This is
something I sometimes hear from people such as Atheists and Buddhists, or
people who are unsure of the existence of a God. “I don’t HAVE a religion!”
They say. “I don’t believe in any sort of God. I don’t have any practices or
rituals. I just don’t practice or believe in religion.” They define religion as
based on a belief in God or gods, something that involves specific practices or
duties to perform. So therefore they have no religion. Yet, are they really
right?
Atheism
is indeed a religion. Religion is not
defined as something involving God. Put simply, your religion is the set of beliefs
(about things such as the origin of the world and the afterlife) which you hold
common with other people. Atheists believe that there is no God. They believe
in evolution. They believe that the
Bible holds no authority. These are all part of the set of beliefs that define
an Atheist. They are not separate from a religion. They simply have one that rejects the idea of a God. It is not that they do not believe in my God. It is that they do believe my God does not exist. There is not an Atheist out there who can say that they
believe in God, or that there might be a God. If they were to say this, they
would not be an Atheist. To be an Atheist is to believe in certain truths and
concepts. There are simply some things you simply cannot believe in. In fact
Atheism itself basically means the belief in no God. The same is true for Christianity,
there are certain beliefs you must hold to. There are some things you simply
have to accept as true or false if you really believe what you profess to. It is virtually impossible to not have a
religion of some sort. There is not a man out there who believes in nothing at
all. Everyone has an opinion on the creation of the world or the autonomy of
man. Everyone can find a place to fit in among others who share their beliefs. Everyone
can find others with which to agree and discuss the mysteries of the universe.
A Christian can lay down their beliefs about God and life
easily. They have a specific set that is unique to them. The same goes for an
Atheist, or a Buddhist, or a Utilitarian, or any other set of beliefs. We all
have our own specific doctrine unique to us. It is true some groups may be
larger than others, or more prevalent. And it is true that some have more
tradition than others. But that does not mean that they do not belong to a
religion. Each group has things only they believe. That is why we can debate
and defend and discuss. If we did not know much about our own set of beliefs we
could not make arguments for them. We could not make opinions or decisions on
issues. And most importantly we could not defend them. We all have doctrine. We
all have a religion or set of beliefs. And we all defend them and assert them
as truth. So rather than denying your religion, accept it and learn about it.
Become knowledgeable so you can crush the enemy, or at least withstand them,
when they make an assault. But do not attempt to enter the fray if you do not
acknowledge your own strategy.
-BlackFox
(580)
I'm assuming you are an atheist?
ReplyDeleteNo, I am not an Atheist. I am a very committed Christian. I merely wanted to address this fact because Atheists often treat religion as a four letter word. I seek only to educate to the best of my ability so that people can have more informed and prepared debates. It is much more interesting if your opponent knows their position well. And remember, knowing the opposing point of view is important. Just because I am a Christian does not mean I know nothing of Atheism. :)
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