tallowood wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 9:28am:


How is denying god exists a religion though?

tallowood wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 9:37am:


I'm not sure what you are trying to say here - I am making a questionable assumption? or using circular logic?

What about denying the existence of god is religious? 

The logic is pretty simple.  There is no evidence of god, so I do not believe that he exists.

Kytro wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 9:48am:


You do.
1 Your ritorical question is part of your religious system.
2 You are atheist.

1+2=3 (or would you deny it?)

3 Therefore atheism is religion.

muso wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 9:56am:


I prefer to leave it at "I know that atheism is religion".

Big Bang God started all this 

Tallowood,

I posted this on another thread. Now maybe your experience of atheists has been mainly with vocal über atheists on line, but my experience is that the majority of atheists couldn't care less about arguing their point.  The thing that gives me the sh**s is that the majority of atheists are being lumped in with the vocal ones - that's all.

For example, I know somebody who has played the church organ for years. He's an atheist, but he still enjoys attending church services and he doesn't see the harm in it. Tell him he has a religious belief and he'll probably think about it for a while, then smile.

As far as I am concerned, I don't believe in God, but I have prayed with somebody on one occasion because I thought it was a supportive thing to do. I have said grace at formal functions because I don't particularly want to make a scene. I can also see the benefits of religion to people.

"We've had this discussion before, but I don't think atheism per se is a religion by any definition of the term. Some atheists (über atheists) are probably religious fundamentalists of the second degree, but they are only a small but vocal subset, and do nothing except to proselytise their own brand of atheism, pontificate in a smug self righteous manner, generally reinforce the views of similar smug pontificating fundamentalist theists and in the process annoy the hell out of the silent majority of atheists who want no part of any of it. "

In summary, I have thought out my particular belief system in great depth, and I know perfectly well you can't prove anything.  I don't believe what I can prove to be right. I believe what seems to me to be right, and I don't think I'm much different from anyone else in that respect. We're not logical computers, we're biological organisms.  

(Final Final post)  

tallowood wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 9:55am:


Rhetorical question?  I'm afraid you lost me.

tallowood wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 12:21pm:


I have reviewed the thread and see a few arguments in favour of classifying atheism as a religion but nothing terribly convincing.

Not that it matters greatly, it is the religious beliefs themselves, not what they are called that matter.

tallowood wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 1:12pm:


Yes, you keep mentioning "religion of denial" without clarifying just what you mean.

It's vague.  Atheists deny what? A god? everything?  Religion of denial is hardly an explanation.

Those who don't believe in the Easter bunny, are they part of some religion of denial too?