So atheism is not a religion, but is it an ideology?

Question

Encarta dictionary says an ideology is a system of social beliefs; don’t atheists *believe* that there is no God? And don’t they *believe* that there’s no conscious higher power manipulating the universe? And don’t atheists gather in social groups to discuss the things they don’t believe?

I called it an ideology this morning and got laughed at by pretentious fools. I’m hurt because I think I was right.

Answer 1

---Atheism can be defined as a religion---

This is a link to the definitions of "religion" and as maintained by the American Heritage Dictionary.
[Of particular note for atheists is definition #4]:

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/religion

For those of you who wish to remain "linkless", I've C/Ped definition #4:

[[[4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.]]]

Given that atheism:
1 - is a cause,
2 - is founded on a principle,
...and...
3 - is pursued with zeal by almost every atheist who posts on here, and is most certainly pursued with utmost vigor by the well-renowned atheist standard-bearer Richard Dawkins...

--then, at least by this definition:
-----ATHEISM IS A RELIGION-----
(...founded in the devotion to an IDEOLOGY, - as opposed to a devotion to a God or Gods).

Answer 2

It is simply the lack of beliefs in any gods.

lacking a belief in a god and in a conscious higher power is basically the same thing. That sometimes atheists gather socially does not make atheism an ideology. There's no system of beliefs, only the lack of one belief. That coin collectors or cooks or Mets fans might gather together socially doesn't make coin collecting, cooking, or liking the Mets an ideology. You shouldn't be so quick to call those who corrected you pretentious fools.

Answer 3

"don’t atheists *believe* that there is no God? And don’t they *believe* that there’s no conscious higher power manipulating the universe?"

Some atheists do positively assert in the absence of a higher power (it's not all about the Christian god, you know--there are thousands of other gods that have been named throughout human history), but that's coincidental--atheism is by definition a lack of a belief, not a belief. Is not believing in the Tooth Fairy an ideology? No, of course not--the LACK of a belief is not a belief/ideology.

"And don’t atheists gather in social groups to discuss the things they don’t believe?"

This is irrelevant to your original question, because you defined an ideology as a system of beliefs, and atheism isn't a belief.

Answer 4

YOU ARE WRONG and
Ideology is a pretty big word to hang on to a nonbelief in InvisibleSkyCritters, don't you think?

It's not as if we have Books, Laws, Dogma, Doctrines, Rewards, Punishments and Rituals ... we just don't do the InvisibleSkyGuy thingy.

I'll try and explain Atheism this way:
Let's pretend that every channel on the TV (when it is ON) is a Religion.
Well Atheism is when the TV is turned off and you aren't even in the room wondering what's on TV.

If that's too hard for you to understand I'm not surprised - like, it takes a certain type of psychological make-up to convince yourself that there's and InvisibleMan watching every thing you Say, Think and Do, 24/7 - I'm not surprised y'all are not a buncha Paranoid Nutters.

Oh, and we don't gather in social groups discussing things we don't believe in.
Would I discuss PinkElephants or Unicorns, Invisible Teacups and Flying Pigs,

This was interesting but I gotta go for a beer and talk about PokerMachineLosses and Beer I never got to drink and Women I never got to ...
You know what I mean.
Your premise is silly and childish - please tell me you're only in Kindergarten.

Answer 5

No, not an ideology. It is not right to say it is a belief that there are no gods, as much as it is to say it is a lack of belief in any Gods. The difference seems slight but it is actually significant.

Only Christians use the Idea that atheism is another belief system or a religion.
It is not an ideology any more than 'not' believing George Bush has a spider eating his mind is an ideolgy

Answer 6

You are only right if one disbelief equals a system of beliefs. Which is just not the same thing at all.

I know of no Atheist who "gathers in social groups to discuss things they don't believe". Seriously, do you gather with anyone to discuss that you no longer believe in Santa Claus?

Answer 7

Every modern person I know is an atheist with regards to Zeus and Ra. Those of us who call ourselves atheists just take it one God further.

Is not believing in Zeus and Ra an ideology?

Answer 8

Atheism is a lack of belief in all deities. It is not an entire set of beliefs or some sort of code for living. Apart from that , everything else differs.

Answer 9

Atheism only means disbelief in God(s). It is not a religion, philosophy, epistemology, or belief system. Atheists may tend to be more empirically oriented than Theists, but Atheism is not related to a person’s politics, economics, values, or anything else.

Answer 10

It's a lack of belief. Is lack of belief in goblins a ideology?

Also, a single belief is not a system of beliefs.

Some atheists gather, most don't.

Answer 11

an ideology is a system of ideas. atheism is one idea, that god (probably) doesn't exist. what are the consequences of that? how should we live? seems like there are many possible answers. perhaps humanism is an ideology? or naturalism?