Is Atheism a Religion?

In short: There is no single correct yes-or-no answer to this question - it depends on things like your chosen definitions of "atheism" and "religion".

If we want to debate any issue of substance in relation to this question, we should avoid the terms "atheism" and "religion and instead use words that more precisely convey what we mean.

Note: In this video I said that "pretty much any definition of atheism" would satisfy the US legal definition of religion. This is incorrect - thanks to robtbo for pointing it out. :-)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Atheism
• Religion
• Definition
• Philosophy

[ThinkingSpeck]

@bogemus

Thank you for the link, which I found quite interesting.

It doesn't seem to contradict my position, though - plaintiff clearly held a "sincere and meaningful belief" etc, and the judgement specifically quotes that wording from US v. Seeger.

[bogemus]

@ThinkingSpeck

Look at this case

419 F.3d 678: James J. Kaufman, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Gary R. Mccaughtry, et al., Defendants-appellees

[ThinkingSpeck]

@bogemus

I don't know what you mean by that - could you explain? I don't see the relevance of cases like Van Orden v. Perry (2005) and McCreary County v. ACLU (2005) to our present discussion, and I'm not aware of any instance in which a Supreme Court rule was somehow deemed unimportant in 2005. Honestly, I'm drawing a blank here.

[bogemus]

@ThinkingSpeck

So 2005 When the Supreme Court rule doesn't matter?

[ThinkingSpeck]

@bogemus

No. The broadest definition of "religion" under US law appears to be the one laid out in United States v. Seeger (380 U.S. 163 (1965)), which covers any "sincere and meaningful belief which occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by the God of [theists receiving religious exemption from the draft]". By this definition, an indifferent default atheist (ie. one who doesn't care about religion) has no religious belief according to US law.

[bogemus]

@ThinkingSpeck But still legally a religion in the US. Can you confirm that?

[ThinkingSpeck]

@bogemus

If we're looking for universal definitions (which is what I was talking about in this video), then we need to acknowledge international differences in legal definitions. You stated that atheism "is a religion", and didn't qualify that statement.

Atheism has many different meanings. Some of those meet the US legal definition of "religion", and some don't. I know people who simply don't care about religion - technically atheist, but for them it isn't a religion.

[bogemus]

@ThinkingSpeck Also, it isn't can. It is. (in US)

[bogemus]

@ThinkingSpeck seeing how I am a US citizen. That would be my response. The other countries legal status is not applicable to me.