How atheism became a religion in all but name

Interesting article, it also fits in with teh fact that I note some atheists even believe in survival after death.
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/12030/

I always find it amusing when someone describes his "religion" as "atheism". That could mean simply that "I don't believe in God, therefore I don't have a religion." But for others, it's ironically true, in a sense that they DON'T mean: they are deeply ideologically committed to a disbelief in God and in all things spiritual: regardless of any rational basis for that belief.

And they hold to that belief with a fervor that would put a fundamentalist Bible-thumper to shame!

Jim

Years ago when I was working in India the World Congress of Atheism had their tri-annual shindig in Bombay and when it was done many of the delegates flew down to Karnataka (where I worked at the time) for a holiday. They'd block booked out most of the guest house rooms in our R&R village. It was a real shot in the arm for the local economy and they were made welcome.
Nice bunch of people too. They had atheist merchandise, bags, caps, T- shirts etc all festooned and resplendent with the World-Atheist Congress logo. Many of them wore pin badges either with pictures of famous atheists on or atheist slogans. Of an evening they would gather around a bonfire on the beach for a BBQ where atheist songs were sung and someone would give a little talk on atheist philosophy or read from an atheist book or tract.
They were amongst some of the most religiously observant people it has ever been my pleasure to meet. A (Hindu) villager said about them to us... "Look how they enjoy Saab! I wish only that I too could have so much faith"

KatyKing wrote:Years ago when I was working in India the World Congress of Atheism had their tri-annual shindig in Bombay and when it was done many of the delegates flew down to Karnataka (where I worked at the time) for a holiday. They'd block booked out most of the guest house rooms in our R&R village. It was a real shot in the arm for the local economy and they were made welcome.
Nice bunch of people too. They had atheist merchandise, bags, caps, T- shirts etc all festooned and resplendent with the World-Atheist Congress logo. Many of them wore pin badges either with pictures of famous atheists on or atheist slogans. Of an evening they would gather around a bonfire on the beach for a BBQ where atheist songs were sung and someone would give a little talk on atheist philosophy or read from an atheist book or tract.
They were amongst some of the most religiously observant people it has ever been my pleasure to meet. A (Hindu) villager said about them to us... "Look how they enjoy Saab! I wish only that I too could have so much faith"

That's great!

Jim

Great piece lol I thought about atheism when I decided I could no longer put up with the Christian religion and its failure to just work with the simple commandments that were, apparently, given by Jesus. I was also realising that the truth may be out there about Jesus but the bible, quite probably historically innaccurate and rewritten by the winners, was not it. Neither was the interpretation.

However, I had a deep and abiding belief in a God and in the humanity of all types of mankind. I did and still do believe in people so I became a self described Agnostic Humanist, choosing to join a Whitbread Division that was practising industrial democracy on an amazing scale to express this within the working context. Learnt a lot before under Mrs Thatcher it became far easier to boot people rather than try social engineering even though it had been an astounding success.

I thn, in my travels met Lis who introduced me to Spiritualism and here I am happy that this movement in its true essence, once again not as the formal churches seem to decree in their new theology and rigid rules, suits me.

So no atheism not even a survivalist form, indeed as Katie and others have said they have a deeper theology than most religions.

Prof. Dawkins was banging the drum for the KJV during last year's 400th anniversary celebrations.
Those atheists ~bless 'em ~ are in for such a nice surprise.

We're sure glad that you found your spiritual home in Spiritualism, Jim!