Can atheists be religious?

Question

and can they also be religiously atheist?

Answer 1

YES & YES 2 Your Question !

Answer 2

Religious has several connotations, and I suppose that some of those, especially in the sense of "religiously atheist" are applicable. This does not imply a belief system but does imply that the atheist habitually tries to promote atheist or seeks "atheistic thoughts".

Edit:
It must be nice to have such a comprehensive knowledge of atheists, like "Lion of Judah", considering that atheists are fairly individualistic and only share one thing, but yet we've been categorized with a flick of the keyboard.

Answer 3

"Them's fightin' woards!"

It really gets down to semantics.
How does a dictionary define an Atheist? Religion?

How do the people who self-label themselves Atheists define the terms?

ADD: Though Atheist literally means "without a belief in god" it is a VERY general term encompassing MANY very different ideologies.

Personally, I would like Atheists use more specific terms for their beliefs when they answer questions. Unfortunately, like most belief forms they fluff up their numbers by keeping the term general (even if they completely disagree with some of their brethren's beliefs).

Answer 4

Atheism is a philosophy, not a religion. An atheist can be religious only when he or she is convinced that there is God. In your phrase "religiously atheist" you're using the word "religiously" in a different sense, meaning "consistently."

Answer 5

It's possible to be religious and an atheist though it of course depends on your definition of religion.

Religion is often defined such that belief in a supernatural entity is required which would seem to rule out various forms of Buddism from the label of religion but typically religion is of the "I know it when I see it" kind of definition.

Most atheists aren't religious in the usual sense of the word though (although there are some that are).

Answer 6

You'd have to define YOUR version of religious.
The word usually implies a belief in an invisible sky thing - atheists don't believe in such critters.

Are you sure you don't mean spiritual?
Of course this again has to get over the fact that atheists don't normally agree that spirits, soul, ghosties and the like, exist.

Answer 7

The real ans is yes . Every person is born with a certain amount of faith its up them how they use it .Just look backwards as far as you can and man has been in search of a power greater than himself . Man of every race , and cult, or religion ,or faith, or whatever.In the search some have become religious with even believing they are not even calling themselves atheist .Their god maybe science , or nature which ever way they lean .

Answer 8

It depends if they want to be then yea everybody has free will. But an atheist is a person that believes there is no God what so ever. As far as i know almost every religion worships some type of God.

Answer 9

According to the dictionary........
re·li·gious (rĭ-lĭj'əs)
adj.
Having or showing belief in and reverence for God or a deity.

So if a person is atheist then according to the meaning of the word, no they cannot be religious.
I however am not atheist.

Answer 10

The entirety of atheist Buddhists says yes.

I personally don't see why you can't follow a religion whilst not believing in a deity. For example one can follow the teachings of Jesus Christ to a point where it doesn't involve believing in the associated god.

Answer 11

Well... buddhists are... it is an atheistic and religious group. Spirituality or religion does not, necessarily, require a god.

I am a non-religious atheist, with an awe of the universe (pantheism) thrown in...