What kind of god would do that?

[dsm]

You could say atheism is a religion. You've probably got a definite set of beliefs that you say point to the nonexistance of of any god. Your "worship" is in the absolute scorn of all established religions and practices.

- Exactly!

[Naked Snake]

You mook, if you READ the Bible you would see that HELL IS NOT ETERNAL!!!!! No matter the sin, Hell is for repenting your sins, once your time is up you go to Heaven. RTFB!

[Fredrik]

Then we say like this. I'm not an atheist either. I don't believe in any religion. Hah.

[IMJack]

So you're a nihilist. That's a religion in its own way, I suppose. :P

[Lüt]

That's a religion in its own way, I suppose. :P

In the way that it's not a religion, I suppose? :P

[IMJack]

Nihilists believe in nothing. It is their belief that there is nothing sacred in the world, and they openly scorn those who show any kind of faith. So you have a belief (nothing) and a form of honoring/worshipping that belief (open scorn). Belief + worship = religion. That is, if you've bought into the discussion of the last few pages. so :P

[Fredrik]

I neither believe nor worship.

[Lüt]

So you have a belief (nothing)

Which = no belief, so :P

[IMJack]

I neither believe nor worship.

Do you make a concious effort to neither believe, nor worship?

[danarchist]

You know, I hear this all the time and it's always from people who know squat about religion and have never given it an honest chance. (That or somebody with power to gain over religion-haters to further him/herself personally.)

Why don't you say stuff like that that once you've spent years and years studying and practicing religions? Because you probably won't.

I've actualy tried Christianity before, when I was in a deep depression. Though I tried hard, nothing could lift me from this depression, until I found that only I could do it myself. During this experience, I found nothing that made me believe in a god.

As for studying religeon, it's one of my favorite pasttimes. I always read up on anything I find on mythology or religeon (the same thing really), and to top it off, I'm in a Bible as Literature class. How's that for irony?

Atheism = Religion

Ummm, no. I do have beliefs, true. I believe in science, I believe in myself, I believe that one day humanity can be saved from its stupidity. But I do not worship anything. There are no great powers out there that I can worship.

And in a more literal sense, Atheism is not a religeon because there are no written rules, and every atheist follows their own set of rules.

Your "worship" is in the absolute scorn of all established religions and practices.

Maybe, but I'm not anti-religeous. I try to stay away from religeon. I don't really care what others believe. I won't try to convert them. But it's the zealots who keep bringing me back into the fray. They hear I'm an atheist, they try to convert me. I give them reasons why I don't want to. They begin to get righteous about how they are better than me because of their religeon, so naturaly I attack them back.
But I do honestly try to stay away from attacking religeon.

[dsm]

I do have beliefs, true. I believe in science, I believe in myself, I believe that one day humanity can be saved from its stupidity. But I do not worship anything. There are no great powers out there that I can worship.

And in a more literal sense, Atheism is not a religeon because there are no written rules, and every atheist follows their own set of rules.

A religion does not need written rules or a form of worship to be a religion. Religion is merely believing.

At least, that's what I've been told anyway.

[IMJack]

The point I'm trying to make is that the barest basic parts of a religion is a set of beliefs or opinions that you strongly believe in, and a way of acting in favor of those beliefs. danarchist believes in science and knowledge, and he actively persues that knowledge, so by my logic, knowledge is danny's "religion". Fredrik points out that he doesn't believe in any sort of god or established religion; in fact, he won't shut up about that fact. :) So this nihilistic attitude is his "religion." Religion doesn't have to be any clearly defined group of topics set by any group: it can be anything you dedicate yourself to, or anything you value above all else. It's just that one of the more common types of "religion" is the practice of traditional (or non-traditional) theology. And it is quite possible to have more than one of these "religions" in a person's life.

[dsm]

The point I'm trying to make is that the barest basic parts of a religion is a set of beliefs or opinions that you strongly believe in, and a way of acting in favor of those beliefs. danarchist believes in science and knowledge, and he actively persues that knowledge, so by my logic, knowledge is danny's "religion". Fredrik points out that he doesn't believe in any sort of god or established religion; in fact, he won't shut up about that fact. :) So this nihilistic attitude is his "religion." Religion doesn't have to be any clearly defined group of topics set by any group: it can be anything you dedicate yourself to, or anything you value above all else. It's just that one of the more common types of "religion" is the practice of traditional (or non-traditional) theology. And it is quite possible to have more than one of these "religions" in a person's life.

This is pretty much what I've been told about religion (but I can't explain things in such a well-expressed manner).

[læmænt]

The way that can be followed is not the eternal way.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth
While naming is the origin of the myriad things.

Therefore, always desireless, you see the mystery
Ever desiring, you see the manifestations.
These two are the same--
When they appear they are named differently.

This sameness is the mystery,
Mystery within mystery;
The door to all marvels.

[danarchist]

The point I'm trying to make is that...<snip>

You say that's religeon. Then what about those uppety christians that think its a sin to say that mythologies are religeons? Meh. Whatever...I don't care. No-one can tell me what to do.

[dsm]

The point I'm trying to make is that...<snip>

You say that's religeon. Then what about those uppety christians that think its a sin to say that mythologies are religeons? Meh. Whatever...I don't care. No-one can tell me what to do.

They are just another bunch o' people, who don't know what religion really is.

[IMJack]

You say that's religeon. Then what about those uppety christians that think its a sin to say that mythologies are religeons? Meh. Whatever...I don't care. No-one can tell me what to do.

A: You're skewing my words.

B: "Uppidy Christians" tend to be assholes anyway, and I don't give them any mind. Why should you, if they don't hold any direct authority over you? That's the nice thing about religious leader-figures: no real power.

C: Nobody is trying to tell you what to do.

[Rancid-Radio]

geez now i feel so rejected

[Red_Warrior]

Vicious circle.... then how do you have a -not- religion, if non-belief in higher beings is a belief?

I'm just non-religious... I try not to criticize others beliefs unless they're seriously screwed up and hurtful. Why do religions these days still bash each other... *sighs* depressing as these sects of belief cause so much suffering.

[læmænt]

You can believe in God.
Or you can believe in that God doesn't exist.
Or you can simply not care.

[dsm]

Why do religions these days still bash each other... *sighs* depressing as these sects of belief cause so much suffering.

It's when politics and religion is mixed.
It's always bad when religion is dragged into politics, because it almost always means "abuse" (if not just plain "always").