Atheism is a belief system
From Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
"one who believes there is no deity"
This position is untenable for one would have to be omniscient to authenticate it.
So, for those who
BELIEVE in atheism they must essentially disregard reality.
We can see this from simple examples like Richard Dawkins, the high preist of atheism - (
Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com,
1/15/2009) who has flatly lied to bolster his
FAITH.
Atheist Ads and Evangelical Christians | Around the World with Ken Ham
Children who front Richard Dawkins’ atheist ads are evangelicals
So, to me atheism is merely an ~alternative~ belief system advocated by individuals
with a sense of hubris and arrogance that negates any worthwhile attempt at discussion or debate.
We can only, honestly, plant ~seeds~ with individuals of this ilk.
Definition of religion -
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.
Apologists frequently assert that
atheism is a religion. Whether this is true or not depends greatly on what definitions of
atheism and
religion are being used. The argument is most effectively made against
strong atheism, in which positive assertions are made that no gods exist, but even in that case there are real problems with applying the label of religion to something that is explicitly denying a central belief of almost all religions. Further muddying the issue is the purely
legal notion that, for the purposes of the
First Amendment's
free exercise clause, atheism should be considered a form of religion worthy of protection.
Non-differentiating Definitions
- Frequently, atheism is equated to religion by using non-differentiating definitions, meaning, aspects of a concept that do not distinguish the concept from others, are used for comparison. For example:
- Religion is a group of people.
- Atheists are a group of people.
- Therefore, atheism is a religion.
Now that religion is based on groups of people, everything from baseball teams to people sitting in a waiting room, are now religions. Few would find the argument compelling: "
Oranges are made of matter. Stars are made of matter. Therefore, oranges are kinds of stars." Whether something is made of matter is not what
distinguishes a star from a non-star. Other non-distinguishing comparisons that commonly come up:
- Getting together in groups / socializing
- Having a set of beliefs
- Having tax-exempt status
- Having a belief about gods
- Voicing our concerns/opinions ("proselytizing" or "evangelizing")
While most religions do these things, they aren't religions
because of these aspects - but rather by a set of attributes that
distinguish it from other concepts, such as belief in supernatural events or beings.
More to the point, is atheism a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe? No. Atheism is a
lack of
one specific belief, not a set of beliefs. Even strong atheism is simply a position on one particular issue: there is no god. Thus, even assuming strong belief in this point, that doesn't say anything at all about the actual cause, nature or purpose of the universe, except in the negative ("it's not God").
If atheism is a religion, then... (or: Atheism is a religion like...)
- ...not collecting stamps is a hobby.
- ...not playing golf is a sport.
- ...not believing 13 is unlucky is a superstition.
- ...bald is a hair color.
- ...nudity is an outfit.
- ...off is a TV station.
- ...being healthy is a disease.
- ...abstinence is a sex position.
Words are hidden inferences. By calling atheism a religion, the person wants to come to some conclusion using a syllogism such as:
- Religions force people to wear silly hats.
- Atheism is a religion.
- Therefore, atheism forces people to wear silly hats.
These syllogisms don't work. Humans have ten fingers; but if I lose a finger in a chainsaw accident, I am still a human.
Since you are talking about a very specific instance, there's no need to go through the generalization for any specific questions about atheism. However, this might have come up when the atheist in the conversation made a point about religion. In this case, talk about the specific aspect of religions that fits your argument, and stop using the word 'religion' (or synonyms). For example, when saying that religion is harmful, you might want to switch to saying that dogmatic movements are harmful -- an argument that might exclude a small number of religions and include some political movements used in dictatorships.