Why do people assume atheisim is a beleif system?

Question

I see this constantly on this board..the assumption that there is something like an organized athiest beleif system.

Simply put an athiest is someone who does not beleive in a God or Gods. That's it there is nothing more. No ritual, not dogma, no. organization, no book, no code You take two atheiest and the only thing in common between them is that they do not beleive in deities.

They do not beleive in a personified entity or entities that either created the universe or has some sort of control over them.

Athiest do beleive in higher powers, forces, and energies that influence their lives and existance but they do not personify them and lump them all into one or more deities.

Athiest do beleive in morals, ethics, and social behavior but not because some Deity tells them that they should.

To clarify the only thing in common between thiest is that they do not beleive in deties.

Higher powers, forces, energies, physical laws every athiest has their own interpretation.

The same is true for their moral, ethical, social laws, and the justifications they have to follow them.

Further clarification. The only thing that atheism has to do with my beleif system is I don't beleive in Gods. I wouldn't even call myself an atheist because that is a label used by theists.

If someone asked me who I was I would never say I am an atheist. If someone asked me what I beleive. I would never say I'm an atheist. It is completely illogical to to say I beleive in something that by definition is something I don't beleive in.

Answer 1

Some of us don't even belive everything you claim we do. We are in no way a united group.

I wounder what would happen if we were?

Answer 2

It is considered a belief system because it has a belief about something. It is the belief that there is no God, Gods, or high powers or supernatural forces.

"No ritual, not dogma, no. organization, no book, no code"
There are many "belief systems" that also fit into this category but differ from Atheism in that they believe in a god, gods, higher power, supernatural forces, etc. Atheism may not be an organized belief system, but it is a belief system because it believes something (that there is no God).

I'm a Hindu. Let's go through and see about what Hindus believe
1) belief in God
2) rituals
3) thousands of sacred texts

That's it, we have no centralize organization, no dogma, no "code". Hinduism outside of the basic vedic rituals, sacred texts, and belief in God is extremely diverse

Let's take Neo-Paganism
1) belief in higher power
2) rituals

Atheism
1) belief that there is no god or higher power

In the words of an Agnostic friend of mine "you can't prove whether there is or is not a god. you can't perform a scientific experiment on it, test it, retest it, and come out with the same conclusions over and over. thus you can believe that there is, you can believe that there isn't, but either way you choose to believe you can't prove it and for me that is where I stand. I don't know whether there is or is not a god because I can't prove it either way."

So long as there is a belief statement made, it's a belief system.

And hey, atleast your -ism actually makes sense. Hinduism is completely missed worded in English (but it is easier to say Hinduism than to refer to it by it's official traditional name of Sanatana Dharma). I mean -ism means "belief". Atheism means "belief in no theistic deity". The word Hindu is a mispronunciation of the Sindhu River. Thus taken literally Hinduism means "belief in Hindu". If stretched to consider the mispronunciation it just means "belief in Sindhu". Thus my name would imply that I believe in a river. That really oversimplifies the massive teachings and the diversity within Hinduism!

If bothers you that much that Atheism is considered a system of belief, then don't call yourself an Atheist. I have friends who have no religious designation. I have no idea what to call them because they don't call themselves anything with regards to their religious beliefs. I'd say they are Atheists, based on the discussions I've had with them about religion (my friends and I like to talk religion and spirituality and share and compare perspectives), but I could be wrong and just misunderstand some of their perspectives. Either way it doesn't matter since they don't get involved with the labels aspect. (Which I can sort of understand since I am used to all the misinformation and misunderstandings people have about Hinduism since when I tell people I am a Hindu I then hear a lot of it...if the people I am talking to know it...although there are people who then reply "oh really, what kind of Hindu?" and that's when I know that they know a lot about Hinduism).

Answer 3

Athiest do beleive in higher powers, forces, and energies that influence their lives and existance but they do not personify them and lump them all into one or more deities.

Athiest do beleive in morals, ethics, and social behavior but not because some Deity tells them that they should.Does not beleive in a God .

Answer 4

Atheism is "disbelieving" so in a sense, it is still a belief system. It is a "belief" that there is no God(s), entities or rituals pertaining to God. If you are reffering to people thinking there is an "athiest belief system" well...it is just people lumping certain individuals who think, look, and act alike into one category or another so that they can have a label for them. It is called "stupid human tricks".

Answer 5

Christians want to assume it or pretend they do. They are aggressive and obnoxious. Gore Vidal wrote that, "Christianity is a particularly ugly religion". I replied recently to a letter in a newspaper from a pastor who said Evolution is a religion, and I've seen letters in papers and magazines that claim atheism is a religion. I do not sit on a hard seat on Sunday mornings hearing shrill, awful music and a pastor with quivering voice that drives me up the wall to study Evolution or be an atheist. I don't have to donate to regular offering, special offering and building fund either. My dumb sister gives $50 per month to some church. If she saved that much money, rather than giving it to a church, in 43.5 years, she'd have enough to buy a Piaget "Polo" watch like mine. I have something real for my money, while she has nothing at all...but maybe her pastor will buy a watch like mine.

Answer 6

Well you said yourself Athiests DO BELIEVE... Therefore if you DO believe in SOMETHING then that is your BELIEF SYSTEM. So we assume you have a belief system because YOU DO HAVE ONE. The system is that you believe in higher powers and you have morals and ethics "internalized" this is still a belief system. (a flawed one but that is a different post I am just going to stick to answering your question here) So we do not ASSUME anything we just are understanding something you already agree you have.

Answer 7

This misconception is a product of our xenocentric society. I have a belief system, therefore, to me everyone has a belief system, even if that "system" is a lack of a system. I brush my teeth, therefore I assume everyone brushes their teeth. Because I compare everyone to myself, I cannot understand the concept of a person without a belief system until it is explained to me. Thus, I asked the question that I suspect prompted your question. I have gotten a lot of answers that I find saisfying and educational. Please feel free to check it out.

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amo4DKMav00xD.AQXwd1A.AqFgx.?qid=20060807205047AAfuNAO

Keep in mind that although we don't like to admit that we are xenocentric, because it seems small-minded, in reality it is the easiest way for us to learn about others. There is a lot out there that I don't know I don't know, and that's why I love Yahoo Answers.

Answer 8

Webster's Dictionary

Main Entry: athe·ism
Pronunciation: 'A-thE-"i-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god
1 archaic : UNGODLINESS, WICKEDNESS
2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity b : the doctrine that there is no deity

notice the word DOCTRINE

Answer 9

To speak generally to your point, it is a belief system. The system is believing the exact opposite of what the church preaches.

Answer 10

Yessir.