Can someone explain why many act like Atheism is a Religion?

Note Thomas, that you have chosen to look for a definition of atheism, as opposed to atheist. The distinction is significant, and one i have made repeatedly in this thread. An "-ism," whether rightly or wrongly, is considered to be a belief or an ideology. It is upon such a feeble basis that PS continues to spout her nonsense, and that Frank continues to openly assert the superiority of his profession of agnosticism.

A clear definition of terms is always in order in such discussion, and not the least reason is the manner in which those with a penchant for beating dead horses seem always to attempt to define others in terms convenient to their personal argument. It is this to which i object, and to which i believe EB is objecting.

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Right you are set (and Thomas).

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bm

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Setanta wrote:

Note Thomas, that you have chosen to look for a definition of atheism, as opposed to atheist.

Sure. But also note that even so, the variant which Frank would define as "agnosticism" is still covered under some respectable definitions of "atheism", which strengthens your case.

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Having merely scanned above I apologise if these points have been made.

I sometimes find myself playing the role of the "active" atheist according to the following arguments.

1. Organized religion is tends to be devisive and authoritarian and therefore pernicious.

2. Viewed as a "cognitive virus" (Dawkins) religion is spread by the socialisation process disguised as a rational "human right" when in fact it delimits rationality.

3. Virus free "thinkers" perhaps have a duty, at least to the young ,to curtail practices of indoctrination.

Now these comments apply to "religion" as opposed to "spirituality". I think it is perfectly possible have a concept of reality which transcends the "self" without evoking a "divinity", and that such a position can be the basis of a common morality. The problems come when that unique human quality of "self consciousness" becomes identified with "group consciousness" and the basis for primitive tribalism.

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Religion perhaps is without a sense.
But it exist a god!

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Thomas wrote:

Sure. But also note that even so, the variant which Frank would define as "agnosticism" is still covered under some respectable definitions of "atheism", which strengthens your case.

Perhaps, but i don't have brief to attack Frank so much as a determination not to be defined by his, or Portal Star's, or anyone else's terms in such a manner as to leave unchallenged the contention that the agnostic has a superior point of view. Please note that i am not propounding my view of religion and deism as superior, i simply deny that there is any religious character to the fact that i am an atheist, and that i don't accept that the views of anyone else are superior (nor contend them to be inferior) to mine.

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OK, yes.

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So, definitions in place, is there anything else?

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edgarblythe wrote:

So, definitions in place, is there anything else?

The definition was that there is no clear definition.

So making a point about atheism (as I did earlier) doesn't make sense unless atheism means something.

In order to reason, we need to give fixed definition to words. That is why a debate about something else that turns into a debate about definition looses momentum and becomes only about the defintion of words (instead of about ideas.)

Defnining a word doesn't mean it restricts your personal thought to what that word conveys - it simply provides communicative value to the word.

So, in order to trudge on (if anyone wishes to have a discussion about atheism) what definition of the word atheist would you like to debate? We have already been over what I consider to be the traditional definition, and what that means in terms of assumptions about g-d.

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You continue to ignore a valid and important distinction between atheist and atheism. But then, that mitigates in favor of the moribund equine you love to whip, doesn't it?

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Whatever, Mr Star. I've gotten it to my satisfaction, anyway.

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Set, only you can put it so well. LOL

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Sorry I'm late.

Could I answer the question?

In part because of Christian crap like this:

Quote:

It truly was an ambitious undertaking: But Carolyn Risher, mayor of Inglis, Fla., a coastal hamlet of shrimp fishermen and God-fearing folk, believed the hour had come to cleanse her town of the giver of evil.

* * *

"Be it known from this day forward," she began, "that Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of this town of Inglis ... In the past, Satan has caused division, animosity, hate, confusion, ungodly acts on our youth, and discord among our friends and loved ones. NO LONGER!"

* * *

"Our drunks still drink, our hookers still hook, and truckers still ride like the devil up and down the highway," he says. "People are going to sin, plain and simple. No proclamation is gonna stop that."

He bags some lettuce for a customer. "I got nothing against the mayor. She was trying to do right by the community she loves. But if you start thinking that the devil is outside of you, foreign somehow, you stop taking a good, hard look at the evil inside yourself, in your own deeds."

The Town That Banned Satan

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Ban Mickey Mouse from Disneyland, why don't they?

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PDiddie, the reply was beautiful. No philosopher could have put it better. Sometimes the guy bagging lettuce is more profound than ivy league types.

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lettuce prey

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For the moribund equine.

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Did Morrie bind him on a Tuesday? Did Wimpy remit payment shortly thereafter?

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alas poor Wimpy died on monday eve from eating a hamburger of contaminated horse meat, leaving his debts unpaid.

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Can someone explain why many act like Atheism is a Religion?

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