Atheism a Religion? (was Roswell Crash vs. Gospels (anecdotes)

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TILL
Ron can't seem to understand that this statement is something that a Muslim
or a Mormon or a Hindu could say verbatim as "proof" of the truth of their
religions.  I would ask him to read it again, imagining that it is something
that a believer of another religion is saying to him.  Then I would like for
him to tell us how he would "refute" this statement to show the Muslim or
Mormon or Hindu that it is a fallacious argument.

RON
So now we are not discussing whether God exists, but which religion is 
the true religion? This is at least a step forward.

CREA
    Don't flatter yourself.  "Religion" is a term that does not, by itself,
require the existence of a Creator Deity.  Look at Theravada Buddhism or
Jainism.

RON
You are quite right! I stand corrected. Atheism, according to the true 
meaning of the word is in fact a religion. Let me rephrase that: Now we 
are discussing, not whether God exists, but which god is the true God. 


CREA
    So now you're the arbiter of truth or falsity in the meanings of words,
is that right?  And when will you be coming out with the ultimate
dictionary, based on your judgements and conclusions?  Before you do 
so, may I suggest that you review the efforts of some of your predecessors in 
the field -- like E.B. Tylor, James Frazer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, 
Karl Marx, Mircea Eliade, E.E Evans-Pritchard, and Clifford Geertz?

   I think you'll find that religion is much more than a simple matter of
belief or lack thereof (or even positive disbelief) in the putative
existence of GOD, God or gods.

RON
 I never suggested that "religion" is limited to a discussion of whether 
there are or are not gods. What you seem to state is my point exactly, 
although which religion has the true God is what your comrade WERE 
discussing. I'm sure you don't have an inerrant dictionary. Mine also 
defines religion as "Any object attended to or pursued with zeal or 
conscientious devotion". I believe this adequately describes you and 
your peers' efforts to disprove the existence of God, specifically the 
God of Christianity. This is the faith which you promote.

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