Religious freedom?

[PrincessHades]

I am an atheist( I used to be an atheistic satanist, thinking about reconverting),
And, someone told me that I should not be able to have religious freedom, because I'm an atheist, and according to him, atheism is not a religion.


I have a few questions:


Does the American government really give it's citizens religious freedom?
Does atheism count as a religion?
Does the American version of religious freedom give me the freedom to not be religious?


The only thing I took from this guy's argument with me was that he thinks that everyone in the world MUST be religious, because a god that some people don't even believe in said so.
He also continued to threaten me with the fictional concept of hell.


What drives people to think this?
It really makes no sense to me.
Also, if anyone viewing this thread is a Christian, I do not mean to offend you.
I believe that anyone should be able to choose and express their religion freely, as long as they don't do something like killing someone as a ritual.

 

[CiG]

Someone told me that I should not be able to have religious freedom, because I'm an atheist, and according to him, atheism is not a religion.

No, atheism is not a religion, but it falls into freedom of and from religion in this instance.

 

[Bruticus]

that would be hilarious, that atheism would be a religion.

 

[Metaphysical Drama]

When you say "atheistic satanist", are you referring to LaVeyan satanism? (just curious)

 

[CiG]

I don't think LaVeyan Satanism is the only atheistic strand is it? Or is it?

 

[Metaphysical Drama]

I don't think LaVeyan Satanism is the only atheistic strand is it? Or is it?

I don't know.
But be satanist and atheist at the same time sounds contradictory to me.

 

[CiG]

Well it's likely because Satan can be viewed philosophically rather than religiously.

 

[Gargamel Bojangles]

Why are atheists always so exta though?

 

[CiG]

Exta?

 

[Gargamel Bojangles]

Buy extra I mean they tend to go out of their way to ridicule other people's religions. I don't debate religion because frankly other people's opinions of my religion are irrelevant but I feel to deliberately ridicule someone else's religion is just petty and childish

 

[CiG]

I agree it is. I don't know why they seem especially obsessed with doing this but if I had to chance a guess it might be because many atheists are either ex-religious people or from religious families, so they probably feel claustrophobic. There's also an element of snobbery and arrogance.
Certain amount of zealotry and also a feeling that religion has gone uncriticised for far too long and it deserves to be questioned and ridiculed. Which in many respects it does.

 

[Gargamel Bojangles]

Atheists tend to be very narcissistic. I found them to be quite pompous and self righteous. They feel like people owe them an explanation as to why they believe in a deity. I don't care of someone worship SpongeBob SquarePants as long as it makes them happy it is not hurting me. They also tend to feel that anyone who is religious is intellectually inferior to them which is also ridiculous because most pastors with whom I have fellowship have multiple college degrees

 

[Gargamel Bojangles]

Atheists tend to be very narcissistic. I find them to be quite pompous and self righteous. They feel like people owe them an explanation as to why they believe in a deity. I don't care of someone worship SpongeBob SquarePants as long as it makes them happy it is not hurting me. They also tend to feel that anyone who is religious is intellectually inferior to them which is also ridiculous because most pastors with whom I have fellowship have multiple college degrees

 

[CiG]

Atheists tend to be very narcissistic. I found them to be quite pompous and self righteous. They feel like people owe them an explanation as to why they believe in a deity. I don't care of someone worship SpongeBob SquarePants as long as it makes them happy it is not hurting me. They also tend to feel that anyone who is religious is intellectually inferior to them which is also ridiculous because most pastors with whom I have fellowship have multiple college degrees

There are a lot of assholes out there.

 

[Gargamel Bojangles]

We need only look back to the civil rights movement to see that religion and religious leaders can have a positive effect on the community and on the country as a whole. Malcolm X's sect of Islam is all about uplifting the black community self-reliance strong work ethic ect... the Catholic clergy also played a role in the civil rights movement. Remember when dr. King and his followers tried to march across the bridge and all them in the cops beat the ever-loving shit out of them? The second time, they had clergy members with them whojust happened to be white. The state troopers all those white faces and backed off. I wonder how many atheistic organizations are doing anything to uplift their communities such as homeless shelters and food pantries

 

[CiG]

Actually, a lot of fools judge atheist organisations like you just did without doing any research at all, don't make the same mistake. Lets not forget that slavery was historically justified with the bible too.

 

[Gargamel Bojangles]

Actually, a lot of fools judge atheist organisations like you just did without doing any research at all, don't make the same mistake. Lets not forget that slavery was historically justified with the bible too.

True. .. there is a lot of stuff in the Old Testament that doesn't make sense ,like one of the ten commandments is that shall not commit adultery but yet the Old Testament seems to condone adultery

 

[CiG]

Thou shalt not covet is one of the most illogical.

 

[The Butt]

I am openly atheist and critical of religion (well, not often... but when I see an injustice caused by religion I comment very vocally) because:

• In the States and even here in Canada, people are still discriminated against, ridiculed, and assaulted for their sexual orientation, most of the time based on religion.
• Down in the States their government still attempts to legislate laws based on religious factors (the abortion/right to one's own body thing springs to mind).
• The Vatican tries to claim that Catholic bishops are not obliged to report accusations of clerical child abuse.
• Never mind how Islamic culture treats its women, so its not just a tirade against Christianity or Catholicism.

The moment religion stops these things, and stops preachine hateful stone-age bullshit in mediums that people will listen, is the moment I stop openly ridiculing it.

 

[CiG]

The abortion thing isn't strictly religious.