Why Atheism Is A Religion

Do we know what we reason, or do we reason what we know?

I can write with my toes.

 

Oh now you're going all wishy-washy on me, lol
You can call anything a god if you want to. Its when people are referring to the god of the bible that it gets troubling.
I call stuff god(s) all the time. The kimchi gods, Puer gods, fire, water, metal, and wood gods...it's a generic term, and I only mean it as a kind of circumstantial humor when events that seem beyond my control alter my expectations of the future. If my kimchi got contaminated and smells bad, I might say, "the kimchi gods did not smile upon me! " Everything has a god, and there's a generic god(s) for everything. It's all just in fun really, just to keep things light when shit happens.
The fault is ultimately always mine for having harbored expectation in the first place. This is what the old masters taught (taoist). And you thought I wasn't spiritual!

I say gods, plural, so that people differentiate (hopefully) what I'm saying from the god of the bible. "The gods were fucking with me today" Kinda like the Norse god Odin, who would send his two helpers, the ravens Hugin and Munin to fuck with people , just for fun. LOL

Though people who know me know I don't actually believe in supernatural entity's, if I did, I would more likely be an Odonist. Not denying the gods or magic, but eshewing association with all those things in favor of independence, and freedom. I neither want, nor need help from gods, or magic, or any other short-cut.
To be a real man in this world one must learn to navigate life through their own wits and grit.

 

I agree it is worthy to point out the difference But to be fair you are telling us here how you see atheism. It is also fair to point out most people still disagree with it (and not just atheists).
I can see the use of comparing religions and where their followers went wrong to other ideologies and their followers (as it is clear any kind of person that feels overly right because of their ideology/mindset/beliefs (religious or not) can do wrong things because of that), but still don't see the point in claiming and arguing that atheism literally is a religion.
Just because some atheists are just as evangelistical as a JW doesn't make atheism a religion either. Yes, it does make it clear that annoying evangelistics are also not exclusive to theistsic beliefs, which is worthwile to be aware of . Just because 'atheists believe there is no god' doesn't make atheism a religion either. Just like a theistic belief doesn't necessarily make the person with it a religious person or part of a religion.

Not sure the belief in a god takes away from that by default. Actually I am sure it doesn't have to

 

An even better comparison is actually 'blaming atheism for what such dictators have done because they were atheist is like solely blaming religion for every conflict religious people had in the past because they were religious/part of a religion'

I understand this is like pissing on an atheist dogma

Just because there are some dubious passages in the bible does not mean every christian makes them a centerpoint in their lifes. Just because you noticed some do does not mean it is reasonable to portray it as if those passages are regarded as important for most christians, or acted on by most of them.
Just like certain christians and muslims misinterprete or plain simply abuse certain passages in their holy books so can and has been done with other ideologies by areligious people or by people out of a-religious motives. To ignore all that in favor of your argument that (organized) religion is bad mmkay is to indeed display a double standard as Okie pointed out.

 

Devoted to Athiesm , or the State , or Reason ?

Strangely , a godly person devoted to the State or Reason is really an athiest .
And when devoted to Athiesm ... ?

 

Wait, I literally cannot continue another thread in this conversation without addressing this. Are you actually thrown into a state of high skepticism because of that image? Like, is the image of a veiled woman holding a sign espousing islam for the world an incongruous event for you? I am a little flabbergasted at your replies here . . . I need to know . . . does that image seem fishy to you? Are you that disconnected from the politik of islam in the world? That you have to point attention at whether or not those boots match the person? THATs the point which your mind presents to you as the relevent point of discussion from that image?

The lack of replies to your posts is because they are a little too cryptic. It would help if you plainly state what your point is. I have noticed you continuously equating atheism with nationalism, something which I do not understand. You seem to be implying that people have to be devoted to something, and if you don't have god in your life, then you obviously must be a nationalistic zealot?

So you understand I'm a vocal atheist and I think nationalism is just about the dumbest expression of pride possible and I vigorously resist it. I'm canadian and I have approximately zero national pride, and I think canada is probably near the top of the list of countries one COULD be proud of, so it only gets worse from here for me.

I would say that I am devoted to reason though, reason defined as the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgements based on logic and evidence. That seems to not be a terribly popular ideal on these forums, something which deeply confuses me.

 

Actually I'm sure you have once again oversimplifyed for the sake of being contrary.

It's not a comparison, just a anecdote. This isn't a dick wagging contest. I'm not out to prove that I'm somehow superior because I'm Atheist.

I don't give a fuck if people want to ' believe in god' it's when they force their blood cult down the throats of innocent kids and run political campaigns boasting sharia-like laws, and use religious rhetoric to scare voters. Just the idea that there are the kind of bible thumpers out there that these guys wish to gain support, makes me want to become a militant, activist Atheist. Hear ye, christians! Denounce these fookin' lunatics or forever suffer the guilt of association!
...

 

When I see an image posted for the purpose of inflaming emotion, I think it's reasonable to wonder if it's authentic. I've lived in Muslim countries among very devout Muslims, and there are plenty of Muslims here. I've never seen anyone carrying such a sign--in English, no less--while strolling down the street pushing a kid. The fact that they are wearing the niqab means that it could be anyone under there. I find the boots one of the "women" is wearing intriguing. I've seen my share of curious sights, like Muslim women working out at the local health club in full abayas and hijabs. But I'm not so disconnected from the politik of western Islamaphobia to exclude the possibility that someone staged a photo op. So tell me--where was the photo taken, by whom, and for what purpose?

 

I chose the image to make the simple point that religious people have the right to promote their Ideas.I don't have all day to find images that are perfect. Because they were holding a sign you could easily see that the message was being put forth by the people in the pic and not written over it in an image editing program. That is all. You are the one that wants to introduce some kind of contrary convolutions that have nothing to do with the point. Unless you are making the point that somehow those people shouldn't be allowed their message because it might be deception for nefarious purposes? Slippery slope mang

 

The two demagogues you've posted feed on denunciations by anyone who isn't a tried and true Evangelical. I thought one of the most amusing scenes in the 2015 race was when Cruz showed up at the Huckabee rally for Kim Davis and Huckabee tried to keep him off the stage. Fortunately, Huckabee isn't going anywhere in the current presidential race, but Cruz could be a serious contender. It will be interesting to see what happens to his Evangelical fervor once he gets past the Iowa caucus. It isn't just Christians who should be denouncing him, before it's too late!

 

I'm sorry. I thought you posted it in response to Samantha's post:" Muslims tend to take their religion very seriously and can get offended easily, but at least they don't go around trying to make everyone else Muslim!" You replied:
"Some of them do, if this counts for 'trying to make everyone else Muslim'" and posted the photo. I thought you meant to imply that the women wanted to make everyone else a Muslim. Did you take it, or did you get it from another source? I'm all for religious liberty and freedom of speech, so if it was your intent to promote those values, Right on!

 

So Mike Huckabee thinks our laws are perfect and immutable? That's scary/funny.

 

That would presumably include Obamacare! We must get this information to the Tea Party!

 

True. They didn't want any one particular religious group having control of the Nation. The Masons sure as hell didn't want the Catholic Church to take over. There are a lot of Christian groups in America and they take up a great deal of votes and lobbying that goes on. The United States is a Masonic Nation, Masons are extremely Christian. The single God concept, and growing towards that God. They put the Masonic principles all around the country. It's on your MONEY!

 

That sort of shit gets a lot of votes in the USA. I don't watch FOX news, but I'd bet they really have fun playing this stuff.

I just have a problem with people betting so much on that they are correct. I have more of a cosmic understanding of consciousness. I don't really have that God doom and gloom, angels and devils understanding. But that shit is very entertaining to people who believe in it. Sometimes I laugh about how much people are going to shit themselves, when they die and see just how transforming it is. I am not saying that dying is always psychedelic, but it's surely at it's best when that is the case!

I just hope that this religious debate among people does not continue onto the other side. My understanding is that there are different communities and worlds on the other side. Maybe different religions or different species can have their own places. I've seen two places and neither had the spirits described by any religion. I see spirits and I never see them as anything more than a metaphor, a symbol, an act of communication. It's mostly for people very high on psychedelics or naturally hallucinatory states. Although communicating with others in altered states is a very sweet gift.

People have created religion to communicate and that's hard to transform into more intelligent methods of communicating. I thought the old world did a mighty fine job at communicating more complex understandings.

 

haha I wonder how many atheists have died and been like "I'm a bird!" "I'm a butterfly!"

 

Contemplating absurdity's, very typical of the religious mind.

 

Maybe if there was a God we would have something to follow. People want purpose and a path. That's not always something that people can see would choose. The universe has ways of influencing the way we perceive a path. If there is danger, you react down you happy little path to stay safe. It seems that at Church's, there always providing paths and lessons about dangers. The almost entirety of their religion is about walking a path, with light, with God, anything deemed "safe" by the religion.

Maybe God is best left as a mystery. People claiming to firstly understanding at all things exist as are truly nuts. Don't lose them mystery, don't think you have the answers. I've spent time in mental hospitals and everyone there, no-matter who they are, doctor or patient, they all think they know something. Everyone is convinced of something so strongly that they have lost the ability to be flexible in their thinking.

 

I don't have problems with people experimenting with their fantasies. If they want to explore existing as a bird or a butterfly, that's ok. If they really love it, why can't they incarnate and actually see what it's like living as those things, in the real dual nature existence of life?

 

I didn't realize that atheists were less likely to contemplate absurdities. I love the absurd, but I'm not sure if I believe in God or disbelieve in God. Which is absurd. But does that make me religious, or do atheists sometimes also contemplate the absurd?

It's just funny to me that, right or wrong, an atheist can spend his entire life firmly believing that there is no God, but then at death can become convinced that he/she is a bird or a butterfly or...a magic stick or what have you. I guess that's funny for everyone, though. We spend our lives trying to be rational, and then at death often believe completely irrational things. It's kind of humbling.