Is atheism a cult?

Question

Just wondering. It's not really a religion, so what is it?

Answer 1

It is a religious cult.

They worship self and science.

They are spiritually dead, blind, and deaf.

Answer 2

Those who'd claim atheism is a religion or cult have no clue what the term actually means.

"a" is a Greek root meaning "without"
"theism" stems from the Greek root "theos" meaning "god".
-atheist: one who holds no belief in a god or gods. OR, put simply- without god.

Atheism is a simple admission. An atheist admits he/she holds NO belief in god/gods. "NO belief" negates atheism as a belief, a religion, a cult, or a doctrine.

That said, most don't understand that an atheist doesn't necessarily deny the existence of a higher power. They simply don't believe in a higher power.

What's the difference? Let's say someone asked you if you believed that a 1 legged crow sat atop the London Tower at exactly 5:43 PM on March 14th, 1627. What would you say? Without any evidence, you've no reason to believe the 1 legged crow was there at 5:43 3/14/1627. So you may be inclined to state this. At the same time, you may not express positive disbelief of the occurrence for the same reason. So you don't believe (positive) and you don't disbelieve (negative) because you've no reason to do either.

This is not the same as agnostic (most folks are confused on this as well). An agnostic (a- without, gnostic- knowledge) believes that it is humanly impossible to know whether or not god/gods exist. It is entirely different than atheism in the sense that it is a philosophical premise that requires belief, not a simple admission (like atheism).

So many atheist consider themselves atheist agnostics. They've no belief in god/gods and they also believe it is impossible to know either way.

Of course many atheist do positively deny god/gods. They do this based on inductive reasoning. They have no proof that god/gods don't exist, but through reason they deduct that it is utterly improbable that a god/gods exist.

Keep in mind, Webster’s definition of atheist is only based on a layman’s understanding. It neglects the Greek roots or the historical definition of the term. Mr. Webster does this all too often.

Hope this helps everyone.

Answer 3

Hey! Pope Benedict (The Vicar of Christ, the Voice of God on Earth) just issued a statement that unbaptised babies MAY not have to spend all eternity in limbo, out of the sight of God! Isn't that nice?

As evangelical as many atheists are, I count them as a religion, also. As a matter of fact, they pass out fliers, hold rallies, and go door to door!

Okay, I am done being snotty. But a 'cult' is a group that attempts to turn a person to their cause by manipulating their feelings, restricting their behavior, and limiting their sources of 'approved' information. A cult is usually led by someone who claims that their access to the 'secrets' is greater than yours, due to proximity to the holy, therefore, they must be the source of your opinions.

So... if you match definitions, religious folk of any faith are in 'cults,' while most atheists are not. I'm not trying to be snotty to you or disrespect your faith, but using faith as an excuse for ignorance will only bring us back to the dark ages.

Answer 4

Belief system, yes. Religion, no. Cult, no.

Religion is, by definition, the worship of a deity. Cult is, also by definition, a system of religious beliefs.

There are more loose usages of cult which focus on devotion that might include Atheist but would also include people who watch American Idol or who drink at Starbucks.

So you can accuse Atheists of having a belief system which requires faith and contains certain dogmas but not of being a religion or a cult.

Answer 5

Its the abseence of religion. A cult is a religious group who's two main purposes above all others are atracting new members and raising money.

Answer 6

It is not a religion, nor is it a cult (which is simply a religion with relatively few adherents). I cannot think of a more general classification into which it fits, so I'd just call it common sense.

Answer 7

Its a lack of religion. Or more so the lack of belief in a god. It is ABSOLUTELY not a cult, but a way of observing the world and making an educated guess as opposed to blind faith. Basically, I researched all the major religions with documentable info, compared, contrasted and evaluted based on logical principles, and conformity to observable nature. I came to the conclusion that either:
A. There is no god or
B. God is evil/egotistical/egomaniacal and not worth acknowledgement.

These notions are predominantly directed toward the major three monotheistic religions (all of whom believe in the same god but still kill each other in its name). Logically, god is a fallible idea.

Answer 8

Its a theology. People call it a religion just because there are very few "theology" discussions. Like religions, its an opinion about the divine...the opinion is it doesn't exist.

It's not a cult, a cult requires gatherings, rules, and contributions...like a religion!

Answer 9

its not a religion, not a cult.....its an absence or lack of a religion. people who are atheist do not believe in any religion and the existence of GOD. they view humans as all other biological organisms, not some puppets created by a Devine god. they believe in science not religion

Answer 10

No it's not a cult, it's the lack of belief in a supreme being, actually it's the only rational thought! of course Buddhists don't believe in a supreme god either! only the path to enlightenment!

Answer 11

Atheism is a growing movement of people in both the US and Europe that are realizing that religion is the real colt that is holding back billions of people from improving their lives.
Richard Hawkins is good one to google.