Re: Is atheism a religion?
Atheism denies the existence of any God. That is its Latin derivation.
The Dalai Lama visited the US several years ago (no political implications are intended). He was asked whether he believed in the existence of a God and whether one had to believe in a god to be religious. He responded with a concept called "secular spiritualism." Again, quoting from Wikipedia:
John
Edit: A related term is agnostic.
Atheism denies the existence of any God. That is its Latin derivation.
Note use of the word "especially." In other words, that definition does not require that a religion include in its tenets belief in a supernatural power.From:Wikipedia (emphasis added)
Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of life and the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a supernatural agency, or human beings’ relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine.
The Dalai Lama visited the US several years ago (no political implications are intended). He was asked whether he believed in the existence of a God and whether one had to believe in a god to be religious. He responded with a concept called "secular spiritualism." Again, quoting from Wikipedia:
I thought it was a powerful statement for a person in his position to make. In answer to your question, I think some people may be atheists and have a religion too. Atheism by itself, however, does not seem to meet the definition of a religion.Secular spirituality, as a cultural phenomenon, refers to the adherence to a spiritual ideology without the advocation of a religious framework. Secular spirituality in principle might embrace many of the same types of practices as religious spirituality, but the motivation is different. Clearly, since beliefs are radically different from those found in most religious spiritual traditions, the emphasis is likely to be on practice rather than belief and on the inner peace of the individual rather than on a relationship with the divine. Proponents make a case for a form of secular spirituality in which the motivation is simply to live happily and/or to help others, which demonstrates how such a motivation can lead to a spiritual life based on the development of qualities very like those prized by many religions.
John
Edit: A related term is agnostic.
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