[ExI] Atheism again

[Giulio Prisco]

Hi Keith. I think atheism is, as you say, "a lack of religion rather
than a religion" in non-militant atheists. But in those militant
atheists who passionately want to convert others, and even more so in
those militant atheists who discriminate against believers in academy,
culture, media etc., atheism becomes a religion, and of the worst
kind.

On Wed, Apr 22, 2020 at 7:21 PM Keith Henson via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
> Giulio Prisco <giulio at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Of course, I am aware of the violent authoritarian practices of
> organized religions in history. But looking at the more recent history
> of the West, I find that the religion of atheism, when sanctioned by
> state power has been more authoritarian. Here in Eastern Europe
> everyone has horror stories to tell about how someone in their family
> was violently harassed (I am talking of real harassment, sticks and
> stones, not words) by a state atheist regime for wearing a cross or
> going to church.
>
> > This confirms my main (actually only) point: That atheism IS a
> religion because it acts like one.
>
> If you want to make the case that Communism is either a religion or
> something that occupies the same function in human "mental space" I
> would agree with you.  I have written about this for decades.
>
> I make a case that religions are mutually exclusive.  So someone would
> not be a Baptist and a Mormon at the same time.  A human organization
> would be a religion if it demonstrates this exclusive mechanism.  An
> example that is not a religion would be a bowling league.  Membership
> in a bowling league probably does not affect the chances of members
> being in a religion.
>
> Atheism is a lack of religion rather than a religion, though, by the
> measure above, it would be unexpected to find an "atheist Methodist".
>  Still, there is no organized atheist religion.
>
> Keith
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