Atheism

Marriage isn't a religion and doesn't require a leap of faith (well, not for most people, heh).

Edit: I used the term tenets of atheism for a reason. In the context of this thread when the term faith is used, it's pretty much talking about religion.

 

if any of the times I used "faith" it was interpreted as "religion", then I wasn't clear. Faith is what makes me believe in God. Religion is how I practice my relationship with God. In the context of Atheism, I believe it takes faith to be an Athiest, but since there's no "relationship" there, there is no religion.

 

That's not your fault - that's mine. I should've added that edit to my earlier post I think. Maybe my first one. I hadn't realized how I'd been swapping the terms...

 

That's what I said.

It may have been revised, but the effects exist regardless of whether people want to accept gravity. They can stand with their feet planted on terra firma and scream to the top of their lungs in defiance of gravity, but they're still standing planted on terra firma.

The two are not mutually exclusive. Yes, it's just a decision. And yes, in the case of Christianity, the more one embraces that decision and increases the amount of trust in it, the more confirmation he experiences -- both practical and supernatural.

 

BTW, if I get struck by lightning on the way home later? I blame Vito.

 

No, marriage isn't a religion, but it is (or is supposed to be) the next most important and life-altering decision a person ever makes. And yes -- it most certainly does require a huge amount of trust. More than religions, in fact, because spouses are generally less reliably consistent.

True, most people equate faith with religion, but I think it's a mistake to do so. The two are very different.

 

In regards to other gods, you are an atheist.

In regards only to the Christian God, it is.

The term is of 16th century origins and was coined by the Christian church to describe the ungodly. It's history is one of a pejorative.

I'm sure your view of atheism is based on the portrayal of atheists in the Madalyn Murray O'Hare mold. The crusader out to stamp out your religion and attacking your beliefs. Atheism holds no such dogma as part of any belief system, because frankly, there is no Atheist belief system. Personal philosophies among atheists range from humanism to rationalism, from naturalism to no philosophy whatsoever. Trying to describe it as a faith or better yet, a religion, is as false as it gets.

 

Agreesome.

 

Both this post and your earlier one about continual reinforcement involves the presumption that the atheist shares your view that religion is THE most important life-altering decision and that marriage is the SECOND most important life altering decision.

You might want to ask, say, Vito about those instead of just assuming it. I suspect that's what his involvement in this thread is all about. See the earlier post from BV on where you are coming from.

 

These two statements conflict.

1) you're saying I'm an Atheist towards others because I don't believe in them.

2) you're saying my definition of an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in God (and insinuating I'm wrong because of that).

As far as my image of an Atheist, it's based on one of my best friends who is Atheist. She doesn't believe in God - there's no question in her mind. I believe in God - there's no question in my mind. We respect each other's views and even discuss it. What we don't do is try to change that view or belittle them.

But this conversation has got me curious, where exactly do you stand on it? Do you believe that there's no God, or do you just not know / care?