Can Atheists Be "Religious"?

AGuest

It appears so (may you all have peace!):

http://www.factschurch.com/

Yes, yes, I know the 'splanation: all tongue-in-cheek. Not necessarily, though. Some are even ordained ministers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Newdow

Not to bash atheists, here,not at all: my point is the word "religious," which I have tried to show is not what some wish to make it. Given what these sites and their creators themselves state, it seems to ME like we should consider changing how we use some of the vernacular on this site. Because "religious" can (does) includes (some) atheists... while it also excludes some "believers." One CAN be an atheist... AND religious... while some can have faith/belief in God/Christ... and NOT be "religious," at all.

Sorry. But saw the highway sign on our way home yesterday, looked it up when I got here, and thought: hmmmmmmmmmm...

I say, let's either call "religious" what it truly is... and admit that it can include atheists... and let's recognize that, just like some atheists consider religion anathema, in whatever it's form... so do some believers.

(NOTE: For those who wish to say that atheists forming a religion is "not the same thing as", say, others who form them, I would say: I have a stack of old WTBTS magazines somewhere out in my garage that I would be more than happy to sell to you... they are full of the same kind of reasoning ("We're NOT a religion!") and so I'm sure you would be able to quickly identify... but take care, as you might one day find yourself falling down that same slippery slope that many JWs found themselves on (i.e., going from "we're not a religion" to [abso-frickin'-lutely] being a religion before they could even see it coming)).

Again, peace to you all!

A slave of Christ,

SA

cofty

Your mistake is to think collectively of atheists as if such a group exists.

I don't believe god exists - that in no way connects me to somebody else who does not believe god exists.

THE GLADIATOR

Re: Can Atheists Be "Religious"?

In as much a religious can mean - e xtremely scrupulous or conscientious .

Sometimes atheists pursue their abhorrence of religion in a religious way. Attacking religion or faith can become an obsession.

jamesmahon

You have to define what youmean by 'religious' and 'religion'. Or the dictionary definition you prefer. Then some discussion as to why some people who do not believe in a god fall into this category.

Giordano

Short answer is....Yes

Netscape News reports on a recent Harris poll (2009) that in the USA

* Ten percent of Protestants, 21 percent of Roman Catholics, and 52 percent of Jews do not believe in God but apparently still identify with those religions

sabastious

Your mistake is to think collectively of atheists as if such a group exists.

Cofty, ever heard of a minority? If 100 people are asked to vote on something and 98 vote yes and 2 vote no then two collective groups have been formed: the majority and the minority. The two people who voted no would do well to get together and determine if they are very right or very wrong. If they are right then they would likely start an educative campaign to convince as many of the 98 about the truth as they can. The "vote" is on the existence of God and atheists are the minority and they act exactly the way any minority would act. They group up in resistance to the majority. Often you will hear a minority group deny that they are a group at all because they came together so organically that they might not see themselves as objectively as others do.

-Sab

AGuest

Your mistake is to think collectively of atheists as if such a group exists.

Actually, I don't, dear C (peace to you!) and had you actually read the post you would know that that wasn't even the topic. You address the issue (but don't resolve it) in your next statement:

I don't believe god exists - that in no way connects me to somebody else who does not believe god exists.

I believe God exists... but that in no way necessarily connects me to somebody else who also believes God exists. Yet, some atheists, including your dear self, seem unable to see that. Apparently, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander here. But it really is the same thing. The exact same thing.

In as much a religious can mean - extremely scrupulous or conscientious.

That's not the way I mean it, dear Glad (peace to you!), and I don't think that's the way the sites' creators mean it, either. I think they fully intend for a religion... just not one dedicated to worshipping "god" but, to the contrary, one dedicated to NOT worshipping God, or any god.

Sometimes atheists pursue their abhorrence of religion in a religious way. Attacking religion or faith can become an obsession.

Yes, absolutely. I also use the word that way. But my point was as I stated in my second comment to dear C, above.

You have to define what you mean by 'religious' and 'religion'. Or the dictionary definition you prefer.

You know, dear JM (peace to you, as well!)... I really don't. The websites pretty much define it, both, in their descriptions of their purpose and membership. Now, if you have an issue with the definition, you should probably take that up with them. Of course, that's assuming you perused the sites... and given that you haven't mentioned Mr. Newdow's ordination, I'm thinking you haven't.

Then some discussion as to why some people who do not believe in a god fall into this category.

Again, no, because the websites themselves explain that. Even so, I'm not as much interested in the "why"... as in the "is."

Short answer is....Yes

Thank you, dear G (and peace to you!). And that is my point. Because some here throw the term "religious" around as if it only pertains to believers... and as if all believers are religious. Which is not the case at all, but simply their [mis]understanding and/or personal interpretation of the word. I am not religious, at all. Not a drop. None of it, including quasi-religious ritual, etc., does a thing for me. I want absolutely nothing to do with any of it - it is a slippery slope, IMHO. Yet, I AM... a believer.

I am just trying to help some who apparently don't see it, that just as all atheists are NOT religious-free... not all believers are religious-bound. And so perhaps we should reconsider how we bandy about that particular word on this Board. I have high hopes... that when using it we will ALL apply it to the truly religious... whether they be atheist or believer... but I won't stake my firstborn on it.

Again, peace to you, all!

A slave of Christ,

SA

jay88

It is a play on words.

She may say something to the contrary, but when she says "Religious" she really means "Zealot".

She uses the word "Religious" as a trap and\or as a means to attract eyes to a topic.

jamesmahon

Aguest - you start the discussion. If you cannot be bothered with a definition but just lazily put up a few links that I could not give a rats arse at reading through then don't expect people to enter into a proper debate. I might agree with you and your opinions. But if they are just someone elses - you know what, I will go on their site and comment there thanks.

cofty

Precisely jay88.

All believers without exception are by definition religious.

I looked at the websites and they held my attention for about 2 minutes. I still don't see your point Shelby.

(How come you write 1000 words when it could be said just as well with 10 and yet you abbreviate my very concise screen name to 1 letter? I suppose its a change from deliberatley misspelling it. )

Can Atheists Be "Religious"?

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