hey bill...

[SmokinDVM]

He is a self-acclaimed atheist, mistakenly thinking he is somehow "without religion". He's about as fundamentalist as anyone I've heard in awhile.

Religion is a crutch the weak use to protect themselves from having to take responsibility for their actions and lives.

"Atheism is religion." When you hear a statement like this, it often comes form a person who has actually done little research or thinking about either Atheism or religion. Most people rarely study or investigate their own religious beliefs, assuming they have any. If they are born in a predominately Christian, or Muslim, or Hindu, or Jewish culture, they will probably reflect the religious beliefs of that society.

Nearly every dictionary will define religion as "belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed a worshipped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe. The definition of all other terms linked to religion employ much the same language -- church, monastery, priest. They are all part of a religious-language universe or "game" that has little to do with Atheism.

There cannot be an Atheist "Church", or an Atheist "priest" anymore than there could be an Atheist "god."

http://www.atheists.org/faqs/atheism.html

[basil]

Religion is a crutch the weak use to protect themselves from having to take responsibility for their actions and lives. http://www.atheists.org/faqs/atheism.html

"Often comes from . . ." being operative. Ok, look atheism is just like religion in that it requires dogmatic definition (as you've conveniently and at least partially provided here), parameters (those of your own awareness, acknowledgement, and importantly, alignment with others), and defense (again, thanks). I mean, atheism, like religion, isn't exactly stand alone now, is it? Like rather, a tree, or a drink of water would be?

At any rate, doesn't it seem ridiculous to expect me to accept as objective an explanation of what atheism is and what it ain't from a site of, for, and about atheists?

That'd be like me telling you that baptism is for real and is your salvation, Barry, because I'm a Baptist and it says so on the fucking Baptist website. Fundamentalist.