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SL4V3M4YB3 -> RE: Is Atheism a religion? (9/10/2009 5:31:40 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda
Interesting that you would post this. I attended a wedding today, and at the reception afterward had the opportunity to sit across the table from the pastor who performed the ceremony. We had a lively discussion about religion and atheism, and I told him about this thread. I asked him what his opinion was of the position that atheism is a religion, and when he'd finished laughing, he said (and I hope i have this quote exactly right), "That's an argument that's usually made by people who either don't understand what a religion is, or are willing to stretch any assertion far beyond the breaking point just for the sake of winning an argument. Or, sadly, both. But either way, it's not an argument that anyone I know who's studied theology takes the least bit seriously."
A rather elitist statement he makes but I think most people have a good idea what a religion is even if they are not a theologian. I'm tired of these conversations where people are more interested in shrouding what words mean in mystery. Those words are all there in the dictionary and if they use one then they should use one accurately not just in a way that suits them.
Seriously some people here are talking about lack of belief in pianos to prove some silly point as to how the word 'conviction' varies from that of 'religion' or how 'belief' varies from 'faith'. It's all becoming complete nonsense and you can see how religions have been getting away with this elitist authority for so long. Atheists are becoming exactly the same trying to make the term atheist so precious as to what it is. It’s in the dictionary if people want a better description of themselves I’m sure they could find a better word rather than redefining atheist which has been far from confusing since Greek times; Atheos.
quote:
He had a number of interesting observations about atheism (I was particularly intrigued by his statement that he respected many atheists more than he respects most agnostics, because they at least have the courage of their convictions, and more than many self-professed christians, because they are more likely to live a life that's in accordance with their beliefs), but that was the one that stuck out the most for me.
That is the typical misunderstanding of agnostics and he perhaps respects atheists because they have the similar blind faith that he has rather than being objective about an issue and refusing to take a position when there is no evidence one way or another. Basically in the first quote I highlighted he points out how atheism isn't a religion and in the second he is comforted by the fact it is and people treat it as such.
The atheist sets about proving his (the pastors) version of god doesn't exist so how can the pastor lose in that situation? The agnostic is far more dangerous to his religion because the agnostic is willing to look outside that specific model of the creator that his religion has proposed. This is why Christians find comfort from Islam because it's the same 'god will help us if we live this way' approach. Imagine if the creator didn't want to help you, imagine if you were just part of a cruel experiment, imagine if the creator had no ability to help you. The atheist doesn't look into these questions he'd rather restrict the debate to the pre-existing versions of the creator by stating such things as 'god has a specific meaning as set out by conventional religions and so that is what I will restrict myself to' The pastor likes atheists more because even when they say the pastor is full of shit and this god couldn't possibly exist it reinforces the fact that god could exist i.e. by even entering into this debate, that neither side can win due to it's nature of being beyond human ability to prove, you give this restricted idea credibility.
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