Is atheism a religion? I was talking to a guy on here who seems to have fled following a claim he made. [Spirituality & Religion]

@hippyjoe1955 atheism is lacking a belief in god/gods thats it.

@hippyjoe1955 By that definition it's not a religion then

Atheism is a lack of belief by definition. There is no belief system, dogma, or faith to it.

Educate yourself before speaking and up your grey matter.

@Celine It is a religion. People put all kinds of faith into their atheism. If not they would be agnostic at best.

lol what?

@hippyjoe1955 LOL... The old agnostic claim.

No my friend. That's a myth and misunderstanding. All believers and non believers are agnostics. Atheism does not mean certainty there is no God, god, or gods. They just do not believe in one. All people are agnositcs because it means " they do not know". The faithful have no real proof of their God, god, or gods and that's why they are " the faithful" they believe on faith, not proof and knowing. Atheists are also agnostic because they cannot prove there isn't as it is impossible to prove a negative.

The term agnostic as it used to today was actually first applied and used by early biologist and evolutionists to hide their atheism at a time when saying such was a near social death sentence and could lead to all kinds of trouble for ones career. It was a way of skirting the question as to whether or not they believed on religion when they did not, but saying so was socially and academically dangerous.

@hippyjoe1955 Prove it then. Prove how people put faith in their lack of faith.

@Celine Actually it does make it a religion. Your faith is no more in doubt than a fundamentalist of any other religion. Pity you are too closed minded to grasp that simple concept. Oh well intelligence and honesty is not required to be an atheist.

@hippyjoe1955 [quote]religion is: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith[/quote]

1. there's no proof that gods exist (or we'd all be theists)
2. there's no proof that magical entities don't exist (they might be lurking around a mountain-top somewhere)
3. there's no compelling necessity to postulate the existence of magical entities (and the postulation explains nothing... it seeks to merely explain everything away)
4. therefore I have no gods

Please specify where, in that, you can identify a 'cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith'

@hippyjoe1955

Can you stop making us other theists look like an idiot? Agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive. One can be an agnostic and an atheist. Once can also be an agnostic and a theist.

@newjaninev2 Yawn oh yeah more shallow thinkers arrive. Sorry I have said what I have said and it is true. You don't like it? Suck to be you.

@TheMorningsStar Not can be. Are by definition.

@MethDozer

Someone who thinks that god for sure does not exist still has a "lack of belief IN god", and thus they would be a "gnostic atheist" and not agnostic, so not, they are not the same "by definition".

@TheMorningsStar You need to study harder. This is so wrong and misinformed. There is no such thing as a true gnostic atheist. No atheist is sure just as no faithful is sure.

@MethDozer

"There is no such thing as a true gnostic atheist."

And there is no such thing as a TRUE Scotsman... wait...

I mean, there do exist atheists that do believe they are gnostic atheists, and they do this by attacking certain definitions of "god". If a definition of something is internally contradictory then, by definition, that thing doesn't exist. Furthermore, if there is something that is "known" about reality and a definition of something contradicts said reality then, again, that thing cannot exist by definition.

There exist many atheists who attack the definition of god(s) in this manner and who claim they are gnostic atheists.

Just as there are MANY theists, myself included, that hold the position of gnostic theism.

@TheMorningsStar Gnostic atheists... those who make the claim that gods do not exist, [i]seem[/i] to carry the same burden of proof ([i]onus probandi,[/i] because I'm just looking for an excuse to use some Latin) as gnostic theists.

However, there are two points to consider:
The gnostic atheist would not make the assertion unless the gnostic theist had [i]first[/i] postulated the existence of gods.
However, routinely theists dodge away from the burden they occur in making the claim [i]in the first place.[/i]

[b]theist[/b]: there are gods which created everything (and one of them is really obsessed about whether or not you wear mixed fabrics).
[b]atheist[/b]: No, there aren't any gods
[b]theist[/b]: You can't prove that! You make the claim, but you can't prove it.

the atheist's initial response [i]should have been[/i] (should always be): Prove it. Prove that these gods of which you make such claims actually exist. Until you do, you will be ignored, because you're just making unsupported claims.

__________________________

But even that isn't necessary, because there's an easier way to dispense with the unsupported claims of theists.

1. there's no proof that gods exist (or we'd all be theists)
2. there's no proof that magical entities don't exist (they might be lurking around a mountain-top somewhere)
3. there's [i]no compelling necessity[/i] to even postulate the existence of magical entities (and the postulation explains nothing... it seeks to merely explain everything away)
4. therefore I have no gods (I'm an agnostic atheist)

@TheMorningsStar Just because you hold a position, doesn't make it so.


I hold the position I am the worlds' most attractive, strangest, and smartest man. I cannot prove it, I just feel it.
What one believes doesn't mean crap.

@MethDozer Those of us who are determined to form a cult of veneration and adoration around you feel it too!

@MethDozer

And just because someone says they are a Scotsman doesn't make it so.

I mean, honestly, I am a THEIST and here I am defending gnostic atheists... What has this world come to that THIS is how things have turned out?