Court rules atheism a religion

WorldNetDaily ^

[Lexinom]

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate's rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

"Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said.

[Lexinom]

This is huge and long overdue. Consistently applied, this could have sweeping ramifications for the.

There is no such thing as "neutrality", or non-religion. Atheism is indeed a religion or worldview. It is our unofficial state religion, in fact, if recent court rulings on the Ten Commandments, sodomy, and partial-birth abortion are any indication. It has gotten a free ride on the religion train for far too long.

[Lexinom]

Correction:

Consistently applied, this could have sweeping ramifications for future court decisions, sans utilitarian motives rooted in a desire to continue underwriting the sexual revolution of the 1960's.

[peyton randolph]

If athiesm is a religion, does the banning of Christian and Jewish symbols (such as Nativity displays, the Menorah, and the Ten Commandments) from public places constitute an unconstitutional endorsement by the State of athiesm as a religion.

[stylin19a]

ouch ! good one...now what ACLU ?
In the courts eyes, nothing means something !
beam me up scottie.

[konaice]

unconstitutional endorsement by the State of athiesm as a religion

Yes, by jove I think you've hit the nail on the head...

[LegendHasIt]

Talk about your oxymorons.

IF Atheism is a religion;
Then dying of thirst is a big drink of water.
And starvation is three big meals a day.

[FOG724]

ping

[timydnuc]

Let me get this straight. The acknowledgment and worship of a higher power, a religion, is against the "doctrine" of the separation of church and state. Well then if atheism is now a "religion" then they are to be separated from the state as well. Humm, not a bad decision, can you say "level playing field"?

[ThinkDifferent]

Ok, but is agnosticm a religion?

[OldEagle]

Obviously the thing that would be nice to know is what is the court's definition of religion.

[ScreamingFist]

If athiesm is a religion, does the banning of Christian and Jewish symbols (such as Nativity displays, the Menorah, and the Ten Commandments) from public places constitute an unconstitutional endorsement by the State of athiesm as a religion.

Excellent point....

[nickcarraway]

They're not sure.

[NickatNite2003]

It is "Respecting an Establishment of Religion"..

That is, if these perverts in black dresses that
are calling themselves the 7th Court Appeals,
weren't completely devoid of morality and intellect.

[TheCrusader]

I'm confused; atheism (a-theos = without God) is a religion? Then there's Islam, a prejudiced and bloody cult of crazed tyrants, butchers and murderers that is also counted as a religion. This, inspite of it's malevolent creed that requires the conversion or overthrow of every religion in the world. Witchcraft is also called a 'religion', and the U.S. military is required to provide its adherents with 'witch chaplains'.

So anti-religion is now a religion, while true religion is adjudicated dangerous to the public and ordered to keep itself confined inside Church walls or inside the privacy of the home, where it can't offend the sensitivities of those other 'religions', atheism and Islam.

My brain hurts, I'm going to bed.

[thedilg]

[As a Catholic, I respect agnostics moreso for their pure numerical logic. They will go either way with proof.]

I am not so sure. It has been my experience that agnostics are actually lazy atheists. They will not argue or even discuss the issue. Probably because they find their position full of holes.

Godspeed, The Dilg

[Lexinom]

Bingo, hole-in-one, bullseye. That is exactly the point I've been trying to make for years. Secular Humanism even has its own creeds (Humanist Manifesto I, Humanist Manifesto II).

[Schwaeky]

Stupidity is intelligence, Death is Life, and Freedom is Slavery.

[Lexinom]

There's really no such thing as "atheism". All religions have someone at the top. Logically, for the atheist this is man (hence "humanism"), but psychologically, it is the real God, the Author of truth, of the moral standard common to all regardless of exposure to formal religion (e.g. "Thou shalt not murder"). It is this psychological knowledge that God really does exist that fuels their frantic passion against all things theistic. Think of a petulant child covering his eyes and saying "you don't exist and I hate you!"

[Lexinom]

Correction for clarity, though I stand by the original: All worldviews have someone at the top.