Atheists with faith

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I admire Buddhist faith and principles and strive to follow them (albeit not always successfully). On the other hand, I'm not strictly an atheist, agnostic, or theist. From what I can see, not believing in God (or Gods or gods, what have you) is as misleading as believing in God. It's like stating I don't believe in snazzlefrazz. It might be fun to imagine what snazzlefrazz might be, but it's more or less senseless banter. I think many people find assertions of belief in God to be useful, much in the same way that I find various ritual chants to be useful, which makes me see it as a devotional tool for inspiring faith. Perhaps it fills a metaphysical need not altogether different from my strange current need to tap out rhythms with my fingers while rocking back and forth in my chair.

What irks me is that Atheism almost seems to be becoming a type of organized religion itself. It has a symbol, and rags on everyone else for being "untrue" like every other religion. I now prefer to call myself "non religious" because THAT can never become an organized group.

Are you sure I can't join you, Cyanide? In founding the non religious club, we can keep out all the heathen believers and non-believers alike.

Are you sure? There is a sect of Christianity called "non denominational" that seems to act like a denomination of its own. Why couldn't that happen with "non religious" Atheism as well? I think it is inevitable that people with similar opinions will eventually band together to form a group no matter what they believe or disbelieve. It seems like people can't help but organize themselves into groups.

the concept of atheism is basically faith based. atheists stubbornly believe that there is no god regardless of arguments to the contrary, similar to the way theists insist that there is a god (or whatever). atheism is a religion, and its it is entirely probable, not to mention logical, that it could become organized in a way similar to other popular religions.


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agnosticism is the belief that you can't know, so why bother. it is, imho, the least-arrogant religious option. claiming to know what god is thinking is, in a way, breaking the first two or three commandments (depending on how your faith splits them up).

Well if non-religious somehow magically becomes an organized group, i'll make the "Screw off, this is truly non-religious only meant for <my name here>" non-affiliation.

non-religious is basically synonymous with agnostic. atheism is the religious belief that there is no god.

I've always understood the Church of England to be an atheist faith, it was invented by HenryVIII to dodge religion and religious dogma and that characteristic has remained with it ever since. I believe it's known as Episcopal in the USA.

I'm a member of my local Jainist organization and the local Buddhist organization.

i thought he created it because the catholics wouldn't let him divorce his wife.

isn't that what i said?

I have no "faith" in anything.

oh, wow, it is what you said... heh.

Atheism requires faith, just
like everything else. One couldn't
live without some faith.

I do a pretty good job.

No faith, just life; I accept that there's a risk of contracting botulism from eating canned tuna, I don't have "faith" in the machinery that packaged it, 'cause I know that everything can fail as everything can pass. I can do my best to inspect the tin before eating its contents, but there may just be a blemish that I cannot see, and that's the risk of living by eating; we need to eat to live.

"Faith" and "belief" is a nice curtain to hide behind, it's not cover though, only concealment (not even concealment sometimes).

Really? So you are not convinced of your own existence?
THAT, my friend, is a matter of faith.

As is just about anything else, required to live
in the ordinary world. Wake up and smell the
existentianalism.