Would you classify atheism as a religion?

I believe you confuse agnostism and athiesm.
athiests are firm in their "belief" in science and not a god.
are we religious? no, however we can express our disbeliefs and arguments.

Don't be silly. Of course not.

Disbelief should always be the default position/

Would you classify not having a car as transport?

yes they are and it is a false one as well.

And again I explain: Atheism is the name given to anybody who does not believe in a god. That's it. It's that simple.To then start quoting stories about "Atheists did this or Atheists did that..." is to assume that atheists are an organised group who have a common doctrine or have meetings to discuss like-minded ideals and who follow certain principles. This is not the case - it is simply a non-belief in a higher power.

Why would somebody who doesn't believe in a god not be allowed to express this view? Are only people who believe in a god allowed to have an opinion? It's like saying that a pedestrian cannot make any comment on cars or other motor vehicles!

"So why then, do atheists persist in spreading their "belief"?" Again I say - Atheism is not an organisation and therefore has now common goals or points to put across, therefore any atheist who makes their point known to others does so as an individual, not as a representative of a group. There is no such thing as an Atheist Missionary!

The sooner you get your head around the fact that atheism is not a group or a religion, just a state of mind for an individual, you might actually start thinking for yourself and not have your thoughts ruled by indoctrination and dogma. Then you wouldn't waste everybody's time by asking a badly thought-out question like this!

"The proof of God is in you. I find it amazing that one can look into the eyes of their child and not see Creation." - personally I find it amazing that an adult human being can think that everything around them has to be created by a higher power just because they cannot explain them in any other way. A parent looking into the eyes of their children should be marveling at the being that they created and looking forward to passing on their wisdom and knowledge. To see nothing but god's work in short sighted and narrow minded in the extreme - as if the parents have nothing at all to do with process.

EDIT: You point out that there are groups of atheists. Yes, that's true, there are - there are many different types of groups that an atheist can join - the Humanist Society would be my choice if I had to . You still miss the point, though. Anybody who does not believe in the existance of a god is an atheist - a new-born child is, by default, an atheist because it has not yet received religious indoctrination and does not yet actively believe in anything. You're still confusing groups of people with religion. These atheist groups do not sit down and discuss how to "spread the word" - they've got better things to do with their time. By your logic a group of people with an interest in amateur dramatics that meets twice a week to discuss plays and to rehearse would be classed as a religion. Presumably they would conspire to spread the word of Thespus and to picket churches and temples!

Atheism is a faith, same as the belief in God. They can't prove that God is not there - they are simply believing that He isn't there.

Only if baldness is a hair color and not collecting stamps is a hobby.

But it is indeed an opinion or position ABOUT religion.

Religion comes from a Latin word for to bind or constrict and refers to a framework which has definitive beliefs. The only thing definitive about atheism is a lack of a belief.

So why do we (or rather some of us - me included) "spread our [lack of] belief"? Because the fewer people willing to force their bronze age supertsitions into our laws and politics, and to use these to restrict the rights and opportunities of others, the better off the world will be.

If religion never sought to undermine secular and inclusive law, I would never seek to undermine religion.

I don't claim that 'no God exists'.

I just don't believe in the claims I've heard so far. There is no supporting evidence.

No belief in a deity = atheist.

I also know that Christianity and Islam etc have so many holes in their claims that it's beyond a joke. NONE of it would stand up in court. SO I can happily claim that their 'deities' are simply inventions.

But there *could* still be a 'god', some 'gods', or many gods' and 'goddesses', out there in another dimension, or whatever. There could be floating benevolent monkeyfish. I can;t say with certainty that there aren't. Can you?

We just haven't any evidence of them, just like vampires and leprechauns.

I don't believe in them, but I might if I had evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

It is not my 'belief' I spread, but an honest appraisal of the claims that religionists make.

Honesty is good, if you must insist on calling everything (even non-belief) a 'religion', then that is my religion: Honesty.

*EDIT*

"For all my atheist friends who have responded" bla bla bla 'avowedly' etc etc..

You obviously didn't read my response.

Because we've been harassed by theists for millenia. Beside, why would I want people to live in ignorance forever? At any rate, I'm a pretty open atheist. I specifically tell theists that I don't want to talk about it because I don't want to pollute them with my own preconceived atheism. If they want to find the truth, they should do it on their own. Unless they ask me, I usually keep my opinions to myself. This place here is a special case because its fun :]

*edit*

and your comments in response is exactly why I feel the need to fight back. You look at me with a type of either pity or haughty superiority. I USED to look at people like you as fellow truth seekers, but no longer. You're infantile world view causes you to blind yourself to possibility. I am an atheist by default for I have found no proof of God, but that doesn't mean I am not open to the possibility. You, on the other hand, assume God without any proof.

Why one God? And what exactly about a child implies creation? Is it because it's "complicated"?

If complexity implies creation, then i suppose the even more complex God must have been created? But his creator must be even more complex, so i spose that creator has a creator? ad infinitum

*2nd edit*

because spirituality doesn't require religion. I am spiritual

Im sorrry, but you have mistaken a thought for a belief.
Lack of belief in anything does not construe as a belief in anything.

Does anyone here take classes in logic?

Yes, because people choose to be what they want. you are what you are. if this is what you choose, then choose it. it can be a religion because it is one!! i know many people who have this religion and i agree with it as one.

My religion is Taoism

I'm an atheist because I don't believe in gods.

If the majority of people in this country believed in Santa Claus, and you didn't, you would have a reason to express your conviction as well.

The difference between you and I is... I know more about religion than you do. Just as you know for a fact that Santa isn't real, I know for a fact that your god isn't. If you'd study up a bit, you'd be an atheist, too.

Edit - apparently you didn't read my response if you don't understand why your faith is a threat to me. If the president of this country said Santa Claus told him to go to war with Iraq, you would be just as concerned about his "faith" as I am.

we do not congregate
we do not worship
we do not have set of rules to follow
etc, etc.
We simply LACK belief in God/s, deities

we do not congregate
we do not worship
we do not have set of rules to follow
etc, etc.
We simply LACK belief in God/s, deities

No, obviously

No, obviously

If I may, the assertion of God's existence is not what atheists are reacting to but rather the things done in the name of / because of that belief. I don't rape puppies but I will speak out against it when I see it. I'm sure you'd do the same to me if I was a raper of puppies. To me, theists are, morally speaking, rapers of puppies.

I don't make the claim that god does not exist (except to annoy fundies). I just don't believe he does.

However religion affects people's behaviour, and they in turn affect my life. Now that's one thing that concerns me a lot.

Atheism is a religious belief, though not a religion.

I am an atheist- having looked at everything I can see, my firmly held religious belief is that God does not exist. So, I have a religious belief.

I do *not* have a religion (a prescribed set of God-related rules).

Just as you find it "amazing that one can look into the eyes of their child and not see Creation", I find it insane that people still consider some two-thousand-year-old crackpot story to be more authoritative than the weight of hundreds of years of research and discovery. But there you go, we'll have to agree to disagree.