2007-12-20 08:22:11 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
rhio(; That's not really my point, the fact is there is a nasty insulting tone to the "You atheists are a religion too" like it's an insult and that is really weird if religion is such a great thing that you would place your blind faith in one., why use the accusation of religion as an insult?
2007-12-20 08:39:45 · update #1
There is absolutely no accounting for what religionists do.
2007-12-20 08:26:42 · answer #1 · answered by What? Me Worry? 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Supreme Court has already ruled that secular humanism is a religion, and I dont have a problem with that. Atheism and secular humanism go together like Christianity and prayer. So what?
Secular Humanism is a non-theistically based philosophy which promotes humanity as the measure of all things. It had its roots in the rationalism of the 18th Century and the free thought movement of the 19th Century.
Some factors that most Humanists share:
Either they do not believe in the existence of a deity, or they don't really care about the topic.
They believe that excellent codes of behavior and morality can be created through reason.
Humans created the Gods and Goddesses in their own image.
They are very concerned about human rights and equal opportunities for all.
They tend to be at the liberal end of the spectrum on such controversial topics as abortion access; equal rights for gays, lesbians and bisexuals; same-sex marriage, physician assisted suicide, separation of church and state, etc.
2007-12-20 16:29:46 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No.
There is a rational argument for atheism - if you can't show some evidence then you assume it not to be true*. All religions basically depend on dogma - my book is right, your book is wrong.
The theists that argue that atheism is a religion desperately want to make it seem like it is just a selection between two equally dogmatic positions so that they can level out the playing field. Unfortunately for them, when they chose to play against the team that lives higher up the mountain than they do, the playing field is not level and no amount of wishing or wrangling will make it so.
* No one has a problem when this argument is applied to unicorns, Zeus, dragons, Osiris, mermaids or gods that are of other faiths. But for some reason that is not immediately obvious and can not be easily explained it does not apply to their god.
2007-12-20 16:33:42 · answer #3 · answered by Simon T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because atheists consider it an insult, and because atheists beliefs are entirely based on 'unfaith.' There is no rational basis for atheism; it can be defined exactly as faith except in opposite: the disbelief in things not seen, which are untrue. Atheism cannot be based on evidence because there is no evidence God doesn't exist. An agnostic can claim some basis in reason; an atheist simply disbelieves.
In this sense it's a perfect insult, because it's entirely accurate as the term is used BY atheists when reapplied to atheism, and because they consider it an insult.
No mystery here.
2007-12-20 17:01:57 · answer #4 · answered by thelairdjim 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um...that's not what they do. They don't call atheism a religion in an effort to insult it, rather, they call atheism a religion in an effort to bring it down to their level. Atheists understand that atheism makes more sense than religion, and isn't based on blind faith and dogma like religion is, so the theists claim that it is in order to try to decrease its level of validity to that of their own beliefs. It still seems to be a rather futile tactic...but hey, if they go on using futile tactics, that can hardly hurt given what they're trying to support.
2007-12-20 16:58:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because it puts atheism on equal footing with religion, since otherwise they'd have to admit that they're arguing against reason and logic. Instead, they call atheism a religion to show that atheists follow the same blind faith as they do, but in science as opposed to religious texts.
2007-12-20 16:27:26 · answer #6 · answered by Mr.Samsa 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I find that odd as well. It's as if religion is a good thing in general but not in the case of the 'religion of atheism'. They do the same thing with faith - using it as if it is a negative thing in regards to 'faith in no god', but then honoring it as the greatest virtue in other contexts.
The mental gymnastics are truly amazing.
2007-12-20 16:26:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have no problem with the term "religion". I think it is an accurate definition of my faith, Christianity.
I abhor those who say "it isn't a religion, it is a relationship." It is both, and redefining terms is stupid.
Ath
2007-12-20 16:26:13 · answer #8 · answered by athanasius was right 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
By trying to reduce atheism to a hollow, empty belief like Christianity, they hope to be able to compare the two like apples to apples and somehow in doing so discredit it.
They apparently fail to recognize the inherent self-indictment and hypocrisy in that approach.
2007-12-20 16:34:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
that want atheism to be a relgion because thay like destroying relgions the greek the nors the native amricans
2007-12-20 16:30:38 · answer #10 · answered by andrew w 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋