Posted by The Natural Philosopher on 09/18/07 17:02

Jerry Stuckle wrote:
> Steve wrote:
>>> Ah, but whether you like it or not, atheism is a religion. It is not
>>> a "lack of belief" - it is a specifically belief there is no god.
>>>
>>> Try to deny it all you want. It won't work.
>>
>> negative, ghost rider.
>>
>> 'a' latin: without
>> 'theism' latin: belief in god(s)
>>
>> try websters instead of your own opinion.
>>
>
> Which does not mean it is not a religion.
>
>> tell me, what rites, what cerimonies, what traditions do atheists
>> observe? where do we congregate? what activities do we engage that
>> resembles anything religious?
>>
>
> Not necessary. You profess a belief in no god. That in itself is a
> belief.
>

No. I profess no belief in god.
That is not a belief.

It is the absence of one.

I also profess no belief in leprechauns. Does that make me some kind of
religious person?

In fact there are thousands of things I do not believe, up to and
including that GW Bush is the reincarnation of Immelda Markos.

Like my non belief in god, the are simply not worth mentioning.

What religious people do not like at all, is that to an atheist, the
issue of whether god exists or not is simply irrelevant. Uninteresting
in the highest degree. Its useless to believe or disbelieve. It has
little objective effect either way.




>> as i said, there is no objective evidence that would lead me to
>> believe that god exists. no more *subjective* evidence for god than
>> for santa clause or the toothfairy or the boogy man. are you saying
>> that this critical observation makes me a religious atoothfarian or a
>> asanta-clausian?
>>
>
> That's fine. It's your opinion and you're welcome to it. But don't try
> to convince me my opinion is wrong.
>
> As for proof - I have no proof you exist. All I see is some text on my
> screen. It could have been generated by a computer. So by your
> reasoning, I should not believe you exist. But I have faith that you do.
>

Thats your problem, not mine.


>> 'it won't work'...lol. a lack of belief in something does not a
>> religion make. specifically, it is the belief *IN* something that
>> would be the start of religion.
>>
>
> And you have a belief in the lack of a god.
>

No, simply no belief in its existence. And no need to have or not have
the belief.

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