Is Atheism a Religion?
Yes
Side Score: 4
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No
Side Score: 6
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Although the world may have different subjective views on whether atheism is a religion or not, definitions are not always the best measure in establishing merit. In this belief, there is really no debate that atheism is not a religion. Never was and never will be. However, in America, the 7th Circuit Appeals Court ruled in favor of atheism as a religion, and in the 1961 a Supreme Court case of Torcaso v. Watkins, the court described "secular humanism" as a religion. Justice Hugo Black noted, "Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism and others. "[1] However, this doesn't mean that America common law is correct. It is a interpretation of definitions and the law. Side: yes
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I don't care much for court rulings or opinions. I prefer cold hard facts, which was one of the reasons I spent a couple of years studying (on and off) linguistics. Believe you me, I write much better when I am writing for my own personal desire than for you people here on CD. However, enough about me. The definition of religion, as per a dictionary entry I read a few months ago during a debate with some relatives, was 'belief in a supernatural being,' since atheism believes against a supernatural being, I must say that atheism is not a religion. Side: No
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