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[analise_emue]

Hmm. I was talking to Mike about religion tonight, and you know what, I think I really have come to that point where I can look at myself and what I believe and how I live my life and say that I'm actually atheist

Comments

[darius409]

I think I've also changed a lot in terms of social/religious views in the past year, too. I'm not atheist, but I'm definitely non-religious...meaning I don't NOT believe in God, but I'm just relatively disinterested in religion in general. We will discuss this in detail later.

[analise_emue]

Yeah, I used to think I was just being non-religious/disinterested, but it sort of dawned on me last night that I'm actually pretty atheist at this point.

Silly religion. :P

[darius409]

See, the thing is...atheism is a religion just like any other religion. And atheists get mad when they hear this, but it's true. Atheism is a religion, and adherents of this religion believe that God doesn't exist

[analise_emue]

Well, if we're calling anything that someone believes as a religion, then yes, atheism would also be one. But when *I* think of the word "religion" it has all sorts of connotations to me, and I think much of Western society/America/whatever has similar connotations. Religion to me involves rules and structure and basically humanity's attempt to control that which it cannot control. All of my experiences with religion (which, as I'm sure you know, are limited to Christianity anyway, so this is clearly biased) have been that it detracts from the core beliefs rather than adding to it - it makes things less personal, more community-oriented, less meaningful, more ritualistic, etc. I think that what I have now - basically a belief that there is no god - is more a belief than a religion, at least in my mind, simply because there aren't any of those ritualistic/structural things that go along with my belief

[paddofutto]

Andrea, you sound exactly like me [= I think we pick up on each other's personalities. And compliment one another.

And I agree with the whole anything that is a belief is a religion thing-- because I'm pretty sure I've brought it up before; if that's the case, then my religion is science. WOOOO SCIENCE

Also, like I think I said a LITTLE while ago, I wouldn't call myself atheist or agnostic or non-religious-- I'm just nothing. I don't care either way, but if I ever HAAAD to give myself a label, it would probably be "atheist" as well. So yay companionship!

[darius409]

That's exactly what I meant! Obviously things like science and stuff aren't traditional *religions*, but what is the difference, really?

Maybe a Christian or Muslim has faith in God, whereas you have faith in Science. But can you really *prove* all the science that you learn? Not really. You take it on faith, and believe in it.

Huzzah for Liz for understanding me! :-D

p.s. You're in town this weekend? Let's have a group event (this is addressed to all of you).

[darius409]

And...for instance, Buddhists don't have a God. They believe that the Ultimate is becoming one with the universe, and as such you can argue that Existence is their god.

Yet we consider Buddhism a religion, even though it does not advocate believing in any god. It is a set of beliefs, just like atheism is a set of beliefs. And of course there are variations, but if we can clump Christianity and Buddhism and say they are both *religions*, then can't you say that Science is your religion? Of course you can.

[fencingelleth]

That's (what you attributed to Buddhism rather singularily (intended or not, i'm not accusing you of anything)) the basis of Sanatana Dharma (what the essence of Hinduism is, not loads of frolicking deities and mass rituals) Its interesting, I had a similar revelation about myself. I believe in Sanatana Dharma as a philosophy, but I most certainly don't believe in God. I oddly enough had a conversation regarding my lack of 'religion'/belief in God just today with a friend. (btw, don't bother wikipediaing sanatana dharma..its mostly incorrect)