Atheistic Religions

[Orias]

Yes it does.

The common 'principle' is ...God.

And an activity of devotion is anything at all.....a hobby....love.

Too much assumption and a poor perspective of people having faith.

Now you appear to be confused....can't you tell one from the other?

You're just lumping everyone into the same pit....and denying definition and
distinctions.

You won't get anywhere this way.

THIS IS NOT A DEBATE THREAD.

And everything I said was not an attack.

You are simply limiting religion to two of its three definitions and common usage.

And you speak as if faith only pertains to exterior motives.

 

[Thief]

THIS IS NOT A DEBATE THREAD.

I agree...I simply attempt to say as it is.

And everything I said was not an attack.

I don't feel attacked...why should you?

You are simply limiting religion to two of its three definitions and common usage.

Two out of three is good for me....though one should be sufficent.

And you speak as if faith only pertains to exterior motives.

Aiming your belief at your fellowman is not exterior?
Aiming your faith at God is interior?

 

[idav]

Jeez this thread! Buddhism does not believe in a god and can be very much religious and spiritual. A religion can be a religion just be being spiritual but it doesn't have to be. Religious devotion can be towards music if you want to use the broader term of religious.

The type of theism a person holds has little to do with whether that person wants to be in a religion. Just like theists can choose whether or not to be religious so can atheists or even pantheists for that matter.

 

[KovertKitty]

I can't believe that we're really having this misunderstanding of definition... Atheistic Religion is a valid term... And since a certain someone in here just LOVES to use Webster's Dictionary, I'll break it down, using just the same...
Definition of ATHEIST
: one who believes that there is no deity

Definition of RELIGION
1a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion>
1b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

Now as you can see, I've highlighted the most important words in the definitions that will help clarify the prerequisites according to the Oh So Mighty Webster's Dictionary... Atheist is, as you can see, a lack of belief in any deity, which, while we're at it, let's show a definition of that shall we...

Definition of DEITY
1
a : the rank or essential nature of a god : divinity b capitalized : god 1, supreme being
2
: a god or goddess <the deities of ancient Greece>
3
: one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful

So with this now in mind, let's move on to Religion... It states that it is the service and worship of a God (a deity by definition, which the word "deity" is mentioned in the definition of "Atheist") OR (key word here, which we all should know requires minimum two inputs, alternative to one another, in order to be used correctly) the supernatural... I repeat, God OR the supernatural... Therefore, only one is required to be present in order for a religion (as defined by the Almighty Webster) to be valid...

So conclusion... Athiest Religion is a valid term, which when all definitions from the Guru Webster are considered, would be a service and worship of a God or the supernatural which would require a God not be present in order to fulfill the Atheistic requirements... In short terms, a service and worship of the supernatural...

 

[Otherright]

I'm not sure that I would call Buddhism and Chinese folk religions atheistic. The more modern PC term is non-theistic. Atheism often (but not always) carries an anti-religion connotation. Buddhism, and the like, while not a religion, is still a spiritual path. I think that is why they are choosing non-theist. The concept of God is lost to them.

 

[Otherright]

What is it that you would like to know about Buddhism and Chinese folk religions?

 

[LuisDantas]

Even Carl Sagan's religion of "star stuff" does.

Believe in an afterlife, you mean? Do you have a source?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Basically I want to change the whole meaning to the thread to what it is now:

Can you be spiritual without God?

And the question we somehow dropped: Does atheism only lack belief in Gods or everything religious?



On wikipedia, it says nontheism is the naturalist version of atheism, absolute denial.

 

[LuisDantas]

Basically I want to change the whole meaning to the thread to what it is now:

Can you be spiritual without God?

In any meaning of the word worth pursuing, it sure is. It is probably easier, even.

And the question we somehow dropped: Does atheism only lack belief in Gods or everything religious?

Atheism isn't really incompatible with anything worthwhile, Sum.

Technically, the answer to your question depends on how one defines atheism and religion. But in all fairness, the true answer is that atheism is never a true obstacle to worthwhile religion. When the two clash, it is religion that must be revised.

On wikipedia, it says nontheism is the naturalist version of atheism, absolute denial.

Meh. God is not worth of absolute denial. That would be giving him way too much importance.

 

[idav]

Basically I want to change the whole meaning to the thread to what it is now:

Can you be spiritual without God?

And the question we somehow dropped: Does atheism only lack belief in Gods or everything religious?



On wikipedia, it says nontheism is the naturalist version of atheism, absolute denial.

Spirituality without god is acknowledgment of a spiritual realm without the need of a creator god. In Buddhism there is an attempt to rejoin the oneness or the absolute but isn't necessarily god as it is merely a collection of all that is.

Atheism is simply no god. Anything else in religion is possible to believe except for the god part when it comes to atheism. An atheist can even believe in magic they just wouldn't attribute magic as coming from any deities. There could be a more naturalist way of approaching magic. Though the trend is that atheists tend to only believe in things they can know for sure it isn't completely impossible for an atheist to believe in things that cannot be seen.

 

[Thief]

Atheism isn't really incompatible with anything worthwhile, Sum.

True.

Technically, the answer to your question depends on how one defines atheism and religion. But in all fairness, the true answer is that atheism is never a true obstacle to worthwhile religion. When the two clash, it is religion that must be revised.

And this thread does not redefine religion?

Meh. God is not worth of absolute denial. That would be giving him way too much importance.

Your last line is not worth a rebuttal.

 

[Samurai]

I don't think any religions were originally atheistic. I think different religions were theistic in the beginning, but became distorted, and later became atheistic.

 

[idav]

I don't think any religions were originally atheistic. I think different religions were theistic in the beginning, but became distorted, and later became atheistic.

Originally they probably started to worship good luck. Wondering of maybe a power that can control this luck for the better. Still, peoples egos are so big we probably worshipped ourselves first and whoever got followers got control.

 

[Orias]

Still, peoples egos are so big we probably worshipped ourselves first and whoever got followers got control.

I wouldn't stretch it to be that direct, its more like the First figured out that Man bows to icons and symbols.