If someone believed there are silver monkeys that fly and give birth to play station 3's and they based their whole life on that belief would you NOT tell them the truth? Is there something wrong with that?
BTW here's the definition of religion.....taken word for word you can apply to many other things.
re·li·gion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-lij-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. 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.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.
7. religions, Archaic. religious rites.
8. Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow.
—Idiom
9. get religion, Informal.
a. to acquire a deep conviction of the validity of religious beliefs and practices.
b. to resolve to mend one's errant ways: The company got religion and stopped making dangerous products.
OzmO,
No offence, but I find it amusing sometimes how you quote the dictionary to make your point, as if there weren't thousands of dictionaries out there with thousands of definitions for the same word.
Define Religion:
"any specific system of code of ethics, values, and belief"
"any specific system of belief, worship, or conduct that prescribes certain responses to the existence (
or non-existence) and character of God"
"from Latin religare to bind back, implying obligation; or from relegere to select, distinguish among various elements for the choosing of the best; ponder"
"Latin: religio, ligo, "to bind together") A way of seeing, thinking, and acting inspired by questions about what things mean: ie Where did we come from?, What is our destiny?, What is true?, What is false?, What is my duty or obligation?, What is the meaning of suffering?, What is the meaning of death?, How shall we live?"
"A good example of a narrow definition is the common attempt to define “religion” as “belief in God,” effectively excluding polytheistic religions and
atheistic religions while including theists who have no religious belief system. A good example of a vague definition is the tendency to define religion as “worldview” — but how can every worldview qualify as a religion? "
Atheists believe in facts......
Oh, really? The certainty that there is no God is a fact? Darwin's theory of evolution is a fact? The belief that the world would be better off without religion is a fact? Didn't you say
I think pure belief in evolution is about as absurd as believing every word of the the Bible is the word of God.
Also, atheists give to charities just the same they just don't want tax dollars given to organizations based on faith. But you or I don;t know if this representative of all atheists as most are probably practical and see the benefit religion does for the weak minded morally digressive populace.
OzmO, you are generalizing. I am not. Not all atheists are the same. The atheist that STella mentions in this thread sounds like an "evangelistic" atheist, one who is obsessed with converting the whole world to atheism. The "evangelistic" atheists that I know do not give to charities, do not believe in facts and they, by their own admission, are selfish. They also use fear to get people to covert, much like you claim Christians do, "If we don't rid the world of all forms of religion, we will all surely die in a nuclear holocaust.", etc.
