history was not exactly your subject. The so-called Dark Ages were an age when universities were being founded, when the church was maintaining massive libraries, there was a whole host of cross cultural exchanges that were going on with the Muslim world, Aristotle and Plato were being read and studied again. If anything it was those cultural exchanges between Christians and Muslims that helped European civilization advance. it was the time of Scholasticism and the Islamic Golden Age.

 

[Treeshepherd]

Many Christians seem to believe that atheism is a religion, but no one with an accurate understanding of both concepts would make such a mistake.

I disagree.

If faith in salvation through technology is one common tenet of atheist religion, what are the others?

Another would be an increasing belief in determinism over free will.

Another would be the embrace of Hobbes Leviathan. ie. without the moral framework of traditional religion, it is totally incumbent on the State to maintain social order. Also, a greater importance is placed on moral indoctrination through the public school system.

 

[CynthiaZ]

Let us know how prayers to the jeebus will resolve over-fishing of the world's oceans.

And you let me know how the Iphone is going is going to solve world hunger

 

[Treeshepherd]

Did that come from today's sermon at the Jerry Falwell madrassah?

Bush said he wanted to bring modernity and freedom to the ME.

If I were to watch John Kerry make an argument as to why we need to be involved in the ME battling ISIS, would he be appealing to my concept of God or gods?

You like to say Jerry Falwell madrassah quite a bit. I'm not picking up on the relevance.

 

[Carla_Danger]

Your comments really are stereotypical. Like every other religionist, you're certain that your religion is some panacea that will resolve the very problems created by your religions. I don't happen to accept that the division's created by religions will solve anything. And if you look around the world today, it's you religionists who are involved in the wars and antagonisms that are causing such death and misery.

War is sold to us today by appealing to humanism.

Are you playing in poop? It seems like you're just hoping some of it will stick to the wall.

 

[Carla_Danger]

Let us know how prayers to the jeebus will resolve over-fishing of the world's oceans.

And you let me know how the Iphone is going is going to solve world hunger

Huh, whaaa? Did someone ever say it would?

 

[Hollie]

You may have 'read' Nietzsche but clearly you didn't understand what you read.

All manifestations of morality, values, and ethical conduct were created by man – whether in the context of religious dogma or not is irrelevant, where those free from faith are perfectly capable of morality, values, and ethical conduct absent any religion at all.

And what does that have to do with my post. I notice you like to give out random pieces of information that barely have anything to do with the discussion in an attempt to make yourself look smart. I was talking about nihilism what the hell does your little diatribe have to do with nihilism? Absolutely nothing. Do have any concept of what a discussion is and how a discussion is framed or do you just go off and say whatever random thing loosely connected to the subject that pops in your head?

Your post was a confused, ignorant rant wherein you hoped to Invoke Nietzsche as supportive of some point you hoped to make. It's clear you don't understand the writings of Nietzsche and never made the effort to actually read his works.

What the heck are you talking about? Nietzsche wrote volumes about how the waning influence and dissolution of Christianity would be problematic for European civilization. Christianity gave Europe meaning and purpose and with it's diminished influence Nietzsche believe that European civilization could be endangered by embracing meaninglessness and purposelessness i.e nihilism. It very obvious that it is you who never read Nietzsche because if you did you would know that he spoke of Christianity and what its dissolution would mean extensively in his works even though he was an atheist.

You may wish to do your homework about what christianity gave to Europe. Christianity spent 800 years maintaining an institution of fear and superstition that literally held back humanity from escaping the Dark Ages that christianity helped to maintain.

Oh my. I take it history was not exactly your subject. The so-called Dark Ages were an age when universities were being founded, when the church was maintaining massive libraries, there was a whole host of cross cultural exchanges that were going on with the Muslim world, Aristotle and Plato were being read and studied again. If anything it was those cultural exchanges between Christians and Muslims that helped European civilization advance. it was the time of Scholasticism and the Islamic Golden Age.

Oh my. Your take on religion has been a bit skewed by your indoctrination. You might want to actually research the subject. The church was a yolk around the necks of European scientists for more than 800 years. Your christian ideology was used by the church to suppress exploration and discovery as a threat to their power and influence.

 

[Hollie]

Many Christians seem to believe that atheism is a religion, but no one with an accurate understanding of both concepts would make such a mistake.

I disagree.

If faith in salvation through technology is one common tenet of atheist religion, what are the others?

Another would be an increasing belief in determinism over free will.

Another would be the embrace of Hobbes Leviathan. ie. without the moral framework of traditional religion, it is totally incumbent on the State to maintain social order. Also, a greater importance is placed on moral indoctrination through the public school system.

Narly, dude. Conspiracy theories make everything so simple.

 

[LittleNipper]

Have you ever read Nietzsche? I doubt you have but what Nietzsche told us is that if God is indeed dead then that has some very serious consequences on society that could ultimately lead us into nihilism.

You may have 'read' Nietzsche but clearly you didn't understand what you read.

All manifestations of morality, values, and ethical conduct were created by man – whether in the context of religious dogma or not is irrelevant, where those free from faith are perfectly capable of morality, values, and ethical conduct absent any religion at all.

And what does that have to do with my post. I notice you like to give out random pieces of information that barely have anything to do with the discussion in an attempt to make yourself look smart. I was talking about nihilism what the hell does your little diatribe have to do with nihilism? Absolutely nothing. Do have any concept of what a discussion is and how a discussion is framed or do you just go off and say whatever random thing loosely connected to the subject that pops in your head?

Your post was a confused, ignorant rant wherein you hoped to Invoke Nietzsche as supportive of some point you hoped to make. It's clear you don't understand the writings of Nietzsche and never made the effort to actually read his works.

What the heck are you talking about? Nietzsche wrote volumes about how the waning influence and dissolution of Christianity would be problematic for European civilization. Christianity gave Europe meaning and purpose and with it's diminished influence Nietzsche believe that European civilization could be endangered by embracing meaninglessness and purposelessness i.e nihilism. It very obvious that it is you who never read Nietzsche because if you did you would know that he spoke of Christianity and what its dissolution would mean extensively in his works even though he was an atheist.

You may wish to do your homework about what christianity gave to Europe. Christianity spent 800 years maintaining an institution of fear and superstition that literally held back humanity from escaping the Dark Ages that christianity helped to maintain.

Roman Catholicism kept much of Europe from escaping the "Dark Ages." That organization did more to squelch the public reading of the Bible and its translation into the language of the general public than did any atheistic or pagan group. It was Protestantism that had the greatest influence on the wings of the Guttenberg press and the general public reading of Scripture, that freed more and more of Europe from Papist tyranny and non-biblical superstitious traditions.

Protestantism promoted salvation by Grace through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin. Roman Catholicism promoted salvation through works, clergy manipulated absolution along with Papal succession. This is not to suggest all Catholics were/are unsaved and evil or that all Protestants were/are unsaved and righteous. It's simply that faith was placed squarely on the shoulders of the individual, requiring a personal relationship between a Christian and the Lord Jesus Christ through the leading of the Holy Spirit ------------------- and not the PAGAN influenced ideology that ritualism and one's organizational affiliation leads to righteous sanctification. This lead to FREEDOM of the Christian to seek the face of God and not servitude to any "church."

 

[CynthiaZ]

Atheists who don't believe in a god also aren't going to believe in this god's supernatural competitor, and I have no idea what KSW is.

So no, I think that claim is false.

It depends on what you consider a religion. Satanism LeVey style is really more philosophy than religion to me, but it does also have trappings of magic involved which might make it fit into a definition of religion. From what I remember the use of anti-Christian, demonic style names is symbolic rather than from a belief those beings are real.

I would consider religion a practice ritual. It doesn't matter if people are doing it "ironically" or not.

Religion often has nothing to do with theism, it has more to do with socializing.

As I pointed out before, I'm a theist but I'm areligious.

I'd agree that rituals are a defining attribute of religions to include belief in one or more supernatural beings/entities, practices common to the religions' doctrines, a hierarchy of leadership, etc.

It seems to me that tagging the cult's of LeVay and Scientology is stretching the definition of religion. Remember, for example that Hubbard started Scientology on a bet and had few takers until he found a way to appeal those who had personalities / psychologies that were a "fit" for Dianetics.

I don't think belief in supernatural beings is the slightest bit relevant.

I say scientology is atheist because they fit the only criteria, which is no belief in God.

Atheism is Not a Religion, Ideology, Belief System, Philosophy

Many Christians seem to believe that atheism is a religion, but no one with an accurate understanding of both concepts would make such a mistake. Atheism lacks every one of the characteristics of religion. At most, atheism doesn't explicitly exclude most of them, but the same can be said for almost anything. Thus, it’s not possible to call atheism a religion. It can be part of a religion, but it can’t be a religion by itself. They are completely different categories: atheism is the absence of one particular belief while religion is a complex web of traditions and beliefs.

Atheism is Not a Religion Ideology Belief System Philosophy World View or Anything Similar

The author of that article is so wishy-washy in his conviction that he actually tries to argue as to whether atheism is actually an "ism" or not. No longer is atheism a intellectual position that people take but rather it has become some sort of vague feeling one has like boredom. They actually want to redefine atheism as simply the lack of belief in gods just one could redefine a sociopath as one who simply lacks a belief in being nice to people. Play all the little dishonest semantic games you want but at least have the guts enough to take a stand for what you believe. This kind of bullshit semantics makes you look like a bunch of cowards.

 

[CynthiaZ]

Let us know how prayers to the jeebus will resolve over-fishing of the world's oceans.

And you let me know how the Iphone is going is going to solve world hunger

Huh, whaaa? Did someone ever say it would?

Did I ever say praying to Jesus would solve over-fishing?