Re: ATHEISM - A Side-Effect of Religious Stupidity

SongBookz wrote:
> 
> "Kelsey Bjarnason" <kbjarnason@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:5nhrf5-vjp.ln1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> On Tue, 13 May 2008 20:04:15 -0500, SongBookz wrote:
>>
>>> "Kelsey Bjarnason" <kbjarnason@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>> news:jmapf5-vjp.ln1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> On Mon, 12 May 2008 22:32:57 -0500, SongBookz wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> "Kelsey Bjarnason" <kbjarnason@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>>>> news:mbdlf5-u05.ln1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>>> [snips]
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, 10 May 2008 00:32:43 -0500, SongBookz wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Atheism qualifies as religion under word's, "religion,"
definition:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> - A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of
the
>>>>>>> universe
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Whoops, sorry, you dropped the ball there.  The one key aspect of
>>>>>> atheism is that it is precisely about *not* having a belief.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Nice try, though.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> "A-theism" is not equal to "a-religion."
>>>>
>>>> No, it's equal to "a theism", the lack of belief in deities.
>>>>
>>>> Which is *exactly* as I said.  It is precisely about *not* having a
>>>> belief, in contradiction to your assertion that, I quote, "A set of
>>>> **beliefs**..." [emphasis added]
>>>>
>>>>
>>> "A-theism" refers only to "without theism (or deity," a synonym).. it
>>> does not refer to religion.
>>
>> Let us try this again.
>>
>> Theism means the presence of a belief.
>> Atheism means the absence of that belief.
> 
> Incorrect - "Theism" is from the Greek, "Theos" meaning "god."

And the "-ism" ****tion is defined as:
a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group

> 
> "A-theism" equals "a-theos," or "without god."

Actually, "a-theos-ism" or "without god belief"

> 
> It says nothing about religion.
> 
> A god is not a requirement for religion - religion is simply a set of 
> beliefs concerning "the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe."

Also incorrect.

Religion is defined as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, 
and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a 
superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual 
observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of 
human affairs."

> 
> Whether you believe the universe was created by a god or several gods or

> whether you believe it was resulted from a Big Bang - you have the basic

> requirements of a religion.  Which is one reason the court was 
> correcting in classifying atheism as a religion.

And you have just destroyed any definition of religious belief.  Atheism 
has no deity, no doctrine of beliefs, no sets of practices.

It is merely a lack of belief in deities.

Just like tall people are not a religion.

-- 
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*          DanielSan -- alt.atheism #2226          *
*--------------------------------------------------*
* "When I was a kid I used to pray every night for *
*  a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord    *
* doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked   *
* Him to forgive me."                --Emo Philips *
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