| BenVTrigger said: The biggest irony of all is atheism is a religion. So again his argument is pointless. |
Your definition of what a "religion" is, is a bit skewed to put it mildly. Atheism IS a belief (a point I've gotten in arguments with certain Atheists about), but it is NOT in any way shape or form a "religion". However, to further that point, as I pointed out in my earlier post, there is a fine line between religion and spirituality. And the two are not one and the same, in fact personally I think they have little to do with each other.
Spiritual beliefs are simply that: beliefs. RELIGION implies something a lot heavier, a lot more attached, namely, agreeing to live by this that and the other law "because God says so". This is why religious folks in the US are so crazy hung up on being anti-gay, and anti-abortion, and anti-SOCILALISM (lol) or whatever. Because the people from their pulpits are using that "religious authority" to push a very NON-spiritual politcal agenda. And the sheep (not all, of course, but the ones that count, the ones who whine the loudest), they'll buy whatever is told to them, because "it's God's will". The reason most super-religious Americans vote Republican, is because they've been convinced that that is "God's party". Even though "God" has no political stances, and never told anyone to support any specific political candidate or agenda. That's according to their own Bible. But then again,there's Religion again, because depending on what sect or denomination you are, the interpretation of "God's Word" can become conveniently vastly different.
A LOT of folks, I would say, are "Spiritual but not Religious", and I would include most Buddhists, Shinto, Pagans, etc. in that type or realm. Why? Because in those paths, it is more about the actual spiritual and philosophical nature of the beliefs, and a personal relationship with that, than it is about this communal dogmatic doctrine nonsense. I don't mean to take an insulting tone towards monotheism, but it is what it is. And it's rather sad to me that the millions of us who are simply "spiritual", but in NO way religious at all, either get lumped in with "religion", or forgotten in the modern battle-lines between "religious" and "atheist". And as I said before, it's not that simple, black and white, "believe in God or believe in Science", as people in America at least, tend to paint it these days.
