2007-01-20 11:31:46 · 39 answers · asked by martin f 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
A religion needs to have rules to guide life and a figurehead to worship. Atheism is a philosophy
2007-01-20 11:39:02 · answer #1 · answered by Velouria 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's neither. Atheism is the lack of belief in a god/religion or the denying the existence of gods. This is not a religion. Nor is it a philosophy. I'll go through some of the reasons here:
A religion tends to involve the belief in a divine being, has rituals, a moral code, prayer and organisation. Atheism has none of these. All it has is a lack of belief.
A philosophy is a set of views. Atheism is a rejection of a view.
This is a standard problem of theists - you are complicating what atheism is all about. You assume that atheists are alike in their views and therefore is a religion or a philospohy. If this is true, is the opposite true: Is theism (ie. the belief in a god) a religion or a philosophy? Catholicism is a religion. But is the generic belief in god a religion as well?
Edit: I'd like to respond to Monkeymanevlis' response...
"so yes Atheism is a religion because it is a specific and defined set of beliefs relating to the universe and the causation, nature and purpose of the universe.
On a more basic level a religion is a set of beliefs about God (s) and Atheism fits this description too."
You may have studied theology, but you're way out on this. Atheism is most certainly not a set of beliefs. It is the absence of a belief. It means they do not believe in a religious view of the universe, causation and purpose of the universe. Whatever their individual views are of these things, they are certainly not defined by their atheism.
At best you could say that atheism was one belief - there being no god. But this would be hard to support. The absence of a belief cannot logically be called a belief. I don't believe in vampires. Is this a religion? Cause if so I'm a member of an infinite number of religions.
2007-01-20 13:10:00 · answer #2 · answered by The Truth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically a religion is:
"noun - a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. "
so yes Atheism is a religion because it is a specific and defined set of beliefs relating to the universe and the causation, nature and purpose of the universe.
On a more basic level a religion is a set of beliefs about God (s) and Atheism fits this description too.
Finally atheism is the active belief in a lack of God (s) where as a passive belief can be more accurately described as secularism or areligious (or irreligious). The latter two are not religions while Atheism certainly fits all the common definitions of a religion.
To state this to have no beliefs about God (s) is to be areligious (or irreligious), or secular. To believe there is no God (s) is atheism. Atheism is a religion because it is a specific and defined belief about deities.
2007-01-20 14:05:28 · answer #3 · answered by monkeymanelvis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheism implies that there is no belief in monotheism/polytheism--think back to your Latin class for prefix meanings.
Religion--is simply a teaching....
Philosophy--to possess higher knowledge of the Self
So, from this, we will say that since religion teaches and philosophy is acquiring knowledge of the Self, then at different points, Atheism can be viewed as both, and at other points as neither. However, it depends really to whom the question is directed.
Have a great evening.
2007-01-20 11:48:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi Martin. I don't know your personal opinions of course, but I generally find that atheism is only considered a religion by religious people who want (presumably) to debate on an 'even footing.'
As for philosophy, well I dare say there are atheists who consider the whys and wherefores of god etc (I'm a bit in this camp myself). But for many it is just an absence of belief and there it ends. Rather like not believing in father Christmas. Not much of a topic for philosophical discussion is it?
So I feel happiest just referring to it as my 'opinion'. Whatever that means!
.
2007-01-20 22:17:10 · answer #5 · answered by Nobody 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People get confused about this a lot.
Atheism is not a religion. It can be described as a philosopy.
Even atheists themselves often get one thing wrong - they claim that atheism is a "lack of belief." A better description is, "a belief that there is no god." Atheism IS a belief, just like theism, because atheists do not KNOW that there is no god any more than theists know there is one.
2007-01-20 11:39:34 · answer #6 · answered by Huddy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Religion is a belief requiring faith not credible evidence. Atheism is the act of not being religious, therefore you can set out to be religious but you cannot set out to be an atheist as you are one by default if you simply accept facts over fiction.
2007-01-20 12:55:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a philosophy because it is a way of thinking. To be a religion there would need to be belief in a higher power /god involved.
2007-01-20 11:36:14 · answer #8 · answered by serephina 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Agnosticism is a philosophy. Atheism is the lack of belief of a higher being
2007-01-20 11:37:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
By most "definitions" of religion, it requires a belief in supernatural, gods and a certain type of dogma. Atheism is just "lack of" a belief in god(s). So by default I would classify it as a philosophy. Everyone will chime in with a slightly different take tho.
2007-01-20 11:35:00 · answer #10 · answered by Laptop Jesus 2.0 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋