How to Debunk The “Atheism is a Religion” Argument

The Argument

Atheism is itself a religion, and a bad one at that. It asserts that there’s no god, and tries to enshrine this assertion as dogma. It actually takes way more faith to believe there’s no god than it takes to believe in one. Agnostics at least admit they don’t know if there’s a god, but the atheistic stance—the claim that there is no god—is utterly illogical, since no one can know such a thing.

How to Debunk It

  1. Atheism isn’t a belief. It’s a lack of belief, a disbelief—the opposite of a belief. It’s not the belief that there is no god, it’s the disbelief that one exists, which is not the same thing.
  2. A lack of belief in something isn’t really a choice. No one decides to disbelieve in each one of the thousands of deities, ghosts, demons, aliens, monsters and mythical characters that have ever been invented. Disbelief is the default position until you’re presented with, or discover, something that causes you to believe. Did you consciously decide to disbelieve in the existence of Santa Claus? How about Zeus, Vishnu, Ra and Odin? Or is it rather the case that you’re bound by your inability to convince yourself that such characters actually exist?
  3. Atheism isn’t a religion, because it’s completely open to change and reversal. Show me sound reasoning and empirical evidence to support the existence of god and I will gladly change my mind. Which religion has ever been so open to change in light of reason and new evidence?
  4. The comparison to agnosticism is misleading, since agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive, they’re different answers to different questions. Agnosticism (“I don’t know”) is the answer to the question “Is there a god?” Atheism (“I don’t believe”) is the answer to the question “Do you believe god exists?” For many people, agnosticism and atheism actually work together: I don’t know whether or not god exists (agnosticism), but since there is insufficient reason and evidence to support the notion that he does, I don’t believe it (atheism). In this sense, I can be called an agnostic atheist.
  5. You yourself are an atheist when it comes to the thousands of deities you disbelieve in. You know exactly how it feels to simply not be able to believe in a made-up, mythical character.

 

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6 thoughts on “How to Debunk The “Atheism is a Religion” Argument”

  2. As to ” knowing there is no god” ? In the sense of the beliefs in the myriad of religions , I KNOW there is no god! Now! That being said, are there beings in the universe that may have the appearance of god like abilities? Probably. But an all knowing, omnipresent. omnipotent, supreme being that called everything into being with a word? Absolutely not. Physics has proven how matter exist, how life began, how energy is produced. None of it meshes with the religious doctrines or beliefs. I AM an Atheist. I know. And after 3500 years of no proof and The fact that religions have always tried to destroy science’s, and those questing for answers I can say for certainty that there is no God and religion is merely a tool to control the mindless masses.

    1. you are just spreading claims not facts.
      Want proof of God? Look up ANSWERS IN GENESIS
      Thank athiesm for the holocaust, commies, and the USSR.
      BIBLICAL Christianity is NOT religion, but a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, THE HEAVENLY FATHER. ACTUAL religion is manmade. There are rip offs of Biblical Christianity like catholicism. Therefore, catholicism is a religion because it is tainted. NON-Biblical Christianity is a religion because has additional, Biblically-UNsound beliefs like purgatory, etc.

      The question of the origin of life is a big problem for evolutionists. Life—even so-called “simple” life—is incredibly complex, and after decades of research and intelligently designed experiments, scientists haven’t come close to creating anything like life. Actually, they can’t even agree on when, where, or how life first began!

  3. As to ” knowing there is no god” ? In the sense of the beliefs in the myriad of religions , I KNOW there is no god! Now! That being said, are there beings in the universe that may have the appearance of god like abilities? Probably. But an all knowing, omnipresent. omnipotent, supreme being that called everything into being with a word? Absolutely not. Physics has proven how matter exist, how life began, how energy is produced. None of it meshes with the religious doctrines or beliefs. I AM an Atheist. I know. And after 3500 years of no proof and The fact that religions have always tried to destroy science’s, and those questing for answers I can say for certainty that there is no God and religion is merely a tool to control the mindless masses.

  5. From a philosophical perspective premise #1 would be a fallacy based on circular reasoning. You prove this by your premise in #3 saying sound reasoning and empirical evidence is capable of changing an atheist mind.

    Do you have empirical evidence that God does not exist? No? Then my friend you are basing it on your belief. Disbelief. Word play.

    And what is empirical evidence defined as? Isaac Newton defined it as things repeatedly hitting the ground. Gravity. Do the laws of science count as empirical evidence? In example the fuel in your car just appeared from nowhere? Like the energy in the universe? It just came to being out of nothing? Defying magnanimously the physics laws of thermodynamics? And how do you separate math from science? Atomic warheads a very scientific product are made with math with VERY repeatable results.

    If that be the case? Then maybe we better start questioning reality. Are we just dreaming this existence and its being controlled by some superior being(s). Yeah the philosopher Descartes already worked that argument out. Trust me when I tell you, you wont like his summation. But it did make for a great film in the Matrix. Don’t you think?

    My take is this.

    If evidence points me in a direction telling me in a natural world with the same laws, that evidently appear to be apparently the same for everyone. In example, you know the apple falls to the ground for me just like you. Then it comes down to the crucible of what your evidence THRESHOLD is. I believe in gravity because I see the apple has fallen to the the ground 10 times. You don’t believe in gravity because the apple didn’t hit the ground a million times. So you call it disbelief until it hits the ground 1,000,001. Then you believe in gravity? Either way you are exercising faith. Belief that it is or isn’t, is still belief.

    Word play.

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