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The degree to which one can be considered an atheist while simultaneously being an adherent of a sect of a traditionally monotheistic, polytheistic, or non-theistic religion is the subject of ongoing theological debate.[citation needed ] Some people with what would be considered religious or spiritual beliefs call themselves atheists; others argue that this is a contradiction in terms.[1]
Contents
1 A modern view 2 Legal status of atheism 2.1 Great Britain (English Law) 2.2 United States of America 3 Satanism 4 Atheism in Abrahamic religions 4.1 Atheism in Judaism 4.2 Atheism in Christianity 4.3 Atheism in Islam 5 Atheism in Indian religions 6 Atheism in Chinese religions 7 Citations 8 References
A modern view
The essence of the argument presented by Alain de Botton[2] is that many problems of modern life have been addressed successfully by theologians, and that therefore, if they can be dislodged from the supernatural structure in which these solutions were conceived they can be released for the benefit of all mankind. What is needed (according to de Botton) is some selective restructuring because religions intermittently embrace and control too many aspects of human life and thus proscribes intelligent inquiry and debate in matters of philosophy and science, rather than integrating those new disciplines into the human commonwealth.
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Religion he compares to art: both appeal to the emotions, but different artists produce work that individuals may appreciate or depreciate - it is not necessary to love every piece from one and hate anything from another. Religion has been a sponsor of the arts, and has produced magnificent ceremonies, dramatic performance and beautiful language. What is proposed in this work is a sort of 'coffee-bar Catholicism' preserving the original meaning of the word (Latin catholicus = universal, general and the Greek phrase kath' holou = on the whole, in general). Atheists, Botton suggests may 'pick and mix' the best socially desirable attributes (prayer/praise/celebration) but without the lex talonis/Jus ad bellum/Jus in bello - where religion mandates the right to revenge, provides pardon for war and legal absolution for crimes committed in the name of God. Desmond Morris described mankind as "the naked, killer ape"[3] whereas Richard Dawkins (author of The Selfish Gene) more charitably believes altruism to be a strong genetic survival feature of "all five apes" and most strongly developed in humans.[4][5]
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English law is so ambiguous.[9] British 'religious atheists' are numerous and might include George Fox, John Wesley and, notably Jeremy Bentham whose body is displayed in the South Cloister of University College London[10]
Satanism
See also: Satanism Historically severely castigated as evil in the Liberalism of the late 20th century, some sects have appeared, mostly in the Anglosphere. One of these, called Theistic Satanism believes in deities, others such as LaVeyan Satanism do not believe Satan to be a god; rather the function of God is performed and satisfied by the satanist him/herself. "Satanism begins with atheism," said Church of Satan High Priest Peter H. Gilmore in an interview. "We begin with the universe and say, 'Its indifferent. Theres no God, theres no Devil. No one cares!'"[17] The needs of worship, ritual, and religious/spiritual focus are directed, effectively, inwards towards the satanist, as opposed to outwards, towards God. It follows that Satanism shuns the idea of belief in all other deities as well, including, to the surprise of many, Satan. It rejects outright concepts such as prayer, the after-life, and divine forces and is therefore atheist per se. There are some organizations falling between these two extremes. The First Church of Satan, formed as an offshoot to LaVeyan Satanism and makes no claims about the personification of Satan. Individual members are left to decide for themselves whether Satan is real, fictional, or conceptual.
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In general, formulations of Jewish principles of faith require a belief in God (represented by Judaism's paramount prayer, the Shema). In many modern movements in Judaism, Rabbis have generally considered the behavior of a Jew to be the determining factor in whether or not one is considered an adherent of Judaism. Within these movements it is often recognized that it is possible for a Jew to strictly practice Judaism as a faith, while at the same time being an agnostic or atheist. It is also worth noting that Reconstructionism does not require any belief in a deity, and that certain popular Reform prayer books, such as Gates of Prayer, offer some services without mention of God. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook,[18] first Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Palestine, held that atheists were not actually denying God: rather, they were denying one of man's many images of God. Since any man-made image of God can be considered an idol, Kook held that, in practice, one could consider atheists as helping true religion burn away false images of God, thus in the end serving the purpose of true monotheism. Atheists generally do not accept this point of view. Some Jewish atheists reject Judaism, but wish to continue identifying themselves with the Jewish people and culture. Jewish atheists who practice Humanistic Judaism embrace Jewish culture and history, rather than belief in a supernatural god, as the sources of their Jewish identity. One study found that only 48% of self identified Jews believe in God.[19]
Atheism in Christianity
Main article: Christian atheism Christianity, as a theistic and proselytizing religion, tends to view atheism as heresy. According to the Book of Psalms 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart,1 there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." However, high rates of atheism have been found among selfidentified Christians in the United States. For example, 10% of self-identified Protestants and 21% of self-identified Roman Catholics were found to be atheists in a HarrisInteractive survey from 2003[19] There is no single Christian approach toward atheism. The approach taken varies between Christian denominations, and Christian ministers may intelligently distinguish an individual's claims of atheism from other nominal states of personal perspective, such as plain disbelief, an adherence to science, a misunderstanding of the nature of religious belief, or a disdain for organized religion in general. The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this explicit. While it identifies atheism as a violation of the First Commandment, calling it "a sin against the virtue of religion", it is careful to acknowledge that atheism may be motivated by virtuous or moral considerations, and admonishes the followers of Roman Catholicism to focus on their own role in encouraging atheism by their religious or moral shortcomings: (2125) [...] The imputability of this offense can be significantly diminished in virtue of the intentions and the circumstances. "Believers can have more than a little to do with the rise of atheism. To the extent that they are careless about their instruction in the faith, or present its teaching falsely, or even fail in their religious, moral, or social life, they must be said to conceal rather than to reveal the true nature of God and of
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religion." [20] A famous idiosyncratic atheist belief is that of Thomas J. J. Altizer. His book The Gospel of Christian Atheism (1967) proclaims the highly unusual view that God has literally died, or self-annihilated. According to Altizer, this is nevertheless "a Christian confession of faith".[21] Making clear the difference between his position and that of both Nietzsche's notion of the death of God and the stance of theological non-realists, Altizer says, "To confess the death of God is to speak of an actual and real event, not perhaps an event occurring in a single moment of time or history, but notwithstanding this reservation an event that has actually happened both in a cosmic and in a historical sense."[22] Many would dispute whether this is an atheist position at all, as belief in a dead God implies that God once existed and was alive. Atheism typically entails a lack of belief that any gods ever existed, as opposed to not existing currently.[23] A 2001 survey by "Faith Communities Today"[24] found that 18% of Unitarian Universalists (UU) consider themselves to be atheists, with 54% considering themselves humanist. For comparison, 16% of UUs consider themselves Buddhist, 13% Christian, and 13% Pagan, according to this study.
Atheism in Islam
See also: Muslim atheist In Islam, atheists are categorized as kafir (), a term that is also used to describe polytheists, and that translates roughly as "denier" or "concealer". The noun kafir carries connotations of blasphemy and disconnection from the Islamic community. In Arabic, "atheism" is generally translated ilhad (), although this also means "heresy". Muslims are not at liberty to change their religion or become an atheist. The Quran is silent on the punishment for apostasy, though not the subject itself. The Quran speaks repeatedly of people going back to unbelief after believing, and gives advice on dealing with 'hypocrites': Sura 9:73,74 "O Prophet, strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell,-- an evil refuge indeed. They swear by God that they said nothing [evil], but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they did it after accepting Islam; and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was [their] only return for the bounty which God and His Apostle had enriched them! If they repent, it will be best for them; but if they turn back [to their evil ways], God will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the Hereafter. They shall have none on this earth to protect or help them." Qur'an, sura 9 (At-Tawba), ayat 73-73 [25]
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The Hadith expound upon dealing with apostates, whether they become Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or atheist: Narrated Abdullah: Allah's Messenger said, 'The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Messenger, cannot be shed except in three cases: in Qisas (equality in punishment) for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (Apostate) and leaves the Muslims." Sahih al-Bukhari, 9:83:17 (http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/083-sbt.php#009.083.017) Narrated Abu Qilaba: Once Umar bin Abdul Aziz sat on his throne in the courtyard of his house so that the people might gather before him....He replied 'By Allah, Allah's messenger never killed anyone except in one of the following three situations: 1) A person who killed somebody unjustly, was killed (in Qisas,) 2) a married person who committed illegal sexual intercourse and, 3) a man who fought against Allah and His messenger, and deserted Islam and became an apostate....' Sahih al-Bukhari, 9:83:37 (http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/083-sbt.php#009.083.037) Narrated Ikrima : Some Zanadiqa (Zanadiqa refers to those who innovate within Islam, adding rules to Islam which didn't previously exist) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire). I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah's Apostle, "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." Sahih al-Bukhari, 9:84:57 (http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/084-sbt.php#009.084.057) The Qur'an refers to atheism in this verse: The term commonly used for atheists is "Dahriyyah" from the Arabic word for "time" in a verse which speaks of people "who says that our death and Decimation are caused only by the passing of time". (in aljathiah,) 24) [045:024] And they say: "There is nothing but our life of this world, we die and we live and nothing destroys us except Ad-Dahr (time)." And they have no knowledge of it, they only conjecture. Other relevant Hadithic verses include Bukhari, volume 9, #58, 64, 271. Atheists in Islamic countries and communities frequently conceal their non-belief (as do people with other condemned qualities, such as homosexuality). Many sociologists interested in the Islamic nations wonder how Islam will continue to deal with these issues as these nations are exposed to Western worldviews, traditionally founded on Enlightenment-based secularism and tolerance, the Enlightenment being a movement that was largely absent from the Muslim world.
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See also: Atheism in Hinduism Atheism is often considered acceptable within Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Although atheism is valid in Hinduism, it views the path of the atheist as very difficult to follow in matters of spirituality.[26] Among the six fundamental Astika schools of Hindu philosophy, the Samkhya do not accept God and the early Mimamsa also rejected the notion of God.[27] Samkhya lacks the notion of a 'higher being' that is the ground of all existence. It proposes a thoroughly dualistic understanding of the cosmos, in which two parallel realities Purusha, the spiritual and Prakriti, the physical coexist and the aim of life is the gaining of liberating Self-knowledge of the Purusha. Here, no God (better stated theos) is present, yet Ultimate Reality in the form of the Purusha exists. Crvka (also Charvaka) was a materialist and atheist school of thought in India, which is now known principally from fragments cited by its Astika and Buddhist opponents. The proper aim of a Crvkan, according to these sources, was to live a prosperous, happy, productive life in this world (cf Epicureanism). There is some evidence that the school persisted until at least 1578. Jainism believes that the emancipated soul is itself God.[28] Jains do not believe in a creator God, but there is belief in numerous gods within the cosmos.[29] Buddhism is often described as non-theistic, since Buddhist authorities and canonical texts do not affirm, and sometimes deny, the following: The existence of a creation, and therefore of a creator deity That a god (deva), gods, or other divine beings are the source of moral imperatives. Instead, the Dharma is an attribution of the universe That human beings or other creatures are responsible to a god or gods for their actions However, all canonical Buddhist texts that mention the subject accept the existence (as distinct from the authority) of a great number of spiritual beings, including the Vedic deities. From the point of view of Western theism, certain concepts of the Buddha found in the Mahayana school of Buddhism, e.g. of Amitabha or the Adibuddha may seem to share characteristics with Western concepts of God, but Shakyamuni Buddha himself denied that he was a god or divine.
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Citations
1. ^ Bill Maher (2012-02-03). Real Time with Bill Maher. HBO. "Religion is defined as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, and atheism is precisely not that. Got it? Atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position." 2. ^ Alain de Botton (2012). Religion for Atheists (http://bookshop.dialoguebooks.org/catalogue/religion-for-atheists.html). Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-0241144770. Retrieved 29 June 2013. 3. ^ Desmond Morris (1999). The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal. Delta London. ISBN 978-0385334303. 4. ^ Richard Dawkins (2004). The Selfish Gene. Scientific American. ISBN 978-1582881140. 5. ^ Richard Dawkins. "The Root of All Evil" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMigkP5BELc). Retrieved 2013-04-12. 6. ^ Henry James Sumner Maine. Ancient Law. Cosimo Classics (New York, 2005). ISBN 978-1596052260. 7. ^ Kelly James Clark, ed. (2012). Abraham's Children: Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict. Yale University Press (USA). ISBN 978-0300179378. 8. ^ Walter Bagehot (1867). The English Constitution (Oxford World's Classics) (http://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780192839756/English-Constitution-Bagehot-Walter0192839756/plp). Oxford University Press (USA 2001). ISBN 978-0192839756. Retrieved 29 June 2013. 9. ^ Most Reverend Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury (2009). The English Religious Tradition and the Genius of Anglicanism. Wipf & Stock Publisher. ISBN 978-1606082096. 10. ^ Stephen Kim, ed. (1996). John Tyndall's Transcendental Materialism and the Conflict Between Religion and Science in Victorian England (Distinguished Dissertations). ISBN 978-0773422780. 11. ^ Matt Dillahunty. "Atheism and the Law" (http://www.atheist-community.org/library/articles/read.php?id=742). Atheist Community of Austin. Retrieved 20 July 2009. 12. ^ [James J. Kaufman, v. Gary R. McCaughtry, et al. United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit No. 04-1914 (19 August 2005). Retrieved 26 July 2011 from http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/419/678/617423/] 13. ^ "About First Church of Atheism" (http://firstchurchofatheism.com/index.php/about/). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20110711004751/http://firstchurchofatheism.com/index.php/about/) from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved July 2011. 14. ^ "North Texas Church of Freethought" (http://www.churchoffreethought.org/). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20110716080425/http://www.churchoffreethought.org/) from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved July 2011. 15. ^ "Houston Church of Freethought" (http://www.hcof.org/Content-Public/Page-Edit/Page.asp?iID=-1145332288). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20110716080916/http://www.hcof.org/Content-Public/Page-Edit/Page.asp?iID=-1145332288) from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved July 2011. 16. ^ "Do Atheists Need a Church?" (http://nymag.com/news/features/46214/). Retrieved July 2011. 17. ^ Interview with Peter H. Gilmore, David Shankbone, Wikinews', November 5, 2007. 18. ^ Rachmani 2002a; Rachmani 2002b. 19. ^ a b Taylor, Humphrey. (2003). "While Most Americans Believe in God, Only 36% Attend a Religious Service Once a Month or More Often" (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/vault/Harris-Interactive-Poll-Research-While-Most-Americans-Believe-in-God-Only-36-pct-A-2003-10.pdf). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20110109031643/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/vault/Harris-Interactive-Poll-Research-While-Most-Americans-Believe-in-God-Only36-pct-A-2003-10.pdf) from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved January 2011. "Protestants (90%) are more likely than Roman Catholics (79%) and much more likely than Jews (48%) to believe in God. Protestants (47%) are also more likely than Catholics (35%) to attend church once a month or more often. Only 16% of Jews go to synagogues once a month or more often."
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^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, English version, section 3.2.1.1.3 (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7E.HTM) ^ Altizer 1967, p. 102. ^ Altizer 1967, p. 103. ^ For further discussion, see Lyas (1970). ^ Surveys: 'Uuism' unique Churchgoers from elsewhere, Christian Century Foundation (http://www.uua.org/news/011205.html) ^ Quran 9:7374 (http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/quran/verses/009-qmt.php#009.073) ^ Chakravarti, Sitansu (1991). Hinduism, a way of life (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=J_-rASTgw8wC&pg=PA71). Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 71. ISBN 97881-208-0899-7. 27. ^ Dasgupta, Surendranath (1992). A history of Indian philosophy, Volume 1 (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=PoaMFmS1_lEC&pg=PA258). Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 258. ISBN 978-81-208-0412-8. 28. ^ Sangave, Vilas (2006). Aspects of Jaina religion Issue 12 of Jnapha Mrtidev granthaml: English series (http://books.google.co.in/books? id=8UhvGRoyAqMC&pg=PA27). Bhartiya Jnanpith. p. 27. ISBN 978-81-263-1273-3. 29. ^ Chambliss, Joseph (1996). Philosophy of education: an encyclopedia Volume 1671 of Garland reference library of the humanities (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=-YJlpiTbckgC&pg=PA38). Taylor & Francis. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-8153-1177-5.
References
Altizer, Thomas J.J. (1967). The Gospel of Christian Atheism (http://www.religion-online.org/showbook.asp?title=523). London: Collins. Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20060929171840/http://www.religion-online.org/showbook.asp?title=523) from the original on 29 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-27. Amoss, George (1999). "The Making of a Quaker Atheist" (http://www.quaker.org/quest/issue1-4.html). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20061021134519/http://www.quaker.org/quest/issue1-4.html) from the original on 21 October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-27. Rachmani, Rav Hillel (2002a). "Introduction to the Thought of Rav Kook, Lecture #16: "Kefira" in our Day" (http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/rk16kook.htm). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20060209080656/http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/rk16-kook.htm) from the original on 9 February 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-05. Rachmani, Rav Hillel (2002b). "Introduction to the Thought of Rav Kook, Lecture #17: Heresy V" (http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/rk17-kook.htm). Archived (http://web.archive.org/web/20060219094255/http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/rk17-kook.htm) from the original on 19 February 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-05. Horgan, Lara (2009). "The Religious Atheist Why Atheism is on its way to becoming like any other religion." (http://sentientonline.net/?p=1213). Retrieved 2009-12-12. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atheism_and_religion&oldid=587384549" Categories: Atheism
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