Ask Your Question today
I suppose it proves their stupidity, but is it too hard to understand that the term means "without belief in a god or gods" so how can it be a religion?
I'm going to start calling such people unchristians or unmuslims and see how they like that
Since ONE definition of religion is; "3. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion", saying absolutely nothing about a supernatural power or deity (redundantly, in your words, "god or gods"), I believe you are placing a very narrow minded definition on the word.
In this case, by an actual definition of the word, perhaps it is you who are stupid, for not bothering to look up the meaning of the word before you posted this tripe.
I probably am stupid for bothering to respond, but I can't let that definition stand. My dictionary defines religion as a "system of faith & worship; human recognition of a superhuman controlling power especially of a personal god entitled to obedience". My (redundant?) inclusion of the phrase "god or gods" was to make it clear I was referring to all religions.
The definition you've chosen (which doesn't appear anywhere in my dictionary) would include political parties; anti vaccination groups; people who believe in naturopathy, homeopathy, the healing power of crystals, psychic surgery - need I go on?
Source of above quote:
<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/religion" rel="nofollow">http://www.thefreedictionary.com/religion</a>
Source of this definition:
https://www.google.com/search?q=religion+definition&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
"re·li·gion rəˈlijən/ noun noun: religion
the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
"ideas about the relationship between science and religion"
synonyms: faith, belief, worship, creed; More
sect, church, cult, denomination
"the freedom to practice their own religion"
a particular system of faith and worship.
plural noun: religions
"the world's great religions"
Read this one carefully;
a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
"consumerism is the new religion"
Still, you insist you are correct in the face of incontrovertible evidence that you are not. Please explain why that is?
I have had numerous threads with her on this topic, and she refuses to acknowledge the existence of Agnosticism. Nor does she acknowledge that existence of principles in Math or Computer Science can be proven without having demonstrated those principles with formal logic.
She is not college material. She just doesn't get it.
Because I don't regard your evidence as incontrovertible and I'll stick with the Oxford Dictionary rather than some website which advertises astrology.
I'm going out into the fresh air and sunshine right now: I'm getting bored with all this nitpicking
I know a lot of atheists who are quite zealous about their atheism. They're more fervent with their atheism than I am with my progressive Christian beliefs. Just an observation
They might not TECHNICALLY be a religion but they act worse than most religions. They do this also while they say that religion is holding everyone down and telling us how judgmental Christians and other religions are. So it makes the Atheist community seem like a bunch of hypocrites and a big joke. Since they act exactly like a religion.
Oh please, if people could just mind their own business regarding personal faith there would be far fewer attempts and defining it for other people.
Well if they act like a religion why not? It if looks like a dog, it barks like a dog, it smells like a dog, people might assume its in fact is a dog. I seen a lot of Atheists as bad as most Christian. Its funny since a lot of them adopt this preachy attitude. Like "I must enlighten you and save your life with atheism, let me explain to you why you must follow the teachings of atheism and been lost your whole life friend".
Which sounds a lot like someone trying to spread the word of Christ. In fact some of them are worse than Christians. Since a lot of Christians I know wont overhear something about you being of a different religion and immediately attack you. For example I hear this a lot from know it all Atheists.
Well you see there was a guy at work right? He was eating lunch alone and I saw him do something. He was praying for his food. So I had to walk over and ask why. When he told me it was that he was thanking god I had to tell him what a complete idiot he was. Its just disgusting how stupid some people are. A normal human would be disgusted by what a dick this man was but not his atheist buddies who say "Good job man! High five!"
I'm not responsible for the views or behavior of other people calling themselves atheists, the point I'm making is that if atheists by definition don't believe in any gods, it's not a religion. Most atheists don't prosletyze or patronise believers although we do debate with them when appropriate
What is a religion? A set of beliefs. What is atheism? A set of beliefs.
Why does it matter? Why do people DWELL on someone else and what they believe or do. It's YOUR life. Live it how you want to and don't give a shit about other people believe or do because once you do, you will ruminate on it endlessly and it will cause unnecessary stress that leads to nothing in the end.
I think this proves YOUR stupidity, and assholery (yes I know it's not a word). Religion can include some sort of deity, but it doesn't have to. Religion is a set of beliefs, a moral code by which you live.
People like you are the reason society is breaking.
PS: Is your use of the term "assholery" intended to be an intelligent contribution to this debate? If so, who are you calling stupid?
No, it wasn't. I just couldn't think of a better word at the time. Yes, it does make sense. Just because you don't want to be wrong isn't my problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion
Show me your sources and prove me wrong.
thegypsysailor corrected you earlier.
People like you are ruining society by spreading your ignorance and creating arguments like this one.
My reference is the Oxford Dictionary: you know, one of those rectangular things with cardboard covers and lots of paper inside with writing on it?
I'm calling you a stupid arse, wretchedly guilty of assholery in highest degree. BTW, I have an Oxford Dictionary, and if I slammed your skull with it I doubt you would be any the wiser. You insult all of us reasonably intelligent contributors to IIN with your inanely illogical defence of ignorance.
Go log into Yahoo Answers. It's for people like you.
What year? Because uh, 1.1 says "A particular system of faith and worship" and 1.2 says "A pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance" :3
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/religion
My dictionary defines religion as a system of faith & worship; human belief in a superhuman controlling power, especially of a personal god entitled to obedience.
It's possible to have moral beliefs one lives by without being religious.
Could you please explain to me how are people like me breaking society?
This literally makes no sense, because by your definition, everyone is religious. We all have a set of beliefs and a moral code, which we live by.
I can see where they would get that idea. A belief in no god or gods is a belief in itself and it is a group of people. I probably didn't word what I was trying to say correctly. I don't agree with them but I see where they might get that idea.
No, you've missed the point too: atheism is a LACK of belief in gods and not a belief in anything, so how can it possibly be a religion? Although there are atheist groups most atheists don't belong to them.
I am flabbergasted by the anomosity my original post has triggered off: it feels as if I've poked a stick into a nest of particularly vicious ants, including posts from some contributors whose intelligence I'd previously respected even when I didn't agree with them.
What's so outrageous about not wanting to be called religious when I'm definitely not? I don't get it .......
I'm not flabbergasted. Look up agnostic in your Oxford dictionary. See if think it is different from Atheism.
Sometimes these things happen. perhaps the first comment primed everyone to react similarly? I've witnessed similar backlashes before. But I don't know of any theists that call atheism a "religion," so I'm not sure. But perhaps religion is indeed what GypsySailor was saying; a set of beliefs rather than exclusively belief in the supernatural. I'm not an expert in these subjects by any means.