Official ATHEIST/AGNOSTIC THREAD

[Hyde Parke]

Atheists and religious folk hold the same amount of conviction in their belief and non-belief. Both are 100% sure that there is/isn't a God..

ive been saying this for some time, but people dont want to hear that, refuse to understand it for some reason.

 

[Fazeem_Blackall]

so Far 2 atheists have said no they do not feel atheism is a religion unto itself but have also defaulted on points of argument on what actual atheism is which is a belief that people hold to a level of conviction and faithfull self assurity that there is no god/higher spiritual power but these same 2 also seem to appear more agnostic then atheistic in the traditional sense. Very interesting...

 

[VIBE]

Religion has practices that are devoted to it's belief, prayers, attendance of a church/get together/function/mass etc, reading/studying of religious texts, healing, fasting etc. Then the obvious, a belief in a higher power.

Does Atheism hold any practices that would make it a religion? That's how I look at at, that's how it's explained. Unless I'm wrong and I'm just seeing it the way I want to. I dunno...

 

[Fazeem_Blackall]

Religion has practices that are devoted to it's belief, prayers, attendance of a church/get together/function/mass etc, reading/studying of religious texts, healing, fasting etc. Then the obvious, a belief in a higher power.

Does Atheism hold any practices that would make it a religion? That's how I look at at, that's how it's explained. Unless I'm wrong and I'm just seeing it the way I want to. I dunno...

I would say you are just seeing it how you want to as many religions are based soley upon common belief and conviction of that belief, now level of devotion and conviction can sometimes be assessed to measure how relgious they are.

Example a catholic that attends Mass Every week and a catholic that does not go to church, are they both not still catholic because they call themselves so based on similar/same belief sets?

The same application can be applied to atheism as there are publications meetings and social gatherings based on that shared belief for the strongly convicted but those that do not participate in those activites are considered just as much athiest because they share the same set of beliefs...

 

[alissowack]

but thats what we are all doing right? Saying, thats all we have,no? the bible even states "in the beginning was the "word" and the "word" was with god. so we have words, bridged by concepts.

Well, there is a difference between "the word" being with God and "the word" being with man. I can say whatever words I want to say to who God is. But, it doesn't mean that I am the final say in who God is and that where more of the problem lies...too many people are saying they know and not just from different religions, but also within the same religion...which probably says more about our confusion that people can look at the same texts and come to different perspectives.

 

[Hyde Parke]

Well, there is a difference between "the word" being with God and "the word" being with man. I can say whatever words I want to say to who God is. But, it doesn't mean that I am the final say in who God is and that where more of the problem lies...too many people are saying they know and not just from different religions, but also within the same religion...which probably says more about our confusion that people can look at the same texts and come to different perspectives.

yeah, i guess i am confused. isnt the whole premise of the bible to "know god" ? So isnt it logical for people to even hold the assumption that they do? that is what it teaches.
.

i

 

[And Step]

Yes, yes it does. Atheists just have a superiority complex towards theistic religions because they're a more logical bunch.

Not all of them. Some just mouth the theories of their leading thinkers just because such and such said so. They suspend critical thinking just like religious people if it validates their world view. If you were to corner some of them and ask them to explain what they mean they would be found wanting. Atheist have develped their own little cottage industry and cult following themselves, where the elite minority disseminate what they want to their adherants who gobble it up.

 

[Jonas.dini]

Religious people believe nonsensical foolishness for no reason, and they'll tell you that themselves altho not in so many words. Atheists reject that nonsensical foolishness because there is no reason to believe it.

A religious person who refuses to acknowledge the obvious difference is being disingenuous imo, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter because all the serious people in the world have basically the same position on religion:

[video=youtube;PT3MH8876YI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT3MH8876YI[/video]

 

[VIBE]

What does it matter to put Atheism into a category of religion? What does it change if it is or isn't?

 

[Fazeem_Blackall]

What does it matter to put Atheism into a category of religion? What does it change if it is or isn't?

IS the classification offending you? You seem a bit defensive about it, but on the same note why not clarify whether atheism as whole can be categorized as a religion. It has already been established that some religions which are recognised as such incorprate atheism into the belief system used, so much like in christianity or ISlam or even Judism or Hindu it has smaller offshoots incorporating a base premise, atheism appears to have the same level of denominations as other religions...

 

[nujerz84]

I dont consider it a religion they just dont believe in a god or whatever and thats it..Of course you have the fringe element of those whose take there atheist beleives to the extreme but its rare I dont consider it a relgion

 

[VIBE]

IS the classification offending you? You seem a bit defensive about it, but on the same note why not clarify whether atheism as whole can be categorized as a religion. It has already been established that some religions which are recognised as such incorprate atheism into the belief system used, so much like in christianity or ISlam or even Judism or Hindu it has smaller offshoots incorporating a base premise, atheism appears to have the same level of denominations as other religions...

Offensive? Nah, I just don't see the point in trying so hard to elaborate on Atheism and try to classify it. If it was a religion, then it would've already been considered it. The fact that we cannot decided whether it is or not just means it's not. I'm just trying now to see what's the point in trying to say it is a religion, does it change something or what?

 

[Fazeem_Blackall]

Offensive? Nah, I just don't see the point in trying so hard to elaborate on Atheism and try to classify it. If it was a religion, then it would've already been considered it. The fact that we cannot decided whether it is or not just means it's not. I'm just trying now to see what's the point in trying to say it is a religion, does it change something or what?

Well that premise is not true either as some obviously do consider it a religion or cult, in some established religions it is a prime prinicple, my point in discussing was to spark conversation and debate on the matter which is why I thought we are all here. And agreement on status does not make or negat3e something from being what it is so the lack of uniformity on even what atheism is or stands for leave tons of room for interpretation. Let me ask this if you do not like a subject or the basis why bother discussing it? The classification and religious status holds even more significane when we are discussing it here in this forum because if it is not a type of religion and defintely not a race then why is it even discussed in this forum???

 

[alissowack]

yeah, i guess i am confused. isnt the whole premise of the bible to "know god" ? So isnt it logical for people to even hold the assumption that they do? that is what it teaches.

.

i

Yes, the premise is to know God. However, in what way? Is knowing God like knowing facts; getting a detailed profile and statistics on what He does and His Success Rate in doing the things He says...or is knowing God like knowing a person...a relational commitment to the possibility that He is what He says He is?

 

[janklow]

I'm told I'm not an "atheist" but "agnostic", but yet I don't believe in a god yet I think it's "possible" for there to be one.

how confident are you that there is no god/gods

 

[b*braze]

i think its the opposite of religion... but religious folks like to call it a religion so they feel better about themselves when religion is getting roasted for being dumb.

kind of a "you do it to!!!" type thing

 

[Jonas.dini]

i think its the opposite of religion... but religious folks like to call it a religion so they feel better about themselves when religion is getting roasted for being dumb.

kind of a "you do it to!!!" type thing

Co-sizzle
.........

 

[VIBE]

Bro, tell me you didn't forget that all parables and Prophecy in the bible...mostly all happened to one person, but was put in the bible to remind of what happens to all of God's children...lol....surely you don't think Jeremiah is the only one that God ever knew, before he put each of us trillions of humans in the womb, since the start of Mankind?

We know a "parable" when we see one, this was no damn parable.

 

[VIBE]

how confident are you that there is no god/gods

I'm 100% confident there isn't a god.

 

[Fazeem_Blackall]

I'm 100% confident there isn't a god.

Well that premise is not true either as some obviously do consider it a religion or cult, in some established religions it is a prime prinicple, my point in discussing was to spark conversation and debate on the matter which is why I thought we are all here. And agreement on status does not make or negate something from being what it is so the lack of uniformity on even what atheism is or stands for leave tons of room for interpretation. Let me ask this if you do not like a subject or the basis why bother discussing it? The classification and religious status holds even more significance when we are discussing it here in this forum because if it is not a type of religion and defintely not a race then why is it even discussed in this forum???

Why the Dodge???