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.
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.
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.
ping
Ok, but is agnosticm a religion?
Obviously the thing that would be nice to know is what is the court's definition of religion.
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.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
If atheism is a religion, then bald is a hair color.
About damned time.
While I have a great deal of sympathy for those who are quietly, personally atheistic (who say, simply, "I believe in no gods")... I have a great deal of antipathy for those who are loudly, abrasively, stridently, militantly Atheistic (who go well beyond reason to assert "There ARE no gods, and if you believe otherwise you are an idiot undeserving of a public voice").
These latter have made a mill of using the "I'm offended" card, churning out ludicrous suits and court rulings attacking the Christian foundation of this Republic, and in effect instituting the establishment of a State religion of Atheistic Secularism.
This new ruling may prove of use in ending these shenanigans.
About DAMNED time, too.
bookmark
Atheism is a purely faith-based belief about the nature and existence of a supreme being, and as such qualifies as a religion. I have made this point many times on FR.
Ping
Declaring athiesm a "religion" is a classical instance of a narrow group seeking to project its views backward upon those who founded and created this nation and framed the principles that are supposed to be its guide.
Adherence to this view by an isolated elite such as much of our legal establishment has become reflects a frightening insularity on the part of that legal elite that was never intended to be by our Founders and Framers.
It's ridiculous! There's no such thing as Leprechans either. Next thing you know the cons will be demanding study groups for tail worship and demand taxpayer supplied porn icons. The only good that could come out of this, is if they note the courthouse is w/o icons and close the damn thing down, because it's an atheist symbol.
I agree. This is a huge thing. Sometimes I wonder, why do we have to single out religion from other 'philosophies'? Afterall, religion with its doctrine, claim to knowledge, ideals, etc., is a philosophy. Yet, the relationship between religion and state must be regulated while relationships between other philosophies and state are not. If the answer simply based on some bad experiences in the past (16-17th century AD), it's really give too much privilege to a period of time.
In the 20th century (as well as the 21th), it's obvious that other philosophies have created similar troubles--if not more: how many people died from the idea of facism, communism, nazism? Similarly, of course, many people also died from certain religions.
So, why does the Constitution still only has a clause that is against a philosophy, that is, religion? Perhaps it's time to get rid that part of Constitution, by having another amandment?
A lot of room for thought in this...
Sounds a lot like Orwell's 1984 ("War is Peace", etc.)
Is secularism a form of religion ("Worship of the state")?
Can PETA supporters be characterized as animal worshipers?
Can Sierra Club be characterized as nature worshipers?
They already enjoy some of the benefits of religions in that they don't pay taxes, but none of the restrictions in that they are able to actively advocate and support political positions.
This could really be a change in how many institutions and organizations are classified. Don't think that was what this court intended but the genie may be out of the box now...
"No understanding" = "understanding"
"No faith" = "faith"
"No reason" = "reason"
"No X" = "X"
"No air" = "air"
"No life" = "life"
"No brain" = "brain"
"No child" = "child"
"No God" = "God"
Wow! Your new logic opens up a whole new world of nonsense!! I'm so excited about this revelation!
Sure there is: Agnosticism. But you are certainly correct that atheism is a religious belief.