IS ATHEISM A RELIGION?
I offer three responses to this question:
- No
- Hell no
- That depends on how you define "religion"
But first I would like to do something that is rarely done in the real world... I want to define some of the terms I use here in order to avoid confusion, and to avoid unintentionally playing the definition game.
- Belief: something we regard as being true, conviction of the truth of some statement.
- Faith: 1) belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion, 2) a belief which is not necessarily demonstrable through experimentation or reason.
- Atheists: a person who believes atheism is correct.
- Humanism: a modern, non-theistic movement that holds that man is capable of self-fulfillment, ethical conduct, etc. without recourse to supernaturalism
Atheism
It's easier to find agreement on a definition of atheism than on religion. I think most people would agree with one or both of these definitions of atheism:
- the lack of belief in god
- the belief that there is no god
That's it. No mention of doctrine or sacred texts. No temples, churches or places of worship. No worldviews. No position on morality or ethics. No rituals or cerimonies. No priests, leaders or gurus.
Religion
Religion is usually defined to include a belief in a diety or god with supernatural powers.
- generally a belief in a deity and practice of worship, action, and/or thought related to that deity.
There are 2 ways to define atheism as a religion...
- remove the belief "in" a god or diety from the definition
- talk about what atheists believe, and not about atheism
When we remove the belief "in" god, we get...
- Religion is any belief "about" the nature of god
And since atheism is about the non-existance of god, this definition makes it a religion.
Atheism is simply a belief about the non-exhistance of god. "Atheists" on the other hand, the people who believe in atheism, do have world views, positions on morality and ethics etc. But atheism does not. Similarily, humanism is a set of beliefs held by some atheists, but not by atheism. All humanists are atheists, but not all atheists are humanists.
So if your definition is not just about "atheism" but also about "what some atheists believe", then you get many definitions that (also) include atheism. For example:
- any structured set of beliefs (Darwin’s theory of evolution)
- a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe (the big bang theory)
- a cause, principle, or activity pursued (collecting stamps)
- anything persued with zeal or conscientious devotion (a boyfriend or girlfriend)
- a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects (chemistry)
- any specific system of code of ethics, values, and belief (secular law and order in general)
Any of these definitions could include atheism. But they're also so broad as to diminish the usefullness of the definition.
Religion vs atheism
Another way to identify a religion is by its major features or characteristics.
| Feature | Religion | Atheism |
| Belief in god or gods | Yes | No |
| Prayer | Yes | No |
| Place of worship | Yes | No |
| Sacred texts | Yes | No |
| Organized heirachy | Yes | No |
| Formal leaders | Yes | No |
| Rituals | Yes | No |
| System of morality | Yes | No |
| Miracles | Yes | No |
| Speak of faith | Yes | No |
By this comparison its hard to classify atheism as a religion as it has none of the significant features that the major or even minor religions share.
So why do some people claim that atheism is a religion?
- Ignorance: Many people genuiely do not know what atheism is about.
- Political: If one can successfully argue that atheism is a religion, then they can argue that creationism can also be taught in the public school system along with evolution.
Some other interesting definitions of atheism
This definition seems to imply that god exists but that atheists simply refuses to believe or acknowledge him (or her?).
- the denial of the existence of god
I'm amused with this next definition because it is so broad that it includes everyone on earth. Of the thousands of gods that have been worshiped in the past, most people believe in only one. Thus denying the existance of the other thousands of gods. Christians and Jews are atheists in the eyes of Muslems for believing in a false god. Muslems are atheists in the eyes of Christians and Jews, Jews are atheists in the eyes of Christians... etc. The list is endless. We are all atheists in someones eyes.
- belief in false gods, no gods, or doctrines that stand in conflict with an established religion
So in summary..., "Is atheism a religion?"
Again I reply:
- No
- Hell no
- That depends on how you define "religion"