Is Atheism a religion?

[MorningGlory]

You began thinking that if you were God, or if you were to describe what God should be like, life would be a certain way.

Since life is not "this" way, you concluded then that God does not exist.

IS this logical?

Of course not, this would be a non sequitur. This is not enough to deny His existence, but it is enough not to call Him

a loving Father. If we attach labels to entities, we should have a common understanding of the semantics of

the words we use.

I cannot imagine a loving Father who designs His creatures to eat each other in order to survive; if He

really exists then we need to revise the adjectives we need to describe Him.

You just don't get it, Treesong. You are looking at things through your tiny prism......the universe is designed to work the way the Creator desires it to work. HE dictates how things are, not us. To infer that you are somehow in judgment of Him is a very foolish thing to do.

[Guest]

Whee! Whee! Whee! i Be So Good So Good Be i

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21

i Am The Judge The Judge Say i

Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: Proverbs 2:11-15

Cause i Am So Free

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Isaiah 29:16

See

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. Proverbs 5:22

Oops!

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

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As A Trusting Child

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4

Believe

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

And Be Blessed Beloved

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1

Love, Your Brother Joe

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:21

[Guest mtsmith]

I wouldn't consider atheism a religion simply because you have to believe in some type of Higher Being in order for what you do to be considered "religion". If there is no god then there is no religion. I know we're all Christians here but incase anyone knows someone which is an atheist or even those who say they don't doubt the existence of God but are still unsure if he exists--this is a great blog post to read. Read it slow, it really opens up your mind: http://www.whatyoudontunderstandcanhurtyou.com/blogs.innerme.htm

[~Rob]

It May interest you to know that the first use of the term atheist ..... was from the Romans to the Christians as christians did not believe in their gods.

Oh and to add my voice to the Throng. No Atheism is not a religion. We do not follow any person or thing we do not have atheist meeting's once a week or have any shared practices. If you think about it ... as Dawkins has said recently you would consider yourselves atheist to Zeus, Apollo, Vulcan, Thor and many many others ... all we have done is go one god further.

I will gladly respond to this if anyone messages me

[MorningGlory]

It May interest you to know that the first use of the term atheist ..... was from the Romans to the Christians as christians did not believe in their gods.

Oh and to add my voice to the Throng. No Atheism is not a religion. We do not follow any person or thing we do not have atheist meeting's once a week or have any shared practices. If you think about it ... as Dawkins has said recently you would consider yourselves atheist to Zeus, Apollo, Vulcan, Thor and many many others ... all we have done is go one god further.

I will gladly respond to this if anyone messages me

I'm still not understanding why atheists come to this board, and others, if you don't believe. You have stated you have read several Bibles through and studied many religions. If you don't believe in ANY God why would you do that?

[~Rob]

It May interest you to know that the first use of the term atheist ..... was from the Romans to the Christians as christians did not believe in their gods.

Oh and to add my voice to the Throng. No Atheism is not a religion. We do not follow any person or thing we do not have atheist meeting's once a week or have any shared practices. If you think about it ... as Dawkins has said recently you would consider yourselves atheist to Zeus, Apollo, Vulcan, Thor and many many others ... all we have done is go one god further.

I will gladly respond to this if anyone messages me

I'm still not understanding why atheists come to this board, and others, if you don't believe. You have stated you have read several Bibles through and studied many religions. If you don't believe in ANY God why would you do that?

I find it fascinating from an Anthropological standpoint. Whether i believe in your god or not religion has changed our world dramatically. To put it basically I come here because i find it interesting. Thats the only reason

[Guest]

Because

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: Ecclesiastes 8:11-12

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It May interest you to know that the first use of the term atheist ..... was from the Romans to the Christians as Christians did not believe in their gods.

Oh and to add my voice to the Throng. No Atheism is not a religion. We do not follow any person or thing we do not have atheist meeting's once a week or have any shared practices. If you think about it ... as Dawkins has said recently you would consider yourselves atheist to Zeus, Apollo, Vulcan, Thor and many many others ... all we have done is go one GOD further.

I will gladly respond to this if anyone messages me

I'm still not understanding why atheists come to this board, and others, if you don't believe. You have stated you have read several Bibles through and studied many religions. If you don't believe in ANY God why would you do that?

I find it fascinating from an Anthropological standpoint. Whether i believe in your GOD or not religion has changed our world dramatically. To put it basically I come here because i find it interesting. Thats the only reason

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

But Of Course

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 2 John 1:9

Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them. 1 Samuel 2:8

There Is Still Time

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19

Or Is There?

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalms 107:31

Love, Joe

[~Rob]

It May interest you to know that the first use of the term atheist ..... was from the Romans to the Christians as christians did not believe in their gods.

Wow, I didn't know that was the first usage of the term, thanks. A few Christians died at the hands of the Romans on the charge of being atheists, not because they didn't believe in the Roman gods but because Christians didn't use idols, so there was nothing tangible that they worshiped. It actually wouldn't have been a problem for the Romans as they had a special deal with the Jews and Christianity was originally viewed as a sect of Judaism. But when Christianity separated itself from Judaism in the eyes of the Romans did problems start.

Oh and to add my voice to the Throng. No Atheism is not a religion. We do not follow any person or thing we do not have atheist meeting's once a week or have any shared practices. If you think about it ... as Dawkins has said recently you would consider yourselves atheist to Zeus, Apollo, Vulcan, Thor and many many others ... all we have done is go one god further.

I do agree atheism isn't a religion (sport teams and political parties are religions way before atheism ever is), however I do think that that Dawkins argument is sophomoric. A plethora of religions throughout time, even if the religion is viewed as the only true religion, had the concept of religious pluralism coupled with the idea that there is One God and people know God and worship God under different names. Besides, atheism is a stance saying that no deities exist; it is careless to use the word as Dawkins uses it as Christians do believe in at least one deity. You are not atheist to Zeus, you don't accept Zeus as an actual deity but a mythological character made up by the ancient Greeks. You are atheist when you reject all deities*, to use it in another fashion is a misuse of the term.

* It depends on your definition of deity; some definitions of God don't include pantheism while others do for example.

I fully agree with everything you have said, I would say more but thats really all there is to it : )

[Rick-Parker]

I see an atheist's deity as themselves. They believe in no higher power than themselves. They worship themselves by believing in nothing but themselves. What they want. What they can do to make the world a better place. What they can do to make themselves feel good about themselves. Like I said in the beginning, that is how I see them. By the way, we can do nothing without Christ.

[MorningGlory]

They believe in no higher power than themselves.

No. Actually we are quite humble. We do not believe we are elected and so special, when for

instance compared with the other living beings on the planet.

You are the one who believes we are in the image of God, which is a pretty self-indulging

belief, IMHO.

Why do you self-hating atheists WANT to be just another animal that evolved from chimps? You deny that man is created in the image of God at the bidding of the one you serve. You will have to account for that; how are you going to explain yourself?