Why Atheism Is A Religion

yes your meaning was unclear to me as to which. its a problem with the english language itself. its the only one i really know and it really is often difficult to be unambiguous in it.

 

Pff...says someone who disagrees with the OP

I've already stated my case. If I said that something has a Narrative of the history of the Universe, a common belief structure and worldview, Churches, ethics, billboards that mimic Missionary work, and a belief in what happens when you die, just to name a few things, would you say that it sounds like a Religion?

 

Oh and I forgot, it was also ruled a Religion by the Supreme Court in 2005

 

Several ideologies or movements can seem like a religion, but there we would agree they aren't. With atheism it seems different to you because it involves the belief that there is no God. This atheistic belief (as you put it) equates with theistic belief. Most people perceive it otherwise, namely: that the belief that there is no god equates more with a lack of theistic belief alltogether.
How many atheists care about a church or see any use for it? Did atheism came to exist with churches or grew alongside with them? Does the atheist church play any role in atheism as a whole? The answers to these questions tell you that churches play no role in atheism. Just because some people that are atheist as well saw use for it and even acted upon it does not change that. It's like arguing with an antireligious person that most historic wars were fought solely for religious purposes. Just because you can find the characteristics of a religion in a minority of atheists does not make atheism as a whole a religion or the majroity of atheists religious. They may be 'religiously' hanging on to certain convictions though, but any body can do that: an environmentalist, a capitalist, a communist etc. etc.

 

Well for what it's worth, The Supreme Court disagrees

 

I just don't see why the fundamental belief in no deity doesn't qualify for a Religion but a fundamental belief in a deity does. It's the fundamental belief part that makes it a Religion IMO. Doesn't matter what the fundamental belief is about.

Not all Christians go to Church either. I didn't go that much, but the Churches still exist and Catholicism is still a Religion.

Obviously the belief that there is no God equates with a lack of theistic belief, but the belief in no God is still a belief nonetheless, and a belief that is at the core of every Atheist.

 

You look at some sitation that involves a couple of 'unorthodox' P so to say) atheists and the decision of the court that followed out of that, I look at atheism on itself and the majority of people that consider themselves atheist.
There are exceptions on every rule. There are also christians that do not follow the christian religion. It does not suddenly make christinaity not a religion anymore. Same is how it works when a minority of atheists decide to organize and comply to the definition of a religion. It may make those organized atheists with their church a religion, as it fits the definition. Still, atheism on itself does not, as well as the majority of it's followers, wel that isn't even the right word, as they aren't followers of anything at first (it may depend on the individual if they actually follow something or not), the majority of people that are atheist do not fit the definition of a religious follower.

 

No, it is not the fundamental belief in a deity on itself that makes something a religion or someone a religious person. That makes something a theistic belief, and the person having it a theist.

 

Are you sure they aren't followers? Did you see the sign I posted telling people to "join Atheism"?

 

Yes, I know that you don't need a fundamental belief in a Deity for something to be a Religion. Theprodu tried to argue otherwise.

I will repeat, it's not what the fundamental belief is about. It's the fundamental unified belief part in something that is existential.

Buddhism also doesn't have a belief in a Deity. But it does have belief in certain concepts such as Nirvana, Rebirth, Bodhisattvas, to name a few things.

 

Like I said I am not sure they aren't following anything, but they are not following anything by default just because of the logic that they are atheist and atheism is a religion so they are religious followers. Atheism at first is merely the belief that there is no god. Nothing more. People that consider themselves atheist because of that are not following a certain set of rules or guidelines or are part of any organisation because of it. Now, a minority of atheists did create an organized form, some even with a church and all. The court has ruled atheism a religion because of that. Does this suddenly make the majority of atheists a religious follower or part of an organized religion in any way? No. Nothing changes for them. Does it make the concept of atheism (which is the only thing most atheists identify with, just the concept of there being no God. Nothing more) suddenly a religion because of that decision of the court? I don't think so, just that particular organized form that actually meets the requirements.

 

And for plenty of people, believing in God and Jesus as Savior is all that amounts for them, but that still makes them Christian even if they never step foot in a Church.

 

Like I said, just because they are christian doesn't make them part of any branch of christianity by default, and thus a religious follower either. It depends on the details. The majority of christians are part of a religious community even when they never take the effort of going to church on sunday. They subscribe to rules that come from the organized religion. You see the difference? Everything always depends on the details

 

You're just repeating what I said. You don't have to be going to church to be part of a Religion

 

Buddha didn't believe in a God, and never mentioned that a God exists.

 

No I wasn't. I expanded on what you said. We still come to different conclusions.

 

Here, you can read for free if you have Kindle the words an Atheist who wrote a book on why Atheism is a Religion http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LTIFB9M/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

 

A non-biased article on Religious Atheism http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/ronald-dworkins-religious-atheism/?_r=0

 

As I said, China, maybe the atheists who actually are busy with religious atheism are a religious atheist minority. Just because they technically happen to fit the bill. But it doesn't say anything about all those other atheists or atheism in general. Can you acknowledge that? Do you see the logic in that?
Do you understand that just because 100 scientists could also proclaim and fit their scientific mindset in a religious form that would make it hard to deny it fits all the characteristics of a religion, it does not suddenly make science a religion on itself.