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Originally posted by Darth Lumina
Atheism IS a religion.
Originally posted by Deaf Alien
"Why is the sky blue?"
"Because God make it so"
BOOM! It's over!
Originally posted by Deaf Alien
How is telling the kids that people believing different things brainwashing them?
And no, it doesn't tell the kids that the "answer doesn't matter". It expands their perceptions and understanding and to help them explore the possibilities and to find the best answers they could find.
Atheism is a religion and Christianity is a relationship, there is a difference
It actually is a religion, you can deny it all you want, but it is. You don't need to have a god in order to be called a religion, nor do you need a church. Atheism IS a religion.
Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
It amuses and at times annoys me how little we have stepped beyond our pack animal/tribal hunter gatherer natures. How often and easily we break up into opposing camps at even an hint of disagreement which leads to conflict between these two camps, then of course the conflict takes on a life of it's own with both camps being severly atagonistic towards each other just because "It's the other camp." and will base our identity off those group association. All the while claiming we are individuals.
An individual wouldn't need churches, study groups or what-the-frick-ever-label for "support".
[edit on 22-5-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]
If atheism is a religion, then theists would have no reason to criticise atheism being taught in schools as part of religious education.
That makes sense to you? Atheism isn't a religion because theists would have a problem with it if it was taught as a part of a religious education?
The difference between "believing there is no God", and "not believing there is a God, is that the first is a belief, the second is a lack of that belief.
the only difference in those two sentences is the location of the negatory word. Rather like saying, " I see no tree." and "I cannot see a tree.", it means the same thing.
Originally posted by boaby_phet
i have no religious beliefs, but i dont see the need to preach about it.
Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
reply to post by 5thElement
Yet he said nothing of the sort.
RE-READ, and dont make assumtions as if this was said to proove if atheism is a religion or not. Read as is.
But it is amusing to see the classic "I know you are but what am I." principle applied once again. I am not making any assumptions. Oh, and here:
If atheism is a religion, then theists would have no reason to criticise atheism being taught in schools as part of religious education.
Irrelevant Conclusion: diverts attention away from a fact in dispute rather than address it directly.
Example
Argument: Kim Jong Il believes that war is justifiable therefore it must be justifiable.
Problem: Kim Jong Il can be wrong. (In particular this is an appeal to authority).
Special cases:
purely personal considerations (argumentum ad hominem),
popular sentiment (argumentum ad populum--appeal to the majority; appeal to loyalty.),
fear (argumentum ad baculum),
conventional propriety (argumentum ad verecundiam--appeal to authority)
to arouse pity for getting one's conclusion accepted (argumentum ad misericordiam)
proving the proposition under dispute without any certain proof (argumentum ad ignoratiam)
Also called Ignoratio Elenchi, a "red herring"
Nope. There is a big difference between positively believing that a thing does not exist, and simply lacking belief in it's existence.
If someone asked you about unicorns, would you say "I believe there are no unicorns", or would it be more honest to say "I do not believe in unicorns"? These are two different answers. Nobody disbelieves in unicorns purely as a matter of personal faith.
Again, apply the same reasoning to the Gods of other religions. Example : if you are a Christian, do you believe Odin does not exist? Or do you not believe in Odin?
And if such non belief is a religion as you claim, then may I say that you a member of the "No Odin" religion? Is it a matter of faith that Odin does not exist? Can I come along to your no-Odin church with you tomorrow?
If you ask me, then "organized" religions are as useless as "unorganized" if you feel me.