Is atheism a belief? Religion?

Miles · Apr 14, 2014

It's a simple question in my opinion, but I had an argument with my dad about this topic.

So, do you think atheism is a belief? Do you think atheism is a religion?

I personally do think atheism is a belief; but not a religion.

EDIT: Excuse me I totally wrote the wrong title for this definition: As from Google: "RELIGION: the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods."

I think the question about it being a belief is a question easier argued.

Seven · Apr 14, 2014

Atheism is in no way shape or form a religion. They do not believe in any religion. That is the point of atheism. It is the denial of religion.

Miles · Apr 14, 2014

Sintation said:
Atheism is in no way shape or form a religion. They do not believe in any religion. That is the point of atheism. It is the denial of religion.

What do you say about it being a belief?

Nevermind · Apr 14, 2014

Atheism is simply the absence of a religion or belief in god. It is in no way a religion.

Aura · Apr 14, 2014

I think your definition is messed up, bro. The answer here is really neither. Atheism is the default position. We are all born atheists. It is the lack of belief in a god. I would argue that an atheist can still nurture the idea of a creator (or an alternative point of origin) just not a god. I think more people are anti-theists but they call themselves atheists. And of course plenty are both, like myself.

Miles · Apr 14, 2014

Alt said:
I think your definition is messed up, bro. The answer here is really neither. Atheism is the default position. We are all born atheists. It is the lack of belief in a god. I would argue that an atheist can still nurture the idea of a creator (or an alternative point of origin) just not a god. I think more people are anti-theists but they call themselves atheists. And of course plenty are both, like myself.

Agnostic also. I think that if you nurture the idea of a creator you're more agnostic? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Leader said:
Atheism is simply the absence of a religion or belief in god. It is in no way a religion.

Do you think atheism is a belief?

Aura · Apr 14, 2014

@Sintation your post is a perfect example of what I was referring to. Atheism is not the rejection of religion, it is the rejection of a god. Anti-theism is the rejection of religion. Again, I would say most atheists are anti theists. But they aren't the same.

@Miles, I think the fairest position is to be an Agnostic Atheist, reinforced by anti-theism. I don't see how anyone can claim to be a Gnostic Atheist or Theist. Gnosticism isn't logical, there simply is no way to know 1000% in this human experience

Nevermind · Apr 14, 2014

Miles said:
Do you think atheism is a belief?

No. It is the absence of a belief. Every atheist is also agnostic. They are one in the same. Agnosticism is merely absence of knowledge, which atheists admit.

Solar · Apr 14, 2014

Atheism is in no way, shape, or form a religion or a belief. Actually, it's quite the opposite: the very lack of a belief.

Beats · Apr 14, 2014

I would have to side with the fact that Atheism is not a religion. Atheists claim that Atheism is a religion but in in reality it is not. A religion is something to believe in. So it couldn't be neither a religion nor a belief.

Jamil · Apr 14, 2014

As an atheist I think it is a belief, we don't comform to religions or entities.

Solar · Apr 14, 2014

Jamil said:
As an atheist I think it is a belief, we don't comform to religions or entities.

What, exactly, would render atheism a belief?

Spectra · Apr 25, 2014

From the knowledge I had gained, I was under the impression that atheism is LABELLED as a religion, although not necessarily meeting the criteria to be a valid religion. For a belief, anything and everything is a belief, for example, you can choose to believe me right not or not. It's all a matter of opinion, atheists choose not to believe in any established religion.

TL;DR not a religion, 100% a belief

Shadow · Apr 26, 2014

A religion is a (organized) practice of a belief in something. All because you do not believe in god(s), doesn't mean it's a religion. Religion has rituals, ceremonies etc to celebrate gods; with that being said when someone is an atheist all i have ever heard is them bashing religion because it's not 'provable'. Now let me say this a different way, if i believed Obama was white and told people he is a honky ass cracker box is that a religion? Atheists don't go to somewhere once a week to practice this belief, nor practice it except when religion is brought up. It can also be argued otherwise as well because what if i worshiped my toaster because it turns shit tasting bread to warm, toasty, butter-spreadable yummy yeast??

Figure it out.

Cann!bal · Apr 26, 2014

Spectra said:
From the knowledge I had gained, I was under the impression that atheism is LABELLED as a religion, although not necessarily meeting the criteria to be a valid religion. For a belief, anything and everything is a belief, for example, you can choose to believe me right not or not. It's all a matter of opinion, atheists choose not to believe in any established religion.

TL;DR not a religion, 100% a belief

Being an atheist does not imply you follow no religion. Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a god, so are therefore atheists. (This is another reason why it's not a religion for if it was a religion, it would withhold multiple religions within its one religion. Full on religions cannot be sects in a religion. No one calls theism a religion, so it's contrapositive should receive the same courtesy.)

It's a lack of belief, not a belief. The absence of a belief in a deity due to lack of evidence. It cannot be a belief if the belief is absent, like how a red firetruck cannot be accurately labeled a purple firetruck if purple is absent.

Spectra · Apr 26, 2014

Cann!bal said:
Being an atheist does not imply you follow no religion. Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a god, so are therefore atheists. (This is another reason why it's not a religion for if it was a religion, it would withhold multiple religions within its one religion. Full on religions cannot be sects in a religion. No one calls theism a religion, so it's contrapositive should receive the same courtesy.)

It's a lack of belief, not a belief. The absence of a belief in a deity due to lack of evidence. It cannot be a belief if the belief is absent, like how a red firetruck cannot be accurately labeled a purple firetruck if purple is absent.

They believe there is no "God" or any other spiritual object of worship, which would make it a belief. A belief does not have to be for something, you can believe in the absence of something.

Nevermind · Apr 26, 2014

Spectra said:
They believe there is no "God" or any other spiritual object of worship, which would make it a belief. A belief does not have to be for something, you can believe in the absence of something.

Absence of a belief is not a belief. Is the fact that I don't believe in a flying unicorn who grants wishes a belief? No. That's silly.

Spectra · Apr 26, 2014

Leader said:
Absence of a belief is not a belief. Is the fact that I don't believe in a flying unicorn who grants wishes a belief? No. That's silly.

You're taking the phrase literally, "absence of belief" certainly sounds like there is no belief in place, however a disbelief is a type of belief, of which Atheism is a disbelief of religions. I thought this was implied by my statement, if not sorry for the misunderstanding but now I hope you get where I was getting at.

Nevermind · Apr 26, 2014

Spectra said:
You're taking the phrase literally, "absence of belief" certainly sounds like there is no belief in place, however a disbelief is a type of belief, of which Atheism is a disbelief of religions. I thought this was implied by my statement, if not sorry for the misunderstanding but now I hope you get where I was getting at.

Atheism is a rejection of faith-based beliefs, which then implies a rejection of belief in gods, religions, etc. However, that doesn't make it a belief. It is simply the absence of beliefs in these things.

Spectra · Apr 26, 2014

Leader said:
Atheism is a rejection of faith-based beliefs, which then implies a rejection of belief in gods, religions, etc. However, that doesn't make it a belief. It is simply the absence of beliefs in these things.

I agreed with you, I know what Atheism is, what I was saying is Atheism is a DISBELIEF, which I though I had implied earlier.

Is atheism a belief? Religion?

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