Athiest vs religion? sorta

[marlie]

Im always a teeny bit reluctant to post anything on the religion section, mostly because *some* users take a weird troll semi insulting stance on this topic... please note i say SOME not all.. and i would very much value any sensible answer to my unaccusing question... Also i apologise in advance if there is a thread on this already.. i put my hands up to not having checked all threads carefully. anyhooo without stating my religious/atheist stance.. I was wondering if anyone could explain.. why Atheists have a title at all.. atheists from my understanding do not hate the idea of religion.. nor have any particular issue with others beliving.. simply do not belive themselfs so in some ways they are just non existent to religion. so why give "Atheism" a name.. if you dont belive.. you dont belive.. why has there ended up being a " non religious religion" called atheism.. sort of, why do complete unbelivers.. have any place in such as.. i dont know.. those stupid pieces of paper in your job applications " please state your religion..christan.. buddist.. pagen.. atheist.. why isnt the word athiest simply stated as "none" why is it regarded almost as if it is a religion. Now this isnt in any way shape or form me being anti-athiest.. or pro religion.. or vice versa.. i am genuinley interested if anyone can explain the reason behind this, because i honestly dont know... and pherhaps i am being completely idiotic.. but if you dont ask.. you dont find out. I am aware of my ridiculously bad spelling/grammer i havent slept for a couple of days, as many of you know i am a terrible insomniac ..so quoting every spelling mistake i made will not be regarded as a worthwhile post on this thread ty.

[SkA_DaRk_Che]

Atheism is just a word which describes the lack of belief a god(s). It just describes a stance on relegion, it is not itself a relegion. A relegion is a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

[youssarian]

Well plus, there's a name for everything, no matter how abstract it is, if it's known of. And if it isn't yet, when they discover it, it will get named.

[Carôusoul]

relegion I hate to be a grammar nazi, but the name of the forum we're in should have given you a hint. In respect to the OP, Atheism is only such a common phrase because of it's significance at the moment. We're all A-afucktonofthings but those aren't common topics of debate. It's not really important, for me. Just saying what you think about an issue usually suffices. If someone asks me my religious beliefs I try to explain what I think, without using blanket terms which can easily be misread. An example of this is some people assume atheism is a claim that god does not exist certainly, rather than merely a lack of belief. Confusions like this, I do not enjoy.

[SkA_DaRk_Che]

I hate to be a grammar nazi, but the name of the forum we're in should have given you a hint. lol one measly misplaced letter....I can't get anything past you Carôusoul, can't i now?

[Maria92]

Atheism is just a label, sort of like one might label that leafy chunk of plant matter in your fridge as "lettuce." It comes from the greek prefix "a-" meaning "without," and the root "theism," meaning religion. It literally translates to "without religion." That's...basically it. I'm an atheist...I only say that for two reasons: 1. it's shorter than saying, "I don't believe in God," and 2. it carries that sort of smug bastard connotation with it, which I kind of like.

[Carôusoul]

.I can't get anything past you Carôusoul, can't i now? It is hard.

[Scatterbrain]

why isnt the word athiest simply stated as "none" That's what I usually answer when asked about my religion. I really don't like to use the word 'atheist', it sounds like some sort of religion or ideal, even though it isn't.

[Photolysis]

The reason why atheists have a title at all is because many people are religious, and because religion is generally considered important to many. Similarly, many people drink alcohol, which is why those who don't earn the title of teetotallers, instead of there being a name for people who consume alcohol.

[Tarsier]

Atheists sometimes seem to treat their belief as more of a religion than some Christians do.. At least on here.. They spend a lot of time trying to find reasons why other belief systems are wrong, because if they aren't wrong, it means bad things for them. It's like studying a holy book, but instead of taking advice/wisdom from a god they're taking it from scientists.

[Kiza]

Gotta agree with Tarsier here. There are Atheists out there who have turned the lack of belief in God/gods into a crusade of sorts; the kind of atheists who find it admirable to destroy faith of all sorts. I wouldn't be surprised if soon that kind of atheist starts preaching door-to-door right alongside the Jehovah's Witnesses. We already have a Church of Atheism.

[Xei]

Yep, I strongly believe there's no floating man in the sky, how militant of me.

[Scatterbrain]

It's like studying a holy book, but instead of taking advice/wisdom from a god they're taking it from scientists. Yes, it's exactly like that. Like those people that take medical advice from doctors instead of seeking a reiki guy.

[jarrhead]

Yes, it's exactly like that. Like those people that take medical advice from doctors instead of seeking a reiki guy. Pure ownage. Two perfect analogies.

[Maria92]

Nice difference between faith and science: science adjusts its views based on what's observed. Faith is the denial of truth to preserve belief. If you could show to me that, say, there really is a floating man in the sky, I'll be happy beyond all reason, I'll spin on a dime. I'd be embarrassed as hell, but I'd run through the streets shouting, "Take physics and bin it! God is real!" As an atheist, I'm fully willing to shift my stance if enough evidence for a different argument comes to light. Interestingly enough, though, the amount of evidence available for such a divine being has refused to grow at all; in fact, the further along we go, the less likely it is seeming that any sort of higher power (at least in the Judeo-Christian sense) exists. I don't care if people study Christianity and believe it, but if they're going to spread it around and voice their opinions on the matter, I'm going to voice my opinions on the matter.

[Maria92]

[ThePreserver]

Around here, in the more "Red" and Conservative Christian areas of the Good Ol' USA, the word "Atheist" has a very negative connotation, as does "Communism." Most people, when they hear either of these words, think bad things, as if the person is evil or cruel, not the fact that they have different beliefs. Humans also like labels. We like to name everything that we encounter as soon as it becomes "mainstream" or "widely recognized." Sometimes it bothers me.