The Simple Solution To Religion And Atheism

There is a simple solution to solving the most nefarious problem of religions such as Christianity and Atheism, in fact this will work not only for those and all religions but also the equally or potentially more harmful effects of politics and education. All we have to do is to acknowledge that whenever anyone tells us "this is how it is" those people are only lying to you in order to get money and power from you. What should you do, then?

Simply ignore them.

But before you do that please visit my website and click on the Paypal or Patreon link.

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LeopoldBloom · M

Atheism is not a religion. It's the lack of belief in deities. That's it.

If atheism is a religion, then not playing football is a sport and not collecting stamps is a hobby.

BibleData · M

@LeopoldBloom

Atheism is not a religion. It's the lack of belief in deities. That's it.

Religion is a specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group. It can but doesn't necessarily have to include deities. Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism are religions.

If atheism is a religion, then not playing football is a sport and not collecting stamps is a hobby.

Stamps and football have nothing to do with it. Atheism means without gods like apolitical means without politics and asexual means without sex.

The problem is that modern day atheists don't know what a god or deity is. They think it has to be supernatural. It doesn't. Most gods are not supernatural. Eric Clapton and Kim Jong-un are examples. In the Bible, Moses, the judges of Israel, food, and inanimate objects made of wood and stone were gods. Anything and anyone can be a god, so the belief that no gods exist is ridiculous because 1. Billions of gods have existed and 2. A god doesn't have to exist to be a god.

LeopoldBloom · M

@BibleData You're moving the goalposts. There's a difference between being a superfan of some rock star or respecting (or fearing) a political leader, and worshipping a disembodied spirit or an object imbued with supernatural qualities.

Since gods don't exist in any real sense outside of human imagination, what atheists don't believe in is the idea of gods in the minds of other people. Just because an atheist likes Eric Clapton doesn't make him religious.

It's also possible to be religious without believing in God. An example would be Jewish atheism. These are Jews who don't believe God exists, but attend synagogue and participate in Jewish rituals as a cultural practice. Same for atheists who put up Christmas trees because they remember their parents doing it and their kids also enjoy it.

BibleData · M

@LeopoldBloom

You're moving the goalposts.

No, I'm telling you that you've been running in the wrong direction. The goalposts were fixed thousands of years before you were born.

There's a difference between being a superfan of some rock star or respecting (or fearing) a political leader, and worshipping a disembodied spirit or an object imbued with supernatural qualities.

No, not really.

Since gods don't exist in any real sense outside of human imagination, what atheists don't believe in is the idea of gods in the minds of other people.

You're basing your careless assumptions on a false premise. In order to do that you have to make gods into being exclusively supernatural and that isn't commensurate with thousands of years of history. Just look it up in a dictionary, and don't just stop at the first example. Did you read the part of my post where I said wood, stone, mortal men?

Just because an atheist likes Eric Clapton doesn't make him religious.

Did you read the part of my post where I listed the religions that don't have gods and defined the word?

It's also possible to be religious without believing in God. An example would be Jewish atheism. These are Jews who don't believe God exists, but attend synagogue and participate in Jewish rituals as a cultural practice. Same for atheists who put up Christmas trees because they remember their parents doing it and their kids also enjoy it.

Now you're getting it! Kind of flipped there, but in a good way.

LeopoldBloom · M

@BibleData Gods aren't supernatural; they're imaginary. But if you have objective proof of any, please share it and knock off the ipse dixit fallacy. Something isn't true just because you can say it.

An atheist who participates in religious rituals because he enjoys them is still an atheist. And yes, I'm aware that religions exist that don't include deities like the Abrahamic God. That doesn't make atheism a religion.

BibleData · M

@LeopoldBloom Give me the Oxford dictionary definitions of the words gods, atheist and religion.

LeopoldBloom · M

@BibleData Look them up yourself, professor.

BibleData · M

@LeopoldBloom

Look them up yourself, professor.

Okay.

Gods: In Christianity, the creator and ruler of the universe; supreme being and source of all moral authority.
One having power over nature and human fortunes. An idol or the conventional personification of fate.
An adored, admired or influential person or anything given supreme importance. Money, for example.
A god can be a gallery, that is, the upper balcony in a theater or the people seated there.

Atheist: a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.

Religion: the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.
a particular system of faith and worship.
a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

LeopoldBloom · M

@BibleData I agree with all of those except the last line. It's demeaning to actual religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc. to say that someone who attends every game of their favorite sports team is practicing a "religion." You may want to look up what the IRS defines as a religion. They don't let you deduct the cost of season tickets, even if you really, really love your team.

The term church is found, but not specifically defined, in the Internal Revenue Code. With the exception of the special rules for church audits, the use of the term church also includes conventions and associations of churches as well as integrated auxiliaries of a church.

Certain characteristics are generally attributed to churches. These attributes of a church have been developed by the IRS and by court decisions. They include:

Distinct legal existence
Recognized creed and form of worship
Definite and distinct ecclesiastical government
Formal code of doctrine and discipline
Distinct religious history
Membership not associated with any other church or denomination
Organization of ordained ministers
Ordained ministers selected after completing prescribed courses of study
Literature of its own
Established places of worship
Regular congregations
Regular religious services
Sunday schools for the religious instruction of the young
Schools for the preparation of its members
The IRS generally uses a combination of these characteristics, together with other facts and circumstances, to determine whether an organization is considered a church for federal tax purposes.

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/churches-religious-organizations/churches-defined