This is an honest question.
I believe in God and I believe that I need to serve Him and encourage others to serve Him. That is how I look at religion.
What is religion to an atheist?
2007-01-01 13:21:51 · 40 answers · asked by jonathancaldwell85 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
One person said that they were an atheist but they had a rich spiritual life - what do they mean?
Please no sarcastic answers
2007-01-01 13:29:27 · update #1
Religious atheists - 2 words that can never exist in sequence as it would be an oxymoron. Atheists believe that religion is insignificant as there's no ultimate creator. The closest that they could come up to be spiritual is perhaps "mother nature".
God knows best.
Peace and Love.
2007-01-01 14:45:55 · answer #1 · answered by mil's 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The word a-theist tells you all you need no know. An atheist does not believe in any religious dogma or in the existence of any supernatural deity. To an atheist, religion is usually considered superstition and arbitrary rule structures thrown into a dazed mix. To some athiests, religion is a method of control of its members. To others, it is seen as a scam. To yet others, religion simply is of no interest to them.
This does not mean that we cannot be "spiritual". We can feel the same sense of awe and wonder at the sight of the Grand Canyon or Shasta National Park or Mout Fuji. We just aren't handicapped with superstitions about them.
Atheism: A personal relationship with reality.
2007-01-01 13:31:13 · answer #2 · answered by Scott M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First define religion
re·li·gion (r-ljn) KEY
NOUN:
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.
Hmm, don't see God there anywhere. Just something that people have determined as God. Oh well. I guess you could say everyone is religious.
The truth is, my relationship with God has nothing to do with religion. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2007-01-01 13:28:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
A religion is a set of beliefs and practices shared by a group of people. Atheists all believe that there is no God or similar being, but atheism is based on not having beliefs without substantiation. They don't believe in a particular creation story, or set of divine instructions to guide their lives.
But that doesn't mean they aren't moral. They just don't need religion to do it. They believe that serving others and leading a good life does not need to be guided by a belief in a God.
2007-01-01 13:32:14 · answer #4 · answered by stevejensen 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm an atheist and not religious.
One can be an atheist and believe in pantheism (like Spinova's God for example) - this being an impersonal god.
Or be religious in an atheistic religion like Buddhism (though really this is more of a philosophical way of life than a religion).
Religion to me is a virus like Richard Dawkins put it.
2007-01-01 13:26:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
A plague upon humanity, spread forth from the foundation of superstition, the breeder of ignorance, the torture of the soul. Religion is a horrible thing.
Well, some are anyways. Others, like wiccan, pagan, and others of the more accepting religions can be quite good for people. At least the ones that don't offer explanations for how the world works.
2007-01-01 13:25:40 · answer #6 · answered by Baal 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Atheists see the Bible, and any other religious teachings, as falsehoods and mythology. Many atheists also think that followers of organized religion are the main causes of evil-doing in the world, and atheists often mock religious people.
So, religion is B.S. to an atheist.
2007-01-01 13:26:01 · answer #7 · answered by Neighborhood dude 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is usually not religious, but it depends on the atheist. There are even some wiccan atheists, buddhist atheists etc.
It really depends on the atheist for your second question. I personally view religion as divisive and as a threat to progess in society that should not be encouraged.
2007-01-01 13:24:36 · answer #8 · answered by Mayonaise 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Ok, first you might like to check out the meaning of religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
Atheism is clearly not a religion, although some may get rather dogmatic in their beliefs, so some may think this is "religious."
Religion to atheists is make-believe. It is fiction.
2007-01-01 13:31:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's something that other people choose to believe in - much like the tooth fairy or horoscopes. In the same way atheists have no NEED to believe in religion.
Everyone should be free to think whatever they like, as long as those views don't lead to negativity, nor forced upon others.
The only "religion" an atheist would follow is the cult of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a parody of organised religion.
2007-01-01 13:23:41 · answer #10 · answered by Aidan B 3 · 4⤊ 2⤋