I think it can, because it is a belief that we are in control of our own destiny, and responsible for the world around us, so in that sense it is belief in the higher power of free will, and ultimately responsibility.

This is why I would consider Atheism to be a religion.

No. It is not a religion. It irks me when people say it is. I am an Atheist. I believe in myself. I am not a higher power...

Well ok compared to some people I am. HA!

Religion is defined as a system or set of beliefs. Atheists believe in no God and evolution. Technically, I think it is.

More a system of non beliefs...

And why is it that religious people feel the need to call us religious also? Boggles the mind, it does. I have not met any other Athiests who say it is a religion.

Ok look here. Atheism is the absence of religion.

If I have an absence of green pigment in my eyes that does not mean I *am* green-eyed...

Ditto DrDevience!

Thats like saying that Atheist's don't believe in religion... they do, its just that their belief system is different.

This question is rife with terms that need to be defined for there to be meaningful debate. Religion, as you've pointed out, can mean at least two different things: a belief, or a set of doctrine and rituals associated with a belief. I tend toward the latter definition, myself.

I think it's important to define atheism, too. Atheism is one of two things: a belief that there is no god (what I would call atheism), or the doctrine that gods do not exist (what I would call Atheism). Clearly, then, atheism is a religion or is not a religion based entirely on which definitions you choose. If religion is a belief system, then atheism is a religion. If religion is a set of doctrine and rituals, then Atheism is a religion (but atheism isn't).

Since I lean toward the definition of religion as distinct from philosophy or belief - that religion is a relatively rigid set of rituals and doctrine - I find that people who identify themselves as Atheist (usually with the capital A) tend to be the ones with a ritualized response to any discussion of theology...which, to my mind, indicates religion. But that's just a tendency and is not indicative of everyone I've met who identifies themselves as not believing in a god or gods.

So, to rephrase, in my experience, those who do not have a belief in any deity - who are a-theistic - are not necessarily religious. Religion comes in for atheism (for me) when there is a ritualized doctrine, often evidenced by a need to challenge or denigrate others' belief systems, much as theists evidence religion when they attempt, unprompted, to argue the existence of their god(s) to others who don't share their beliefs.

so to you, Prosthelitizing is the defining element? (and no, I am not looking up the spelling and I neeeeed more coffeeeee. HA!)

I'm not challenging you... yet. Just asking for clarification.

I think that proselytizing is quite often a ritualized response - that is, a response that one feels required to do, whether by disposition or training. So in that sense, it is an indicator of religion, by one definition.

To put it another way: if religion is a set of rituals and doctrine, belief does not require argument (indeed, one could make a case that beliefs can't be argued, as distinct from facts), but religion does. Or perhaps it's the reverse: belief as personal conviction, religion as the need to convince others.

atheism, i can say is not a religion for it does not believe nor acknowledge the existence of a divine being neither even teach a single principle but total disregard for all of mankinds' early beliefs and religious codes.

Here is my stance on that: I do not feel compelled to swing anyone to my way of thinking where religion (or lack thereof) is concerned. Not a bit.

However, if someone states something as fact when it is not, or uses religion to try to back up what I see as a ridiculous stance in a debate, then yes I jump in there.

That does not constitute a ritual, or proselytizing.

My good friend who is an Atheist claims that those are her beliefs. So therefore, she defines it as her 'religion.'

I define myself as being anti-religion...

Some atheists believe so strongly in their lack of faith that they are willing to say that is their religion. Some atheists believe so strongly in their lack of faith that they refuse to think that it even resembles religion. It all comes down to the individual believer. I know Christians who believe in Jesus Christ, but not the (whole) Bible and don't go to church. Does that mean they aren't really Christian because they don't have a ritual?

Religion is personal, and can only be defined by the individual, just like God, the worst defined word in the English language.

Atheism is going against religion, therefore it is not a religion.

Atheism isn't necessarily going against religion, though an atheist could do that, much as a theist could as well. My preferred definition (see above) is that atheism is simply the belief that there are no gods.

Edit: In case your question wasn't rhetorical, Cinders: no, it wouldn't mean that they aren't Christian. It would mean that they aren't religious.

If religion is indefinable except by the individual, debate on the topic is moot. Only argument remains in a discussion without agreed-upon definitions.

I think that it is not a religion because if someone is believing in a higher being or god, they consider themselves religious. But if someone doesn't believe in god, it is like not believing in any higher being and therefore does not count as a religion. If someone is atheist and does think it is a religion, keep right on believing, no one is going to stop you, and no one has yet.

atheism is not a religion as athsism is by definition not beleiving in well anything.
P.S Rockster3 i believe in a higher power but i don't believe in religion therefore I am not religious.

i think it has to be called a religion for lack of anythign else to call it & atheism is pretty much the believe of nothing & which is still a belief so yes i call it a religion

Ahteism - a non-prophet religion.

No, it's just a thinking process

@ MajorDork - LOL!!! Love it.

Yes,and bald is a hair color.

I think not. Theism(or just beliving in general) tend to encourage "having faith no mather what", but atheism turns this around and is more like "there is no prof of God, so as far as we are concerned, there is no God".

I consider myself an atheist (Atheist?), however if you prove me wrong, I am willing to change my mind. But than I still won`t belive (merely admit the facts), which is missing the whole point of religion.
And this picture seemed amusing, but take it more like a joke. :)

A religion is a set of beliefs that include paranormal beliefs that a higher force is controlling our lives.
Atheism is a lifestyle, it's a set of beliefs that can not be counted as a religion, since it believes in science and nature rather than "the holy stuff".

Atheism is a belief system, so it is similar to religion in that sense, but it is not a religion.

Darkshine said "it believes in science and nature..."
- Not necessarily. There is an assumption that Atheism = Science, but that is as erroneous as saying Christianity = Homophobia. Some Atheists believe that science is the way to go, some Atheists don't. Some Christians think homosexuality is wrong, some Christians don't.

Similarly, a number of people have said that atheists believe in nothing, which is like saying "A=B, thus A=C". Not believing in a deity or deities has little to no bearing on the presence of any belief. If atheists believed in nothing, they would likely be called nihilists, if not Super Nihilists.

Fanpop user: "I went to the store today..."
The Super Nihilist interrupts: "I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"

Yes and no there are so many technecalties and loopholes and at the end of the day it dosen't really matter what you do and do not belong to but what you feel in your heart

Atheism is not a religion, it is an absence of religion.

A religion is something you believe in at the bottom of your heart - something that you wish everyone else believed in, but you know that won't happen. Yes, atheism can be considered a religion, however, it is up to the individual to decide for themself whether they consider it to be, or not. I am not an atheist, I believe that if I see proof of God, then I'll believe it - though I require visual proof.
I personally believe, for instance, in the Gaia theory/hypothesis. Sure, that might get criticism, especially from those who believe in God, but I simply find Gaia to be more likely than God. To me, Gaia accentuates the importance of ecology to the planet and to the environment, which goes hand-in-hand with 'environmentalism' for me. I believe that if there was a God, that he would require us to have much more respect for the planet than we do, hence my main reason why I don't believe there IS a God.

So, yes, I believe that you can consider anything to be a religion... Religion is just a word, but it describes something that people truly believe in.

This kinda reminds me of the question is zero a number even though it has no value. Think Atheism is a religion if I use the standard of religion being a "cultural system"

I believe in the theory of evolution. I'm also partial to athiest views, as well as Christian ones as well. I don't think Atheism is a religion. There aren't any rituals tied into it, and the belief itself has many branches, some of which include the belief in a higher power. So, my answer is no, it's not!

I think that would completely defeat the purpose of being an atheist. It'd be like asking if anarchists are an organization. The purpose of being something that's anti any established form of religion or government is sort of lost when you become just another one of them.

Well, I think that Atheism IS a religion because in it people BELIEVE there is no god. There is another term I have heard before that I don't remember but it meant that you had no religion. That you are mutual, basically, and had no opinion and do not want to get involved with any beliefs.

^I think you are referring to agnosticism. However, agnostics, like me, don't have "no opinion". We are OF the opinion that the only thing we can know for sure is that we know nothing. And no, I don't think that's a religion, just as atheism isn't a religion, but a lack of.

Is believing in the Easter Bunny a religion? Is not believing in the Easter Bunny a religion? Easter Bunnyism vs A-Easter Bunnyism?

re·li·gion

/riˈlijən/



Noun


1.The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods. (totally!)
2.Details of belief as taught or discussed.




Synonyms


faith - belief - creed - denomination

Explanation: Atheism is NOT a religion. Happy now?