The "religion" thread..

[coldthrn]

Maybe this poll would be better labeled What "belief" do you follow ?
Diesm would be another category to think about.

EDIT: Just my suspicion, you might get additional votes if you added Satanism / Humanism

 

[ze kink]

Agnostic, agnostic atheist to be exact. I think that with our very limited knowledge, we cannot know how and why the universe and things such as life, death and consciousness really happen. That said, I do not believe in an omnipotent, benevolent God.

 

[lordtech]

Im born muslim and still am. hehehe...

 

[Damian B]

I'm going to vote Atheism because I do tend to lean that way. I'm technically a reform Jew, though, just not really a practicing one. I observe Yom Kippur, and sort of participate in other holidays, but I'm in no way "hardcore".

Who's the other Jewish person on here?

 

[coldthrn]

I'm going to vote Atheism because I do tend to lean that way. I'm technically a reform Jew, though, just not really a practicing one. I observe Yom Kippur, and sort of participate in other holidays, but I'm in no way "hardcore".

Who's the other Jewish person on here?

That would be me. Being born a Jew and practicing are two different things. However I resonate with (Thomas Paine) Deism.

 

[Zack Uidl]

Christian here.

 

[paladin shredder]

Technically, atheism can fall under the religious definition, however a more accurate title for it would simply be a "belief."

I think that we (atheists) make it a disadvantage to ourselves in this world by not considering atheism a religion. You can get away with so much being a religion, at least in America. Seriously, how would you like tax exemption status for being part of an atheist organization?

 

[SocialNumb]

^Because than we would be no better than them. Thieves.

 

[coldthrn]

Technically, atheism can fall under the religious definition, however a more accurate title for it would simply be a "belief."

I think that we (atheists) make it a disadvantage to ourselves in this world by not considering atheism a religion. You can get away with so much being a religion, at least in America. Seriously, how would you like tax exemption status for being part of an atheist organization?

I wonder what SRI International is?
Or The Brights ?
Are these organizations thieves?

 

[STINNETT]

Technically, atheism can fall under the religious definition, however a more accurate title for it would simply be a "belief."

I think that we (atheists) make it a disadvantage to ourselves in this world by not considering atheism a religion. You can get away with so much being a religion, at least in America. Seriously, how would you like tax exemption status for being part of an atheist organization?

I can't think of a single sensible reason to pretend that atheism is a religion, and that includes tax exemption. Getting away with anything should not be among our intentions.

I also would not call atheism a belief, at least not in the same sense that religion involves belief. It's the default position. Someone makes a claim that some supernatural entity exists - we choose not to believe them because there is no evidence. We're not adopting an alternative position - it's not black vs. white - we're just disregarding the assertion because it's unsupported. This logic is applicable in any other situation, it's not our fault that theists insist this particular situation demands special treatment. It doesn't.

I'd be willing to bet that the average Christian feels he has no reason to believe in Zeus and that it would be silly to even consider it seriously, let alone identify his non-belief when describing himself to others.
Does not believing in Zeus need to be defined as a distinct belief system?
Only if you're playing games with words and trying find a loophole for argument's sake. Or if you're trying to secure tax exempt status....

Atheism is not a religion.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record with that last line.

 

[apeofgod666]

i guess atheism and paganism fall under the same category
im pagan

 

[STINNETT]

i guess atheism and paganism fall under the same category
im pagan

There are a lot of different applications for the word "pagan".

Do you consider yourself an atheist because you don't believe in the Abrahamic god? Do you believe in other gods? Are you a pantheist?

You don't have to answer if you don't want to be specific. I'm just curious.

 

[James Murphy]

Also, I'm a hardcore athiest.
edit: and as far as whether it is or is not a religion, i don't think it's a religion either, but if i have a form that asks my religion, i usually put "athiest." why? i dunno.

the correct way for Atheists to fill this space on a form is "None".

 

[Ermz]

I also would not call atheism a belief, at least not in the same sense that religion involves belief. It's the default position. Someone makes a claim that some supernatural entity exists - we choose not to believe them because there is no evidence. We're not adopting an alternative position - it's not black vs. white - we're just disregarding the assertion because it's unsupported. This logic is applicable in any other situation, it's not our fault that theists insist this particular situation demands special treatment. It doesn't.

Yes, thank you! Fuck. Been saying this *exact* same thing since grade school.

I don't know how anybody with any iota of intelligence doesn't immediately grasp this reality.

 

[coldthrn]

I can't think of a single sensible reason to pretend that atheism is a religion, and that includes tax exemption. Getting away with anything should not be among our intentions.

I also would not call atheism a belief, at least not in the same sense that religion involves belief. It's the default position. Someone makes a claim that some supernatural entity exists - we choose not to believe them because there is no evidence. We're not adopting an alternative position - it's not black vs. white - we're just disregarding the assertion because it's unsupported. This logic is applicable in any other situation, it's not our fault that theists insist this particular situation demands special treatment. It doesn't.

I'd be willing to bet that the average Christian feels he has no reason to believe in Zeus and that it would be silly to even consider it seriously, let alone identify his non-belief when describing himself to others.
Does not believing in Zeus need to be defined as a distinct belief system?
Only if you're playing games with words and trying find a loophole for argument's sake. Or if you're trying to secure tax exempt status....

Atheism is not a religion.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record with that last line.

+1 I think Hebrews 11 KJV states it the best

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I agree with faith is the substance of things hoped for.
However evidence of things not seen and can be proved or disproved through science.
The bible lumps hope and science together as faith which is detrimental.

 

[James Murphy]

...the moment puberty hit and my ability to think more rationally kicked in, ...

really??

 

[Torniojaws]

- I'm not registered under any churches' books
- I don't worship anything. People should take care of themselves and their family & friends by actions, not by praying to an icon
- I see modern religions as abuse of the unthinking people, ie. a tool to collect money to finance the churches' structure, or stealing candy from children, if you like, because you get nothing in return for your money
- Forceful inclusion into a religion is the absolute violation of human rights, and because newborn children cannot make a choice, it could also be thought as child abuse. If you really care about your child, you don't register them to any cult, but instead tell the child what choices exist, and let the persons decide for themselves what to pick, or not to, based on their own will - after telling about every choice
- I don't have a problem with religions/cults per se, if they keep it to themselves. The problems start when 1) the state integrates religion as part of it, or worse yet - as a means to justify violence against other humans (even today), and 2) when religious people publicly spread their views unto other people, and certain cults go as far as disturbing the peace of home (for example jehova witnesses).
- Basing your scientific, moral, and lawful views on a book of fiction (with poor editing, based on the amount of self-contradictions it contains) is highly suspect

That's my -ism

 

[James Murphy]

I can't think of a single sensible reason to pretend that atheism is a religion, and that includes tax exemption. Getting away with anything should not be among our intentions.

I also would not call atheism a belief, at least not in the same sense that religion involves belief. It's the default position. Someone makes a claim that some supernatural entity exists - we choose not to believe them because there is no evidence. We're not adopting an alternative position - it's not black vs. white - we're just disregarding the assertion because it's unsupported. This logic is applicable in any other situation, it's not our fault that theists insist this particular situation demands special treatment. It doesn't.

I'd be willing to bet that the average Christian feels he has no reason to believe in Zeus and that it would be silly to even consider it seriously, let alone identify his non-belief when describing himself to others.
Does not believing in Zeus need to be defined as a distinct belief system?
Only if you're playing games with words and trying find a loophole for argument's sake. Or if you're trying to secure tax exempt status....

Atheism is not a religion.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record with that last line.

yes, exactly. this concept should be as clear as the nose on one's face, and only seems to not be so to theists because they are taught from birth/indoctrination that the "if'n ye ain't fer us, yer agin' us" maxim is immutable... so they seek to lump all non-believers into one category and compartmentalize them as adversaries. this is also what they do with every other actual religion.. it is what they know: divisiveness.

 

[paladin shredder]

I agree that starting an atheist organization under "religious" status simply for tax exemption status is not the way to go, and could be prone to tax fraud and IRS investigations. That was just the first thing that came to my mind where religion gets special treatment from the government, and therefore has an advantage of power over the non-religious. I just think we should have an equal opportunity that every religion seems to have.

I agree that atheism is a complete absence in superstitious belief. Only by a small technicality in definition do I think atheism could fall under the religious category, not that I agree it should belong there! Until now, the best category I could place atheism in was a belief, but perhaps now after reading your comments a better category would simply be that atheism is an opinion.

 

[James Murphy]

i chose Atheist here because it was the closest choice.. i'm not actually an atheist. "Agnosticism" should have been included in this poll. in "Dawkins" parlance, i'm about a 6.5 TAP agnostic on the scale of religiosity. Dawkins himself says he's a 6.9, a rating of 7 being total, 100% certainty of the non-existence of "god".

but like Dawkins, Hitchens, Ehrman, etc., i'm 100% sure the bible is bullshit.