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belief in god is not defined by, predicated upon, reliant upon, or dependent upon religion or religious.
atheism is not defined by, predicated upon, reliant upon, or dependent upon religion or religious .
atheism and theism reference belief in god.
they do not reference religion or religious.
Everybody isn't required to believe what you believe.
Everybody isn't required to believe what you believe.
certainly atheists can and do continue to argue and disagree about what is atheism, as we see regularly on many threads including this one.
The CD sticky on the Atheism forum defines atheism as shown below. Nothing to do with "religion" or religious anything.
What is atheism?
Atheism is a very narrow position about belief in deities. It is the lack of belief in ANY deity.
“Atheist” literally means “without god” and the opposite term is “Theist”. A theist believes in one or more gods, an atheist believes in no gods at all.
And apparently Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and many other religions are either not religions, or they do not believe in the gods they believe in. I am not sure which argument is making, I am just enjoying the comedy of it.
if a person is unable to distinguish between "religion" and "belief in god"
then they lack a basic understanding of both.
Hatred can be a result of so many emotions, like envy, insult, mental problems that really have nothing to do with love. Lack of love maybe. Brings all these hate crimes to mind. "Disappointed love?" I really don't think so.
Here's a good MD weekend to all! Hatred free!
I don't think the "disappointed love" metaphor is entirely a perfect one and probably breaks down around the edges but I have found it a useful way to understand even highly distorted thinking. You can't possibly be angry with someone unless you (rightly or not) expected something from them that is symbolic to you of respect, acceptance, and affirmation, which are the things anyone would hope to experience from any relationship (be it a significant other, god, some in-group, what have you). If you get what you see as active disrespect or betrayal then you are injured and angry around it.
You might be failing to see love that's actually there, you might not fully understand what it actually is and isn't, or how to express it. But it's a basic human need to be loved and accepted and if you feel it's being withheld and especially if it's being withheld unjustly or vindictively, then you could well come to see that as a great personal betrayal. And there is no end of rage that can come of that in some people.
What is white supremacy for example but a wrong expectation of apex social status based on nothing but skin color? And an expression that you're not getting that status and respect and affirmation because society is failing to maintain some purity that you suppose would give you those things? You wanted to be part of society, and it turns out it doesn't value you for some inherent aspect of yourself. So you ultimately decide to hurt society in as florid and painful a way as you possibly can. Maybe by shooting up a supermarket in a black neighborhood.
By calling this "disappointed love" I'm in no way excusing or romanticizing violent actors. I'm simply avoiding the mistake of mindlessly dismissing them as incomprehensible monsters who have no relation to the rest of humanity so that we don't have to follow some sort of actual causal chain we might have to reflect on. That would likely lead us to having to consider that the root of such sick minds has a lot to do with economic inequality, failed educational systems, inadequate attention to mental health issues, the easy availability of guns that are made solely to kill and maim lots of people in a short time that nobody outside the military really has any business possessing, etc. In short, instead of allowing us to merely be outraged and do nothing to make a better future for ourselves, it might lead us to some soul searching and some real changes in society that stubbornly refuse to happen as we stack up one nightmare event after another.
If you have a better way to look at this, that might have equal or better predictive or explanatory power, I'm all ears. I'm not married to my little aphorism.
certainly atheists can and do continue to argue and disagree about what is atheism, as we see regularly on many threads including this one.
The CD sticky on the Atheism forum defines atheism as shown below. Nothing to do with "religion" or religious anything.
What is atheism?
Atheism is a very narrow position about belief in deities. It is the lack of belief in ANY deity.
“Atheist” literally means “without god” and the opposite term is “Theist”. A theist believes in one or more gods, an atheist believes in no gods at all.
Are not religions composed of people who believe in one or more Gods? And are religions not about who and how to worship a God? And as this is the Religion and Spirituality forum are not theist discussing their God as well as their religion on this forum?
It is also not lost on us that when a theists says atheists are X you stay silent but when an atheists says atheists are Y you jump in to "correct" us.
Are not religions composed of people who believe in one or more Gods? And are religions not about who and how to worship a God? And as this is the Religion and Spirituality forum are not theist discussing their God as well as their religion on this forum? It is also not lost on us that when a theists says atheists are X you stay silent but when an atheists says atheists are Y you jump in to "correct" us.
if someone conflates "belief in God" with "religion" then they are demonstrating a failure to understand what each is, and an inability to make the distinction between them.
For instance in the USA, among the unaffiliated (those with no religious affiliation, the "religious nones") 68% of the religious nones state they believe in God. And 21% of the religious nones state they pray every day.
if someone conflates "belief in God" with "religion" then they are demonstrating a failure to understand what each is, and an inability to make the distinction between them.
For instance in the USA, among the unaffiliated (those with no religious affiliation, the "religious nones") 68% of the religious nones state they believe in God. And 21% of the religious nones state they pray every day.
Religion is an organization of the people by the people based on the religious texts as a foundation that provides the codes of conduct and methods of worship. It is the relationship between people, a community. Belief is a relationship between an individual and the divinity. One can have faith and never attend church or go to the temple or even worship per the texts.
I don't know why this is so confusing to atheists.
My guess is they do not want this to be the case. How can the believers give themselves so much freedom? What then happens to Hell??? Who are the sinners then? What happens to God, the Santa Claus who gives us all we desire and brings us candy when we cry?
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Religion and Belief
