Do you think atheism is a religion in itself?
If you really think about it there are fanatics on both sides. Religion is really only
a group of people believing in a certain way. Atheism to me is the same way
my beliefs and the right to them. I like to live my life with my own beliefs
so I do not begrudge anyone else in their beliefs.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Aguilar on -
If atheism is a religion then not playing basketball is a sport.
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Permalink Reply by gmseed on -
No. Atheism only exists to negate the nonsense that the Dark Ages Lot try and brainwash the young with. Once atheists ultimately win the logic and rational thinking argument then atheism will gradually fade away.
A similar question is sometimes asked as to whether science is a kind of religion. It has its lecturers and believers, but there the similarity ends. The key difference being that science is built on the foundations of questioning everything and not simply having blind faith.
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Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on -
No. Atheism only exists to negate the nonsense that the Dark Ages Lot try and brainwash the young with. Once atheists ultimately win the logic and rational thinking argument then atheism will gradually fade away.
Wait, what? Atheism isn't some movement or revolution that will end after the victory of the cause. Atheism, according to the oxford english dictionary, means Disbelief in the existence of god or gods. So your statement doesn't make any sense.
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Permalink Reply by Mo Trauen on -
From Wikipedia's article on the persecution of Christians in the USSR: "The history of Christianity in the Soviet Union was not limited to repression and secularization. Soviet policy toward religion was based on the ideology of Marxism-Leninism, which made atheism the official doctrine of the Soviet Union. Marxism-Leninism has consistently advocated the control, suppression, and, ultimately, the elimination of religious beliefs.[1]"
Note that the policy of the atheist government was "ultimately, the elimination of religious beliefs". Whereas the policy of most theocratic governments throughout history has been the immediate elimination of ALL atheists. I hope I don't need to spell out the differences between these two policies.
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Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on
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You don't seem to see the obvious similarities between religion & such so called atheist governments. Just look at the way they function.
They have a doctrine telling everyone how to live. Anyone who doesn't follow it or opposes it is persecuted. There is no tolerance for other beliefs. The leader is the ultimate authority. And while the masses suffer, the people in high office live in luxury & flaunt the rules constantly.
Sounds more like religion than an open atheist society to me.
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Permalink Reply by Mo Trauen on
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You don't seem to see that the defining characteristic of the USSR was communism, not atheism.
Furthermore, the question we have been getting at is whether atheistic fanaticism really exists and if it does, whether or not it is comparable to religious fanaticism. The person who started this discussion made this assertion, which I think is blatantly false and bigoted. It is just another way of telling us to shut up.
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Permalink Reply by Arcus on -
I find this line of argumentation fascinating, but I think we might be sidetracking the discussion. After work, I'll make a thread dedicated to this very question (if noone else does it before me) where we can compare, contrast, and critique eachother's lines of argumentation.
Hopefully you will join me (or I you). :)
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Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on
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Will look forward to joining in the discussion.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Green on -
Good question in some ways, I guess. I was thinking about this question only this morning. I'm an Atheist because I have no belief in any god and therefore I have no religion nor am I a part of any organised religion.
Religion by definition is the belief in and worship of a controlling superhuman power. The only real belief that I have is that humankind is the master of his own destiny but I don't think that makes it a religious issue so I would have to agree with Nelson
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Permalink Reply by randy brooks on -
This is in response to the original posting.....
Its hard keep the begrudging down
when the most really religious can't keep their
recruiting faces out of mine and their political
opinions off of the pulpit.
I'd love to think you are right, but until they stop
killing doctors, blowing up clinics.....and really chapping my hide,
they can do their believing in Guam.
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