Court rules atheism a religion

[toddjh]

I also call myself a nontheist instead of an atheist for exactly the same reasons that Cain described above.

I think even "-theist" might be stretching it when it comes to getting the average person to understand. When it comes up, I just say I'm not religious (or sometimes superstitious, if I want to rile them up ).

Jeremy

 

[tkingdoll]

No, you are merely rejecting the most common notions of religion.

OK, let me rephrase that then:

At least if I am labelled 'atheist', people are likely to make the (generally) correct assumption that I am rejecting religion.

 

[gnome]

Can anyone actually come up with a case number or anything similar for this? The only references I found to the case were on worldnetdaily and christianunderground.com.

 

[Iacchus]

OK, let me rephrase that then:

At least if I am labelled 'atheist', people are likely to make the (generally) correct assumption that I am rejecting religion.

So, do Atheists have faith in their "lack of belief" in God?

 

[tkingdoll]

So, do Atheists have faith in their "lack of belief" in God?

You may have missed my point. I rephrased my original statement so it referred only to me and not to atheists in general, as I realised it may have looked like I was representing others.

I cannot answer your question as I do not know what atheists do or do not think, but speaking for myself only, my lack of belief in God is precisely that, an absence.

If you would define what you mean by 'faith', I can tell you whether or not that applies to my lack of belief in God.

 

[Kopji]

Secular humanism has been considered by law to be a religion since 1961.

"Up is down, and atheism, the antithesis of religion, is religion," said Fahling.

LOL, I almost feel sorry for them.

 

[Iacchus]

You may have missed my point. I rephrased my original statement so it referred only to me and not to atheists in general, as I realised it may have looked like I was representing others.

I cannot answer your question as I do not know what atheists do or do not think, but speaking for myself only, my lack of belief in God is precisely that, an absence.

If you would define what you mean by 'faith', I can tell you whether or not that applies to my lack of belief in God.

The thing is, if God does exist which, according to "most" Atheists has yet to be proven, one way or the other, what else is there to rely upon, except faith? In other words, unless you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that God does "not" exist, it must become an article of faith.

 

[Iacchus]

Secular humanism has been considered by law to be a religion since 1961.

"Up is down, and atheism, the antithesis of religion, is religion," said Fahling.

LOL, I almost feel sorry for them.

Provided of course that true objectivity is possible ... which it's not.

 

[Abdul Alhazred]

If a corporation can be a "person in law", atheism can be a "religion in law".

 

[c4ts]

And along that line of thinking, the tomato is a vegetable, and so is ketchup.

 

[Jyera]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45874

Observations:
1. Despite some assertion that the above indicates "appeal-to-authority"-logical-fallacy. It happened. It was judged and recorded in law and thus in history that "Atheism is a Religion".

2. Until another court rulings conclude with a "Atheism is NOT a Religion", this case shall be an often cited evidence to conclude that "Atheism is Religion".

3. The dictionary meaning and definition of "Religion" will change.I figured this judgement shall be a key reference to dictionary maker.

4. After a while, Religion will be considered faith.
People who assert that "Religion must worship a God" will be seen ignorance fools. Who blind themselves from an authoritive court rulings. If they continue to assert that "Religion must worship God", they will be accused of playing with semantics.

5. White can become Black.
In this case, Atheism became religion.

There is no logic, there is no right or wrong, no good or evil,
just power and those who seek it.

Sad but true. Truth hurts.
To be able to see the "cruelty" of truth hurts the most.

 

[gnome]

The line of argument I'm most afraid of is this:

1. The government should not promote religion
2. Atheism is a religion
3. By refusing to invoke religion, the government promotes atheism -- thereby promoting religion anyway.
4. Since the government cannot avoid promoting a religion, it might as well be the most popular one. Let's vote on an official religion!

 

[AmateurScientist]

And along that line of thinking, the tomato is a vegetable, and so is ketchup.

Actually, there was a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1920s or 30s that tomatoes are fruits. I don't care to find the cite at the moment.

AS

 

[Yahweh]

And along that line of thinking, the tomato is a vegetable, and so is ketchup.

Coffee is made of beans, that makes coffee a vegetable too.

 

[moonbeam]

Actually, there was a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1920s or 30s that tomatoes are fruits. I don't care to find the cite at the moment.

AS

I agree...and only have my studies in landscaping many years ago where that was a bonus question, I too forget where to find the reference.

 

[Taffer]

Actually, there was a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1920s or 30s that tomatoes are fruits. I don't care to find the cite at the moment.

AS

It's funny how people need 'Supreme Court rulings' before they'll believe obvious things.

 

[c4ts]

Actually, there was a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1920s or 30s that tomatoes are fruits. I don't care to find the cite at the moment.

AS

It was overturned in the Regan era, I think, so that ketchup could count as a vegetable served to kids at public schools.

 

[spejic]

It's funny how people need 'Supreme Court rulings' before they'll believe obvious things.

The actual case was before 1900, and the official finding was that a tomato is a vegetable. This was done to protect tomato growers because there were no tarrifs in imported fruits, but there were terrifs in imported vegetables.

 

[KelvinG]

I think an atheist organization should try and milk this by claiming tax exemption status on the basis that they are a religion.
Me thinks that atheism won't be considered a religion for very long after that.

 

[c4ts]

Shoot. I was hoping for tax-exempt status just for doing nothing.