Originally posted by FeceMan
Atheism is "the doctrine or belief that there is no God" and "disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings."
Here's your problem. There is no "doctrine."
If the only thing unifying a group of people is one principle, then poltical parties are more religious than atheism.
Originally posted by lord xyzOh yeah, Hinduism is also a kind of philosophy/religion mix. Meaning it's philosophical aswell as religious. Things like Karma for example.
hmm You make an interesting point. I myself have also wondered how Buddhism fell into the religion catagory.Wait, isn't it said that Buddha sat under a tree for 20 years or something?
Originally posted by GregoryAgreed.
Talking about atheist prophets is sort silly no matter who you choose.I think that some schools of Buddhism can definitely be clasified as religious; at it's root, it's just a philosophy.
Originally posted by lord xyz
Only a Fundamentalist would say something like that. sadyesAtheism is not the belief there is no god, most atheist don't know or understand the concept of god. Also, in religion, these beliefs have to be [b]about something
not the denial of something. [/B]
Originally posted by Alliance
Here's your problem. There is no "doctrine."If the only thing unifying a group of people is one principle, then poltical parties are more religious than atheism.
Atheism is not a belief system. It doesn' t consist of an integrated system of doctrines, beliefs, and ideas that are used to provide guidance and stability in people' s lives. Atheism implies no further belief system. It implies no beliefs about politics, no philosophy, no beliefs about society, no beliefs about science, no beliefs about religion. If you know that a person is an atheist, then you know that he or she lacks belief in gods. Nothing more, nothing less. Atheism can be part of a religion, but it can' t be a religion by itself.
Originally posted by FeceMan
I guess the dictionary was written by fundamentalists.Don't blame me, blame the dictionary.
Its well known that dictionaried give populist and common definitions of terms. Dictionarty defintinons are rearely used in scholarly research because they are simply inadequate.
I'd never use a dictionary for a defintion fo a scientific or philisophical concept. You instead use the true definiton created by researchers in the field.
Originally posted by Alliance
Its well known that dictionaried give populist and common definitions of terms. Dictionarty defintinons are rearely used in scholarly research because they are simply inadequate.I'd never use a dictionary for a defintion fo a scientific or philisophical concept. You instead use the true definiton created by researchers in the field.
Tell that to the people here who cite the dictionary like it's Scripture itself.
And I already said that atheism isn't a religion, by the way.
kkTell that to the people here who cite the dictionary like it's Scripture itself.
And I already said that atheism isn't a religion, by the way.
So wait ... if you don't think dictionaries are authoratative for philosophical beliefs, and you don't think atheism is a religion even though you found a dictionary definition that might connceivible support claiming that it is, then what ... I mean ...
If you don't think the dictionary is accurate for philosophical definitions, and you disagree with the implications of the definition you're quoting, then why, exactly, are you letting us know dictionary.com's take on this matter?
Originally posted by FeceMan
Atheism is "the doctrine or belief that there is no God" and "disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings."Religion is "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" and "something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience."
So, technically, atheism is a religion. Of course, that's being annoying and adhering to the strictest of definitions (something that some members of KMC have difficulty with in the first place).
Originally posted by AllianceSometimes you need to quote it because people don’t understand even the basic meaning of the words but it is a good foundation but not the end to be all.
I know.The elitst in me says that the average man is dumb. I've done the dictionary battle before. 13 year olds just dont get it, do they?
Originally posted by Storm
The best definition of religion I have seen is in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It lists traits of religions rather than declaring religion to be one thing or another, arguing that the more markers present in a belief system, the more "religious like" it is:
[list][*]Belief in supernatural beings (gods).
[*]A distinction between sacred and profane objects.
[*]Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
[*]A moral code believed to be sanctioned by the gods.
[*]Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, and which are connected in idea with the gods.
[*]Prayer and other forms of communication with gods.
[*]A world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an over-all purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it.
[*]A more or less total organization of one's life based on the world view.
[*]A social group bound together by the above.[/list]
However, so many people seem to think that what the dictionary says is infallible. It's a lot like playing D&D with the rules-as-written--interpreting the rules exactly as they are written leads to retarded things.
Originally posted by StormAnd surpirse surprise, none of those things are what Atheists do.
The best definition of religion I have seen is in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It lists traits of religions rather than declaring religion to be one thing or another, arguing that the more markers present in a belief system, the more "religious like" it is:
[list][*]Belief in supernatural beings (gods).
[*]A distinction between sacred and profane objects.
[*]Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
[*]A moral code believed to be sanctioned by the gods.
[*]Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, and which are connected in idea with the gods.
[*]Prayer and other forms of communication with gods.
[*]A world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an over-all purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it.
[*]A more or less total organization of one's life based on the world view.
[*]A social group bound together by the above.[/list]