If atheists are so sure of their beliefs and form organizations doesn't that make those organizations churchs?

Question

I am a touch atheistic myself, but these people who insist that their beliefs, whether religious or atheistic, are absolutely true, always bug me: if atheists are completely sure that god doesn't exist and form organizations of people with that belief, shouldn't these organizations be considered churches and therefore not be allowed to influence the government under the seperation of church and state?

I am referring to a specific kind of atheist: I know there are many atheists who don't do this. I'm talking about those who do.

Answer 1

the definition of church from wikipedia is "A Church is a building used for prayer, worship, or other public religious services, usually referring specifically to those for Christian worship."
and this is the Church meant to be separated from the state. Atheist gathering place would not really fit in this definition.

Answer 2

Why would an atheist make some kind of organization? In their belief, we are just an accident and will become non-existent in the end. Would it really matter if they make this some kind of religious movement or not? Hard to say if the government would consider this a church or not. That would be up to the politicians.
As for you being a "touch atheist," it's your choice. I can understand your disgruntled disgust with organized religions, but to believe there is no Divine presence? Are you really comfortable that we'll become non-existent in the end? I personally think there is more to this than the limited semi-miserable life that we live.

Answer 3

Nope, organizing a group of people who share one characteristic is not organizing a church. Meeting for a book club isn't attending a church service. Joining a softball league isn't joining a congregation. Republicans and Democrats are not forming churches. Neither are left handed people or adopted people or dyslexic people. They all form groups that are NOT churches. Atheists who come together for whatever reason are not forming a church just like all the rest of those groups.

Answer 4

Here's the thing.. Athiesm has no supernatural talking points, so anything athiests do to influence government is not based in the field of religion.

In otherwords, there's nothing an atheist will tell you that doesn't fall back on some system of intelligent process. If an athiest campeigns about global warming, it's because there is data suggesting it. On the contrary, if the president says 'god told me to go to war', there's no arguing about it because you can't argue the supernatural indefinate.

Besides that, churches -wildly- influence today's US government because almost every person in US politics is a proud member of some religion. The gay marriage/stem cell issue would not be an issue if it were purely up to reason. Those debates hinge on morals concocted by faith. Athiest influence would not cause such problems.

Answer 5

Well, which organizations are you talking about? I think the answer to your question depends on what you're referring to.

This is--in any event--a good question. In some cases, I can see how an organization of people with a likeminded belief that God is not could indeed be a church. But it would have to meet certain requirements.

Answer 6

You misunderstand atheism. Atheists don't insist that their beliefs are true; atheists don't have beliefs. If there isn't evidence and proof, atheists don't claim to know the truth, while religious people do.

And if you are really asking whether or not every organization should be called a church... nevermind...

Answer 7

religion esp. god is simply a crutch to help people that cannot come to terms with the fact that no one will ever kno the true secrets of the universe. it is an object of the human's imagination that insists that his life should revolve around worrying bout things out of his control.

get on with your life. there is no proof as to whether there is a god or not.

you dont need a religion to have good values.

Answer 8

I'm an athiest, and I'm not completely sure that God doesn't exist. I believe that if there is a God, it is nothing that humans can comprehend, or were meant to know about. Atheism cannot have churches, because it is not a religion, merely a lack thereof. And there are so, many variations, each athiest has their own different beliefs.

Answer 9

An organization is only a church if it believes in various superstitions, like gods.

Organizations that believe the same thing are not necessarily churches.

Various businesses are groups that believe in a certain way of making money. They share a certain belief in that. They are not churches.

Various charitable organizations believe in relieving certain ills in society. They believe the same thing. They are not churches.

You even have sports teams whose member all believe in the value of that sport. That's a similar belief. It is not a church.

Answer 10

I am as sure that god doesn't exist as that there is no Santa Claus or Tooth Fairy, why is that so hard for some-one like you to understand?

All three are human inventions and until I see evidence of any of them I shall continue to assert they do not exist.

Oh and trying to get atheists into a group such as a church is like herding cats.

And what specific sort of atheist would that be? All the atheist groups I know meet in halls when if anyone can be bothered to turn up they just sort of talk about things, groups you might be referring to are secular not atheist, know the difference? As to being certain I refer you to my first para.