Is Atheism Like a Religion?

[beameup]

"Just point out ironies". "supernatural implications". Give me a break. You are not fooling anybody, except possibly yourself.

It's like this: Jews get to decide who Jews are, and what Judaism is. Not you, or a Muslim, or whoever. And you, my friend, should actually learn something about us, rather than harbor this ignorant dislike of Jews.

Jews I've encountered don't like to "share" their Jewishness. I've probably met many over the years and they simply failed to identify themselves as such. So, they certainly don't qualify as "a light unto the Gentiles".
So, what makes a Jew? Hereditary? Rituals?

I have a respect for and support those Israelis who actually LIVE in the "promised land". They have returned from over 150 countries so far to live in their ancestral homeland. I hope they build that Temple soon. The Temple Institute has made all the preparations...

 

[Tyrathca]

Let's bring up something very rudimentary about Satan:
'Satan' literally means 'Adversary'. His goal is a duality- to both prosecute people by their sin and turn people away from God. It is produced from a willingness to judge men and yet an unwillingness to obey God.

Now, Satan is the Prince of this world. He was given authority to watch over man before he went rogue. What he did was fool Adam and Eve into sinning, which made them like Satan. Once they had partook in the act, it became something like a curse- they became fixated with a fallen nature.

All of a sudden, God isn't so self-evident anymore.
At least not according to what they would say- the fact is that He was and has always been evident, but man's nature came to reject God.

So the answer to the question "does this have any practical real life non-imaginary implications" the answer is "no"?

And is that really so hard to believe when atheists plainly practice it?

Practice what? Our disbelief in a god is evidence of how self evident a god is? That's some seriously twisted logic you've got going there.

Why are you onthis site right now, Tyrathca?

Many reasons. The main being I like debating people and debating people with similar views to me is rather boring. So I sought out a place that had people with very different views to me and I ended up here.

Why a Christian site in particular? Well one religion offers up pretty good debates and I find them interesting, second I am far more familiar with Christianity than other religions, third Christianity has a much larger bearing on my world than other religions (as they are by far the dominant religion where I live) and I view it as largely a harmful hangover from ancient times which we need to discard. If you lived in a world were most people believed something you thought insane and they based their lives and laws around it wouldn't you have a vested interest in shaking your society from it? I care about my world and I honestly think it would be a better place if religions stopped being a part of it.

The fact of the matter is that Christ, in that verse I posted, is saying this: there is no neutral ground. There is no such thing as objectivity in the belief or disbelief in God.

That's nice, now why do you think any atheist cares about what ground they stand on in relation to Jesus? Whether Jesus thought we could be objective in our disbelief or not?

 

[chair]

..
So, what makes a Jew? Hereditary? Rituals? ...

It is not a religious thing. I have been trying to explain that to you. It is a national or tribal identity.

What makes a Navajo?

 

[beameup]

It is not a religious thing. I have been trying to explain that to you. It is a national or tribal identity.

What makes a Navajo?

Then go to your "tribal lands" and make your sacrifices according to your savior Moses.

 

[chair]

Then go to your "tribal lands" and make your sacrifices according to your savior Moses.

We have gone back to our tribal lands.
We do not currently bring sacrifices.
Moses was God's agent for the Exodus. Not our "savior", certainly not in the Christian sense.

 

[6days]

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Not all atheists are religious

But then what exactly is our religion?

Promoting / defending beliefs in the non existence of God.[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal][/FONT][FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]

Do you really think that little of what religion means?

I have no attachment to the word. But, by most definitions, many atheists (and agnostics) are religious. You might even agree that there are atheists who proseltyze with an evangelical zeal that puts many Christians to shame. (Some atheists / evolutionists admit to fighting for the hearts and minds of children)

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[6days]

So the answer to the question "does this have any practical real life non-imaginary implications" the answer is "no"?
Practice what? Our disbelief in a god is evidence of how self evident a god is? That's some seriously twisted logic you've got going there.
Many reasons. The main being I like debating people and debating people with similar views to me is rather boring. So I sought out a place that had people with very different views to me and I ended up here.

Why a Christian site in particular? Well one religion offers up pretty good debates and I find them interesting, second I am far more familiar with Christianity than other religions, third Christianity has a much larger bearing on my world than other religions (as they are by far the dominant religion where I live) and I view it as largely a harmful hangover from ancient times which we need to discard. If you lived in a world were most people believed something you thought insane and they based their lives and laws around it wouldn't you have a vested interest in shaking your society from it? I care about my world and I honestly think it would be a better place if religions stopped being a part of it.

I appreciate your comments as to why you debate in TOL. It would be a pretty boring forum if we all agreed on everything.

But your comments about shaking religion from society seems to reveal you only want your religion / your beliefs. There have been societies that were, or are almost exclusively atheistic. North Korea, Stalins Russia, Mao's China etc.

 

[Tyrathca]

I appreciate your comments as to why you debate in TOL. It would be a pretty boring forum if we all agreed on everything.

Yes it would.

But your comments about shaking religion from society seems to reveal you only want your religion / your beliefs.

If you're saying that I wish I could convince everyone that I'm right (and be right myself) then yes. I would think that most people in this forum, theist and atheist alike, would too. Do I think this should be forced? No.

Do you not think Nazism is wrong and harmful to society? Do you not wish that you could convince all nazis they are wrong? (i say that as an intentional extreme example to illustrate a point, not to compare Christianity and Nazism)

There have been societies that were, or are almost exclusively atheistic. North Korea, Stalins Russia, Mao's China etc.

I have already responded about those, they were totalitarian regimes which suppressed all alternative sources of authority. Particularly in the case of North Korea they then replaced it with a quasi-religious worship of the state and a personality cult (they've literally deified the Kim family).

There are also predominantly atheistic societies which are far more benign. Ie Scandinavian countries.

My problem with religion is actually a problem with dogma, religion is just the most common example of dogma but it is not the only form it takes. Communism and the infallibility of the state in those societies you mentioned was also elevated to the level of dogma too. I am against that as much as I am against religions.

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[way 2 go]

Religion is man doing something for God in some way. Atheists are not religious. They have a belief set, but it isn't religion. They shake their fist at God. Don't build strawmen.

atheism is a faith

 

[Tyrathca]

atheism is a faith

What do you mean by faith and is this a bad thing?

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[Nick M]

atheism is a faith

That doesn't make it religion.

 

[patrick jane]

What do you mean by faith and is this a bad thing?

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All atheists believe in "free will"

 

[PureX]

atheism is a faith

By a loose definition of 'faith'. Yes.

But why does this matter to anyone?

Is it because they want to point out that it is not a 'truth'? Neither is theism. So what of it?

Why is this even an issue for anyone?

 

[way 2 go]

By a loose definition of 'faith'. Yes.

But why does this matter to anyone?

Is it because they want to point out that it is not a 'truth'? Neither is theism. So what of it?

Why is this even an issue for anyone?

I guess it is an issue because atheist do not see themselves
as having faith.

 

[way 2 go]

That doesn't make it religion.

true

religion:
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects:

atheist have specific fundamental set of beliefs
but do not have practices.

 

[Nick M]

atheist have specific fundamental set of beliefs
but do not have practices.

Atheists also know there is a creator. They reject him. That is why I say they have nothing. There is a Christian cliche' that is brandied about by some that are often sanctimonious. But in this case it is true. They say religion is man reaching to God. Christianity is God reaching to man. That is pretty much how I see it. Funny that legalists often say it.

 

[PureX]

I guess it is an issue because atheist do not see themselves
as having faith.

And a lot of theists think they have faith when they don't. All they have is a false pretense masquerading as faith. But what of it? Telling them won't change their minds.

I have met far more theists who had no real idea what faith is, than atheists. Why aren't you correcting them? They are your 'tribe' after all.

Just curious.

 

[flintstoned]

true

religion:
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects:

atheist have specific fundamental set of beliefs
but do not have practices.

Hmm....this should be interesting. So what are the set of beliefs that you say that I(an atheist) hold? And please don't start with the mistaken assumption that I hold the belief that gods do not in fact exist.

 

[way 2 go]

Hmm....this should be interesting. So what are the set of beliefs that you say that I(an atheist) hold? And please don't start with the mistaken assumption that I hold the belief that gods do not in fact exist.

just one that you have to have to be an
atheist:

"a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings."

and you do that by faith

 

[flintstoned]

just one that you have to have to be an
atheist:

"a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings."

and you do that by faith

So now this "set of beliefs" has now suddenly turned into just one belief? What happened to this "specific set of fundamental beliefs" that you said that we hold? Lol! And I don't know how you try to turn my lacking this one belief in god, into a belief itself!?

Atheism
noun
Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/atheism