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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 3:22 am
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 5:22 pm
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:58 pm
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Something I found off google XD --------------------------------------
ATHEISM IS NOT A RELIGION OR A FAITH!
Atheism, by definition, is the absence of theism. If you cannot say "I believe in a Deity/God/Supreme Being" then you are an atheist. If you are not a theist, then you are an atheist.
As mentioned in the Introduction page, there is a subtle but important difference between "believing there is no God", and "not believing there is a God". The first is a belief, the second is a lack of that belief. I don't know any atheists who "believe" God (take your pick, there are plenty) does not exist. All the atheists I know simply do not believe God does exist.
There is a big difference between positively believing that a thing does not exist, and simply lacking belief in it's existence. In many cases, atheists will say "That God does not exist", not because they choose to do so, but because, from the description of the God, it cannot exist due to contradictory attributes. In the same way that a square circle cannot (and therefore does not) exist, a God defined as (for example) all-knowing, yet cannot see into the future, cannot and does not exist because the definition is self-contradictory. If you describe your God with self-contradicting attributes which make it logically impossible, then I may safely say that such a thing does not exist as described. This is not faith - this is reason.
If someone asked you about unicorns, would you say "I believe there are no unicorns", or would it be more honest to say "I do not believe in unicorns"? These are two different answers. Nobody disbelieves in unicorns purely as a matter of personal faith.
Again, apply the same reasoning to the Gods of other religions. Example : if you are a Christian, do you believe the Hindu God Ganesh does not exist? Or do you not believe in Ganesh?
If you believe that unicorns do not exist, then may I say that you a member of the "No unicorns" religion? Is it a matter of faith that unicorns do not exist? Can I come along to your non-unicorn church with you tomorrow?
If you are a Christian, do you believe Ganesh does not exist? Why, then you must be a devout follower of the "No Ganesh" faith!
Do you see where this is going? [ Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit, but it's excellent for getting a point across. cool ]
If me not believing in your God is a faith, then you not believing in other Gods is an equal faith. How many Christians do you know who would say they do not believe in other Gods as a matter of faith?
If my atheism with respect to your deity is a religion, then your atheism with respect to other deities is also a religion.
How does atheism differ from religion and faith? Let me count the ways...
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 1:01 am
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 8:43 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 1:37 am
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Honestly, by my personal definition, it is. I define religion is a set of beliefs, or guidelines. If you believe there is no god, that's a belief on creation/the afterlife, and thus is a religion, despite a general lack of holidays, or other gatherings. Of course it's not a Webster religion, but this is simply my opinion. Take it as no more than one. I'm not as much an atheist, as I'm an anti-theist.
Monotheism: belief in one god, polytheism: belief in multiple gods, atheism: lack of belief in god, anti-theism: Actively believing there is no god. It's slightly different, in that it's a smaller subsection of atheism. One in which we have a set of firm beliefs, rather than a lack of a real set definition of life, creation, and the like. I'm a scientologist, myself. Other anti-theist beliefs include philosophy, psychology(not examining the mind, believing the mind is the governing principal), and the like. An analogy. "I don't like frogs." "I hate frogs." It's simple, but it states my point well, I think.
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:20 am
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:19 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:30 am
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in the afternoon Atheism to to religion as 7-up is to cola. It's not a religion. I like your analogy. although I would have used sprite instead of 7-up. More people know about it. biggrin
But otherwise, here is dictionary.com's definition of religion:
1.Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. 2.A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. 3.The life or condition of a person in a religious order. 4.A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. 5.A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
If atheism is in fact a religion, it cannot be any of the definitions but the 5th definition. I don't personally beleive that it is, but if you happen to have a cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion, then, well, whatever floats your boat!
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 5:35 am
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:17 am
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Contingent - Bipolarity - The prefix "a" means "non" or "opposite of". The word "theism" means "belief". Atheism=opposite of believe. Eh... 'a' is a negation prefix; non- isn't the same as 'opposite of'. 'Theism' is belief in god(s). It means "No belief in god(s)" And I wouldn't consider atheism an anti-religion, because a religion doesn't necessarily have to involve a god. Thus, you could be a religious atheist. But in no way is it a religion; Atheism is to religion what a blank page is to a book. It's a lack of particular belief, as opposed to set of beliefs.
*dingdingding*
We have a winner.
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 12:20 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:26 am
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 6:10 am
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