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Attempts to dilute the definition of atheism (view source)
Revision as of 06:53, May 27, 2018
, 06:53, May 27, 2018no edit summary
This redefinition blurs the distinction between saying, "There is no God", and "I don't know whether God exists or not." It lets people say, "I don't believe in God," without clarifying whether they are denying God's existence (which is [[atheism]]) or are merely uncertain about it (which is [[agnosticism]]).
This redefinition blurs the distinction between saying, "There is no God", and "I don't know whether God exists or not." It lets people say, "I don't believe in God," without clarifying whether they are denying God's existence (which is [[atheism]]) or are merely uncertain about it (which is [[agnosticism]]).
== Atheism as a religion ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism is a religion]]]
[[File:Sanderson Jones.jpg|thumbnail|right|220px|The [[British atheism|British atheist]] Sanderson Jones is a founder of the Sunday Assembly atheist church movement.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/atheist-church-split_n_4550456.html Atheist Church Split: Sunday Assembly And Godless Revival's 'Denominational Chasm'], Huffington Post, 2014</ref> ]]
[[Atheism is a religion]] and this has implications in terms of the disciplines of [[religion]], philosophy, [[Christian apologetics]] and law.<ref>[http://creation.com/atheism-a-religion Is Atheism a religion?] by Daniel Smartt, Published: 4 May 2010(GMT+10)</ref> In addition, although many atheists deny that [[Atheist worldview|atheism is a worldview]], atheists commonly share a [[Atheism and beliefs|number of beliefs]] such as [[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalism]], [[Evolution|belief in evolution]] and [[Origin of life|abiogenesis]].<ref>
*[http://carm.org/atheism-worldview Is atheism a worldview?] by Matt Slick of [[CARM]]
*[http://www.apologetics.net/post/Atheism-a-worldview.aspx Atheism a worldview?]
*[http://www.apologetics.net/post/Atheism-is-a-worldview-%28II%29.aspx Atheism is a worldview II]
*[http://www.rzim.eu/the-scandanavian-sceptic-or-why-atheism-is-a-belief-system The Scandanavian Sceptic (or Why Atheism Is a Belief System)] by [[Ravi Zacharias|Ravi Zacharias International Ministries]]
</ref>
If the view that there is no God (or are no gods) is a [[religion]], it is argued its expression is constitutionally protected in the [[United States]]. <ref>The Supreme Court has said a religion need not be based on a belief in the existence of a supreme being. In the 1961 case of [[Torcaso v. Watkins]], the court described "[[secular humanism]]" as a religion. [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45874 Court rules atheism is a religion] </ref> The government cannot force [[atheists]] to recant and adopt the opposite belief.
In his BBC documentary ''The Trouble with Atheism'' the award-winning journalist Rod Liddle indicates:
{{cquote|Some atheists have become rather dogmatic. Terribly certain in their conviction that there is no God and anyone who thinks there is is a deluded and dangerous fool. ,,,atheists are becoming as intransigent about their own views as the people they so despise.
Atheism is becoming a religion of its own. It already has its gurus and its revered sacred texts... It has its magnificent temples within which lie mysteries and unknowable truths.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi_KSjetXJg BBC Documentary The Trouble With Atheism BBC Horizon Documentary]</ref>}}
If atheism is not a religion, then the expression of atheistic ideas is still covered by the First Amendment, but only by the [[free speech]] and [[free press]] clauses.
The implications go deeper, affecting [[public education]]. If atheism is a religion, then the atheism adhering to the [[methodological naturalism]] of [[physical science]] cannot be given excessive government support. That would violate the [[establishment of religion]] clause. So, [[evolution]] education would have to allow students freedom to dissent from the "orthodox" [[pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] view that human beings evolved from earlier forms of life without any intervention from God. It should be noted that biology courses only require knowledge of what the theory of evolution, its mechanisms, and the evidence supporting it, rather than belief that evolution occurred.<ref>See [[Kenneth Miller]]'s testimony in ''Selden v. Cobb County', available at [http://ncse.com/files/pub/legal/selman/district_court/20041108_testimony_rogers_mccoy.txt], p. 178</ref>
In 2013, a trend of atheist churches began and atheist church services were reported on in the ''[[New York Times]]'', '' [[The Blaze]]'' and other major news outlets.<ref>
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/us/in-the-bible-belt-offering-atheists-a-spiritual-home.html?_r=0 In the Bible belt offering atheists a spiritual home - NY Times, 6/24/2013]
*[Bizarre Trend: Atheist Sunday Morning ‘Worship’ Services Are on the Rise (Minus God, of Course)]
*[http://gawker.com/5973377/londons-first-atheist-church-opens-tomorrow London's First Atheist Church Opens Tomorrow]</ref>
== See also ==
== See also ==