If you die, can I have your Pokemons?Seth wrote:My only excuse is I've been sick, 103 fever and everything.
So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
camoguard wrote:Well you need a way to define a protection so that people understand the relationship between their choices and their rights. In my opinion, religion and morality got entwined and that entanglement is represented even in our laws and founding documents. Individual moral choices should be given the weight and respect just as religiously motivated moral choices are granted protections.charlou wrote: Yes! an interesting and important distinction ... But is a ritual, or a moral or ethical stance only worth protecting if it's considered a religion or to have a religious basis? Really?
Religion and morality are left hand and right hand. They are part and parcel. They are inseparable because morality, in main, is the product of religious belief and practice. For most of human history religion was the basis for moral judgment, and law was its secular codification of religious belief.
Virtually all moral choices are, in the end, matters of religion, because they are "something followed devotedly, as a matter of ethics or conscience."
Er, there are no "freedom FROM religion laws in the U.S. There are only freedom OF religion laws. But you are right, such laws, and indeed the Constitution itself was written specifically to protect minority religions, and yes, irreligion got shoehorned in because atheists were feeling trod-upon.Of course, we want to balance our interest in protecting people's choices with the fact that businesses need to be able to hire people and have a sense that they'll generally work core hours. What I mean to say is that businesses and contracts shouldn't get screwed over just because someone gets a morality adjustment. I think the freedom from religion laws were invented specifically to protect minority religions and then nonbelief got shoehorned into those protections.
That invites religious discrimination in hiring and retention. It is a violation of EEOC regulations to inquire into an applicant's religion or religious beliefs and practices. It's also a violation to deliberately discriminate against an employee and their religious needs. The rules that determine when an employer's demands that infringe on an employee's religious needs are exceeding complex, for good reason.In my opinion, no sabbath should be respected collectively. Employers should work with their employees on a case by case basis and employees should be expected to make their personal "religious" holidays and practices clear and included in their personnel folder.
Sadly, secular needs for kid time aren't protected by the First Amendment. Fortunately, religion has largely provided for such time for everyone. If you want Saturday with your kids, convert to Judaism. If you want Sunday, convert to Catholicism.In my case, I'd block out days in which I needed to be available for my children. That matters to me more than religion or lack of one. And I think that value would drive me as far as faith in a personal savior drove anyone.
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"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
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"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
The thing is, atheism - lack of belief in gods, or the belief that there are no gods - is not something that is "followed." It is a belief, but it is not something believed AND followed. You can't follow atheism because it doesn't go anywhere. It just is. It's like devotedly believing that the moon is made of green cheese or that water is wet. It's not a religion under definition 6 because while they are beliefs, they aren't beliefs that are "followed."Seth wrote:Nice try, but you're committing the fallacy of hasty generalization.camoguard wrote:I've got a related subtopic that I hope can help us dial into if atheism is a religion or not.
Here is a definition of religion from an online dictionary with comments.I think only two of the above definitions are useful for arguing what is or isn't a religion. Points 1 and 2.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion wrote:re·li·gion
[ri-lij-uhn]
–noun
1.
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3.
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4.
the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5.
the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6.
something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.
7.
religions, Archaic . religious rites.
8.
Archaic . strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow.
The pertinent definition, and the one I have been using, is definition 6.
Religions are religions because they set courses of action. They have things like commandments, ethics, rules, requirements, dogmas, etc. A mere belief is not a religion. A belief that is a point or matter of ethics or conscience is something that can be followed, and if it is believed AND followed then it can be a religion. Atheism demands nothing ethically and demands nothing of conscience.
I don't know why not. Based on what I know, I don't believe there are any gods. That makes me about .01% different than a monotheist. He believes there aren't any gods except one. I believe that there aren't any gods with no exceptions.Seth wrote:
I can't even get most atheists to admit they hold a belief, so things go slowly.
I have reasons for my belief. And, my belief is not religious under any definition listed above.
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Coito ergo sum wrote: The thing is, atheism - lack of belief in gods, or the belief that there are no gods - is not something that is "followed."
It can be.It is a belief, but it is not something believed AND followed.
Depends on what you mean by "follow." If you believe that the moon is made of green cheese, and you construct a set of dogmas and practices you follow devotedly around that belief, like sacrifice-in-effigy of the Green Cheese Moon through devoted observance of cheese-and-crackers consumption by the light of the full Green Cheese Moon, and you wear a Green Cheese Moon cheese-head hat to demonstrate your belief that the Green Cheese Moon is essential to the existence of life on earth, you've created a religion based on the belief. The same thing is true of atheism.You can't follow atheism because it doesn't go anywhere. It just is. It's like devotedly believing that the moon is made of green cheese or that water is wet. It's not a religion under definition 6 because while they are beliefs, they aren't beliefs that are "followed."
Religions are religions because they set courses of action.
They are matters of ethics or conscience followed devotedly.
Generally, to one extent or the other, yes.They have things like commandments, ethics, rules, requirements, dogmas, etc.
As I have REPEATEDLY taken great pains to point out.A mere belief is not a religion.
It demands nothing, but this does not mean that beliefs and practices based in the proposition that gods do not exist cannot, or do not do so, and therefore it is possible for the aggregate system of beliefs and practices, founded in the notion that gods do not exist, can be followed devotedly, as a matter of ethics or conscience, and therefore be classified as a religion.A belief that is a point or matter of ethics or conscience is something that can be followed, and if it is believed AND followed then it can be a religion. Atheism demands nothing ethically and demands nothing of conscience.
Nobody said it was.I have reasons for my belief. And, my belief is not religious under any definition listed above.
"Seth is Grandmaster Zen Troll who trains his victims to troll themselves every time they think of him" Robert_S
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
It can't be. Explain how one can "follow" not believing in gods. You can't - not any more than you can "follow" not believing in dogs.Seth wrote:Coito ergo sum wrote: The thing is, atheism - lack of belief in gods, or the belief that there are no gods - is not something that is "followed."It can be.It is a belief, but it is not something believed AND followed.
Atheism doesn't have a set of dogmas and practices. That's the point. Some atheists adopt various practices or ethical systems, etc. - but, that's not atheism - that's atheism plus whatever philosophy/ethics they are following. An atheist can be an objectivist on the one hand, or a communist on the other. There is no religion of atheism. There are atheists who may act dogmatically - but atheism is not a religion.Seth wrote:Depends on what you mean by "follow." If you believe that the moon is made of green cheese, and you construct a set of dogmas and practices you follow devotedly around that belief, like sacrifice-in-effigy of the Green Cheese Moon through devoted observance of cheese-and-crackers consumption by the light of the full Green Cheese Moon, and you wear a Green Cheese Moon cheese-head hat to demonstrate your belief that the Green Cheese Moon is essential to the existence of life on earth, you've created a religion based on the belief. The same thing is true of atheism.You can't follow atheism because it doesn't go anywhere. It just is. It's like devotedly believing that the moon is made of green cheese or that water is wet. It's not a religion under definition 6 because while they are beliefs, they aren't beliefs that are "followed."
And, atheism isn't. If you say it is, what ethics/conscience is required of atheists?Seth wrote:Religions are religions because they set courses of action.
They are matters of ethics or conscience followed devotedly.
And, atheism doesn't. If you say it does, what are they?Seth wrote:Generally, to one extent or the other, yes.They have things like commandments, ethics, rules, requirements, dogmas, etc.
Then you should stop calling atheism a religion, because atheism a mere belief.Seth wrote:As I have REPEATEDLY taken great pains to point out.A mere belief is not a religion.
There no beliefs and practices "founded in the notion that gods do not exist." And, even if there are, atheism is not and does not involve any practices, and it only involves one, single belief: the belief that there is no god. Anything other than that is not atheism. It's some other thing.Seth wrote:It demands nothing, but this does not mean that beliefs and practices based in the proposition that gods do not exist cannot, or do not do so, and therefore it is possible for the aggregate system of beliefs and practices, founded in the notion that gods do not exist, can be followed devotedly, as a matter of ethics or conscience, and therefore be classified as a religion.A belief that is a point or matter of ethics or conscience is something that can be followed, and if it is believed AND followed then it can be a religion. Atheism demands nothing ethically and demands nothing of conscience.
Because atheism is not a religion, nor is it religious.Seth wrote:Nobody said it was.I have reasons for my belief. And, my belief is not religious under any definition listed above.
Many atheists have strongly held philosophies. That doesn't make atheism a philosophy.
Likewise, if an atheist follows some set of ethics or morals religiously, or has some wacky woo dogma about whatever - that doesn't mean there is a religion of atheism.
The title of this thread is "did you know that Atheism is a religion?" No. It isn't. And, it isn't capitalized either. Atheism in the middle of a sentence is "atheism," not "Atheism." It has a small "a" because it isn't a proper noun like, say, Christianity, or Judaism, or Buddhism, or Islam. Those religions are capitalized. If atheism was a religion, it would be capitalized too. Good enough for the Oxford English Dictionary, good enough for me.
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Done it many times, in this thread. Go read it.Coito ergo sum wrote:It can't be. Explain how one can "follow" not believing in gods. You can't - not any more than you can "follow" not believing in dogs.Seth wrote:Coito ergo sum wrote: The thing is, atheism - lack of belief in gods, or the belief that there are no gods - is not something that is "followed."It can be.It is a belief, but it is not something believed AND followed.
Atheism doesn't have a set of dogmas and practices. That's the point.
But Atheism does. Here's one claim: there are no gods. That'll do.
Right, that's Atheism.Some atheists adopt various practices or ethical systems, etc. - but, that's not atheism
I'm not calling atheism a religion, I'm calling Atheism a religion, or a set of religious sects.Then you should stop calling atheism a religion, because atheism a mere belief.
Sure there is: Atheism.There no beliefs and practices "founded in the notion that gods do not exist."
Except there is: Atheism.Likewise, if an atheist follows some set of ethics or morals religiously, or has some wacky woo dogma about whatever - that doesn't mean there is a religion of atheism.
Yes, it is.The title of this thread is "did you know that Atheism is a religion?" No. It isn't.
Self evidently it is. Do you need to clean your glasses?And, it isn't capitalized either.
Not in this case.Atheism in the middle of a sentence is "atheism," not "Atheism."
Stodgy old OED, they're way behind the times. The lexicon constantly changes, and "Atheism" is a proper noun describing the religious practice of atheism because it fits the facts and is therefore an appropriate usage when applied to the doctrine of Atheism. Go look up "coinage." The OED will get around to it eventually.It has a small "a" because it isn't a proper noun like, say, Christianity, or Judaism, or Buddhism, or Islam. Those religions are capitalized. If atheism was a religion, it would be capitalized too. Good enough for the Oxford English Dictionary, good enough for me.
In the meantime, I refer you to this (emphasis added):
a·the·ism
/ˈeɪθiˌɪzəm/ Show Spelled[ey-thee-iz-uhm] Show IPA
–noun
1.
the doctrine or belief that there is no god.
2.
disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.
Use atheism in a Sentence
See images of atheism
Search atheism on the Web
Origin:
1580–90; < Greek áthe(os) godless + -ism
—Related forms
an·ti·a·the·ism, adjective, noun
pro·a·the·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.
"Seth is Grandmaster Zen Troll who trains his victims to troll themselves every time they think of him" Robert_S
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
I think religion is a cancer on society that poisons everything it touches and if I thought it could be removed from society without causing more harm than good I would support it.
Thats nothing to do with me being an atheist capital letter or not and everything to do with me being reasonable intelligent, in fact even if I believed in god(s) I would almost certainly think the same way about religion
Thats nothing to do with me being an atheist capital letter or not and everything to do with me being reasonable intelligent, in fact even if I believed in god(s) I would almost certainly think the same way about religion
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Boardside: An unaimed volley of iron balls, launched with the hope that one or more of them would eventually strike home. The system is antiquated and been replaced by more accurate and more effective means of fire control. Some backward forces still cling to the broadside however, as they are incapable of handling anymore more precise.
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
So environmentalism is a religion? I want to be able to agree upon a definition that allows Catholicism and discards political fantacism, sports fandom and nationalism. If all of those are religions to you, then I'm wasting my time trying to distinguish anything.Seth wrote:Nice try, but you're committing the fallacy of hasty generalization.camoguard wrote:I've got a related subtopic that I hope can help us dial into if atheism is a religion or not.
Here is a definition of religion from an online dictionary with comments.I think only two of the above definitions are useful for arguing what is or isn't a religion. Points 1 and 2.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion wrote:re·li·gion
SNIP
The pertinent definition, and the one I have been using, is definition 6.
You wish to limit the scope of the discussion only to those definitions that support your preference that only "spiritual" or classically theistic religions fit and exclude the more general form defined by 6. But that's pettifoggery. You don't pick the definition and then see if the behavior fits within it, you observe the behavior and then see if one of the definitions fits.
We're arguing whether ANY definition of religion can be applied to ANY sort of atheistic belief and practice.And I think the U.S. case law has supported the idea that the religion that is protected is the individual and subjective kind which includes nonbelief and might include environmentalism for all we know. And I want to make sure I know which form of "religion" we're arguing for or against here.
I can't even get most atheists to admit they hold a belief, so things go slowly.
Last edited by camoguard on Thu May 05, 2011 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Dude, I'm not stuck in your bible thumping days of yore here. I'm advocating for change where it needs to happen. Also, this is a side topic and I'm not going any further on it on this thread. You can take your opinion on this to the other thread if you'd like.Seth wrote:camoguard wrote:Well you need a way to define a protection so that people understand the relationship between their choices and their rights. In my opinion, religion and morality got entwined and that entanglement is represented even in our laws and founding documents. Individual moral choices should be given the weight and respect just as religiously motivated moral choices are granted protections.charlou wrote: Yes! an interesting and important distinction ... But is a ritual, or a moral or ethical stance only worth protecting if it's considered a religion or to have a religious basis? Really?
Religion and morality are left hand and right hand. They are part and parcel. They are inseparable because morality, in main, is the product of religious belief and practice. For most of human history religion was the basis for moral judgment, and law was its secular codification of religious belief.
Virtually all moral choices are, in the end, matters of religion, because they are "something followed devotedly, as a matter of ethics or conscience."
Er, there are no "freedom FROM religion laws in the U.S. There are only freedom OF religion laws. But you are right, such laws, and indeed the Constitution itself was written specifically to protect minority religions, and yes, irreligion got shoehorned in because atheists were feeling trod-upon.Of course, we want to balance our interest in protecting people's choices with the fact that businesses need to be able to hire people and have a sense that they'll generally work core hours. What I mean to say is that businesses and contracts shouldn't get screwed over just because someone gets a morality adjustment. I think the freedom from religion laws were invented specifically to protect minority religions and then nonbelief got shoehorned into those protections.
That invites religious discrimination in hiring and retention. It is a violation of EEOC regulations to inquire into an applicant's religion or religious beliefs and practices. It's also a violation to deliberately discriminate against an employee and their religious needs. The rules that determine when an employer's demands that infringe on an employee's religious needs are exceeding complex, for good reason.In my opinion, no sabbath should be respected collectively. Employers should work with their employees on a case by case basis and employees should be expected to make their personal "religious" holidays and practices clear and included in their personnel folder.
Sadly, secular needs for kid time aren't protected by the First Amendment. Fortunately, religion has largely provided for such time for everyone. If you want Saturday with your kids, convert to Judaism. If you want Sunday, convert to Catholicism.In my case, I'd block out days in which I needed to be available for my children. That matters to me more than religion or lack of one. And I think that value would drive me as far as faith in a personal savior drove anyone.
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Not liking religion and wanting to do something about it is politics (if you want to call it a 'religion' if its very important to you well possibly)
But atheism (or Atheism) is nothing to do not liking religion
But atheism (or Atheism) is nothing to do not liking religion
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Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
I don' t play that game. If you've "done it many times" then just quickly cut-and-paste what you think is the explanation, and post it here.Seth wrote:Done it many times, in this thread. Go read it.Coito ergo sum wrote:It can't be. Explain how one can "follow" not believing in gods. You can't - not any more than you can "follow" not believing in dogs.Seth wrote:Coito ergo sum wrote: The thing is, atheism - lack of belief in gods, or the belief that there are no gods - is not something that is "followed."It can be.It is a belief, but it is not something believed AND followed.
I think you're missing a key feature of something called a "set." And, the word "plural" seems to elude you.Seth wrote:Atheism doesn't have a set of dogmas and practices. That's the point.
But Atheism does. Here's one claim: there are no gods. That'll do.
A belief is, moreover, neither a dogma, nor a practice. Those are different words, and they mean different things. Atheism is a belief. It is not a dogma or a practice, and you can't follow it. It's a belief like "I believe my desk is made of wood." No matter how strongly I believe that and even if I take it completely on faith, it's not a religion. If I add worshiping the desk to the mix, of course, then it becomes a religion. See the difference?
No, it isn't. Atheism is the lack of belief in gods, or the belief that there are not gods. Whether you capitalize it or not is immaterial.Seth wrote:Right, that's Atheism.Some atheists adopt various practices or ethical systems, etc. - but, that's not atheism
Nonsense. Atheism is the belief that there are no gods, or the lack of belief in gods. That's it. Anything else is not atheism, and whether you capitalize it or not is immaterial.Seth wrote:I'm not calling atheism a religion, I'm calling Atheism a religion, or a set of religious sects.Then you should stop calling atheism a religion, because atheism a mere belief.
No there isn't.Seth wrote:Sure there is: Atheism.There no beliefs and practices "founded in the notion that gods do not exist."
Whatever this "Atheism"is you speak of, it's not atheism. It's something else. In other words, you're just playing a rhetorical game. It's the dishonest game of attributing to atheists beliefs that most of them don't hold, and then renaming it capital A Atheism to pretend that atheist follow atheism religiously. It's just the silly theist game of trying to argue that atheists are just as bad as theists.
The argument is stupid, because even if you're right you've only succeeded in showing that atheists are just as retarded as theists. Either way, theists are still retarded.
That's not a religion of atheism. That's what Seth is making up in his own mind and it bears no resemblance to reality.Seth wrote:Except there is: Atheism.Likewise, if an atheist follows some set of ethics or morals religiously, or has some wacky woo dogma about whatever - that doesn't mean there is a religion of atheism.
Isn't. Even by your own definition, it flat out doesn't meet the definition of "religion."Seth wrote:Yes, it is.The title of this thread is "did you know that Atheism is a religion?" No. It isn't.
Not properly capitalized. Only someone inventing words that don't exist capitalize it. It isn't capitalized because "Atheist" is notSeth wrote:Self evidently it is. Do you need to clean your glasses?And, it isn't capitalized either.
Not in this case.[/quote]Atheism in the middle of a sentence is "atheism," not "Atheism."
Only in your mind.
Why don't you set forth the dogmas and practices of the religion of "Atheism?"
"atheism" has no religious practices.Seth wrote:Stodgy old OED, they're way behind the times. The lexicon constantly changes, and "Atheism" is a proper noun describing the religious practice of atheism because it fits the facts and is therefore an appropriate usage when applied to the doctrine of Atheism. Go look up "coinage." The OED will get around to it eventually.It has a small "a" because it isn't a proper noun like, say, Christianity, or Judaism, or Buddhism, or Islam. Those religions are capitalized. If atheism was a religion, it would be capitalized too. Good enough for the Oxford English Dictionary, good enough for me.
Exactly. And, that definition supports my position. A "doctrine or belief" is not a "set" or a "dogma" or a "practice" (let alone, plural).Seth wrote:
In the meantime, I refer you to this (emphasis added):
a·the·ism
/ˈeɪθiˌɪzəm/ Show Spelled[ey-thee-iz-uhm] Show IPA
–noun
1.
the doctrine or belief that there is no god.
2.
disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.
Use atheism in a Sentence
See images of atheism
Search atheism on the Web
Origin:
1580–90; < Greek áthe(os) godless + -ism
—Related forms
an·ti·a·the·ism, adjective, noun
pro·a·the·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Right, you want to define "religion" as being exclusively belief/practice sets that include supernatural deities because it's convenient to your desire to keep Atheism out of the definition of religion.camoguard wrote:So environmentalism is a religion? I want to be able to agree upon a definition that allows Catholicism and discards political fantacism, sports fandom and nationalism. If all of those are religions to you, then I'm wasting my time trying to distinguish anything.Seth wrote:Nice try, but you're committing the fallacy of hasty generalization.camoguard wrote:I've got a related subtopic that I hope can help us dial into if atheism is a religion or not.
Here is a definition of religion from an online dictionary with comments.I think only two of the above definitions are useful for arguing what is or isn't a religion. Points 1 and 2.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion wrote:re·li·gion
SNIP
The pertinent definition, and the one I have been using, is definition 6.
You wish to limit the scope of the discussion only to those definitions that support your preference that only "spiritual" or classically theistic religions fit and exclude the more general form defined by 6. But that's pettifoggery. You don't pick the definition and then see if the behavior fits within it, you observe the behavior and then see if one of the definitions fits.
We're arguing whether ANY definition of religion can be applied to ANY sort of atheistic belief and practice.And I think the U.S. case law has supported the idea that the religion that is protected is the individual and subjective kind which includes nonbelief and might include environmentalism for all we know. And I want to make sure I know which form of "religion" we're arguing for or against here.
I can't even get most atheists to admit they hold a belief, so things go slowly.
Unfortunately for you, the theistic definition of religion is no longer the ONLY definition, and other, broader definitions of religion apply, including the one I use, precisely because it is a observed fact that people who follow a belief/practice set devotedly, as a matter of conscience or ethics, are, at the core, functioning exactly the same way as Catholics or other theists, and further, a number of non-theistic religions exist, and have existed for, in some cases, thousands of years.
It's a case of "if the shoe fits, wear it." If it looks like a religion, waddles like a religion and quacks like a religion, it's a religion. That this may include things you don't traditionally think of as religion merely indicates a narrowness of perspective on your part, not a defect in the definition, which is sufficiently clear and precise for the experts at Random House to include in their dictionary. I value their expertise and judgment more than yours.
Your complaint is very typical of atheist argumentation. It reflects an antipathy and hatred of "religion," which is actually antipathy towards THEISM, that clouds rational thought to a rather remarkable degree. In order to maintain a sense of ethical purity, Atheists of the radical variety must be able to attack "religion" as a general concept because it is often beyond their capacity to nuance their arguments and direct them against specific individual theists, or specific theistic claims, ideas or actions. It's much simpler for them to attack "religion" as a propaganda tool, and so they balk at any suggesting that their own behavior might be precisely the sort of thing they are complaining about with regard to theists, such as expressions of prejudice, bigotry and intolerance based in a religious belief. No few vocal radical Atheists are precisely as stupid, ignorant, prejudiced, ignorant, intolerant and irrational as Fred Phelps and his ilk, and it's worth pointing out that they are every bit as much religious zealots as the Phelps clan is.
Debunking this bigoted, prejudiced propaganda and exposing Atheism for what it often is, a bigoted, intolerant, cruel, dismissive, disruptive, morally bankrupt ideology is one of my favorite pastimes.
"Seth is Grandmaster Zen Troll who trains his victims to troll themselves every time they think of him" Robert_S
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Why don't you just stick to saying you don't like lefties (or anyone to the left of Ghengis Kahn), you're on a lot safer ground.Debunking this bigoted, prejudiced propaganda and exposing Atheism for what it often is, a bigoted, intolerant, cruel, dismissive, disruptive, morally bankrupt ideology is one of my favorite pastimes.
When only criminals carry guns the police know exactly who to shoot!
Re: So Neo, did you know that Atheism is a religion?
Because this is so much more fun.MrJonno wrote:Why don't you just stick to saying you don't like lefties (or anyone to the left of Ghengis Kahn), you're on a lot safer ground.Debunking this bigoted, prejudiced propaganda and exposing Atheism for what it often is, a bigoted, intolerant, cruel, dismissive, disruptive, morally bankrupt ideology is one of my favorite pastimes.
"Seth is Grandmaster Zen Troll who trains his victims to troll themselves every time they think of him" Robert_S
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Those who support denying anyone the right to keep and bear arms for personal defense are fully complicit in every crime that might have been prevented had the victim been effectively armed." Seth
© 2013/2014/2015/2016 Seth, all rights reserved. No reuse, republication, duplication, or derivative work is authorized.
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