...Beliefs: Atheism and Religion Melissa Romano HUM/114 November 24, 2014 Michael Myers Beliefs: Atheism and Religion When I was presented with this assignment, I had no idea what opinion I would use to write about. While discussions in class this week about Darwinism, religion, and the creation of life, I started to question some of my beliefs. I was raised an atheist, by my father, and have been my whole life. However, I felt doing some research would benefit me, not only for critical thinking, but for my personal growth. Even though Atheists have plenty to attack religion, the debate between atheists and religious people is over a futile book, not over a so-called god. Disputes are not about a god (if any), they are about the "god" of the bible (or other religious books). Most religious people that say they believe in god are meaning they believe in the bible. One of the websites I chose to use was the Huffington Post, which is historical proclaimed as a credible source, according to my last class. In an article written by Frank Schaeffer (2014), he states that: “The whole "debate" between faith and reason misses the point. It is a debate between the track record of what religious believers have done in the name of stupid religions and what science has done in the name of stupid certainties." The quote made sense to me in a general sense. Another reference that Mr. Schaeffer (2014) made was that Christians say they believe in “god” when it is the bible they believe...
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...Religious Field Research Joe Carter Bob Andrews Religion 212 June 4, 2012 Report on Religious Field Research Religion is defined by Brodd (2003) as a collection of beliefs concerning the existence of nature, the purpose of the universe, the existence of human beings, and deities. Religion is usually related to the cultural beliefs systems, which are connected to humankind, spirituality, and the moral values. There are different types of religions in the world that have different signs, beliefs, descriptions, ethnicity, and, sanctified accounts that explain the meaning and origin of life and the universe. Through the accounts ideas, principals, morals, sacred laws, and the way of life are generated in addition to the existence of the universe and the human nature. Examples of religions include Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and atheism. Among all the religions, atheism tends to be different from the others as it is not similar from any of the others. I watched a program on atheist and this encouraged me to conduct a research on atheism through interviewing an atheist and through books to gain a complete understanding of atheism. According Neilson (1985), atheism is said to have a great connection in the lack of beliefs of God’s existence. This situation occurs due to a purposeful choice of not believing or from a natural failure to believe the religious teachings of a certain religion, which literally seems unbelievable. For the...
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...Mohammad Khan October 15, 2013 Define Atheism The term atheism created from the Greek word “atheos” which means "without god(s)." This term is used to those who thought to reject the gods revered by the bigger culture. We are going through the world, where we have freedom of thought and speech, and scientific development, which increase in criticism of religion. The first individuals to identify themselves using the word "atheist" lived in the 18th century. Atheism can be defined in two ways- in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is definitely the perception that there are no deities. Atheism is basically the lack of faith that any deities exist. Atheism is distinguished with theism, which in its most universal form is the faith that minimum one deity exists. Disagreements for atheism vary from the philosophical to social and historical methodologies. Excuses for not having faith in in any supernatural deity comprise the lack of observed sign of god, tricks of sinful object, disagreement from inconsistent exposures, denial of thoughts which cannot be fabricated, and the dispute from atheism. Many atheists claim that atheism is more prudent view than theism. As a result, the liability to disprove the existence of God does not go on the atheists, but on the theists to make available a justification for theism. New Atheism is the term specified to a drive of some early-21st-century atheist writers...
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...Atheism and postmodernism wider reading The term atheism derives from two Greek words: 'a' meaning 'without' and 'theos' meaning God. Atheism therefore describes a person being without belief in God. Agnostisim, also has a lack of belief, however, does not actively deny Gods existence, so could be interpreted differently. Positive atheism: Like negative atheism there is an absence of God however, positive atheism goes one step further. It is the firm denial of religion, the person has thought about the possibility of religion and has consciously denied it. For example, Prof Brian Cox has suggested that religion is a 'fairy story' which shows positive atheism as he has consciously made the decision to reject religion. We can assume God does not exist. Gavin Nyman 'Definitive metaphysical claim about the non-existence of God' Negative atheism: Absence of God: does not actively deny God. An example of this would by a baby who has not had time to make a conscious decision about the existence of God. We cannot assume anything, so we must assume he does not exist. Agnosticism: From the Latin 'without knowledge.' Like Negative atheism there is an absence of belief, however, unlike Negative atheism it does not deny the existence. Postmodernism One of the key ideas of a postmodernist view of religion, unlike traditional views, is that there is no objective knowledge or absolute representation of reality. It is culture or society that dictates our concepts and the way we categorise...
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...Mackenzie Wade Nielsen. Atheism. Waechtler. Encyclopedia Britannica: Atheism. Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Sept. 2014. ‹http://www.britannica.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/EBchecked/topic/40634/atheism› According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, predominantly written by Kai E. Nielsen, atheism, in general, is the assessment and denial of metaphysical beliefs in gods or spiritual beings. Nielsen states atheism, in its simplest form, is defined as an overall disbelief in or denial of godly or spiritual beliefs and beings, however, Nielsen clarifies that all atheists do not wholeheartedly or similarly reject the existence of said godly or spiritual beliefs and beings. Atheism branches into three major subcategories: fallibilistic atheism, aprioristic atheism, and dogmatic atheism. Fallibilistic atheists believe their knowledge and beliefs concerning godly or spiritual beings could be mistaken. Fallibilistic atheists are usually deemed as agnostics, however, they are distinguished by the fact they presently do not believe in any godly or spiritual being. They remain conscious they may, at some point in the future, be presented with evidence which may alter their beliefs. Fallibilistic atheists are often considered empiricists—those whom believe that knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience—for they need to be presented with clear evidence in order to believe in any godly or spiritual beings. Aprioristic atheists do not believe in any godly or spiritual being due to their logical...
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...ATHEISM: Is it the new religion? Religion is a respect for what is sacred, a reverence for God. It is a bond between man and God. What is religion? It is a collection of cultural system, belief system and those world views that establishes a kind of symbol that relates humanity to spirituality and moral values. Many religions have their own way of narratives, symbols, traditions, sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. Religion is a faith or belief and it there is a tendency that certain idea of morality, ethics, and sacredness is followed. But what stirs my mind is the idea of not believing in a God? These set of non-believers of God have been termed as Atheist. Atheism is characterized by an absence of belief in the existence of gods. This absence of belief generally comes about either through deliberate choice, or from an inherent inability to believe religious teachings which seem literally incredible. It is not a lack of belief born out of simple ignorance of religious teachings. Some atheists go beyond a mere absence of belief in gods: they actively believe that particular gods, or all gods, do not exist. Just lacking belief in Gods is often referred to as the "weak atheist" position; whereas believing that Gods do not (or cannot) exist is known as "strong atheism." It a grand debate no doubt and forces me to think if atheism is the new religion? From the primitive times, people have had speculations...
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...Religion is defined by Brodd (2003) as a collection of beliefs concerning the existence of nature, the purpose of the universe, the existence of human beings, and deities. Religion is usually related to the cultural beliefs systems, which are connected to humankind, spirituality, and the moral values. There are different types of religions in the world that have different signs, beliefs, descriptions, ethnicity, and, sanctified accounts that explain the meaning and origin of life and the universe. Through the accounts ideas, principals, morals, sacred laws, and the way of life are generated in addition to the existence of the universe and the human nature. Examples of religions include Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and atheism. Among all the religions, atheism tends to be different from the others as it is not similar from any of the others. I watched a program on atheist and this encouraged me to conduct a research on atheism through interviewing an atheist and through books to gain a complete understanding of atheism. According Neilson (1985), atheism is said to have a great connection in the lack of beliefs of God’s existence. This situation occurs due to a purposeful choice of not believing or from a natural failure to believe the religious teachings of a certain religion, which literally seems unbelievable. For the past few years, I have had a misconception concerning atheism, whereby I believed that atheism occurs as a result of personal ignorance particularly...
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...What is Atheism and how does it relate to Levinas. These are questions that may arise when trying to figure out Levinas’s complex views on the world, the other and religion. Atheism is a disbelief in god or a total negation of the idea of a supreme being. This can range from strong atheism to weak atheism and a myriad of levels in between. Strong atheism is a total opposition to the very idea of a supreme entity that is all powerful and all knowing and weak atheism is more like agnosticism where one simply does not have a strong convictive belief in a god. The ultimate goal of this paper is to try and understand the views Levinas holds on atheism and what that could mean for being an ethically sound human in a world of others and god. Atheism is not a total lack of ethics or a state of hedonistic abandon rather atheism is a stage in the progression of an ethically sound individual. Levinas is a Jew but he does not dismiss atheism or condemn atheists, although he is a little critical of being in isolation from a god and at times can definitely be condescending towards them, but believes that all theists are at least a little atheistic. True atheism to Levinas is a not good thing or a bad thing. He thinks that atheism can lead to a sense of total isolation which can lead to violence against the other but he also thinks that without atheism religion can dissolve into a system of simple rule following much like it did in the work camps of Munich. Levinas can be very critical...
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...God to be a good person ITT Technical Institute EN 1420 Jennifer Cordelier July 30, 2013 One does not need a god to be a good person Throughout time the question of “does God exist?” has always been around. In the dark ages one would be cast out for doubting the all great and powerful. The religious community maintains that, “God and organized religion serve as a moral compass for society”(Buckley 2008). On the other hand atheists (someone who does not believe there is a God) maintain the belief that one does not need a God for guidance or fear of persecution to maintain a moral lifestyle. Religion is blasted into the face of all Americans daily with holidays such as Christmas and Easter. One may choose not to participate in these holidays but most people do regardless of faith. The pledge of allegiance is recited in schools without any question of what religion or denomination someone is. People can raise their children the way they like thanks to the first amendment and religion in the home is not necessary to the beneficial upbringing of a child. You do not need a God to be a good person. There are many Religions in the world with many different Gods. The Hindu believe in karma, the belief that what you do to others will come back to you. That is a great start but that is only because if you are generally a bad person (religious or not) you will have consequences to your actions. Therefore Karma states and action of doing wrong will bring you harm. God has nothing...
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...Is Buddhism an Atheistic religion? Responding this question is really difficult as its answer may be different depending on who is replying it. The answer depends on the definition one gives to certain words. Words like religion, theism, atheism and god. So to answer this question, these words must first be defined. Religion is defined in the World Encyclopedia as “A code of beliefs and practices formulated in response to a spiritual awareness of existence. It may involve either faith in a state of existence after earthly death, or a desire for union with an omnipotent spiritual being, or a combination of the two.” Another definition is found in Émile Durkheim’s book The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, Book 1. He states: "Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things which unite into one single moral community called a church, all those who adhere to them." The definition provided by the World Encyclopedia points out that the code of beliefs we understand as religion, has to do with a supreme being/God or in a state of existence after earthly life, this state of existence is in some religions called Heaven. In contrast, Durkheim avoids references to the supernatural or God in his description. There is controversy in the subject, as there are many scholars who’s definition of religion has a relation with a supreme being or god and other scholars who argue that religions do not involve a belief in a God or in nothing related to the...
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...believe at something which could or couldn’t be true. Atheism is an example of this something. Atheists claim that there is no God because the evidence they experience shows that God is not real; however, to have a static claim as strong as atheism is anti-scientific: because the belief itself lacks foundation associated with our ‘natural laws’ and thus, having a set belief that is static is counter scientific spirit which contradicts that base of atheistic claim. Thus, to be an atheist using scientific claims as basis is illogical; however, this doesn’t mean that a person cant be an atheist; but only that person who claims to be an atheist because of scientific reasoning is wrong in his assumptions. atheists say there is no God, but before you can deny something, you must first affirm its existence, as a rule... in saying there is NO God, you actually affirm there is one. Hence I must conclude that the answer to our openeng question is a simple and flat no. No, it is not necessary for a truly contemporary person to be an atheist or to disbelieve in the existence of God. And I find no arguments, no reasons, no evidence or facts, not in Bishop Robinson's writings, nor in Bishop Pike's, nor in the writings of Tillich, Bultmann, and Bonhoeffer, or in the lesser breed of new theologians, which support the opposite answer. The new theologians are impressed by the secularism of our society, by the spread of irreligion and of atheism or disbelief in God. It is this which leads them to...
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...one of the most popular religions, they are more likely to say that the deceased will get reincarnated. It is all in a culture and religions aspect of the other world. Where do we go when we die? Do we really know? The United Church of Bacon says that they enjoy the life they are living now and don’t believe in an afterlife as there is no proof. Christians believe we go to heaven or hell depending on how we lived our life and Jains see afterlife as a depiction of what you did when you were alive. You can either be reborn, go to one of the eight levels of hell or join the liberated souls in the highest level of heaven. Afterlife is a big part of all religions as many religions live by the fact of what you did during your lifetime will make the ultimate decision for when you die. There is no definite answer on where we go because so many of us believe in different things. Whilst studying the different afterlife’s it was interesting to learn everyone theories. If you are Muslim you are spending your present life getting ready for your next life. “According to Hinduism, death is regarded as a natural process in the existence of soul as a separate entity” (Religious Movements). Many religions are based on the thesis of an afterlife, where you will go after death is all dependent on the God you serve. Buddhists believe in the theory of being reborn until you reach Nirvana happens, rebirth can take up to 49 days or happen straight away. Out of 75 religions there are 9 that believe...
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...How can we answer questions about creation and origins? Learning from religion and science: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Humanism – Year 9 About the unit This unit suggests activities that can be used in teaching and learning about creation and origins. It can be adapted to local circumstances and for different age groups. It illustrates the provision of the non-statutory national framework for religious education (RE) and can be used or adapted to deliver an agreed syllabus or other guidelines. This unit focuses on creation and origins of the universe and human life and the relationship between religion and science. It aims to deepen pupils’ awareness of ultimate questions through argument, discussion, debate and reflection and enable them to learn from a variety of ideas of religious traditions and other world views. It explores Christianity, Hinduism and Islam and also considers the perspective of those who do not believe there is a god (atheists). It considers beliefs and concepts related to authority, religion and science as well as expressions of spirituality. Pupils have opportunities to discuss, question and evaluate important issues in religion and science. They also have opportunities to reflect on and evaluate their own beliefs and values, and the beliefs and values of others, in relation to questions of truth and purpose. This unit can be adapted for other religions – using responses from other religious traditions to the key questions, including accounts...
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...The Influence of Social Institutions: Family, Religion and Education Elizabeth Bouer SOC/100 May 30, 2016 Dr. Karly Way Schauwecker The Influence of Social Institutions: Family, Religion and Education Early philosopher and originator of Functionalism theory, Herbert Spence (1820-1903), compared parallels between the function of the human anatomy and society. “He argued that just as the various organs of the body work together to keep the body functioning, the various parts of society work together to keep society functioning” (OpenStax CNX, 2015, p.15 ). Just as the body has organs that help it to exist and thrive, society also has key components which attribute to its overall success. These essential parts of the successful and fluid existence of a society are referred to as social institutions. Social institutions are structures of principles or conducts, focused on achieving social needs. Six critically significant, outlines of social institutions are: government, education, family, healthcare, religion and the economy (CNX, 2015). Government has its benefits, in that it helps to structure, regulate and organize a society. Healthcare is an essential component, not only for the continuity of existence, but as well as for continuance of reaching full/highest human potential. The economy (more specifically its success), is a critical element for a society’s ability to endure, succeed and grow. However, for many, out of the six institutions,...
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...Atheism In America Glenn Watkins Park University Abstract This essay may be offensive to some of you, but that is not the intentions of the author. The author realizes that most of the audience holds deep spiritual and religious beliefs. It is not the aim to cause insult, but if the audience feels insulted, understand that it is not the objective of this paper. The author disclaims all responsibility for any harm caused by the paper. Please take this essay with an analytical and introspective approach. Atheism is one of the least understood philosophies of all time, but has been around for as long as religion has. There is always been someone to question the validity of gods or goddesses; someone who does not believe the world was created by a supreme being in 7 days. This paper outlines some of the contrasting points between religion and Atheism. It talks about deities and the history of Atheism and its migration to America. Many believe a Supreme Being, king, or lord created the Constitution of the United States, but it is clear that people wrote the constitution for the people. Many Atheists believe that a belief in God is based on irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism is derived from a rational, no-nonsense appraisal of the way things really are. "I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." -President George Bush Whether god exists is a question...
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