Current Events > Things that are or are not "a religion"...

(+) Yeah! (+)

We've all heard the saying:
"[something] is his religion" or "that [fanbase] is like a religion"

For the most part, we understand it's an exaggeration, it's a goof on someone that's really into something and it can be annoying or funny but it's usually harmless and everyone knows it's not literal or actually their religion.

What bugs me, is when people use this saying literally to claim things that are definition-ally not religions are religions. Usually this is done by religious fundamentalists to deflect or "both sides" their faith claims.

Like:
"Atheism is a religion" - This is probably the most common and dumbest. Atheism is the rejection of a deity and faith based belief system. It's the equivalent of saying vegetarians are just different meat eaters substituting vegetables for meat. NO! No they fucking are not. It's self contradictory.

If you want to say Atheism is LIKE a religion, and make an argument for it (I totally disagree), by all means do... but to say it IS a religion, or that science, being gay, or whatever else that is by nature of self-contradiction not a religion is a religion is dumb and you should feel bad if you still do this.

The only time atheism resembles religion is when you have those people who desperately seek converts.

Otherwise, it's pretty much the opposite.

Macaroni and cheese

ai123 posted...

The only time atheism resembles religion is when you have those people who desperately seek converts.

Otherwise, it's pretty much the opposite.

horseshit

Anthropogenic climate change, despite what the GQP are claiming, is not even close to a religion. It is backed by decades' worth of hard study and data that's as close to concrete as it's possible to get without being able to get without having access to a duplicate Earth untouched by man.

ai123 posted...

The only time atheism resembles religion is when you have those people who desperately seek converts.

Otherwise, it's pretty much the opposite.

You mean de-converting.

For example:

Anyone that defines their hobby as being a not-stamp-collector is likely doing so in response to a friend or family member that is a super annoying stamp collector. If they give up stamps and take up coin collecting that's a new hobby - simply quitting a hobby is not a hobby.

See the difference?

My culture has gods but no religion. Someone that follows them is called "spiritual" instead of "religious"

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/51dec0e4.jpg

SpawnShadow posted...

Anthropogenic climate change, despite what the GQP are claiming, is not even close to a religion. It is backed by decades' worth of hard study and data that's as close to concrete as it's possible to get without being able to get without having access to a duplicate Earth untouched by man.

Oh my god, how did I forget this one!

Yeah, environmentalism, and accepting the scientific consencus on climate change are not religions, this is one of the dumber ones, and we can probably trace it back to being an extension of "science is your religion" which is right up there with atheism... since science relies on observation and evidence with peer review, and religion relies on absolute unshakable faith in the unseen and unknowable.

Torgo posted...

You mean de-converting.

For example:

Anyone that defines their hobby as being a not-stamp-collector is likely doing so in response to a friend or family member that is a super annoying stamp collector. If they give up stamps and take up coin collecting that's a new hobby - simply quitting a hobby is not a hobby.

See the difference?

Sure. That works.

Back_Stabbath posted...

My culture has gods but no religion. Someone that follows them is called "spiritual" instead of "religious"

Same thing.

There is no measuring stick for how arcane or traditional your religion must be to qualify... if they are placing belief in the unseen and making claims about supernatural entities and concepts like "the soul" - it is a religion. Full Stop.

Some people like to take broad concepts like "life force" or "energy" or "the universe" and say that's God, but really all they are doing is changing the labels on the products. The universe is not God, the universe is the universe. It's a defined thing.

Church of the flying spaghetti monster is the only religion we need

buddah86 posted...

Church of the flying spaghetti monster is the only religion we need

I see what you did there. :)

Atheism is never a religion.

Some atheists take a very dogmatic approach to their beliefs that resembles traditional religions, but that doesn't mean it's a religion.

There's more to religion than just believing something strongly.

Irony posted...

Macaroni and cheese

So cheesy

action52 posted...

Some atheists take a very dogmatic approach to their beliefs that resembles traditional religions, but that doesn't mean it's a religion.

Boom. Exactly.

Or on to a more specific example, Secular humanism can resemble a religion if we make religion so broad that all political and social ideology is now a religion. But I prefer we stop making language more confusing for the benefit of bad faith (no pun intended) actors.