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Theists: Atheism is a Religion?

Audie

Veteran Member
Do you mean that a number of atheists tend towards materialism / physicalism, or do you actually intend the abusive term 'scientism'?

As often as he trots out that ridiculous chimera,
it is more than a little clear that is exactly what is intended.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Do you mean that a number of atheists tend towards materialism / physicalism, or do you actually intend the abusive term 'scientism'?
It is the belief that science is the only reasonable pathway to truth, and that it can and will answer all relevant questions.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Yeah I call that agnosticism, practical way of separating the 'isms.
Ignosticism isn't agnosticism ─ agnosticism too would imply that I knew what a real god was and that I was merely in doubt as to its existence in reality. So, for example, I'd know what to look for if our subject were the unicorn and I suspected real ones were out there. It doesn't work for God because God as something with objective existence has no coherent definition, no description of what real thing to look for.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
It is the belief that science is the only reasonable pathway to truth, and that it can and will answer all relevant questions.
Of course some people indeed have blind faith in science, but I know of no basis on which you could say it was a general characteristic of atheists.

Why then did you prefer it to materialism / physicalism, when as I'm sure you're aware 'scientism' is a put-down word implying unreasoned faith in science?
 

dfnj

Well-Known Member
I was recently told Atheism is a religion with tenets, and dogma. So I have a ? for those theists who think atheism is a religion.

1. For the theists who believe in a single god, I assume you're an atheist towards other gods. For example, let's say you don't believe in, you have an atheist view towards, Ahura Mazda, Zeus and Krishna. So if you're a theist who believes atheism is a religion; when you "practice" your atheism towards those gods you don't believe in, who gives you your dogma, tenets, doctrines, creeds etc? I haven't found any for atheism so I'm willing to be educated on this matter when you tell me where yours come from. Thanks!

2. I was curious so I looked up some surveys about atheist beliefs. Re: atheists: Conservapedia said 32% believe in an afterlife, 6% believe in resurrection, they also found atheists who believe in ghosts, souls, pseudoscience, UFOs. Pews Forum reports 9% don't believe in evolution. 32% rely on science to determine right from wrong while 44% rely on past experience and common sense. And a large number of Dutch atheists believe in a "universal force". So...with all these beliefs all over the map, who is giving atheists their doctrines, tenets & dogma and why are they giving them a religious structure that's so varied & inconsistent?

Atheism is belief system with its own dogma. But atheism is not a religion. The purpose of religion is to provide concrete answers to the four great existential questions:

1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What does it all mean?
4. What is going to happen to me when I die?

These are unaswerable questions. Since most people are very uncomfortable with not-knowing, religion is invented to give concrete answers to these questions.

Many people are nihilists. And to many people, on the cosmic timescale, everything in our lives is ultimately meaningless. However, it is also meaningless that it is meaningless. So since it is meaningless that it is meaningless we might as well CHOOSE meaningful. That is the way I experience it.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
It is the belief that science is the only reasonable pathway to truth, and that it can and will answer all relevant questions.

We know what the freakin' word means and we know of your obsession
with it.

See if you can learn about one more tune.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Of course some people indeed have blind faith in science, but I know of no basis on which you could say it was a general characteristic of atheists.

Why then did you prefer it to materialism / physicalism, when as I'm sure you're aware 'scientism' is a put-down word implying unreasoned faith in science?

Id say that faith in anything you can name is generally blind,
or very weakly informed. We all have degrees of
"faith" in science, and everything else affecting us,
as none have the vast range of knowledge to do
otherwise.
 

lukethethird

unknown member
Naw... atheism is nothing more than a lack of believe that any god or gods definitely exists. By your silly definition your lack of belief that magical fairies definitely exist is a religion as well. What a ridiculous concept.
Agreed, it is ridiculous, but it keeps coming up by those that haven't figured out what atheism means.
 

JChnsc19

Member
Atheism is belief system with its own dogma. But atheism is not a religion. The purpose of religion is to provide concrete answers to the four great existential questions:

1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What does it all mean?
4. What is going to happen to me when I die?

These are unaswerable questions. Since most people are very uncomfortable with not-knowing, religion is invented to give concrete answers to these questions.

Many people are nihilists. And to many people, on the cosmic timescale, everything in our lives is ultimately meaningless. However, it is also meaningless that it is meaningless. So since it is meaningless that it is meaningless we might as well CHOOSE meaningful. That is the way I experience it.
What is the dogma of atheism?
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Id say that faith in anything you can name is generally blind,
or very weakly informed. We all have degrees of
"faith" in science, and everything else affecting us,
as none have the vast range of knowledge to do
otherwise.
Considering the faith I daily practice that bits of metal and paper, and electrons pushing on-off switches, are money, you remind me I really must brush up on my economics.

If only Bertrand Russell had written an essay Why I am Not an Accountant.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Then what would atheology be for an atheist? The study of the non existence of God. Perhaps in all its non forms.
 

Truly Enlightened

Well-Known Member
I don't recall speaking for anyone other than myself.

If you want to include animals or folks who are ignorant of God, that's up to you. For me personally, if folks want to consider that I'm part of a religion, I see little point in arguing with them.


If you are Korean, and someone told you that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are all the same, that is, Oriental, it just might bother you. If being mislabeled doesn't bother you, then there must be a reason why.

Since I am also speaking for myself, these are my thoughts. If I belonged to a club called, "I believe in God", then all the members of that club would also "believe in God". The club would establish its own tenets, rituals, holy symbols, language, a hierarchy of power, and a system of repetitive behavior, designed specifically to worship, revere, and maintain that "belief in God". I am told that there are over 4000 other clubs that also "believe in God", but that my "belief in God" is the true belief.

I am later told that club "Atheism" is the only club that not only disbelieves in our God, but in all the other clubs' Gods as well. This lumps us all in the same pile of silliness, from their perspective. They claim that their position is based only on the lack of evidence, and not on faith or a consensus of belief. They don't even have a system of worship, a religious hierarchy, any divine symbols, books or doctrines, no religious titles or positions, and not even a place to gather and worship their Atheism. But worst, they give us a rational explanation as to why they don't "believe in God". Since we can't produce any scientific/objective evidence to justify our beliefs, we must try and discredit their science, or demonize their Atheism by characterizing it as another religion. Attacking science failed because we would need to understand the science first. And demonizing Atheism as a religion also failed, because it is blatantly fallacious. I. E., "Theists belong to a religion that believe in the existence of a God(s). Atheist do not believe in the existence of a God(s). Therefore, Atheism is the religion that does not believe in any God". How many logical fallacies were committed here?

So the moral of the story is, as long as your belief in God is based on faith alone, then evidence is irrelevant. Your belief is just subjective. But if your belief in God is a knowledge claim of certainty, then your belief is objective and here facts do matter.
 

Truly Enlightened

Well-Known Member
Atheism is belief system with its own dogma. But atheism is not a religion. The purpose of religion is to provide concrete answers to the four great existential questions:

1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What does it all mean?
4. What is going to happen to me when I die?

These are unaswerable questions. Since most people are very uncomfortable with not-knowing, religion is invented to give concrete answers to these questions.

Many people are nihilists. And to many people, on the cosmic timescale, everything in our lives is ultimately meaningless. However, it is also meaningless that it is meaningless. So since it is meaningless that it is meaningless we might as well CHOOSE meaningful. That is the way I experience it.

1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What does it all mean?
4. What is going to happen to me when I die?


1. You are the sum total of the expression of billions of symbiotic micro-organisms, expressing themselves according to the fundamental laws of Nature.
2. You are here because of a series of astronomical events occurring. Your only purpose here is to survive long enough to pass on your genes.
3. It all means absolutely nothing. Does the birth, life and death of an earthworm have some metaphysical meaning to them?
4. When you die, it means that entropy and oxidation wins. If I explained the exact details, you would be grossed out. Lets just say, thank God you are already dead.
 
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