Do you think atheism and agnosticism are religions?

Question

In the most general sense they should be since a religion is a set of beliefs and practices.

Religion answers the greatest questions in life, such as where do we come from, or what is right and what is wrong.

No religion would be pure selfishness, i.e. eat, drink, and be merry.

Answer 1

Okay, below are definitions taken from an online dictionary. These were copied and pasted folks - they are not an opinion or an interpretation.

Religion:a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons

Atheism: the doctrine or belief that there is no God.

Agnosticism: the doctrine or belief of an agnostic.

Granted there are more elaborate entries but who else sees the obvious when using some of the most basic definitions of the words?

Answer 2

Nah, but agnostics and atheists often come together in groups in order to share ideas and to fight against the bigotry of some religious systems. I don't think either is a religion, because the only commonality is the lack of belief in gods. However, some philosophical branches of atheism or non-belief, such as secular humanism, could be considered philosophies. I consider religion to be a belief in the supernatural. If we rewrite the definition to include anything with a moral framework, then you'll get lots of things fitting under the definition of religion, including secular humanism. Just remember that we don't have "faith," so I still don't think it counts.

Science can help us to answer important questions, especially those of "where do humans come from?" Facts can also help us to discuss ethical issues, which are largely subjective.

By the way, what on earth is wrong with eat, drink, and be merry? Is there something about religion that tells people not to enjoy life to the full?

Answer 3

Hear Ye!
Hear Ye!






Religion is simply a belief system. Why do we say that we do something 'religiously'? Is it to answer the greatest questions in life? True religion can answer those questions, but there are more false religions than true. And yes, atheism is a religion. So is square dancing for that matter, if it is the center of someone's life and influences every aspect of their hopes and dreams and affects their beliefs, i.e. "I believe square dancing has completed my life." I would say that agnosticism is not quite a religion, but more of an opinion, because it really is not knowing what they believe.

The only reason people might not think these, sometimes silly, things are not religions is because their definition of a religion requires a 'higher power', a place of worship, association with people of like faith. Not all "religions" fit this narrow profile.

The lack of believing something, is, essentially, believing something isn't. Thus, it is part of one's religions.

Answer 4

Atheism is not a religion, at least for me, it is a rejection of religion. That is, I love and accept the christians I know, but I do not conform to their beliefs about the afterlife and spirituality. I believe that the only chance we have to do good, is right here and right now. In that sense, I believe that we earth is both heaven and hell, depending on how you live your life.

Agnostics, which I considered myself to be when I was younger, is also not a religion per se - it means you are open to religion, but you're not sure which one, if any, is right for you. Agnosticism is more like limbo, that place where you find yourself when you're not sure what to believe yet. You don't discount religion, but you don't necessarily believe in it either.

So I would have to say no, neither Atheism or Agnosticism is a religion unto itself.

Answer 5

"In the most general sense they should be since a religion is a set of beliefs and practices".

Since atheism and agnosticism are not sets of beliefs and practices, they don't fit that definition of religion. Don't agree? Then tell me what set of beliefs and practices you share with your fellow aunicornists.

"Religion answers the greatest questions in life, such as where do we come from, or what is right and what is wrong"

No, as a matter of fact, religion does not answer those questions at all. It claims to, but that's not the same thing.
And no, I don't simply mean that religious answers are wrong - I mean that religion does not answer those questions.

"No religion would be pure selfishness, i.e. eat, drink, and be merry."

That's also false, as should be obvious if you consider the character of atheists.

Your beliefs are false, kid. Sorry.

Answer 6

Perhaps not, But some Athiests make Atheism much more dogmatic then what some are. for example to many Atheists not all If you believe differently then them you are a dillusional peace of garbage, sadly some people of faith are this way also. So in many ways it is a religion. But not in their eyes. Many people will read somethings and think they know all their is to know about the universe. And Many Famous sceintists who have been agnoostic have said Mankind doesnt even know 1 percent about anything. and to the anwser that says athiests dont have cermony events that is false, they have Celebrations for example the rational response squuad ahas such things saling t shirts and people standin in front of a microphone on stage saying how proud they are to be a Athiest and how evil God is and how this and that they sale t shirts and rational response contraband and their goal is the opposite of what evangelists do instead of trying to bring ppl to God they try to reach ppl to not believe in God they have even admitted this,

Answer 7

The most misunderstood thing regarding atheism is its actual definition. The only claim of atheism is a lack of faith that any gods actually exist. That's it!
A person who is a "Theist" believes that a god exists. A person who is an "A-(non) Theist" does not hold to that belief.
There are good Theists and bad ones. There are good atheists and bad ones. Faith or lack of faith in the existence of god is what separates the two. Pretty simple to understand. Does the absence of belief in an idea equate to what defines a religion? No. Not at all.

Answer 8

I think it's depends on how your brain categorizes information. Both answers are socially acceptable.

When you're taught your colors you learn: red, blue, brown, purple, white, green, orange, etc. If you point to a snowflake and ask a child what color it is, they will naturally reply "white." So to them and most people "white" categorically falls under "color" even though technically white is the absence of color.

Religion is the same way. When people are taught different religious beliefs they learn about: Christianity, Mormonism, Islam, atheism, agnosticism etc. If you ask an atheist or agnostic what their religion is, an acceptable response is "I'm an atheist" or "I'm agnostic." So to most people the topics of atheism & agnosticism categorically fall under "religious belief" even though technically atheism is the absence of religious belief and agnosticism is a declaired uncertainty.

But you do make an excellent point. Athiesm really doesn't tie itself to practices per say, but we do have the same core nonbelief.

Answer 9

They are not religions. Atheism and agnosticism have absolutely no set of beliefs and practices. Atheism simply means a lack of the belief in deities, nothing more, nothing less. There is no doctrine of belief or rituals that inherently go along with atheism. Animals are in fact atheists. Would you say animals are religious?

Answer 10

By the definition of religion it seems obvious that atheism and agnosticism are not religions.

A religion is a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people, often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.