Questions about Atheism and Religion
What is the Relationship?
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Whenever atheists get together, the topic of religion often comes up during conversations. If they don't end up discussing religion at some point amongst themselves, religious believers who join the group are likely to bring it up. Sometimes this is simply part of an effort to find out what atheists think about religion, but too often, it can be part of an effort to convert atheists back to believing in a god or to some particular theological or religious perspective.
Because questions about the relationship between atheism and religion pop up in a variety of contexts and from both atheists and theists, it is worth taking some time to address them. Quite often people misunderstand this relationship based upon limited experience with a few outspoken atheists, and perhaps the documents here will help remedy that.
-->Isn't atheism the same as anti-religion?
It's not uncommon for atheists to criticize or even bash religion, thus giving rise to the perception that atheism itself is anti-religion - or at least the absence of religion - rather than simply the absence of theism. This is not, however, an accurate perception because such criticisms are not a necessary aspect of atheism.Why are atheists against religion?
Atheists in the West often don't have very positive feelings when it comes to religion. The reasons for this are manifold, but most have to do either with the role religion played in their families or the use of it by others to berate and evangelize to them today. As a consequence, individual atheists are quite often at least irreligious if not also anti-religious.Are you an atheist because you've never heard about Jesus?
There seems to be a belief on the part of many theists - especially Christians and some Muslims - that the only reason why a person would not be a member of their religion is simply because they are unfamiliar with it. Or, to put it in Christian terms, because they have not heard the "Good News" which they of course now wish to share. As a result, it is common for these believers to immediately launch into preaching in order to rectify that situation.Is atheism just another religion?
For some strange reason, many people keep getting the idea that atheism is itself some sort of religion. It's an assertion which I keep hearing in newsgroups, in private email, in the chat room, and in the site's forum. Maybe it is because these people are so caught up in their own religious beliefs that they cannot imagine any person living without religion of some sort.Can atheists be religious?
Atheism and religion are commonly portrayed and regarded as polar opposites; although there is a strong correlation between being an atheist and being irreligious, there is no necessary and inherent connection between the two. Atheists in the West tend not to belong to any religion, but atheism is quite compatible with religion.Can atheists be spiritual?
The problem with answering such a question is that the term "spiritual" is so vague and ill-defined most of the time. Usually when people use it they mean something similar to, but nevertheless very distinct from, religion. This is probably an improper usage, however, because there are very good reasons to think that spirituality is more a type of religion than anything else.Do any atheists go to church? If so, why?
The idea of an atheist attending church services seems contradictory - doesn't that require belief in God? Isn't freedom on Sunday morning one of the benefits of atheism? Although most atheists don't count themselves as part of religions which require regular attendance at churches or other houses of worship, you can still find some who do attend such services from time to time or even regularly.
