Re: ATHEISM - A Side-Effect of Religious Stupidity

SongBookz wrote:
> 
> "SeppoP" <seppo_pietikainen@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:68ko16F2sprqqU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Bible Bob wrote:
>>> On Fri, 09 May 2008 12:11:34 -0500, Rod <icom706@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bibon wrote:
>>>>> TUPELO, Miss., -- A federal court of appeals has ruled in favor of 
>>>>> an inmate who claimed that Wisconsin prison officials violated his 
>>>>> rights under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment 
>>>>> because they refused to allow him to create a study group for 
>>>>> atheists.
>>>>>
>>>>> The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that prison officials erred 
>>>>> because they “did not treat atheism as a ‘religion.’” The court 
>>>>> said, “Atheism is [the inmate’s] religion, and the group that he 
>>>>> wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly 
>>>>> rejects a belief in a supreme being.”
>>>>>
>>>>> Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family 
>>>>> Association Center for Law & Policy, described the court’s ruling 
>>>>> as “a sort of Alice in Wonderland jurisprudence.”
>>>>>
>>>>> “Up is down, and atheism, the antithesis of religion, is religion,” 
>>>>> stated Fahling.
>>>>>
>>>>> The Supreme Court has said that a religion need not be based on a 
>>>>> belief in the existence of a supreme being. In the 1961 case of 
>>>>> Torcaso v. Watkins, the Court described “secular humanism” as a 
>>>>> religion.
>>>>>
>>>>>                                 ************
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, atheism is a religion and is recognized as such by Federal 
>>>>> Courts in the USA. More ammo for you to use against those who doubt 
>>>>> your FAITH!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>   Atheism is not a religion..the fact that a judge and lawyers see 
>>>> it as such is just another indication of the mentality of sickness 
>>>> that permeates society today. Atheism is a mode of existence, a 
>>>> means of living ones life free of unjustified restraint.
>>>
>>> Rod,
>>>
>>> Atheism is a religion as indicated by the "ism" suffix.  While not all
>>> atheists belong to the religious cult; many do.  Those that do promote
>>> their religion and speak against other religions just like
>>> fundamentalists from other religions do.  Atheism involves  self
>>> wor****p, man wor****p, and systems wor****p.
>>
>> So, if I don't play flute, according to you I'm a musician who 
>> practices not playing flute?
>>
> 
> Very weak analogy.  If you don't play the flute, you're not a flutist - 
> you may or may not still be a musician.

Ok, let's make the analogy better - I don't play *any* instrument *at 
all*, I'm not even interested in playing one. By your reckoning my 
religion is "not playing music"?

> 
> "Atheist" means "without Theism" (deity is a synonym).  It does not mean

> "without religion."  Zen is an example of a religion that is also
atheist.
> 

Trying to redefine terms you don't like doesn't make your definition any 
better or any more real.

> Atheism qualifies as religion under word's, "religion," definition:
> 
> - A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the 
> universe - atheists may or may not, but commonly, believe the universe 
> began with a "big bang,"  life arose through evolution and natural 
> selection, and so forth (and some non-atheists have similiar beliefs).  
> The fact that everyone has beliefs concerning the "cause, nature, and 
> purpose of the universe," indicates that everyone has a religion.

Your redefinition of religion makes *everything* a religion which makes
it immaterial and absolutely useless.

You're also trying to redefine the word "belief" conflating religious
faith with accepting a set of scientific theories as provisional facts.

I *accecpt* the BB and the theory of evolution as the best scientific 
explanations currently available. However I have no *faith* in those 
concepts and I wouldn't lose one second of sleep if either one were to 
be falsified tomorrow and a *better* theory with more explanatory power 
were to replace them.

> 
> Terrell
> 

-sp