Oh really?
Lets examine this piece of creationist broken logic head on and start with the definition of religion:
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
So there you go – a set of beliefs and philosophies generally with Gods or deities.
And Atheism:
the doctrine or belief that there is no God or disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings
Those of you who know a bit about language will have seen that "atheism" is actually a negative version of "theism"which simply put is belief in the existence of a god or gods.
So is atheism a kind of religion? Lets find out.
Is atheism a set of beliefs ?
No, atheism is the abscence of a specific kind of belief ie; that there is a God/s.
Does atheism make statements about the nature and purpose of the universe ?
No, they are dealt with by philosophy and science.
Does atheism have Gods ?
Of course not, just the opposite.
Do atheists perform "devotional and ritual observances" ?
No.
Is there a moral code or structure associated with atheism ?
No. The concept is simplistic and does not have that level of scope.
We can see from this rational look at the meaning of the two words that atheism is clearly NOT a kind of religion. Lets look a little deeper at the connotations of the creationist assertion that it is.
Fundamental to the thrust of creationist argument is an inability to use reason and logic in the correct manner which often leads them to make nonsensical claims frequently in an attempt to further enrage those of us dedicated to the cause of rationalism. The statement "Atheism is a kind of religion" falls within that bracket. Now that I have shown that the statement is fundamentally incorrect, a good way of looking at the shocking lack of logic therin would be to reverse it: "Religion is a kind of atheism". Doesn't make any sense either.
In conclusion then the "Atheist" peg will not fit in the "Religion" hole, no matter how hard the creationists try to bang it in. An example of a statement with the equivalent logic would be
"A starfish is a kind of banana"
Next on Creationist Wheel of Fail: Dinosaurs! (I can't wait.)
