Thread: Is Atheism a Religion?
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Xujhan Offline
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Re: Is Atheism a Religion? - March 21st 2010, 12:19 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by x.Psychic Crisis.x View Post
Is it, though? Religions don't always have a god. Take Buddhism, for example. No gods there.

And, meaning no disrespect to atheists, I don't think it's a religion. Religions, in my opinion (and that of my high school religion teacher lol) are supposed to attempt to provide answers to life questions ('Who am I?', 'What is the meaning of life?', etc), which I think atheism doesn't do. I think atheism is just not having a religion, which means it can't be a religion in itself. Does that make sense?
Worry not; I don't think there's an atheist alive who'd be offended by that. The way you put it might not be the most accurate, but I think it's the most succinctly I've ever seen it described. "Religions attempt to provide answers," is basically true, and the main thing that sets atheism apart.

The atoms that make up you and me were born in the hearts of suns many times greater than ours, and in time our atoms will once again reside amongst the stars. Life is but an idle dalliance of the cosmos, frail, and soon forgotten. We have been set adrift in an ocean whose tides we are only beginning to comprehend and with that maturity has come the realization that we are, at least for now, alone. In that loneliness, it falls to us to shine as brightly as the stars from which we came.