Mat Wilder

So any organization is a religion? And no set of beliefs constitutes a religion?

usartist

You cannot find the statement, because I have not made such a statement. The problem is your inability to be objective. You have built a religion that incorporates denial.

Everyone has religion. No one can be absolutely secular (except Ronald Reagan).

Religion is a broad concept, not unlike the concept of Life. Because it is so broad, specific aspects of a person's religion are further defined; such as family, career, and hobby.

What you understand as religion, is merely an institutionalized organization of ideological principles consolidated for what the congregation believes to be the better progression of human evolution.

We as atheists disagree with these particular ideological principles, as to be the better progression of evolution, because they incorporate theism - belief in deity. We believe, that belief in supernaturay deities is absurd and detrimental to the better progression of evolution.

The definition of religion is merely a reinforcement of the definition of theism.

The Christian Church comandeered the concept of religion, defining it to strengthen the commitment to the ideological concepts of the Church.

Because religion is such a broad concept, when the Church designated its ideology as 'religion,' the effect concentrated the concept of religion.

This 'concentrate' effect is what you probably better understand as "Brain Washing."

usartist

Basically, you are correct.

I think, It would be better to state that no specific set of beliefs constitutes a religion. Because, sets of beliefs can and do constitute personal and organized religions.

Mat Wilder

I'll say it again - your definition of religion is broad that it includes everything, and so it is useless. The whole point of definitions to describe a specific phenomenon; your definition describes every phenomenon and so actually describes none of them.

usartist

Because, everyone has at least a personal religion.

To be secular the person has to be able to recognize his religion.

Mat Wilder

Secular is the opposite of religion, so to be secular means to have no religion. Therefore, a secularist cannot recognize his or her religion because he has none, by definition.

King Rat

WTF are you talking about? I linked to, directly quoted, and directly referenced the post where you state that Atheism is a religion to you.

The rest of your post is projection on a scale that exceeds parody and enters some alternate absurdist 11th dimension.

The link is HERE <---------usartist, click on the word "here," the capitalized differently colored word in the previous sentence that the arrow is pointing to, NOT the lower-case black one with quotation marks in this one... If that is not clear, copy and paste (or click on) the following URL into your address box on the top of your browser window:

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.p...5&page=3&pp=25

The quote is this:

The number of your post in that thread is #70

usartist

I understand your perspective. But, for best practical understanding, atheist organizations qualify as religions, because the agenda of the organizations is to promote atheism and supporting ideology as the better progression of evolution.

What you perceive as being used too broad, I recognize, as essentially, what atheists are progressing evolution towards.

We atheist do not appreciate theists. That is why we "bash" them. Some atheists give different reasons for not liking theists, "Because, they proselytise." What ever the reason are, the fact is theists and atheist cannot coexist in a sense to promote each ideology as the better progression of human evolution.

So, if you take an objective view of current popular evolution, "Theism" is deconstructing, and "Atheism," is developing. This is evident by the deterioration of the adherence to Biblical morality, hypocrisy; and the foundations of local atheist organizations.

In the past atheist organizations have been completely oppressed, and atheists were not tolerated.

Times have changed. Theism is dismantling and atheism is organizing.

So, the next eventual step is that there will be no religion.

So, it basically means the same thing

Never

Hi usartist,

Please do not think that my post evaluated anything about this thread other than I felt that it was more suited for the General Religious Discussion section that the Secular Life section.
Just to be clear, my comment was to let posters know that I moved it. It had no bearing on the subject of the thread at all.
I know virtually nothing about religion, religious organizations or secular organizations. That's why you don't see me in the upper forums where people think hard.

Please carry on ...

EverLastingGodStopper

This is untrue, because religion is defined as:

1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

and religious is defined as:
1 : relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person> <religious attitudes>
2 : of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances

Therefore, since many people do not possess religious faith, do not adhere to any religion, then there people who do not have a personal religion. I have no personal religion. Here: http://www.adherents.com/ is a list of many religions. I do not share these religious beliefs. I am using "religion" to mean what it means, therefore, I am correct in saying that I have no religion, and Ron, you are incorrect to say that I have a religion. I do not.

You may not redefine this word. Your argument is invalid if you fail to use the correct definition of the word.

You may as well be saying that we all have a personal qwazhoget, and that each of us by merely existing, making friends, and having conversations is evidence of our possession of qwazhoget. Your position (which, it seems, is that every non-sleeping act is tantamount to a religion) is untenable.

Why are you so hung up on telling people that they have qwazhogets... um, religion?