Is Atheism a Religion?

[Lokrian]

Originally posted by Malacasta


Regarding the first three definitions of religion in comparison to atheism, each of those meanings expresses the need for a belief in something spiritual or supernatural. A lack of belief in the supernatural is not a merely variation on a belief in the supernatural; it is the absence of belief. “I do not believe in a god” differs from “I believe in a god” not merely because the words express a different opinion on a god, but because the later opinion requires belief and the former does not.

I would agree with you except for this point that you try to make above. To lack a belief in something is not the same as believing in its opposite. A lot of people lack a belief in God, but likewise lack a belief that there is no God. An atheist used to be a person who professed a definite belief that there is no God. Over recent years I have seen the growth of such terms as weak and strong atheist and all sorts of efforts to mask the point that atheists have an active, assertive belief system. It appears to be a rhetorical point to trot out in order to legitimize restricting religious icons or references in public places while leaving any ideology that is wholly atheistic free of any scrutiny as to whether or not it constitutes an establishment of intolerance towards all religion or of a specific religion that some groups may find particularly noisome.