Whether atheism is a religion or not depends entirely on how you define the word “religion”. In this article I would like to discuss the following three issues:
- Which definition of “religion” are you using?
- Why does it matter?
- A better distinction
Which definition of “religion” are you using?
The most traditional definition of religion is aligned along the theism – (a)theism distinction. Theism and (a)theism have one and only belief, regarding whether a god or gods or supernatural entities exist or not.
- World views based on the belief in and the authority of a super natural entity (theism) are called religious world views. Or more simply; religions.
- This is opposed to (a)theism which is the lack a belief in or the belief that such supernatural entities don’t exist. Instead of gods, atheists rely on the authority of mankind. World views base on the authority of mankind are called secular world views. While godless religions like Buddhism are religious like, they don’t fit this definition of religion.
This articled titled “Atheism” says “… religion and atheism have generally been respectively defined, at least since 1913 by Webster’s, as “the outward act or form by which people indicate their recognition of the existence of a god or of gods having power over their destiny” and as “the disbelief or denial of the existence of a god, or supreme intelligent Being.””
But this definition appears to be changing.
This article titled Is atheism a religion? on a Christian website cites these definitions:
- A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially 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.
- A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.
- The body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices.
- The practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
- Something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience.
This article titled Is “Atheism a Religion” on another Christian website defines religion as “beliefs about God or the actions taken as a result of those beliefs.”
This article titled “Atheism Is Religion” on a Christian website cites this definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.”
In this article titled Is “Atheism a Religion?” on another Christian website cites the American Heritage Dictionary and uses these two definitions: “A belief in a supernatural power and the second as “a cause or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.”
This article titled “Is Atheism a Religion?” says that “[a]theism is a religious worldview because it claims to know something fundamental about reality that hasn’t been—or can’t be—proven.”
This article titled “Is atheism a religion?” on a secular website cites the Internal Revenue Service Publication 1828 titled “Tax Guide For Churches & Religious Organizations” which defines what a church is:
- Distinct legal existence [Some atheist groups are legal entities.]
- Recognized creed and form of worship [No creed or forms of worship.]
- Definite and distinct ecclesiastical government [No ecclesiastical governance.]
- Formal code of doctrine and discipline [No doctrine.]
- Distinct religious history [No religious history.]
- Membership not associated with any other church or denomination [Atheists may join any number of atheist groups.]
- Organization of ordained ministers [No ministers of any kind.]
- Ordained ministers selected after completing prescribed courses of study [No courses of study.]
- Literature of its own [No literature reserved for one group.]
- Established places of worship [No worship.]
- Regular religious services [No religious services.]
- Sunday schools for the religious instruction of the young [No instructing the young.]
- Schools for the preparation of its members [No atheist schools.]
According to all of these definitions cited and used by Christian websites, atheistic world views certainly qualify as religions. These articles support the assertion that I make in my post titled How Do You Define Atheism?, where I state “The more religious you are the broader your definition of atheism will be. The less religious you are the narrower your definition of atheism will be.”
- The narrowest definition of atheism is the “lack of belief” in a god or any supernatural entity.
- The broadest definition of atheism is anyone who does not believe in “your particular” version of god.
Why does it matter?
The motivation of the Christian Right trying change the definition of religion is for political purposes. This is because the First Amendment of The United States Constitution assign certain rights and place certain limits on religions. The goal of the Christian Right is to shift the balance of limits and rights in favor of the Christian religion and away from the secular component of society by changing the definition of religion.
This article “Atheism is a religion” on a Christian website lays out this motivation quite clearly.
This article titled “Is Atheism A Religion?” on a secular website discusses some of these implications.
A better distinction
Perhaps a better and more practical distinction between religions and non religions would be whether they are based on static dogma or not.
Most/all theistic world views are based on dogma. The biggest and most popular are based on written sacred texts (Bible, Torah, Koran). Communism fits this definition of religions because it’s based on the dogma of Karl Marx. The problem is that dogma is inherently static because it’s based on the past. It doesn’t change, only it’s interpretation changes.
However, other than communism, most of the (a)theistic world views are based on science and the natural world, which are based the cumulative experiences of mankind but are ever changing based upon scientific discovery and new social experiences.