Has atheism become a cult or its own religion?

Question

Atheist I have come across are really defensive and angry. Maybe I am meeting the wrong ones. If they do not beelive, why is it so threatening that others believe in something? I was in a group talking about dogs and an atheist turned it into a discussion about atheism. This was not the first time.

Answer 1

I'll give you a personal example of why atheists fear believers.

In 1962 I was a junior in high school.  I was taking calculus from my favorite math teacher.  Near the end of the first semester, my teacher said openly in class, "Teaching calculus to an atheist is like giving a five year old a Hamilton watch."  (Hamilton used to be a good mechanical watch).  The comment was aimed at me.

My teacher then called my mother to complain about how my life was being destroyed by not believing in god.  The teacher wanted to take moral control of my life.  She gave me the option of either putting myself in her hands or leaving the class.  I dropped the class.  

The administration of my high school would do nothing whatsoever to protect me from this religious discrimination.

In summary, if the believers would just confine their actions to going to church, I wouldn't mind.  However, when they push a religious agenda on those who do not believe, they have crossed the line into religious biggotry.

Answer 2

Maybe we're just tired of everyone bringing religion into everything and trying to push it on others.

Answer 3

Atheism is a lack of belief.  Atheism is a religion in the same way that not collecting stamps is a hobby.

Here's a video on why atheists care about religion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4fQA9mt-...

Answer 4

Down through the historic ages people always paid tribute to god/gods. It was a serious offense, punishable by death in the old Roman Empire if you didn't. Even Christians were charged with atheism because they would not bend the knee to those gods. Today I believe Christianity is under attack and Atheism is one of the tools especially in Darwins evolution theory. For me Atheism is its own religion; another point however even atheists say "Oh my god"!!!!

Answer 5

Let's put it this way: most religions claim that they have the truth, the whole truth, and cannot be wrong. Moreover, most of them ask the followers to convert other, and some go to the extreme end of requesting that non followers should be put to death.

Have you ever been awaken at 7 AM by two atheists who want you to take on their holy book?

And the problem is that some religious fundamentalists want it their way: imposition of the teaching of creationism (re-labeled intelligent design, but it is still the same fairy tale) and/or interdiction of teaching of evolution. Heck, look who the religious activists managed to put in the White House, for Pete's sake!

Bush senior, father of current POTUS "W", stated in 1987:

"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."

Shouldn't this statement, by the then VP about to be elected as president, explain a certain degree of defensiveness?

It becomes threatening when religious people say that their religion should be enforced or else.

Atheist have no one to turn to when their rights are threatened, they cannot turn to government (as Bush showed), they cannot turn into a god (believers can't either, since there is no god, but apparently, they don't know or care)

But let's make a point here: this is the Yahoo Answer section on Science, and YOU brought up the atheism issue.