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[X-MsLiZa-X]

I'm with HotChick on this one.

Atheism is a lack of belief, making it the opposite of a religion. For atheists, religion does not exist and does not need to exist because it is not acknowledged nor are any of its practices.

But this is hardly the forum for this discussion.

[Danger_Dad]

;^) Oh, I know better than to argue religion. I was just clarifying the meaning of the word. From the Greek: A = without, Theos = god. So, Atheism is the belief that there is no god. And since this belief addresses the issue of gods, it qualifies as a religious belief. I.E. "On the issue of religion, my belief is that there is no god." That's atheism, by definition.

As for the existence of religions, just look in the phone book. There are oodles of them. Which, if any, are correct is a separate discussion....

[X-MsLiZa-X]

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Danger_Dad wrote:

So, Atheism is the belief that there is no god. And since this belief addresses the issue of gods, it qualifies as a religious belief.

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The way I see it, you just have the word "no" in the wrong spot.

Atheists have no belief that there is a god.  Not the same as believing that there is no god.

It may just seem like a semantic difference but there's more to it than that.

Lack of belief = lack of religion.  A religion must be practiced.  How can atheists practice a religion if they do not believe in the whole concept?  I don't see how having no religious practices can be seen as practicing a religion.

Not that I'm going to judge or argue with anyone on either side of the fence. To each their own.

[Tempest_Fire]

Atheism is specifically about god(s), not religions.  You can be atheist and practice religion.  Buddhists are an example. =)

The lack of belief in any metaphysical.. whatever, is Agnosticism.

[HearItWow]

Our country was actually founded by extremely superstitious farmers and religious zealots. We have Rhode Island and Utah because of this.

Here's what the First Amendment of the United States Constitution actually says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

This means two things, as it's written:

1. There can be no official "state" religion.

2. The government cannot ban any individual religion.

Most people get hung up on this and point to this amendment as the justification for separation of church and state. That's not in there. There's also nothing in there that applies to private organizations. That comes later, in the 14th Amendment:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The second part of the last sentence is the big one. That's what allows the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to pass tests of constitutionality. There is no specific prohibition against private organizations or enterprises refusing to allow religious discussion or promotion, unless they are involved in interstate trade, receive funds from a government entity or are considered part of the public hospitaity sector, which includes theaters, hotels and restaurants.

So someone could, in theory, go out and build a private online network and say, "No religion." They might win on a technicality with some really good lawyers, but they'd be destroyed in the court of public opinon. Few businesses want to take that risk.

[X-MsLiZa-X]

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Tempest_Fire wrote:

Atheism is specifically about god(s), not religions.  You can be atheist and practice religion.  Buddhists are an example. =)

The lack of belief in any metaphysical.. whatever, is Agnosticism.

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That's a good point.  Atheists can certainly hold religious beliefs but that fact still does not make atheism a religion unto itself.

Many might argue that Buddhism is more a set of philosophical views than a religion but I'm too tired to be one of them at the moment.

[Danger_Dad]

;^) Heh. It could also be argued that Home qualifies as a part of the public hospitality sector, because folks spend so much time here socializing....

[Bobsfed]

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Enistachia wrote:

How about an Atheist club?  Would you guys join my Atheist club?

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Sorry but that would actually go against my religion. Maybe I don't go to church or read the bible as much as I should, but I do believe that we were created by a higher being or power.

[X-MsLiZa-X]

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Bobsfed wrote:

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Enistachia wrote:

How about an Atheist club?  Would you guys join my Atheist club?

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Sorry but that would actually go against my religion. Maybe I don't go to church or read the bible as much as I should, but I do believe that we were created by a higher being or power.

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What if they served tasty sandwiches and refreshing beverages?

[Snowstone]

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Tempest_Fire wrote:

Atheism is specifically about god(s), not religions.  You can be atheist and practice religion.  Buddhists are an example. =)

The lack of belief in any metaphysical.. whatever, is Agnosticism.

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Religion is just a allegiance, trust based on confidence from a individuals mental view.

Even agnostic could be classified as a religion, technically.