[gmc]

a‧the‧ist  /ˈeɪθiɪst/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ey-thee-ist] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
[Origin: 1565–75; < Gk áthe(os) godless + -ist]

—Synonyms Atheist, agnostic, infidel, skeptic refer to persons not inclined toward religious belief or a particular form of religious belief. An atheist is one who denies the existence of a deity or of divine beings. An agnostic is one who believes it impossible to know anything about God or about the creation of the universe and refrains from commitment to any religious doctrine. Infidel means an unbeliever, especially a nonbeliever in Islam or Christianity. A skeptic doubts and is critical of all accepted doctrines and creeds.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

posted by flopstock

Seems to me that if we were to apply the same logic to your explanation of what an atheist is, then the belief in science as the answer, is its own religion.

Science is a tool-methodology not a belief system.

Faith is completely irrational and can't be explained-you either believe in god or you don't.

One of the problems some religious people have is they cannot accept choosing not to believe is a viable option because it calls in to question their own faith hence the frenetic desire of fundamentalists of all faiths to stop and take away anything that might be seen as questioning their belief system. Believe as I do or else.

posted by flopstock

I'm definitely NOT the person to be arguing this, because what little faith I have, is in a very select few people. And all that I know about anything, is that I know very little..

Ditto, but then most people know a great deal less than they think and those who don't like having their views challenged usually are afraid to think about them. Doesn't mean they will change them if challenged might even reinforce them who knows. Even JC questioned his faith.

lulu2

Floppy, religion tries to answer the "why" and science merely answers "how." Religion tries to connect human beings with the deity and make us the end-all, be-all or the creatures for which the cosmos was created. Science doesn't even go there.

Looks like you start from the standpoint that there is a deity in the first place.

How about.

Science is a methodology used by people to try and explain and understand the world around you.

Religon is a series of myths and stories to try and explain and understand understand the world around you.

Religon is seen as a belief system that its followers see as intrinsically true and don't like being questioned. Since the logic of science is indisputable then phrases like

religion tries to answer the "why" and science merely answers "how."

Those who reject evolutionary theory and insist the genesis myth (the how) is true are entitled to their belief even if patently absurd.

As to the why-we don't know why just have faith is not much of an answer IMO.

Atheism is not a religon. You cannot have a belief system about belief in something that does you believe does not exist, that would be absurd.