Can atheists be religious?

[Phi for All]

I agree with what you are saying, except Atheism is not a belief in God, not anti-religion, it's anti-God; and therefore I don't agree with the statement "atheism is NOT a religion". You can also call religions, cults or groups; you are a group of people and you have beliefs (or you can also say, codes, morals, values). This defines Atheism as a religion. That doesn't mean you believe in God--the definition of Atheist doesn't assert that Atheists are against religion, only God.

 

The kind of atheism we've been talking about isn't anti-God, and it's not a religion. You're back to torturing that definition again.

 

There is a difference between A) "I believe god(s) exist", B) "I believe god(s) do NOT exist" and C) "There isn't enough evidence to support either A) or B)". C is the default position in science, like a switch you can set to the middle instead of setting it for positive or negative. It's not for or against, it's a neutral position, waiting for evidence to support one explanation over the other.

[John Cuthber]

I don't agree with the statement "atheism is NOT a religion".

That is apparently because you are not clever enough to understand the definition of religion. (I pointed this out earlier but you seem to have ignored it. post 98 if you want to check) In order to show that (in general) atheists are religious you need to prove it for (among others) the specific case of me.

You need to show that my behaviour is religious.

 

Your lack of understanding of this is nobody's problem but yours.

 

But you might want to stop advertising it.

Edited November 19, 2013 by John Cuthber

[s1eep]

That is apparently because you are not clever enough to understand the definition of religion. (I pointed this out earlier but you seem to have ignored it.)

 

The lack of understanding is nobody's problem but yours.

 

But you might want to stop advertising it.

noun

[mass noun]

• the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods:ideas about the relationship between science and religion
• [count noun] a particular system of faith and worship:the world’s great religions
• [count noun] a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion:consumerism is the new religion

[Phi for All]

• [count noun] a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion:consumerism is the new religion

 

This is only a definition of religion used as a metaphor. Consumerism may be compared to a religion in this way, but the definition is not literally applicable. Consumerism is NOT a religion, but some aspects can seem that way, so we compare and use the word contextually.

[John Cuthber]

noun

[mass noun]

• the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods:ideas about the relationship between science and religion
• [count noun] a particular system of faith and worship:the world’s great religions
• [count noun] a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion:consumerism is the new religion

 

I believe in no supernatural thing.

the laws of physics are not something you "believe in" any more than you believe in chairs.

You can describe them as "superhuman" if you like, but they are exactly the laws that let humans do what humans do.

More importantly they don't control anything, because they have no "desire".

They don't for example stop me jumping over the moon because they "choose to" do so. They just are. If the could "choose" to let me jump the moon then they would be in "control" but they are as much my slave as I am theirs.

 

I have no faith in anything- I trust evidence but cautiously. I worship nothing and nobody.

 

I follow no pursuit or interest with any great devotion.

 

So, we have now established what I already pointed out.

You don't understand what religion is in relation to at least one atheist (me).

 

Would you like to get it wrong again?

[s1eep]

I believe in no supernatural thing.

the laws of physics are not something you "believe in" any more than you believe in chairs.

You can describe them as "superhuman" if you like, but they are exactly the laws that let humans do what humans do.

More importantly they don't control anything, because they have no "desire".

They don't for example stop me jumping over the moon because they "choose to" do so. They just are. If the could "choose" to let me jump the moon then they would be in "control" but they are as much my slave as I am theirs.

 

I have no faith in anything- I trust evidence but cautiously. I worship nothing and nobody.

 

I follow no pursuit or interest with any great devotion.

 

So, we have now established what I already pointed out.

You don't understand what religion is in relation to at least one atheist (me).

 

Would you like to get it wrong again?

What are you doing now then?

[John Cuthber]

I'm entertaining myself until the mentalist turns up on telly.

Hardly religious devotion.

So, still wrong there.

[Tridimity]

This is only a definition of religion used as a metaphor. Consumerism may be compared to a religion in this way, but the definition is not literally applicable. Consumerism is NOT a religion, but some aspects can seem that way, so we compare and use the word contextually.

 

 

s1eep,

 

'Religion' as used here with reference to consumerism is akin to 'evolution' with respect to motor cars. Neither term is being used in its literal sense.

 

So this is not a valid definition on which to base your assertions.

[s1eep]

You're definitely religious in that sense, but not with a belief in God.

 

s1eep,

 

'Religion' as used here with reference to consumerism is akin to 'evolution' with respect to motor cars. Neither term is being used in its literal sense.

 

So this is not a valid definition on which to base your assertions.

 

 

Edited November 19, 2013 by s1eep

[John Cuthber]

 

You're definitely religious in that sense, but not with a belief in God.

 

 

 

So, the best you can do is say that we are "religious" in some metaphorical sense, but not an actually real sense.

So, not actually religious.

 

It looks like you are getting closer to the real world here.

Now all you have to do is accept that at least some atheists are not actually religious (unless you use the word metaphorically- i.e. outsdide of it's real meaning.)

[Tridimity]

 

You're definitely religious in that sense, but not with a belief in God.

 

 

 

 

= "Cars definitely evolve in that sense, but not with genes/natural selection"

 

The sense in which you are using the word 'religious' is all-important and proves that, as other members have pointed out, you have tortured the definition of the term 'religious' until it becomes meaningless and applies to all.

[ralfy]

You are not the definition of the word Atheist, but you are the Atheist in question. Are YOU religious? Yes. I believe that it's wise to know that Atheists are people, and that people have beliefs. A belief an Atheist has, that is, the man who is the Atheist, is in Atheism. He is not an Atheist because of his character if he discusses his belief, he becomes the man who discusses it. It not the definition of Atheist that were referring to, therefore; again, it's the man or men in question. Are you trying to tell me there aren't a group of Atheists advocating beliefs? I see them everywhere, it speaks for itself. You are religious, but you don't believe in God, and this is your religion, otherwise be incognito and stay away from God--then you are the meaning behind the word Atheist, because your character shows it. Right now you don't possess the self-awareness to know that you're really deluded to think that what you're doing isn't religious.

Your post does not make any sense at all. I am not a "definition," I am not "the atheist in question," and what do I have have to do with this issue?

 

Look, it's not so hard to understand: read the entries which I shared earlier which define "atheism," "religious," and "religion," and you will see what I mean.

[hypervalent_iodine]

 

 

!

Moderator Note

Staff have decided that this thread has gone in enough circles and that keeping it open serves no real purpose. Anything that could be asked has been addressed, repeatedly. Thank you all for your contributions to the discussion.