What makes a belief a "Religion" ? - Page 1

Okay, I'll bite -


A fellow poster ... who shall be nameless, but  I'm sure he'll make
himself known ...  keeps insisting that "Atheism is a religion".

I believe he is wrong.   What do the rest of you think ?


 




Oxford English Dictionary  (sorry I have no physical access to a Websters !)
defines Religion:


1 Particular system of faith and worship  (Christian, Muslim, Buddhist et al)
established religion:  that of an established Church;  freedom of religion: right
to follow whatever religion one chooses;  Natural, Revealed religion "all
religions are the same to him".
2  Human recognition of superhuman controlling power and esp. of a personal
God or gods entitled to obedience and worship;  effect of such recognition on
conduct and mental attitude;  "Get religion" (vulg. or joc.) be converted to such
recognition.
3  Thing that one is devoted to or is bound to do (eg football),
4  Life under monastic conditions.


Nothing about Atheism there.


Definition of Atheism:

1  Disbelief in the existence of God or gods;  godlessness
so:  atheist, atheistic;  from Greek  athos - without God.

Nothing about a religion, there.


Perhaps he's getting confused with:

Realism.
1  Scholastic doctrine that universals or general ideas have objective
existence (cf.  nominalism, conceptualism).
2  Belief that matter as object of perception has real existence (cf.
idealism).
3  Practice of regarding things in their true nature and dealing with
them as they are, freedom from prejudice and convention,  practical
views and policy (cf.  idealism).
4  Fidelity of representation, truth to nature, insistence upon details;
showing of life etc as it is without glossing over what is ugly or painful.  


 

Well, I have read not all religions believe in God/s, So?
But it is a Belief.

Religion for me is different than faith in a creator/ or other omnipotent being, notably by the presence of rituals performed and observed as a congregation.

If someone says "atheism" is a religion, I would think they would be using it in the sense of the third definition given:

3  Thing that one is devoted to or is bound to do (eg football),

The point being made is the fervent opposition expressed by atheists when confronted by someone who is their polar opposite in beliefs, mainly the religious. The atheists protest as much or more about their point of view as any religious zealot, and this devotion to the opposition is what they are bound to, and has influenced society in the same way religion has made its mark. Not that the marks are good or bad, that is not my point, only that theirs has measurable influence, too.

IMO, it's ineffective to refer to atheism as a religion in conversation, because generally, "religion" takes on the aspect of faith.  True anything can be "religious", done "religiously".  Religion, is a function of society, but not necessarily of faith itself.  Philosophically, atheism and faith are similar, because they are both "systems" by which ontological, epistemological, axiological, and teleological questions are answered.  For instance, the epistemological question revolves around how we know what we know about the ontological question (origin).  A person of faith subscribes to a revelational epistemology; "I know because God has revealed it to man".  An atheists holds to a rational (reason) epistemology; cogito ergo sum, -Descartes (I think, therefore I am).  Essentially, they are both based on belief, as there is no transcendent corroboration available (perhaps yet) to validate what the rationalist believes he knows about himself.

Loved your post Bee, well said.

Bee -football - excellent !  

.... you mean this?  . 

Hundmutter,  
Well, look what I found!  #3 and/or #4, I can apply to my previous post!

Goal! ... for me, lol 

---

    
 
   

I once saw a National Geographic film about a tribe in the Amazon who had been visited by outsiders arriving in a plane, a few years later when the tribe was revisited they had built an idol out if sticks that was a replica of that plane and were worshiping it as a god.

Football is not a religion it is an obsession by the way.

Atheism is also not a religion, it is simply a term used to label those who do not believe in gods of any sort.

Could someone who believes in aliens be called religious?
Yes I think they could if they present their beliefs as fact to others without evidence.

It is simply a state of mind.

I can worship the natural world and still be an atheist.
Religion is man made, by man for man, not something supernatural.


 Hundmutter,
he who will remain nameless is wrong as usual.

I think it depends on if one thinks we are human beings having a spiritual experience or if we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

I think we are spiritual beings having a human experience - so to me, a belief is a state of consciousness. The Placebo Effect proved this to me.

LOL 

Yeah,
it's all in our heads babyeagle.

I once dreamed I was a butterfly, when I woke I was not sure which was the dream and which was my reality.

And the Thunderbird rose into the sun and flew up into the heavens.

Religion is organized, by men for men, it has only been recent in mans history that those men have started to share it with women.
Think about it.

Once women were burnt at the stake by these very same men.