Atheist or Irreligious?

[Azrael]

After seeing many discussions here on NS regarding atheism I've noticed that there is some doubt at what is atheism and what is irreligion. To the "atheists" out there: which one are you exactly?
Or better yet: what do you define as atheism and irreligion and do you classify as either one?

[Chocolate Fudge Cakes]

Atheism is simply not believing in a deity.

[Azrael]

Atheism is simply not believing in a deity.

Exactly. But I've seen both here and in RL people confusing the two and I want to see what other NS'ers think.

[Seibertron]

Atheism is simply not believing in a deity.

You have won the internetz!

I am a Atheistic Buddhist so I guess I am also religious.

[Salandriagado]

Atheism: not believing in a deity, the opposite of theism.
Agnosticism: believing that it cannot be known for certain whether or not a god exists, compatible with both atheism and theism
Ignosticism: believing that there is no coherent definition for god, and thus that it is pointless to discuss it until such a definition is found.

[Blazedtown]

After seeing many discussions regarding atheism I've noticed that there is some doubt at what the exact definition of atheism is. To the "atheists" out there: which one are you exactly?
Or better yet: what do you define as atheism and irreligion and do you classify as either one?

Personally, I think that if you are going to be religious, you have to follow that religion's practices to the letter as you were expected to when the religion became doctrine. So if you're Christian, you should be Catholic, not let your women have opinions, rights, and have as many children as she can before she croaks. God doesn't change his standards because people get lazy you know. Good thing I don't believe in him.

[Azrael]

Atheism is simply not believing in a deity.

You have won the internetz!

I am a Atheistic Buddhist so I guess I am also religious.

This is also a point I was trying to get at. People often think both irreligion and atheism go hand in hand.

[Souffrance]

I am atheist and agnostic. I do not believe in any gods, nor do I believe is is possible for us to ever find out if there are any.
I am also a skeptic; I will not believe any outrageous claims without proof.
And lastly, I call myself anti-religious; I hate organized religion and all that it has done for humanity.

[Blazedtown]

I am atheist and agnostic. I do not believe in any gods, nor do I believe is is possible for us to ever find out if there are any.

Not even Khorne?

[Dagnia]

Could it be said that if I believe in several gods, but do not do anything to appease them, pray to them or worship them in any way, that I am an irreligious polytheist?

[Souffrance]

I am atheist and agnostic. I do not believe in any gods, nor do I believe is is possible for us to ever find out if there are any.

Not even Khorne?

I do not believe in ANY gods.

[Farnhamia]

I am atheist and agnostic. I do not believe in any gods, nor do I believe is is possible for us to ever find out if there are any.
I am also a skeptic; I will not believe any outrageous claims without proof.
And lastly, I call myself anti-religious; I hate organized religion and all that it has done for humanity.

You hate music, art, literature, learning?

[Ashmoria]

i am an atheist. i do not believe in any god or gods.

[The Imperial Republic of New Kyoto]

After seeing many discussions regarding atheism I've noticed that there is some doubt at what the exact definition of atheism is. To the "atheists" out there: which one are you exactly?
Or better yet: what do you define as atheism and irreligion and do you classify as either one?

Personally, I think that if you are going to be religious, you have to follow that religion's practices to the letter as you were expected to when the religion became doctrine. So if you're Christian, you should be Catholic, not let your women have opinions, rights, and have as many children as she can before she croaks. God doesn't change his standards because people get lazy you know. Good thing I don't believe in him.

If you really think that way then its not Catholic it's Orthodox. But as a person who doesn't believe in cars doesn't get to tell a car buyer which model to buy, your opinion is accepted for the sarcasm it was intended, noted, and filed. And yes. I will fight to the death to protect your right not to believe.

I don't know what to believe but I believe in love, compassion, kindness... Things which cannot be measured or quantified and often fly in the face of logic. Does believing in such things count as religious?

[Ifreann]

I am atheist and agnostic. I do not believe in any gods, nor do I believe is is possible for us to ever find out if there are any.
I am also a skeptic; I will not believe any outrageous claims without proof.
And lastly, I call myself anti-religious; I hate organized religion and all that it has done for humanity.

You hate music, art, literature, learning?

But apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?

[Azrael]

Could it be said that if I believe in several gods, but do not do anything to appease them, pray to them or worship them in any way, that I am an irreligious polytheist?

Yes.

[Farnhamia]

You hate music, art, literature, learning?

But apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?

I know, huh? Filthy war-mongering oppressors.

[Blazedtown]

Personally, I think that if you are going to be religious, you have to follow that religion's practices to the letter as you were expected to when the religion became doctrine. So if you're Christian, you should be Catholic, not let your women have opinions, rights, and have as many children as she can before she croaks. God doesn't change his standards because people get lazy you know. Good thing I don't believe in him.

If you really think that way then its not Catholic it's Orthodox. But as a person who doesn't believe in cars doesn't get to tell a car buyer which model to buy, your opinion is accepted for the sarcasm it was intended, noted, and filed. And yes. I will fight to the death to protect your right not to believe.

I don't know what to believe but I believe in love, compassion, kindness... Things which cannot be measured or quantified and often fly in the face of logic. Does believing in such things count as religious?

Fine, what I'm saying is that you if you're going to be religious and expect to get into Heaven, you should practice the religion the way it was practiced at its founding.

[Reythan]

I'm a deist, and not really religious. I do believe in a god, but that s/he isn't really active with our world. If s/he does anything, it's mostly by proxy. The other deist stuff applies as well (this god created the laws of the universe, and just let it go from there, the importance of skepticism, science, reason, etc.)

[Azrael]

atheist = "a" (meaning "without") + "theos" (meaning "god")
Therefore atheist refers to not believing in a god or gods. Yet society (especially conservatism) makes it so that the word "atheist" is often associated with a lack of religion (irreligion). And yet Buddhism is an "atheistic religion" because it has no god. In addition to my first questions, what is your opinion on this?

[DesAnges]

I'm a deist, and not really religious. I do believe in a god, but that s/he isn't really active with our world. If s/he does anything, it's mostly by proxy. The other deist stuff applies as well (this god created the laws of the universe, and just let it go from there, the importance of skepticism, science, reason, etc.)

That sounds familiar. Science and theism are not totally irreconcilable concepts - but organized theism and science are so incompatible I can see a war developing.

[Azrael]

If you really think that way then its not Catholic it's Orthodox. But as a person who doesn't believe in cars doesn't get to tell a car buyer which model to buy, your opinion is accepted for the sarcasm it was intended, noted, and filed. And yes. I will fight to the death to protect your right not to believe.

I don't know what to believe but I believe in love, compassion, kindness... Things which cannot be measured or quantified and often fly in the face of logic. Does believing in such things count as religious?

Fine, what I'm saying is that you if you're going to be religious and expect to get into Heaven, you should practice the religion the way it was practiced at its founding.

Why not shape a religion into the way you think it best? Religion does not have to be entirely dogmatic.

[Risottia]

After seeing many discussions regarding atheism I've noticed that there is some doubt at what the exact definition of atheism is. To the "atheists" out there: which one are you exactly?
Or better yet: what do you define as atheism and irreligion and do you classify as either one?

Irreligion is a broad definition that includes atheism and agnosticism (and other positions).

Personally, I define myself as a strong rational atheist. I deny the existance of any real object/person/whatever that can be described by the concept of "deity" - as it is generally understood - because that concept doesn't make any sense.

[Yuktova]

Atheist for me.

[Risottia]

You hate music, art, literature, learning?

But apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?

Public donkeys running on time.