But the only thing that makes an Atheist an Atheist is the fact that they don't believe in a deity. They can still have a system of beliefs and traditions so long as they do not go against that one characteristic. A "non-religion" or whatever would be a philosophy without a deity, without traditions, and without an explanation for the universe; that's what religions do. It might not be an organized religion, but Atheism sure sounds like a non-theistic religion to me.
Atheism operate as a belief system,atheist make it their point to discredit religions. They claim its the logical way to go but their isn't anything to proof that god doesn't exist but at the same time the big bang theory doesn't make any sense.
@junder89 I suppose you do not believe in dragons, Adragonism operates as a belief system , adragonists make it their point to discredit dragonism. They claim it’s the logical way to go but there isn't anything to prove that Dragons do not exist.
I hope you see that comment in the same way I see yours, fairly dumb.
Key word is faith. You BELIEVE that there is no God(s) you have faith in that. That explains the religion Atheism. And please consider the fact that maybe those who are saying that atheism is a religion are not insulting Atheism but expressing the way view the word and teachings of Atheism. Also by the tone of your voice in this and every other video i have seen it seems to me that you are being Sarcastic. :/ I feel pretty insulted by your sarcastic tone of voice.
when people say atheism is a religion they are trying to win by contorting the idea of atheism under the umbrella of religion to rob atheism of it's essence. which is crap. thank you haha.
Atheism is not a religion. But nor is theism. They're both just claims about what does or doesn't exist.
However, I have sympathy with those who claim that atheism is a religion. For many of the most evangelical of the atheists are former religious believers who bring the same fanatical dogmatism to their atheism that they'd formerly reserved for their religious beliefs. There are few open minded atheists around. Most prefer labels and prefer slogans - just like the religious
@Clear404 Athiests tend to look for factual evidence. If none can be provided, Religion is just a fairly tale created by humans. And i will admit, it pisses us off when Christians continue to condone that stupidity.
@newdude32 Theism is not a religion. Theism is just the belief that God exists. It is a belief about what exists. It is NOT the belief that this or that bonkers book was written by God.
I’m a theist. Yet I think all religions are crazy. I have one thing, and one thing only in common with the religious – I believe in God. I’m your real opponent. Care to attack my position?
@Clear404 I will not. I respect your position. I understand that Theists do believe in a god, but not the Christian god. God could be anything... to anyone. You could call it anything. It could be the feeling of Love, or the smell of cut grass. Emotions. Something bigger than your body.
@newdude32 No, I don't call it anything. Belief in God does not entail belief in any religion, but nor does it entail belief in anything at all under the banner 'God'. For instance, if you discover that by ‘God’ I mean ‘grass’, then you’ve discovered that I’m not a theist after all, rather I’m just someone who uses the word ‘God’ misleadingly.
By ‘God’ I mean an agency – a mind – who is something to do with why I’m living this life, and who is something to do with morality.
Humans have a spiritual side whether acknowledge or not b/c humans are tripartite (Tripartite Attributes of Human Wholeness) composed of Pneuma, Psyche & Soma. All humans have idols/gods that they venerate, whether it is a recognized world religion, or not. An alcoholic's idol/god is alcohol; it is his idolatrous obsession. An intellectual’s idol/god is his inordinate & obsessive pursuit for more knowledge. Atheists’ religion is the inordinate obsession to flee a god, or God, an excessive focus.
@IAPETUSGIANTS our intent is NOT to get away from a god all together. As you said a god can be anything, a feeling, a goal, morality. You can call it anything you wish. the majority of atheists simply wish to help religious people try to see common sense and to be more practical and down to earth.
Let's make a distinction. Atheism, means you don't believe in a higher power (call it God Allah Jehovah, etc). This higher power is so tightly linked with religion that people confuse the belief in a higher power and religion which is and has always been a tool to control the population or to give simple answers to ignorant people about things they don't understand or fear. Atheism is not a religion and you can also be against religion and not be an atheist. Then again, what's the point
I have question so how do u think the human body was desinged the human body is so complex that only one with all knowing would be able to create something so complex
I think the reason Athieism is considered a religion is because your belief is that there is negative god, or you believe there is NO god, there for anything other then athieism, or anything that involves god must be incorrect because it involves god, and in the sense of athieism, that would be incorrect. athieism must be considered a religion, bewcause you choose to believe the absense of god. which itself is a belief. where as it makes more sense to say ' i believe in logic'
Well,atheism is literally not believing in deities or 'spiritual' stuff.religion is a cultural faith in SpiritualityX,mostly including some deity.So,they are unrelated.Yet...if you take a form of extreme atheism(has in people who zealously try to prove that there is no spiritual stuff)And form it into a culture of some place...then you can get a form of religion =P,which their "spirituality" is trying to prove that spirituality is false =P yet,since that did not happen yet,the concept is false.
Personally, if religious people want to call Atheism a religion then let them. But if they want to do that then the American Atheists need to be given a tax exempt status.
Atheism is a worldview that includes elements generally present in religion. Furthermore, there are ("strong"/"positive") atheist argument that posit that there is no God; therefore it necessarily enters into metaphysic discussions. It also creates community and culture. So, yes, atheism enters most classifications as a "religious view" (I was careful not to use the word "belief" which many unreasonably loathe). So someone's religious view is atheist while someone else's is catholic. Get a grip.
@Portubed Compelling arguement. I want to start a movement to allow Atheist Organizations to gain tax exempt status. Would you support such a movement?
@elgmalone I wouldn't involve myself with it. Any charitable organization gets that already, I think. Atheism isn't nothing new, though, nor is it a secular society, although for the last 3-5 centuries inroads have been made into a post-christian secular civilization. I think that it depends from one country to another what tax-exemption for religious organizations means there. If you're really interested, you should do some reading about this history (preferably in real, big books, not online).
it's not a religion but because so many religions exists and they are all in opposition for what atheism stands for it must keep the legal definition of religion so we don't get discriminated for our lack of belief and use of reason.
Theists argue that atheism is a religion not to imply that it is as bad as religion (which of course theists don't think it is, otherwise they'd also be atheists), but to prevent atheists attacking religion in general, since that would mean attacking (metaphorically) themselves.
I think they mean to say that self-proclaimed atheists are usually just as bigoted an narrow-minded as religious zealots.i,who follow no dogma, refuse to call myself an atheist for this reason.i don't look at the bible or any other religious text as a modern church would-i approach as an educated reader and in doing so can appreciate the poetic myths and epics commanding universal love and compassion in almost every faith.if you close your mind completely,you are missing out on the (1 of 2)
@blessedwildapplegirl I completely agree. I wouldn't necessarily say Atheism is a religion, as i wouldn't say Christianity in its truest form shoudn't be a religion. As we as Christians were not commanded to really observe any religious rituals outside of Holy Communion. I see them both more as a philosophy. Both claiming to be superior to the other. I truly agree about the fact that it requires faith to be an atheist, as it requires quite a bit a faith to believe some of its claims, yet the
word "faith" has been tagged to "Religion" as if out of the two, Atheism and Theism, Atheism has absolute proof of its claims, and thus requires nothing else but the gathering of this information. When that couldn't be futher from the truth. You have to believe by faith that this Universe was nothing, and that something came from nothing. Just as you have to have faith that God created the Universe...they both require faith. Just depends on what you wanna put your faith in...
spiritual longings of man-which is a very worthwhile topic to consider with respect. i find many atheists use the disbelief in a "soul" to avoid self-examination,self-actualization,and discredit the conception of the unknown-that science is not complete or perfect,not all is understood,and that maybe therein lies the culmination of the ego-the unknown houses the soul-accepting that we can't conceive of the entire universe,we are small,and acceptance of that requires a heap of,well, faith.(2of2)
Perhaps not all people feel atheism is a religion, but atheist’s churches are starting to come about in modern day society, and that to me makes it a stronger point that atheism IS in fact a religion.
Now, one can believe that facts exists, but when considering if a God does or does not exist is a personal opinion/belief. Atheists may term their beliefs under a religion due to the fact that they may not want to offend others of a religion, because the opposite of religion is nihilism, and that can be a difficult pill to swallow.
Atheism is a belief system set by one's choice and approval. The same method can be seen in all the religions of modern and past eras. People chose to believe in something, and when you believe in something it becomes part of one's moral aspects and in a sense that IS religion. Now belief and fact are two different concepts. A fact can be proven, a belief for the most part comes from faith.
You must not have read all my comments, it was a 3 part comment. Towards the end I point out that atheists churches are starting to appear in modern society. If one has a strong enough belief that they peruse to congregate with other of the same belief, it IS a religion.
@kh1129 Of course I read your three parts. But if the first part is wrong, the others can't be right. There is no 'strong belief' in atheism because atheism is NOT about belief. You are either deluded or deliberately misrepresenting atheism. Go ask *any* atheist.
It's not even a choice. I don't believe, period. You didn't embrace a belief to not believe in my invisible dragon in my garage. You just don't believe.
By your silly argument, YOU are currently participating in *thousands* of belief systems: the 'belief' of not believing in Zeus, in Vishnu, in Thor, in Cthulu, in the Flying Spaghetti Monster...
That's a lot of 'beliefs'!! Do you have time to attend all those churches of 'belief to not believe'?
A belief in non- believing is still a belief. Its not towards any God/Gods, its to all man made omnipotent beings. That like saying "I choice to do nothing today!" and feeling you are doing nothing. It is still an option, and option to do nothing, and that is still something. Do you take everything you read and turn it into diarrhea? I'm not your fucking history teacher; do some research and use your brain, look this information up and do just a little bit of research.
Repeating it does not make it true. You haven't answered my question, and refused to accept how atheists define ourselves. You don't get to label or define our position.
"I choice to do nothing today!" and feeling you are doing nothing."
Inapplicable, stay in the belief realm. I will take it that you are out of arguments and started name calling... that ends this discussion. You are late for your non-Zeus church!
You really are just arguing for the sake of arguing. You haven't brought any true facts or good points to this discussion. I have told you my points and answered your questions, but if you can't understand simple concepts then there is no further reason to go on talking to you.
I'm busy not collecting stamps right now, but if you want we can continue this discussion at the church of non-belief in Ahura Mazda. I figured you don't believe in that god, therefore you surely adhere to that belief system and its principles. See you there!
You keep proving that you have no valid statements with the way you respond. All I've taken away from your arguments is that I have some how offended you because I say believing in nothing is still a belief. Your instant reaction is to counteract my statement with a juvenile "I am right, because I am" attack. I have never stated what I believe in, and will not, therefore you do not know. However if we met in person I do believe you would be surprised, but that will never happen.
Wow, you not only missed it, you invented reactions and attacks I didn't even made. Good luck with all your thousands of religious beliefs systems (that's your claim), I'd rather have none. Better luck next time!
Zinnia, Interesting points you make. I agree that those calling Atheism a religion have it wrong. However, I would retort your position in that I feel most people who call themselves Atheists are confused about their point of view. They turn out to be Agnostic - open to God but havent seen proof or they claim God doesn't exist but can't offer evidence to support that their view is accurate and correct or they are true Atheists and feel answers to life are silly (spaghetti monster folk).
@MagnusCattus Magnus...Im a Christian. Roman Catholic to be precise. There are times that I believe Atheism is plausible. I don't know a religious person alive that doesnt experience this. It's part of being rational/reasonable..."I could be wrong". It's just that I have yet to meet a self professed "Atheist" that believes that 1. They are wrong 2. That they ever doubt their position against theology. This, I find irrational.
Atheism is a religion, It has everyhing to make a religion. Ecclesiatical party-scientists
Deity-Chance, Faith-belief someone else will answer the qeustions that are thus far left blank.
Religion is unpleasent, Humans are the factor that makes it so, God does not. Hardly anyone who claims to follow the bible actualy does.
I'm getting tired of these idiotic arguements. Humans beings need something to say they belong to so they are superior to everyone else... JUST LIKE ATHEISTS.
@MagnusCattus You are wrong. The mere basis of being an atheist subscribes only to the concept of not believing in a God. It doesn't incorporate science into the faction of atheism whatsoever. Being an atheist does not necessarily mean believing in the concepts of science and its evidence. It also does not incorporate in any fashion a dogma, nor does it subscribe to any forms of explanations about the beginning of existence or creation. It merely states a non-belief in any "creators".
atheism is religion and its the thing that makes them more confused than anything
its just that everything in this world revolves around religion and that just the way it is and honestly it doesn't matter if you don't like it because its a fact...
atheists' religion is themselves as their own god. god is all-knowing, all-powerful (in part), so too do atheists project a confidence that they are all-knowing, which is delusional. the confidence that atheists can have in their own ability to understand is a belief that is unable to be validated. they just have it (desire it). for someone to state that there is no god is to state that they can know all. only a delusional can negate all possibilities
@SoldierofYAH Incorrect. Atheism is the lack of theological belief. You can be atheist and say that Darwin is right. You can be atheist and say that Darwin is wrong. Atheism only demands that you lack theological belief. I believe you are used to arguing with very specific atheists, likely angsty teenagers who are rebelling against their parents and preach evolution and the Big Bang in an almost evangelical way. They're just as intolerant and ignorant as the people they despise.
Atheism is a religion is the sense that it's a worldview, and a way to live your life. They don't worship anything though. They put their faith in what there is evidence for. However they do have some blind faith in believing there is no God. Because we all know that things can exist without current evidence. Agnosticism probably makes the most sense because nobody can know.
@ArtAndSuch I'd say that incorrect. Atheism isn't a lifestyle or nor does it have a way to live your life. It simply states a lack of belief in the divine. The one thing unifying atheists is that they're atheist. Atheism doesn't require a set of morals, a set of beliefs, it doesn't require prayer on a particular day or for you to not eat a particular meat. There is nothing unifying atheists beside the fact they're atheist.
@ArtAndSuch - agree with your comment. to add my perspective: some atheists in their belief in their own abilities appear almost religion-like. there is a tendency to have these maximum beliefs in one's own abilities. belief unsupported, unsubstantiated but a belief nonetheless. atheists tend to have a perspective that their analysis is supreme or their belief is so strong that it "looks" almost religious in their adherence to it from an outsider. vs atheists, agnostics are worlds-away smarter
@qncsc Yeah Atheists kind of remind me of those annoying kindergartners who go around telling the other kids santa isn't real, just because of the shear fact that they know better, and all they want to do is make fun of the other kids for it.
Atheism is a religion.Derp, im atheist.Atheist dont belive in god.But a religion is ones belief on how the earth was made and god.Atheism beleives that there is not god,that is there imput on god.They beleive the earth was made by a scientific miracle.Therefore,it is a religion
All you have to do it look at the word rationally. "theism" means the worship of a deity. The prefix "a" means a lack of. Put it together, and you have a lack of worship of a deity.
@MQ7474 - sounds good. but have you defined "theism" correctly? since you have not, you have established a false platform to base your argument upon to win points. redefine theism and try again. worship and belief are all together different: i can worship the beauty of a particular woman, having no particular belief in that woman. the implications and consequences are different. you should not play such tricks.
Atheism is a religion in that people will ask you "Are you a Christian, Muslim, Jew...?"and Atheism appears in that list instead of politics or favorite novel genres. Admittedly, Atheism is not at all similar to other religions because there is no set of laws you must follow or organized meetings but there is STILL a list of beliefs about the universe you must personally subscribe to to be able to call yourself an Atheist. You are confusing circling "D: None of the above" and
@DepressedAnnnie skipping the question. What you are describing, having NO religion, requires not having even the slightest opinion. That's called being an agnostic, not an atheist. So let's clear the air here; Atheism is "None of the above", Unitarianism is "All of the above", Agnosticism is reading the question and skipping it, and if you didn't even see the question, which if you ask me is the only way to be completely nonreligious, there is something seriously wrong with you.
@Imreason - i'm calling the person "pat." it could be patricia. it could be patrick. who knows. and with that monotone discourse who knows if pat is even human; perhaps pat is an android from the future.
@Caconymic - "If Atheism is a religion then not collecting stamps is a hobby."
you could argue that. not choosing to act is itself an "action." as not collecting stamps is not a hobby, per se, it is a choice as choosing to collect stamps is a choice. the real question is not if "stamps are your hobby" but do you have another hobby? and there is the problem: atheists do have another hobby...it is just not "collecting stamps."
@EstacadoConstantine Actually no it's not. Atheism is like homosexuality. Atheists are scattered and a lot of them are afraid to speak out. If atheism is a religion,... then Not Collecting Stamps is a "hobby". If atheism is a religion, ... then Not Playing Football is a "sport". If atheism is a religion, ... then 'OFF' is a "TV channel". If atheism is a religion, ... then "Health" is a "disease". If atheism is a religion, ... then "Dead" is a "lifestyle".
@vasilis360 religion does not mean "supernatural power" religion is another word for cult. Athiestim today is just the a cult, therefore it can be thrown into the same category as religion. Athiests have "faith" that there is no god, religious people have "faith" ther is a god. So other then the yes and no of the matter what is the difference between a athiest and a bible thumper?
@card969 *facepalm* Religion is a specific type of cult, not another word for it. Atheism isn't a cult, it can't be a cult or religion, since Theism isn't a religion either. You can have an atheistic religion (like Buddhism) or cult, but Atheism itself isn't and will never be. And atheists don't have faith that there is no god, not even strong atheists. Most atheists even say that they just don't have any reason to believe in a deity, which doesn't mean they deny the possibility.
@Raidoton *facepalm* you missed the point entirelly. Athiesm is a group of people so ar ebible thumpers, they both have a point of view opposite to eachother, they both believe in there point of view and disagree with the other, so i ask again other then each view point what is the real difference? Neither of them is right and neither of them are wrong. Therfore argueing about whos right and wrong is pointless.
I must beg to differ, Atheism is just another man made religion with all the same attributes as any other religion like the jehova witnesses and chrisindom! Each having a set of beliefs, teachers and a congregations. Legal presidents have established Atheism as a Religion.One needs faith to believe in principles.Nevertheless many had beginnings of spiritul origins, and then become modified by atheistic Power Hungry Leaders.Example Jim Jones. Be Agnostic, or establish your own conection to God.
@GATEANGEL744 really? Do you believe in Thor? no? then regarding Thor you are an atheist, you don't believe in him, that's all atheism is, to the question "Do you believe in (insert the name of a god here)?" if the answer is yes, you are a theist, anything else including "I don't know", you are an atheist, you don't believe. How on earth does that makes it a religion? if atheism is a religion then not playing soccer is a sport, not cooking a pie is a recipe and not collecting stamps is a hobby
@GATEANGEL744 No. Even as atheists have a set of beliefs, we do not have one book or a prophet or practice anything. Ad calling it a religion contradicts itself as Atheist do not believe in a supreme god/deity and since a religion is based on belief of a god/deity atheism cannot be a religion.
It's like this, If two people were asked about how good the food was and
1: Answered with an opinion
1: Refused to answer
So this must mean that having no opinion is an opinion right?
this is so because this is your world view is a belief system (the kind of glasses you see the world through) that incorperates things like what are possible/impossable/probable what you will accept as a truth and not which in turn affects your morals and your morals affect your thinking and actions. your world view affects how one thinks one should think and about what and how/why, it affects everything as far as the world is percieved by you.
@RedLetterChristian and, because of your user name, i am defining god as yahweh, the god of the bible, etc. a lack of a belief is the position you're born with, the belief is developed. this is true for pretty much all beliefs.
you can witness this yourself: you were, i assume, not raised a muslim, a scientologist, or a bhuddist. those all must seem strange and incorrect. since you were probably raised a christian, that is what you believe. imagine if you had been born in another society!
@RedLetterChristian i'm not trying to insult you or make you lose your faith in whatever god you have. i'm not opposed to that, but it's not really my business what you believe. i'm just trying to help you correct your views so you can become more understanding of atheism, theism, religion, and etc. sure, youtube is a great place to just blurt out any shit that comes to your mind, but your views here probably mirror your real views, so it's good to try to get them as correct as possible, right?
athiesm IS A RELIGION. all belief is religious in nature all the time. thiesm is the belief that you know there is a god. when one puts an "a" in front of any word it means - not. hence atheism is a belief that you know that there is not a god. there's no thing as lack of belief. let me put it to you this way, i simply lack belief that there is no god. if you simply "lack belief" that only means you are affirming the opposite belief system. even agnostics believe you can't know either way.
@RedLetterChristian i'm sorry man, you're just not right. theism is NOT a religion, but also, atheism is NOT always a belief. theism and atheism are like the groundwork for a worldview, it is built around questions like that. but imagine, if someone said that they were a theist, you would still know very little about them. if they said they were a theist, a christian, and a protestant, then you would have a better idea. so, theism is not a worldview itself, and neither is atheism. same logic
@RedLetterChristian also, yes we can lack belief. it's really really easy, in fact. you lack a belief in gods like thor, zeus, apollo, etc. this is not because you actively disbelieve in them with any sort of proof, it's just that when you were raised, you "knew" they were fake because history books said so. if when you were raised, your parents didn't tell you about yahweh, and you only learned about him from ancient civilizations in history class, you wouldn't believe in him either.
@RedLetterChristian and your whole point about "oh i just lack a belief in not a god" is incoherent. i know that was your whole point, trying to undermine our claims of lack of a belief, but they're not really congruent. you can lack a belief in god, and you can actively believe there is no god. lack of a belief would occur naturally, if no one told you about god. but yeah, active belief that he doesn't exist is an actual position, so you need to have reasoning and evidence to support it.
Atheism is NOT non-religious. It is the belief that there IS NO GOD. It's like saying that since black is defined as the absence of all colors that black is not a color. If black is a color then atheism is a religion. It is VERY different than other religions, but it is a belief system; an explanation for the unknown, and because followers believe they know the truth it fits the definition of a religion.
@Sn00pyDeluxe it's a belief system, but it lacks everything else that a religion has. But anyway, atheists shouldn't be offended by this, because atheism only supports the absence of gods. believing in a god is a long way from having a religion. in theory, anyway.
@pcdsgh You do bring about a very valid point; in terms of being a religion atheism does lack most everything. I suppose there is no clear cut way to define atheism other than being different, because it is unarguably different than being "nonreligious" (since it does define beliefs and discredits religions using science) but is also different than worshipping anything supernatural. Excellent, well thought argument; and I thank you for using rational thought instead of just blowing hot air! :)
I am very curious to know, but do you believe in leprechauns? And if not, does this mean that you have a belief that there are no leprechauns, and therefore it constitutes as your religion?
@FilthyIcon Religion applies to a deity, but you are correct; atheism in itself is NOT a religion. But the way that many people use their atheism manipulates it into fitting into the religious category of their lives, joining the "American Atheists" with special "Atheist News" and trying to enlist others. Thus, for some people atheism is a legitimate “religious” endeavor. Consequently "atheist" and "nonreligious" are two different things, both in denotation and application in our world today.
@Sn00pyDeluxe no, joining an atheistic organization still does not make atheism a religion or increase religious-like activity. this is because, religion being synonymous with a "worldview", atheism does not supply enough beliefs to be labeled as such. it's more like the grounds for a worldview, much like theism is not a religion, but a category of religions. there are atheistic worldviews (see "naturalism) which actually describe view points. however, not all atheists are naturalists.
@taylorbortnerathing I've put much thought into what you said, and I agree. Putting religion in terms of a "worldview" does bring a new perspective to it. And theism is not a religion, so I understand how you can argue that atheism is not a religion. Thank you to everybody who provided input; I now see your point. (except for the leprechauns - no offense, but that didn't provide any rational thought, thought it was pretty funny) So, I officially concede - I agree that atheism is not a religion.
@Sn00pyDeluxe well it's cool that you agree! you know, at one point i actually held your stance as well. i was always an atheist but i classified it as a religion/worldview. however, it did become apparent that my worldview as an atheist was very different than other persons' worldviews, and i realized that all that atheism is is the response to the question "do you believe in god(s)". you can believe in anything else, just not god(s). i'm glad you're being intellectually honest! thanks for that
@taylorbortnerathing And no offense to the author of this video, but I wish he would have just said that instead of going in circles in his argument; after watching the video I was still very unconvinced. Thanks again everybody! :)
@taylorbortnerathing a belief system is your world view (the kind of glasses you see the world through) that incorperates things like what are possible/impossable/probable what you will accept as a truth and not which affects how one thinks one should think and about what and how/why which in turn affects your morals and your morals affect your thinking and actions. thus atheism affects everything as far as the world is percieved by you. this is a religion like it or not. welcome to the club!
@FilthyIcon And I understand that this is a very touchy subject. My main goal here is to demonstrate that some (but certainly not all, or even the majority of) atheists criticize people of other belief systems, try to spread their ideals, and get offended from any opposition just as much as people belonging to other religions. And I hope you can agree that these people should not be thinking they are above the conduct of many religious people. Look online anywhere and you will see my point here.
I contend that atheism, while not a religion in the traditional sense, IS a belief system. Atheism is the belief in no god or gods. The only stance on the matter that is NOT a belief system is agnosticism, which is no belief in god or gods, that's the definition. Because it denies belief in anything without necessary evidence, I contend that agnosticism is more scientific than atheism. What do you think, ZJ?
Agnostics take a look at the "evidence" presented, and state quite plainly "We don't know" which is the only real truth of it. It's sometimes useful to keep in mind that "god" means many things to many people. For some, god is the substance of the universe, for others the forces of nature... or a white-haired man that lives in the sky.
I love this video series, by the way! The dialog is much better than most You-Tube comments as well. Way to raise the bar, folks!
@tflavors28: I could argue the point, but the truth is, I mostly agree with you. My point is, that both are beliefs. The belief in god is as much a belief as the belief that there is no god. Most Atheists will argue that there is not enough evidence to support the existence of God (which I believe is true), but use that to illogically jump to the conclusion that there is no god (that's not provable either).
For one to decide that they remain neutral on the argument of religion and accept whatever may be, they would truly be non-religious. Of course, even such as decision as this would also be religious because they would have to DECIDE to remain neutral.
But that only proves Christians right, that all people are looking for something, they always serve a master, they are looking to fill that void. That concept was not invented by a singer, it was known by Christianity since the time of Christ.
What would be an absence of religion? It would be neutrality on all accounts. Agnostic, I suppose would be the closest representation. It would be to decide to not decide that there is or is not a God. That would be an absence of religion, a willingness to accept whatever the answer is, not taking one side over another, but equally accepting both sides as possibilities. Most people fit this description before they become atheists.
I, however, choose to believe that some of those unexplained things may have very well had to do with God, or Satan, or whatever supernatural thing I believe. I choose to believe that certain unexplainable things like existence, the authority behind physical laws, and life could only be because of God.
You have your faith in no-God, I have my faith in a God, well I consider Him to be The God, but that's beside the point.
So Atheism is very much a religion. So to answer the other question . . .
My point. You choose to believe that all you cannot explain has nothing to do with God no matter what. No matter the evidence, no matter the speculation, no matter the plausibility, you choose to believe it has nothing to do with God and you reject anything that contradicts that. That is religion. You religiously reject any notion or speculation that God had anything to do with it. That is even a blind faith. You trust, you have faith that it has nothing to do with God.
I reiterate, we cannot know today many many things. Today, we cannot see for ourselves how the universe began or how life began. Today we cannot know the authority behind the physical laws that caused everything to work the way it does. We cannot today fathom how energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed. Yet we can say without any uncertainty that God definitely does not exist.
There are also issues about the very things that Atheists tend to believe that have never ever even been verified by actual observation and forces the Atheist to accept as truth the speculations that people have come up with based on ideas about other things that were observed . . . In other words, no matter what, the Atheist insists that it cannot be divine, God, supernatural, or any such thing.
There are many many issues that we aren't even exposed to today that are not understood and cannot be logically explained and their current answers cannot be accepted by anyone who does not subscribe to conjecture as being truth.
They call it a religion because that's what it is and Atheists often will deny that fact.
And many Christians don't like religion because it's condemned in the Bible with two exceptions. This is one of those concepts I find rather difficult to believe would have come from man.
Atheism is a religion because to deny that it is a religion is to deny that you don't believe there's a God, otherwise you're just pathetically naive.
If Atheism is the belief that there is no god, then that belief is what forms the religion. Practices, based on this assumption include ripping on people that believe in god. Atheism is taking the lack of evidence of god and jumping to the conclusion that there is none. Real science tries to disprove a hypothesis with evidence. Agnostics, in my opinion, are the only non-religious group happy (or not) to admit not knowing know one way or the other... which is the only provable truth to the matter
@cajhne A shared single belief is not a religion. To be a religion two things are required, 1) Dogma and 2)laws and tenants. Since atheists don't make stuff up to suit the answers they want, then they have no dogma. And since we don't hold one another to an authorities standards, we have no shared rules. Ripping on theists is something that some atheists do, but it isn't a required. Therefore it is not a law
@max4hunter1 A little bit butthurt aren't we? Judging all Atheists by the crazies that build churches is like me judging Christianity because of the Westbaro Baptist Church, or the crazies that think the world is ending tonight. Try to be a little less angry over the internet and grow a brain.
The word "religion" sounds funny now...
z2thaanko 59 minutes ago
are you a guy or girl?
cheriezapata 3 days ago
:/
cheriezapata 3 days ago
But the only thing that makes an Atheist an Atheist is the fact that they don't believe in a deity. They can still have a system of beliefs and traditions so long as they do not go against that one characteristic. A "non-religion" or whatever would be a philosophy without a deity, without traditions, and without an explanation for the universe; that's what religions do. It might not be an organized religion, but Atheism sure sounds like a non-theistic religion to me.
oe98 6 days ago
u atheist asshole motherfucker dickshit bitch
MRTMAN54321 1 week ago
Non-religion is agnosticism.
arssfarger 1 week ago
Atheism operate as a belief system,atheist make it their point to discredit religions. They claim its the logical way to go but their isn't anything to proof that god doesn't exist but at the same time the big bang theory doesn't make any sense.
junder89 2 weeks ago
@junder89 I suppose you do not believe in dragons, Adragonism operates as a belief system , adragonists make it their point to discredit dragonism. They claim it’s the logical way to go but there isn't anything to prove that Dragons do not exist.
I hope you see that comment in the same way I see yours, fairly dumb.
bradkey98765 2 weeks ago
You talk in the most boring tone. Ever.
theleesisters3 3 weeks ago
Very good point. Atheism is not a religion
powersmine 3 weeks ago
@powersmine Nor is theism.
Clear404 3 weeks ago
Key word is faith. You BELIEVE that there is no God(s) you have faith in that. That explains the religion Atheism. And please consider the fact that maybe those who are saying that atheism is a religion are not insulting Atheism but expressing the way view the word and teachings of Atheism. Also by the tone of your voice in this and every other video i have seen it seems to me that you are being Sarcastic. :/ I feel pretty insulted by your sarcastic tone of voice.
eagley2j 3 weeks ago
@eagley2j Go die. nothing else just go die.
livedandletdie 3 weeks ago in playlist More videos from ZJemptv
when people say atheism is a religion they are trying to win by contorting the idea of atheism under the umbrella of religion to rob atheism of it's essence. which is crap. thank you haha.
OurLoneHero 3 weeks ago
The video response I just linked here wasn't done in response to this - I recorded it before I saw this - but I think it's somewhat pertinent.
ThinkingSpeck 4 weeks ago
Atheism is not a religion. But nor is theism. They're both just claims about what does or doesn't exist.
However, I have sympathy with those who claim that atheism is a religion. For many of the most evangelical of the atheists are former religious believers who bring the same fanatical dogmatism to their atheism that they'd formerly reserved for their religious beliefs. There are few open minded atheists around. Most prefer labels and prefer slogans - just like the religious
Clear404 1 month ago
@Clear404 Athiests tend to look for factual evidence. If none can be provided, Religion is just a fairly tale created by humans. And i will admit, it pisses us off when Christians continue to condone that stupidity.
newdude32 4 weeks ago
@newdude32 Theism is not a religion. Theism is just the belief that God exists. It is a belief about what exists. It is NOT the belief that this or that bonkers book was written by God.
I’m a theist. Yet I think all religions are crazy. I have one thing, and one thing only in common with the religious – I believe in God. I’m your real opponent. Care to attack my position?
Clear404 4 weeks ago
@Clear404 I will not. I respect your position. I understand that Theists do believe in a god, but not the Christian god. God could be anything... to anyone. You could call it anything. It could be the feeling of Love, or the smell of cut grass. Emotions. Something bigger than your body.
newdude32 4 weeks ago
@newdude32 No, I don't call it anything. Belief in God does not entail belief in any religion, but nor does it entail belief in anything at all under the banner 'God'. For instance, if you discover that by ‘God’ I mean ‘grass’, then you’ve discovered that I’m not a theist after all, rather I’m just someone who uses the word ‘God’ misleadingly.
By ‘God’ I mean an agency – a mind – who is something to do with why I’m living this life, and who is something to do with morality.
Clear404 4 weeks ago
@Clear404 I have 2 words to say to you in the next sentence. GO DIE
livedandletdie 3 weeks ago in playlist More videos from ZJemptv
Comment removed
Clear404 3 weeks ago
Humans have a spiritual side whether acknowledge or not b/c humans are tripartite (Tripartite Attributes of Human Wholeness) composed of Pneuma, Psyche & Soma. All humans have idols/gods that they venerate, whether it is a recognized world religion, or not. An alcoholic's idol/god is alcohol; it is his idolatrous obsession. An intellectual’s idol/god is his inordinate & obsessive pursuit for more knowledge. Atheists’ religion is the inordinate obsession to flee a god, or God, an excessive focus.
IAPETUSGIANTS 1 month ago
@IAPETUSGIANTS our intent is NOT to get away from a god all together. As you said a god can be anything, a feeling, a goal, morality. You can call it anything you wish. the majority of atheists simply wish to help religious people try to see common sense and to be more practical and down to earth.
newdude32 4 weeks ago
Let's make a distinction. Atheism, means you don't believe in a higher power (call it God Allah Jehovah, etc). This higher power is so tightly linked with religion that people confuse the belief in a higher power and religion which is and has always been a tool to control the population or to give simple answers to ignorant people about things they don't understand or fear. Atheism is not a religion and you can also be against religion and not be an atheist. Then again, what's the point
dagda71 1 month ago
religion's religions religion religion anti-abortion religion religion pro-religion religion non-religion religion religion religion non-religious religion. oh yeah and religion.
SoniClub 1 month ago
why so man?
chewflesh 1 month ago
religenseption
joel789456123 1 month ago
male or female?
bmxrider222 1 month ago
I have question so how do u think the human body was desinged the human body is so complex that only one with all knowing would be able to create something so complex
Howbigofaboyareya 1 month ago
@Howbigofaboyareya It started as less complex and over time adapted into a more complex structure. That's evolution which is a fact.
tgray1330 1 month ago
A wise man once said "If atheism is a religion, then bald is a hair color."
nijichama 1 month ago 2
@nijichama I'm using that in my next debate. Thank you very much.
RaynaOfSunshine 1 month ago
After all this I have one question...are you a male or a female?
ctcraam 1 month ago
@ctcraam He is male.
nijichama 1 month ago
@nijichama oh the whole earings and lipstick threw me off.
ctcraam 1 month ago
@ctcraam Same for me, too. So, I watched some of his earlier videos and it was clear he was male.
nijichama 1 month ago
@nijichama I have the weirdest boner right now...
ctcraam 1 month ago
@nijichama So...he's like Poland?
0401KasaneTeto 1 month ago
@0401KasaneTeto Absolutely XD
nijichama 1 month ago
I think the reason Athieism is considered a religion is because your belief is that there is negative god, or you believe there is NO god, there for anything other then athieism, or anything that involves god must be incorrect because it involves god, and in the sense of athieism, that would be incorrect. athieism must be considered a religion, bewcause you choose to believe the absense of god. which itself is a belief. where as it makes more sense to say ' i believe in logic'
graceluvsyu 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
atheism is a non-prophet organization
Iife 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Have u lied? Have u stolen? Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust you have committed adultery with her in your heart. have u done that?
If God judge’s u by the Ten Commandments will u be innocent or guilty? Heaven or Hell? Does this concern you?
Do u need a Savior from your sins?
Jesus (The Son of God)came, lived a sinless life, died on the cross (for our sins) and rose again on the third day.
needgod.com
if you are interested in abortion or thinking of having one watch 180 movie
standingontruth1 2 months ago in playlist Reason and Science
I like the part were you say religion...
Yacovsup 2 months ago
Well,atheism is literally not believing in deities or 'spiritual' stuff.religion is a cultural faith in SpiritualityX,mostly including some deity.So,they are unrelated.Yet...if you take a form of extreme atheism(has in people who zealously try to prove that there is no spiritual stuff)And form it into a culture of some place...then you can get a form of religion =P,which their "spirituality" is trying to prove that spirituality is false =P yet,since that did not happen yet,the concept is false.
Wharwulif 3 months ago
I think we should start teaching non-abstinence in schools too. Following this logic I see abstinence as a sexual position.
elgmalone 3 months ago
Personally, if religious people want to call Atheism a religion then let them. But if they want to do that then the American Atheists need to be given a tax exempt status.
elgmalone 3 months ago
Atheism is a worldview that includes elements generally present in religion. Furthermore, there are ("strong"/"positive") atheist argument that posit that there is no God; therefore it necessarily enters into metaphysic discussions. It also creates community and culture. So, yes, atheism enters most classifications as a "religious view" (I was careful not to use the word "belief" which many unreasonably loathe). So someone's religious view is atheist while someone else's is catholic. Get a grip.
Portubed 3 months ago
@Portubed Compelling arguement. I want to start a movement to allow Atheist Organizations to gain tax exempt status. Would you support such a movement?
elgmalone 3 months ago
@elgmalone I wouldn't involve myself with it. Any charitable organization gets that already, I think. Atheism isn't nothing new, though, nor is it a secular society, although for the last 3-5 centuries inroads have been made into a post-christian secular civilization. I think that it depends from one country to another what tax-exemption for religious organizations means there. If you're really interested, you should do some reading about this history (preferably in real, big books, not online).
Portubed 3 months ago
atheis is as much of a religion as not collecting stamps is a hoby, and it's really insulting and condescending when people do not get that.
KendrixTermina 3 months ago 8
this dude reminds me of meg griffin
bofumytofu 4 months ago
it's not a religion but because so many religions exists and they are all in opposition for what atheism stands for it must keep the legal definition of religion so we don't get discriminated for our lack of belief and use of reason.
endthedisease 4 months ago 8
isnt it considered one so you cant be fired from your job for being one?
iamtheprototype 4 months ago
At the other 'side' of this argument, can you do a video on people who insist that their religion /isn't/ a religion?
MissMysterics 4 months ago
There appears to be one word which is constantly being reiterated,
......hmm, what is that word???
ah, yes it is 'foolishness'.....for the word that best describes any religion is just that.
I've grown to love Zinnia...thanks for posting all your videos.
waterandphotons 4 months ago
Theists argue that atheism is a religion not to imply that it is as bad as religion (which of course theists don't think it is, otherwise they'd also be atheists), but to prevent atheists attacking religion in general, since that would mean attacking (metaphorically) themselves.
Abhorsen27 4 months ago
I think they mean to say that self-proclaimed atheists are usually just as bigoted an narrow-minded as religious zealots.i,who follow no dogma, refuse to call myself an atheist for this reason.i don't look at the bible or any other religious text as a modern church would-i approach as an educated reader and in doing so can appreciate the poetic myths and epics commanding universal love and compassion in almost every faith.if you close your mind completely,you are missing out on the (1 of 2)
blessedwildapplegirl 4 months ago
@blessedwildapplegirl I completely agree. I wouldn't necessarily say Atheism is a religion, as i wouldn't say Christianity in its truest form shoudn't be a religion. As we as Christians were not commanded to really observe any religious rituals outside of Holy Communion. I see them both more as a philosophy. Both claiming to be superior to the other. I truly agree about the fact that it requires faith to be an atheist, as it requires quite a bit a faith to believe some of its claims, yet the
rgatlin04 4 months ago
word "faith" has been tagged to "Religion" as if out of the two, Atheism and Theism, Atheism has absolute proof of its claims, and thus requires nothing else but the gathering of this information. When that couldn't be futher from the truth. You have to believe by faith that this Universe was nothing, and that something came from nothing. Just as you have to have faith that God created the Universe...they both require faith. Just depends on what you wanna put your faith in...
rgatlin04 4 months ago
spiritual longings of man-which is a very worthwhile topic to consider with respect. i find many atheists use the disbelief in a "soul" to avoid self-examination,self-actualization,and discredit the conception of the unknown-that science is not complete or perfect,not all is understood,and that maybe therein lies the culmination of the ego-the unknown houses the soul-accepting that we can't conceive of the entire universe,we are small,and acceptance of that requires a heap of,well, faith.(2of2)
blessedwildapplegirl 4 months ago
Atheism isn't a religion. But scientific materialism is!
Enzo012 4 months ago
My favorite part was when you said RELIGION!
JustMerpMan 4 months ago
Let's forget about it and find an agnostic to bash.
way2jaded1 4 months ago
Part 3:
Perhaps not all people feel atheism is a religion, but atheist’s churches are starting to come about in modern day society, and that to me makes it a stronger point that atheism IS in fact a religion.
kh1129 4 months ago
Part 2:
Now, one can believe that facts exists, but when considering if a God does or does not exist is a personal opinion/belief. Atheists may term their beliefs under a religion due to the fact that they may not want to offend others of a religion, because the opposite of religion is nihilism, and that can be a difficult pill to swallow.
kh1129 4 months ago
Part 1:
Atheism is a belief system set by one's choice and approval. The same method can be seen in all the religions of modern and past eras. People chose to believe in something, and when you believe in something it becomes part of one's moral aspects and in a sense that IS religion. Now belief and fact are two different concepts. A fact can be proven, a belief for the most part comes from faith.
kh1129 4 months ago
@kh1129
"Atheism is a belief system set by one's choice and approval."
You don't get to define atheism the way you like. The word has a proper meaning, and that is
a-theism: 'a' from greek as in 'a-tom', meaning *without theism*. So it's not a belief system, by definition.
In atheism, people lack the quality of believing in God or gods. That is NOT a belief, it is the LACK of belief.
By your definition, you would have a 'non-invisible-pink-unicorn belief system'.
gininginin 4 months ago
@gininginin
You must not have read all my comments, it was a 3 part comment. Towards the end I point out that atheists churches are starting to appear in modern society. If one has a strong enough belief that they peruse to congregate with other of the same belief, it IS a religion.
kh1129 4 months ago
@kh1129 Of course I read your three parts. But if the first part is wrong, the others can't be right. There is no 'strong belief' in atheism because atheism is NOT about belief. You are either deluded or deliberately misrepresenting atheism. Go ask *any* atheist.
gininginin 4 months ago
@gininginin
Lol no. If one choices not to believe in something, then it is their choice of belief to not believe. Its still a belief system.
kh1129 4 months ago
Comment removed
gininginin 4 months ago
@kh1129
"their choice of belief to not believe."
It's not even a choice. I don't believe, period. You didn't embrace a belief to not believe in my invisible dragon in my garage. You just don't believe.
By your silly argument, YOU are currently participating in *thousands* of belief systems: the 'belief' of not believing in Zeus, in Vishnu, in Thor, in Cthulu, in the Flying Spaghetti Monster...
That's a lot of 'beliefs'!! Do you have time to attend all those churches of 'belief to not believe'?
gininginin 4 months ago
@gininginin
A belief in non- believing is still a belief. Its not towards any God/Gods, its to all man made omnipotent beings. That like saying "I choice to do nothing today!" and feeling you are doing nothing. It is still an option, and option to do nothing, and that is still something. Do you take everything you read and turn it into diarrhea? I'm not your fucking history teacher; do some research and use your brain, look this information up and do just a little bit of research.
kh1129 4 months ago
@kh1129
"A belief in non- believing is still a belief."
Repeating it does not make it true. You haven't answered my question, and refused to accept how atheists define ourselves. You don't get to label or define our position.
"I choice to do nothing today!" and feeling you are doing nothing."
Inapplicable, stay in the belief realm. I will take it that you are out of arguments and started name calling... that ends this discussion. You are late for your non-Zeus church!
gininginin 4 months ago
Comment removed
kh1129 4 months ago
@gininginin
You really are just arguing for the sake of arguing. You haven't brought any true facts or good points to this discussion. I have told you my points and answered your questions, but if you can't understand simple concepts then there is no further reason to go on talking to you.
kh1129 4 months ago
@kh1129
I'm busy not collecting stamps right now, but if you want we can continue this discussion at the church of non-belief in Ahura Mazda. I figured you don't believe in that god, therefore you surely adhere to that belief system and its principles. See you there!
gininginin 4 months ago
@gininginin
You keep proving that you have no valid statements with the way you respond. All I've taken away from your arguments is that I have some how offended you because I say believing in nothing is still a belief. Your instant reaction is to counteract my statement with a juvenile "I am right, because I am" attack. I have never stated what I believe in, and will not, therefore you do not know. However if we met in person I do believe you would be surprised, but that will never happen.
kh1129 4 months ago
@kh1129
Wow, you not only missed it, you invented reactions and attacks I didn't even made. Good luck with all your thousands of religious beliefs systems (that's your claim), I'd rather have none. Better luck next time!
gininginin 4 months ago
@gininginin
Buyebuye, enjoy believing in something!
kh1129 4 months ago
Tounge Twister
LLOYD19851012 5 months ago
Zinnia do you ever doubt your position on Atheism?
mjacobson73 5 months ago
@mjacobson73 Why would you pose a qeustion addressing him specificaly? dont you realise he'll only respond if you make a video of it?
MagnusCattus 5 months ago
Zinnia, Interesting points you make. I agree that those calling Atheism a religion have it wrong. However, I would retort your position in that I feel most people who call themselves Atheists are confused about their point of view. They turn out to be Agnostic - open to God but havent seen proof or they claim God doesn't exist but can't offer evidence to support that their view is accurate and correct or they are true Atheists and feel answers to life are silly (spaghetti monster folk).
mjacobson73 5 months ago
@mjacobson73 accurate and correct? Heck, why not just prove its plausible.
MagnusCattus 5 months ago
@MagnusCattus Magnus...Im a Christian. Roman Catholic to be precise. There are times that I believe Atheism is plausible. I don't know a religious person alive that doesnt experience this. It's part of being rational/reasonable..."I could be wrong". It's just that I have yet to meet a self professed "Atheist" that believes that 1. They are wrong 2. That they ever doubt their position against theology. This, I find irrational.
mjacobson73 5 months ago
LOLOLOLOLOLOL id tap
ooboodylan 5 months ago
Atheism is a religion, It has everyhing to make a religion. Ecclesiatical party-scientists
Deity-Chance, Faith-belief someone else will answer the qeustions that are thus far left blank.
Religion is unpleasent, Humans are the factor that makes it so, God does not. Hardly anyone who claims to follow the bible actualy does.
I'm getting tired of these idiotic arguements. Humans beings need something to say they belong to so they are superior to everyone else... JUST LIKE ATHEISTS.
MagnusCattus 5 months ago
@MagnusCattus You are wrong. The mere basis of being an atheist subscribes only to the concept of not believing in a God. It doesn't incorporate science into the faction of atheism whatsoever. Being an atheist does not necessarily mean believing in the concepts of science and its evidence. It also does not incorporate in any fashion a dogma, nor does it subscribe to any forms of explanations about the beginning of existence or creation. It merely states a non-belief in any "creators".
Lazyguy077 4 months ago
well said!
tripvids420 5 months ago
I'm sorry but what gender are you? I'm not trying to troll but I really can't figure it out.
dmoney69696969 5 months ago
atheism is religion and its the thing that makes them more confused than anything
its just that everything in this world revolves around religion and that just the way it is and honestly it doesn't matter if you don't like it because its a fact...
chrismstrshk 5 months ago
agnostics are far smarter than atheists.
.
atheists' religion is themselves as their own god. god is all-knowing, all-powerful (in part), so too do atheists project a confidence that they are all-knowing, which is delusional. the confidence that atheists can have in their own ability to understand is a belief that is unable to be validated. they just have it (desire it). for someone to state that there is no god is to state that they can know all. only a delusional can negate all possibilities
qncsc 5 months ago
One last comment.
Every atheist does not believe in the divine.
Atheists do not all follow Darwin's theories on evolution.
Atheists do not all believe in the Big Bang.
There is no rulebook on how to be an atheist. No guide. No scripture. No bible.
Some atheists think Darwin is right, some could think he's wrong.
Some atheists think the Big Bang theory is correct, others could think it's incorrect.
Atheism is the lack of belief in the divine.
Nothing else.
Lichtouch 5 months ago
@SoldierofYAH Incorrect. Atheism is the lack of theological belief. You can be atheist and say that Darwin is right. You can be atheist and say that Darwin is wrong. Atheism only demands that you lack theological belief. I believe you are used to arguing with very specific atheists, likely angsty teenagers who are rebelling against their parents and preach evolution and the Big Bang in an almost evangelical way. They're just as intolerant and ignorant as the people they despise.
Lichtouch 5 months ago
Atheism is a religion is the sense that it's a worldview, and a way to live your life. They don't worship anything though. They put their faith in what there is evidence for. However they do have some blind faith in believing there is no God. Because we all know that things can exist without current evidence. Agnosticism probably makes the most sense because nobody can know.
ArtAndSuch 5 months ago
@ArtAndSuch I'd say that incorrect. Atheism isn't a lifestyle or nor does it have a way to live your life. It simply states a lack of belief in the divine. The one thing unifying atheists is that they're atheist. Atheism doesn't require a set of morals, a set of beliefs, it doesn't require prayer on a particular day or for you to not eat a particular meat. There is nothing unifying atheists beside the fact they're atheist.
Lichtouch 5 months ago
@ArtAndSuch - agree with your comment. to add my perspective: some atheists in their belief in their own abilities appear almost religion-like. there is a tendency to have these maximum beliefs in one's own abilities. belief unsupported, unsubstantiated but a belief nonetheless. atheists tend to have a perspective that their analysis is supreme or their belief is so strong that it "looks" almost religious in their adherence to it from an outsider. vs atheists, agnostics are worlds-away smarter
qncsc 5 months ago
@qncsc Yeah Atheists kind of remind me of those annoying kindergartners who go around telling the other kids santa isn't real, just because of the shear fact that they know better, and all they want to do is make fun of the other kids for it.
ArtAndSuch 5 months ago
Atheism might not be a religion, but it is a belief nonetheless.
Iisdabest889 5 months ago
Atheism is a religion.Derp, im atheist.Atheist dont belive in god.But a religion is ones belief on how the earth was made and god.Atheism beleives that there is not god,that is there imput on god.They beleive the earth was made by a scientific miracle.Therefore,it is a religion
EpiclyOriginal 5 months ago
All you have to do it look at the word rationally. "theism" means the worship of a deity. The prefix "a" means a lack of. Put it together, and you have a lack of worship of a deity.
It's as simple as that.
MQ7474 5 months ago
@MQ7474 - sounds good. but have you defined "theism" correctly? since you have not, you have established a false platform to base your argument upon to win points. redefine theism and try again. worship and belief are all together different: i can worship the beauty of a particular woman, having no particular belief in that woman. the implications and consequences are different. you should not play such tricks.
qncsc 5 months ago
Atheism is a religion in that people will ask you "Are you a Christian, Muslim, Jew...?"and Atheism appears in that list instead of politics or favorite novel genres. Admittedly, Atheism is not at all similar to other religions because there is no set of laws you must follow or organized meetings but there is STILL a list of beliefs about the universe you must personally subscribe to to be able to call yourself an Atheist. You are confusing circling "D: None of the above" and
DepressedAnnnie 5 months ago
@DepressedAnnnie skipping the question. What you are describing, having NO religion, requires not having even the slightest opinion. That's called being an agnostic, not an atheist. So let's clear the air here; Atheism is "None of the above", Unitarianism is "All of the above", Agnosticism is reading the question and skipping it, and if you didn't even see the question, which if you ask me is the only way to be completely nonreligious, there is something seriously wrong with you.
DepressedAnnnie 5 months ago
Ummmm... are u a guy or Girl??
Imreason 5 months ago
@Imreason - i'm calling the person "pat." it could be patricia. it could be patrick. who knows. and with that monotone discourse who knows if pat is even human; perhaps pat is an android from the future.
qncsc 5 months ago
apatheism is the best ism
Chaoscaliber 5 months ago
Lolz I'm a atheist and i completely agree.
nardyman8501 6 months ago
If Atheism is a religion then not collecting stamps is a hobby.
Caconymic 6 months ago
@Caconymic - "If Atheism is a religion then not collecting stamps is a hobby."
you could argue that. not choosing to act is itself an "action." as not collecting stamps is not a hobby, per se, it is a choice as choosing to collect stamps is a choice. the real question is not if "stamps are your hobby" but do you have another hobby? and there is the problem: atheists do have another hobby...it is just not "collecting stamps."
qncsc 5 months ago
You are so smart and engaging and I wish I could meet you some day. I think you are just so great and I want to thank you so much for your posts.
drgincali 6 months ago
its not a religion cuz you peeps dont worship anything
newvagasbaby2 6 months ago
Atheist isnt on a technical basis a religion but it certainly is organized LIKE a religion.Product placement and all.
EstacadoConstantine 6 months ago
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FallofDarkness55 6 months ago
Atheism is a religion, and not collecting stamps is my hobby.
Shrillwhip 6 months ago
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pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff cant u just stfu
lulhannes635 6 months ago
its not a religion since they dont belieave in any supernatural power controlling the world or in faith.
vasilis360 7 months ago
@vasilis360 religion does not mean "supernatural power" religion is another word for cult. Athiestim today is just the a cult, therefore it can be thrown into the same category as religion. Athiests have "faith" that there is no god, religious people have "faith" ther is a god. So other then the yes and no of the matter what is the difference between a athiest and a bible thumper?
card969 5 months ago
@card969 *facepalm* Religion is a specific type of cult, not another word for it. Atheism isn't a cult, it can't be a cult or religion, since Theism isn't a religion either. You can have an atheistic religion (like Buddhism) or cult, but Atheism itself isn't and will never be. And atheists don't have faith that there is no god, not even strong atheists. Most atheists even say that they just don't have any reason to believe in a deity, which doesn't mean they deny the possibility.
Raidoton 5 months ago
@Raidoton *facepalm* you missed the point entirelly. Athiesm is a group of people so ar ebible thumpers, they both have a point of view opposite to eachother, they both believe in there point of view and disagree with the other, so i ask again other then each view point what is the real difference? Neither of them is right and neither of them are wrong. Therfore argueing about whos right and wrong is pointless.
card969 5 months ago
I must beg to differ, Atheism is just another man made religion with all the same attributes as any other religion like the jehova witnesses and chrisindom! Each having a set of beliefs, teachers and a congregations. Legal presidents have established Atheism as a Religion.One needs faith to believe in principles.Nevertheless many had beginnings of spiritul origins, and then become modified by atheistic Power Hungry Leaders.Example Jim Jones. Be Agnostic, or establish your own conection to God.
GATEANGEL744 7 months ago
@GATEANGEL744 really? Do you believe in Thor? no? then regarding Thor you are an atheist, you don't believe in him, that's all atheism is, to the question "Do you believe in (insert the name of a god here)?" if the answer is yes, you are a theist, anything else including "I don't know", you are an atheist, you don't believe. How on earth does that makes it a religion? if atheism is a religion then not playing soccer is a sport, not cooking a pie is a recipe and not collecting stamps is a hobby
DocStrange0123 6 months ago
@GATEANGEL744 No. Even as atheists have a set of beliefs, we do not have one book or a prophet or practice anything. Ad calling it a religion contradicts itself as Atheist do not believe in a supreme god/deity and since a religion is based on belief of a god/deity atheism cannot be a religion.
It's like this, If two people were asked about how good the food was and
1: Answered with an opinion
1: Refused to answer
So this must mean that having no opinion is an opinion right?
Daalchii 6 months ago
"all belief is religious in nature all the time"
this is so because this is your world view is a belief system (the kind of glasses you see the world through) that incorperates things like what are possible/impossable/probable what you will accept as a truth and not which in turn affects your morals and your morals affect your thinking and actions. your world view affects how one thinks one should think and about what and how/why, it affects everything as far as the world is percieved by you.
RedLetterChristian 7 months ago
@RedLetterChristian and, because of your user name, i am defining god as yahweh, the god of the bible, etc. a lack of a belief is the position you're born with, the belief is developed. this is true for pretty much all beliefs.
you can witness this yourself: you were, i assume, not raised a muslim, a scientologist, or a bhuddist. those all must seem strange and incorrect. since you were probably raised a christian, that is what you believe. imagine if you had been born in another society!
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
@RedLetterChristian i'm not trying to insult you or make you lose your faith in whatever god you have. i'm not opposed to that, but it's not really my business what you believe. i'm just trying to help you correct your views so you can become more understanding of atheism, theism, religion, and etc. sure, youtube is a great place to just blurt out any shit that comes to your mind, but your views here probably mirror your real views, so it's good to try to get them as correct as possible, right?
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
athiesm IS A RELIGION. all belief is religious in nature all the time. thiesm is the belief that you know there is a god. when one puts an "a" in front of any word it means - not. hence atheism is a belief that you know that there is not a god. there's no thing as lack of belief. let me put it to you this way, i simply lack belief that there is no god. if you simply "lack belief" that only means you are affirming the opposite belief system. even agnostics believe you can't know either way.
RedLetterChristian 7 months ago
@RedLetterChristian i'm sorry man, you're just not right. theism is NOT a religion, but also, atheism is NOT always a belief. theism and atheism are like the groundwork for a worldview, it is built around questions like that. but imagine, if someone said that they were a theist, you would still know very little about them. if they said they were a theist, a christian, and a protestant, then you would have a better idea. so, theism is not a worldview itself, and neither is atheism. same logic
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
@RedLetterChristian also, yes we can lack belief. it's really really easy, in fact. you lack a belief in gods like thor, zeus, apollo, etc. this is not because you actively disbelieve in them with any sort of proof, it's just that when you were raised, you "knew" they were fake because history books said so. if when you were raised, your parents didn't tell you about yahweh, and you only learned about him from ancient civilizations in history class, you wouldn't believe in him either.
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
@RedLetterChristian and your whole point about "oh i just lack a belief in not a god" is incoherent. i know that was your whole point, trying to undermine our claims of lack of a belief, but they're not really congruent. you can lack a belief in god, and you can actively believe there is no god. lack of a belief would occur naturally, if no one told you about god. but yeah, active belief that he doesn't exist is an actual position, so you need to have reasoning and evidence to support it.
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
Mr Logic!... or should I say Ms Logic? either way, your logic is awesome....
RafaChannel3001 7 months ago
you said the word "religion" 21 times
Noise509 7 months ago
"If Atheism is a religion, then health is a disease!" -Clark Adams
MsWildtiger 7 months ago
Atheism sure is preached a lot to not be a religion (Despite that the Supreme Court ruled that it is, regardless of why)
kheroot 7 months ago
I thought that atheism was just, not believing anything... so does that make it a religion..? Oo
I'm confused... Oo
JonnaJacobsen1995 7 months ago
no one cares what you have to say you flaming tranny lawl
xB1IIyx 7 months ago
Atheism is NOT non-religious. It is the belief that there IS NO GOD. It's like saying that since black is defined as the absence of all colors that black is not a color. If black is a color then atheism is a religion. It is VERY different than other religions, but it is a belief system; an explanation for the unknown, and because followers believe they know the truth it fits the definition of a religion.
Sn00pyDeluxe 7 months ago
@Sn00pyDeluxe Latin religiō originally meant ‘obligation, bond’. re·li·gion
a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
No obligation, no worship, no system in atheism. Period.
MsWildtiger 7 months ago
@Sn00pyDeluxe it's a belief system, but it lacks everything else that a religion has. But anyway, atheists shouldn't be offended by this, because atheism only supports the absence of gods. believing in a god is a long way from having a religion. in theory, anyway.
pcdsgh 7 months ago
@pcdsgh You do bring about a very valid point; in terms of being a religion atheism does lack most everything. I suppose there is no clear cut way to define atheism other than being different, because it is unarguably different than being "nonreligious" (since it does define beliefs and discredits religions using science) but is also different than worshipping anything supernatural. Excellent, well thought argument; and I thank you for using rational thought instead of just blowing hot air! :)
Sn00pyDeluxe 7 months ago
@Sn00pyDeluxe
I am very curious to know, but do you believe in leprechauns? And if not, does this mean that you have a belief that there are no leprechauns, and therefore it constitutes as your religion?
FilthyIcon 7 months ago 6
@FilthyIcon Religion applies to a deity, but you are correct; atheism in itself is NOT a religion. But the way that many people use their atheism manipulates it into fitting into the religious category of their lives, joining the "American Atheists" with special "Atheist News" and trying to enlist others. Thus, for some people atheism is a legitimate “religious” endeavor. Consequently "atheist" and "nonreligious" are two different things, both in denotation and application in our world today.
Sn00pyDeluxe 7 months ago
@Sn00pyDeluxe no, joining an atheistic organization still does not make atheism a religion or increase religious-like activity. this is because, religion being synonymous with a "worldview", atheism does not supply enough beliefs to be labeled as such. it's more like the grounds for a worldview, much like theism is not a religion, but a category of religions. there are atheistic worldviews (see "naturalism) which actually describe view points. however, not all atheists are naturalists.
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
@taylorbortnerathing I've put much thought into what you said, and I agree. Putting religion in terms of a "worldview" does bring a new perspective to it. And theism is not a religion, so I understand how you can argue that atheism is not a religion. Thank you to everybody who provided input; I now see your point. (except for the leprechauns - no offense, but that didn't provide any rational thought, thought it was pretty funny) So, I officially concede - I agree that atheism is not a religion.
Sn00pyDeluxe 7 months ago
@Sn00pyDeluxe well it's cool that you agree! you know, at one point i actually held your stance as well. i was always an atheist but i classified it as a religion/worldview. however, it did become apparent that my worldview as an atheist was very different than other persons' worldviews, and i realized that all that atheism is is the response to the question "do you believe in god(s)". you can believe in anything else, just not god(s). i'm glad you're being intellectually honest! thanks for that
taylorbortnerathing 7 months ago
@taylorbortnerathing And no offense to the author of this video, but I wish he would have just said that instead of going in circles in his argument; after watching the video I was still very unconvinced. Thanks again everybody! :)
Sn00pyDeluxe 7 months ago
@taylorbortnerathing a belief system is your world view (the kind of glasses you see the world through) that incorperates things like what are possible/impossable/probable what you will accept as a truth and not which affects how one thinks one should think and about what and how/why which in turn affects your morals and your morals affect your thinking and actions. thus atheism affects everything as far as the world is percieved by you. this is a religion like it or not. welcome to the club!
RedLetterChristian 7 months ago
@FilthyIcon And I understand that this is a very touchy subject. My main goal here is to demonstrate that some (but certainly not all, or even the majority of) atheists criticize people of other belief systems, try to spread their ideals, and get offended from any opposition just as much as people belonging to other religions. And I hope you can agree that these people should not be thinking they are above the conduct of many religious people. Look online anywhere and you will see my point here.
Sn00pyDeluxe 7 months ago
I'm sorry can you explain that again hahahaha! nice argument mate.
Derp1978 7 months ago
Who ever said there has to be a (non-religious way of life) Sense God created the Earth in his image, it was based on Christianity.
BTW, Christianity is technically called a "religion" by the world...but its a relationship with Jesus Christ.
ddrumdrummer08 7 months ago
27, if you're counting things like "non-religious" as well.
Oh, and you're very much true about all this! ;)
someonep93 7 months ago
NO
gogolplex74 8 months ago
I contend that atheism, while not a religion in the traditional sense, IS a belief system. Atheism is the belief in no god or gods. The only stance on the matter that is NOT a belief system is agnosticism, which is no belief in god or gods, that's the definition. Because it denies belief in anything without necessary evidence, I contend that agnosticism is more scientific than atheism. What do you think, ZJ?
EMABrad 8 months ago
Agnostics take a look at the "evidence" presented, and state quite plainly "We don't know" which is the only real truth of it. It's sometimes useful to keep in mind that "god" means many things to many people. For some, god is the substance of the universe, for others the forces of nature... or a white-haired man that lives in the sky.
I love this video series, by the way! The dialog is much better than most You-Tube comments as well. Way to raise the bar, folks!
cajhne 8 months ago
@tflavors28: I could argue the point, but the truth is, I mostly agree with you. My point is, that both are beliefs. The belief in god is as much a belief as the belief that there is no god. Most Atheists will argue that there is not enough evidence to support the existence of God (which I believe is true), but use that to illogically jump to the conclusion that there is no god (that's not provable either).
cajhne 8 months ago
For one to decide that they remain neutral on the argument of religion and accept whatever may be, they would truly be non-religious. Of course, even such as decision as this would also be religious because they would have to DECIDE to remain neutral.
But that only proves Christians right, that all people are looking for something, they always serve a master, they are looking to fill that void. That concept was not invented by a singer, it was known by Christianity since the time of Christ.
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
What would be an absence of religion? It would be neutrality on all accounts. Agnostic, I suppose would be the closest representation. It would be to decide to not decide that there is or is not a God. That would be an absence of religion, a willingness to accept whatever the answer is, not taking one side over another, but equally accepting both sides as possibilities. Most people fit this description before they become atheists.
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
I, however, choose to believe that some of those unexplained things may have very well had to do with God, or Satan, or whatever supernatural thing I believe. I choose to believe that certain unexplainable things like existence, the authority behind physical laws, and life could only be because of God.
You have your faith in no-God, I have my faith in a God, well I consider Him to be The God, but that's beside the point.
So Atheism is very much a religion. So to answer the other question . . .
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
My point. You choose to believe that all you cannot explain has nothing to do with God no matter what. No matter the evidence, no matter the speculation, no matter the plausibility, you choose to believe it has nothing to do with God and you reject anything that contradicts that. That is religion. You religiously reject any notion or speculation that God had anything to do with it. That is even a blind faith. You trust, you have faith that it has nothing to do with God.
I, however . . .
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
I reiterate, we cannot know today many many things. Today, we cannot see for ourselves how the universe began or how life began. Today we cannot know the authority behind the physical laws that caused everything to work the way it does. We cannot today fathom how energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed. Yet we can say without any uncertainty that God definitely does not exist.
My point . . .
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
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There are also issues about the very things that Atheists tend to believe that have never ever even been verified by actual observation and forces the Atheist to accept as truth the speculations that people have come up with based on ideas about other things that were observed . . . In other words, no matter what, the Atheist insists that it cannot be divine, God, supernatural, or any such thing.
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
There are many many issues that we aren't even exposed to today that are not understood and cannot be logically explained and their current answers cannot be accepted by anyone who does not subscribe to conjecture as being truth.
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
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NewnotesJR 8 months ago
They call it a religion because that's what it is and Atheists often will deny that fact.
And many Christians don't like religion because it's condemned in the Bible with two exceptions. This is one of those concepts I find rather difficult to believe would have come from man.
Atheism is a religion because to deny that it is a religion is to deny that you don't believe there's a God, otherwise you're just pathetically naive.
There are many things we do not understand . . .
NewnotesJR 8 months ago
HUHH Ya lost me at religion!!
turboboy68 8 months ago
If Atheism is the belief that there is no god, then that belief is what forms the religion. Practices, based on this assumption include ripping on people that believe in god. Atheism is taking the lack of evidence of god and jumping to the conclusion that there is none. Real science tries to disprove a hypothesis with evidence. Agnostics, in my opinion, are the only non-religious group happy (or not) to admit not knowing know one way or the other... which is the only provable truth to the matter
cajhne 8 months ago
@cajhne A shared single belief is not a religion. To be a religion two things are required, 1) Dogma and 2)laws and tenants. Since atheists don't make stuff up to suit the answers they want, then they have no dogma. And since we don't hold one another to an authorities standards, we have no shared rules. Ripping on theists is something that some atheists do, but it isn't a required. Therefore it is not a law
tfavors28 8 months ago
I was a strong christian until I was 10.
Then I grew up.
anticorncob6 8 months ago
@max4hunter1 A little bit butthurt aren't we? Judging all Atheists by the crazies that build churches is like me judging Christianity because of the Westbaro Baptist Church, or the crazies that think the world is ending tonight. Try to be a little less angry over the internet and grow a brain.
jadencore 8 months ago