ANSWERS: 5
  • My first inclination was to say no. There are different types of atheists (agnostic, gnostic etc.) but not sects. But then I began to think of things like Jain Atheism, Buddhist Atheism. How about The Satanic Temple? Can you call those sects of atheism? Or are they atheistic sects of religions? I guess I don't know. I've never thought of it before but you sure have me pondering it now... What do you think?
    • bostjan the adequate 🥉
      Interesting. Is Buddhist Atheism a type of Atheism or a type of Buddhism? Satanism comes in all different kinds, too. I'd say that pretty much anyone who identifies as a "Satanist" in the 21st century is very likely atheist, although the common thread of Satanism throughout history is aggressive anti-Christian sentiment. In short, I suppose the answer is yes.
    • AskingForaFriend
      The Satanic Temple specifically consider themselves to be atheist members of a non-theistic religion. They’re pretty interesting for sure. Thanks for posting this question.
  • It is more a measure of how much they hate talk of most any religion. One atheist doesn't care, and another atheist, it pisses them off to no end.
  • No there aren't different sects. Atheist just means you don't hold a belief in any god(s). That's literally the ONLY thing it means. Nothing more, nothing less.
  • According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism), the answer is yes. Depending on who you ask, Humanism is a sect of Atheism, or vice versa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism), and (http://www.humanreligions.info/types_of_atheism.html). I view atheism and humanism as religions...much to the consternation of their devotees!
    • Ilovesealions
      Why do you view atheism as a religion? A religion is a belief whereas atheism is a lack of belief. That doesn't make any sense.
    • Victorine
      In fact, you are unclear on what a religion is if you think atheism and humanism are religions. They simply do not qualify. This is actually something believers like to claim in an attempt to upset atheists, but it merely reveals lack of education -- ignorance.
    • OrangeDonRump
      I hope you're sitting down, because this might be tough for you to hear. Atheism isn't a religion. Much in the same way that NOT PLAYING GOLF isn't a SPORT. Does that make sense to you?
    • Franco333
      I could give you the long version I gave on Reddit, that got the atheists and humanists foaming at the mouth,...way worse than a baptist preacher forced into a porno parlor, but here's the short version instead. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, I'm able to assume it's a duck, til proven otherwise. So for the purpose of brevity, I'll use the word atheism to refer to not just atheism, but to humanism, and any/all other variants. Let's compare! Atheism as a 'useful idiot' and weapon of religious war and persecution for the leftists (https://studylib.net/doc/8037243/chapter-3--the-rise-and-fall-of-scientific-atheism). Atheism as substitute for church meetings and fellowship (https://www.economist.com/erasmus/2018/05/16/the-elusive-phenomenon-of-churches-without-god) and (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/oasis-secular-groups/499148/). Atheism legally treated as religion (https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1318/atheism). Similarities of atheism to religion (https://www.thebanner.org/columns/2019/01/is-atheism-a-religion). Atheists have their own peculiar beliefs, morality, ethics, philosophy, epistemology, etc. (https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/humanist-philosophy-perspective/). It has its own version of theology, that being atheology and scientism (https://iep.utm.edu/atheism/#H4). Scientists are its pseudopriests. Mikhail Bakunin, Jean Baudrillard, Albert Camus, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Bertrand Russell are its prophets, with Madalyn Murray O'Hair one of their martyrs. As for the silly argument that to be a religion requires belief in a god, Buddhism, the nirisvaravada of the Indian Samkhya, Mimamsa and Caravaka sects prove otherwise. Atheism is not the first secular religion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_religion), just the most recent one. That atheists choose not to recognize any of this goes well beyond simple ignorance, and deep into the territory of willful blindness....but then the Ostrich Syndrome is a most excellent coping mechanism...and defense against the dark arts!
  • No, not like there are sects of religions. You can't note that not all atheists are the same and jump to the conclusion that they separate out into sects.

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