Where do you draw the line with making atheism a religion?
Offline ----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: mikey for a day
Date: Dec 13 2006 5:50 PMi wanted to be your friend because i thought the idea was cool, but not to be an all-out activist for atheism. all i'm asking is, where do you draw the line between activism and (i know you don't want to hear this) making atheism a religion? when i was asked what religion i was on my myspace profile, i chose not to answer. i don't think atheism is a religion... so i was a little uneasy with the tactics being used here, because they remind me of what the churches would do. isn't atheism really about thinking for yourself? i'd just hate to see "atheism rallies" or "atheism family day". seems hokey...like christianity. i hope you weren't offended by anything i was saying, i just wanted to offer up my opinion.
mikey
We've answered these questions so many times. Please look further into our stuff as I don't have the time to answer properly.
Is atheism a religion: no. Can it ever be: no.
Are we like religious people? Maybe. It depends what you're referring to. If you're referring to the fact that religious people try to convince others of their views, then yes we are like religious people... AND SO ARE YOU. You just tried to convince me of your views in this email. And if people stopped doing that, we'd all be idiots. The difference between our views and those of religious people is that we only set forward as fact, views which we can prove. Religious people believe that facts can come from faith (no proof). In this way we can never be like religious people or as bad as them or however you want to phrase it.
And no, atheism isn't about thinking for yourself, it's about thinking without theism. There are plenty of atheists who don't think for themselves and use shitty logic.
- Sapient
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Religion involves dogma, rules, and set ways of doing things. You can rest assured the RRS has NONE of that. We are certainly not trying to make atheism that either. Personally, I like atheism the way it is. I can agree with a person on a fundamental philisophical basis, but rip them to fucking shreds when it comes to their political beliefs. I wouldn't have it any other way.
What I want to see is the atheist community coming together on things that really matter to us. The seperation of church and state for example.
Atheists are a very diverse group, but there actually are core values that we can and should fight for, together.
There are things that we DO have in common and CAN fight for together.
These things involve essential civil liberties and working, together, to have atheism carry a less negative stigma than it does. It involves fighting fo simple acceptance and respect. It involves getting the powers that be to take us seriously. It involves TAKING the rights we are owed under our Constiution.
I DO see it as a civil rights movement, I really do. African-Americans were not given their rights, they TOOK them. Homosexuals did the same. We're the new most hated minority, and it is time we stand up, together.
Does that mean we have to be in perfect agreement - fuck no. It simply means we need to say enough is enough and stand up.
I want to live in a world where it ISN'T a political death sentence to simply not believe. We do NOT live in such a world.
The Last thing I want or need is a new dogma, what I crave and think we need is simple empowerment. We are herding cats here, make no mistake, but we are not herding said cats toward anything but the rights and political clout they deserve. Along the way, hopefully we'll change a few minds and bring a few more to the light of reason.
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
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