@awesam: I thought Satanists worshiped Satan. Atheists just can't be bothered to go into some building on some appointed day of the week to sing high praise to some cosmological entity somewhere perhaps in the sky whilst wearing some funny thing on their heads.
Second, religion is an organized collection of beliefs practiced by a group of people centering on a Supernatural Entity that may or may not exist. People within the organization uphold and honor this beliefs by means of FAITH, acquired through; conditioning (Zealots), a promise of material wealth and earthly security if they join (Greedy People), and/or people who clings to an irrational sense of hope (People with no sense of being). But mostly, all of them can be lumped as hypocrites.
Atheist in a narrow point of view is the rejection of the existence of deities, which could be said as true considering its dictionary meaning, but none the less, most of the people I know including myself who could be considered as one tend to keep an open mind, we always say that "Oh Ok, show me proof and I will concede". Atheist first and foremost adhere to empirical data rather than a belief with no foundation.
By definition it isn't. So, it wasn't but now it kind of is. Why?
They try to convert people into their beliefs or lack of. They strongly uphold their beliefs or lack of. They have a superiority complex like all the other extremely religious folk. They want to change the laws to fit their beliefs or their lack of. They donate money to others to help out their cause. They practice their beliefs or their lack of, like forcing themselves not to pray during a crisis to show that even though they didn't pray everything still turned out fine (they only force themselves not to pray out of previous habit of doing so). They always want to argue about religion since they're always right, while everyone else is completely wrong/misguided/fools.
Yeah, sounds like a religion for me.
Shout out to all the agnostics monotheist, atheist, deists, polytheists, pantheists, and/or whatever ya belief in. (+)
By definition it isn't. So, it wasn't but now it kind of is. Why?
They try to convert people into their beliefs or lack of. They strongly uphold their beliefs or lack of. They have a superiority complex like all the other extremely religious folk. They want to change the laws to fit their beliefs or their lack of. They donate money to others to help out their cause. They practice their beliefs or their lack of, like forcing themselves not to pray during a crisis to show that even though they didn't pray everything still turned out fine (they only force themselves not to pray out of previous habit of doing so). They always want to argue about religion since they're always right, while everyone else is completely wrong/misguided/fools.
atheism is pretty much a lack of religion, atheists can still be spiritual but I'd say most are like Ricky Gervais and find most religions truly evil. But have no issue with spirituality.
@omgomgwtfwtf: Well, all this deity stuff is confusing, if you ask me. The most subscribed religions fight over whose god is more real, when in fact, they are the same entity. And one more thing: if you believe in Satan, then you believe in God. One can't exist without the other, so I can't see how Satanism is the same as Atheism.
You just need a thing to believe in, and a place to gather, then you got a bona fide religion.
@lvenger: to be fair, yes atheism is the lack of religion yes but there is also such things as nontheistic and secular religions aka religions that don't believe in a God.
@lvenger: to be fair, yes atheism is the lack of religion yes but there is also such things as nontheistic and secular religions aka religions that don't believe in a God.
You mean ideologies like Communism and Nazism? They still drew far more influence from the doctrines of the Church than they did from secular ideals and beliefs.
@lvenger: Hm well not so much them as certain forms of Buddhism and Hinduism are secular
Oh that's what you meant? True I guess and American neuroscientist/prominent atheist Sam Harris does advocate drawing on aspects of Buddhism to be more spiritual without religious connotations. But the issue there is that they still subscribe to some form of unknown/supernatural/mystical connotations to them.
I was speaking in regards to the Official Church of Satan, since they are the only ones who are actually openly public. The followers of the Church of Satan do not worship any deity and they have outright stated so. It's even one of the rules in their Satanist's bible iirc. However, I can't speak about smaller fringe groups because they don't openly publicize their beliefs.
@omgomgwtfwtf: Well, all this deity stuff is confusing, if you ask me. The most subscribed religions fight over whose god is more real, when in fact, they are the same entity. And one more thing: if you believe in Satan, then you believe in God. One can't exist without the other, so I can't see how Satanism is the same as Atheism.
You just need a thing to believe in, and a place to gather, then you got a bona fide religion.
The fight in religion isn't really over whose God is more real. Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, etc. are all the same God. What practitioners argue over is whose religion is more true or faithful to God. Jews, Christians, Muslims, and every other Protestant faith believe their faith follows the word of God, and that where the friction lies.
As for Satanists, just look at my post to Avenging X-Bolt. There are Satanists who do believe in Satan, but I wouldn't consider them a majority. Also, the practices of Satanists are kept under wraps. I can only comment on the Church of Satan, since they are more openly public than the rest and actually have books, interviews, website, etc. to peruse.
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