How atheists became the most colossally smug and annoying people on the planet

erowe1 said:
Atheists may not all agree about all of their beliefs. But they all do have religions, according to the definitions OtherOne offered.
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1.
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially 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.
2.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

It's become clear why Christianity is so divisive.
 
VIDEODROME said:
So now we're down to arguing about the meaning of a word.

wtf.
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I'm not. I'm arguing about the nature of your worldview. As an atheist, you accept things on faith. As an atheist, you assume things to be true without proof. You are religious.
 
otherone said:
Only religions have doctrine. It's like asking a fat guy on a couch what his training regimen is.
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There are different views within atheism -- strong atheism, weak atheism, agnosticism. Perhaps doctrine was the wrong word.

It doesn't seem like atheists squabble between themselves over their views as much as theists. Maybe there's not much to squabble about -- no Bible to interpret.
 
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VIDEODROME said:
So now we're down to arguing about the meaning of a word.

wtf.
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Christianity relies on parsing words...otherwise they would all agree. For some reason, it's critical to their epistemology to claim that everyone, even the non-religious, is religious. This isn't the first I've heard of this. Maybe it's a Calvinist thing.
 
Sola_Fide said:
I'm not. I'm arguing about the nature of your worldview. As an atheist, you accept things on faith. As an atheist, you assume things to be true without proof. You are religious.
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Too bad your magic book doesn't have a glossary.
 
otherone said:
1.
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially 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.
2.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

It's become clear why Christianity is so divisive.
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Is the purpose of this additional copying and pasting of the same two definitions once again just to hammer home the point that they don't exclude atheists?
 
otherone said:
Christianity relies on parsing words...otherwise they would all agree. For some reason, it's critical to their epistemology to claim that everyone, even the non-religious, is religious. This isn't the first I've heard of this. Maybe it's a Calvinist thing.
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But you're the one who provided those definitions. When I say that everyone has a religion, I'm using the definition of religion that you wanted to use. The only way you've managed to get out of it so far has been by bringing in a different definition of religion to show that, at least with that other definition, atheists don't have religions, even if by the more normal definitions they do.
 
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otherone said:
Nowhere is what you claim in the definition.
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Do you have "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe"? If so, then according to the definition you provided, you have a religion.

Especially if these include beliefs concerning a superhuman creator. And atheists, by definition, have beliefs concerning that.

Do you have "a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a[ny] number of persons"? If so, then by the second definition, you, once again, have a religion.

Those are the definitions you gave.

Which part of what I claim to be in those definitions is not actually in them?

Something that is not in these definitions is any stipulation that a religion must include belief in any gods.
 
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erowe1 said:
Do you have "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe"? If so, then according to the definition you provided, you have a religion.
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The hell with this. I'll just hangout at the Unitarian Universalist Church and say that is my "religion". I think they take everyone including Athiests.
 
VIDEODROME said:
The hell with this. I'll just hangout at the Unitarian Universalist Church and say that is my "religion". I think they take everyone including Athiests.
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Exactly.

Now is OtherOne going to say that Unitarian Universalism is not a religion because of that?
 
erowe1 said:
Do you have "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe"? If so, then according to the definition you provided, you have a religion.

Especially if these include beliefs concerning a superhuman creator. And atheists, by definition, have beliefs concerning that.

Do you have "a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a[ny] number of persons"? If so, then by the second definition, you, once again, have a religion.

Those are the definitions you gave.

Which part of what I claim to be in those definitions is not actually in them?

Something that is not in these definitions is any stipulation that a religion must include belief in any gods.
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Why are you redefining what has already been defined?
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially 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.

 Why are you being obtuse? "Beliefs concerning the universe as the creation of a superhuman agency". How does this include beliefs NOT concerning the universe as the creation of a superhuman agency?
 
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