Haven’t seen this in any scientific paper either. Someone can write a book saying this, or write an editorial saying this, but it isn’t science, being somewhat unfalsifiable.
Also, Chimera, your dictionary definition for religion requires that somebody have a set of beliefs about the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. Two out of three isn’t going to meet the definition’s requirement. Not that it really did anyway, since you didn’t bold the part about the supernatural, but even if that part wasn’t there it still doesn’t fit.
Your wikipedia excerpt misses the mark because there’s nothing about atheism that relates humanity to spirituality.
If you want to classify atheism as a religion, you’re going to have to cherry pick some different definitions.
As for the article in the OP, I think the atheist quoted is giving Tebow too much credit when he says Tebow is praying as a publicity stunt. I think he really is that stupid. As for dividing the fan base, though, believe it or not there can be Jewish or Muslim fans who are just as fed up with this grandstanding for Jesus as atheist fans are.
First of all, atheism is utterly and clearly not a “religion”. There are a small number of conversational contexts in which, if someone asks what my religious beliefs are, I might respond that I was an atheist. But that doesn’t make atheism a religion any more than it makes “not following football and thus not having a favorite football team” a football team.
But I won’t go on at great length, because I’ve already done so here.
So, Chimera, if you want to respond to the points I make in that thread, please do so, I’d be happy to politely and respectfully debate the topic with you.
As for the OP of this thread, it’s certainly undeniably true that there are some atheists in the world who are jerks. And some who are arrogant. You’d be hard pressed to find any group of people in the world that does not include both some jerks and some arrogant people. And if the one thing in the world that pisses you off the most is arrogant atheists, well, uhh, sure, go ahead, rant about it. But I think we have to keep a sense of perspective here. Let’s make two lists (and heck, I’ll just restrict it to things done in the US in the past 20 or so years just so it’s even CLOSE) (and I’ll even ignore Fred Phelps):
Unpleasant things done by religious people in the name of religion:
-blamed many natural disasters on gay people
-tried to legally force their supernatural beliefs to be taught in science classes
-denied people the right to marry the person they love
-invented a fake “War on Christmas” and acted all persecuted despite their total dominance of all aspects of culture
-have an absolute hissy fit when someone tried to insert “there is no god” into the pledge of allegiance. Oh, no, wait, that’s not what was happening…
-trust atheists less than they trust terrorists, according to polls
-so very very very many more
Unpleasant things done by atheists in the name of atheism:
-Some of them are rude and condescending on message boards
-That one jackass guy filed that one lawsuit about his daughter’s school
-Christopher Hitchens was a bit of a blowhard
I mean, honestly, they’re not even in the same league. Everything condescending arrogant atheists actually DO, condescending arrogant theists also do (that is, say mean things on message boards, argue in a jerkish fashion, write books that claim they’re better than you, etc.). But then there are tons of things that theists do which actually impact the law of the land and the way that millions of their fellow citizens live their lives, and there is basically no equivalent to any of that on the atheist side.
None of which is because atheists are BETTER, it’s because (at least in part) religion, being a belief system with actual rules and beliefs and imperatives, tends to cause its followers to actually DO things. Whereas atheism, being simply the lack of a belief in God, does not. So a jackass arrogant schmuck who is an theist feels compelled by his beliefs and his group of peers to go out and mold the world to fit the image that he believes God wants, whereas a jackass arrogant schmuck who is an atheist feels compelled to make fun of the theist.
Look, don’t no Christian here make me sic the Unitarian Inquisition on your ass. They have ways of making you think for yourself!
It almost seems like what you’re saying is that atheists aren’t as jerkish as theists mainly because they’re not organized or motivated enough to cause problems. I’m not sure that was your intention, but that’s how it seems to come off.
I mean, I’d agree with that comment to some extent, but I don’t think that’s what you meant. After all, organized and motivated people can be real jerks in other avenues besides religion (think of your friendly neighborhood association board, if you have one), so there’s no reason an organized and motivated group of atheists couldn’t feel compelled to do…well, I don’t know what yet. Depends on the atheists. And it might not. Nobody’s going around saying, “Those damn Universal Unitarians, always getting up in my shit!”
You are doing even worse there than you are here.
Sure there is. That’s the definition of trolling, isn’t it? Usually people toss around the troll accusation like it just mean “has several opinions I disagree with”, and often the mods and admins agree, to my irritation. But here we have a person who blatantly admits trolling and you have nothing to say to that?
Excellent information was provided by the people who answered. That’s the purpose of the forum.
Let’s note you refrained from giving any insight of your own.
I don’t moderate the Pit, so I’ll leave that decision to others.
It beats giving the exact opposite of insight.
OK, fair enough.
I didn’t read the entire thread, and frankly I doubt anything in it would change my views anyway.
As far as I can tell, the OP is just trolling and trying out a poorly disguised (VERY poorly) version of the old “We the vast majority, the christians, are being persecuted”.
Sunshine, no one is persecuting you or saying you can’t have your phony diplays of religiosity (note I said religiosity and for a reason). But God doesn’t give a shit if you make the big touch down or win the World Series, he is not a Denver fan so give it a rest.
There is no war on christianity, there is no war against Christmas, there is no evil plan to take religion away from you. Some people just don’t appreciatie you trying to shove your own brand up their asses all the time,
so just shut the fuck up already.
You didnt even read the initial post or you’d know Im not a Christian.
Apparently more like the old “they, the vast majority—not ME, mind you, I’m one of YOU— are being persecuted, and golly darn, am I ever so concerned!”
You can’t quite grasp the concept can you. While calling me names. I am in awe of your brilliance.
It is, which presents an interesting moderating problem, because it’s also the stated purpose of the Pit. This is the forum you come to when you’re looking for a fight. As such, we have to use a modified definition of “trolling” for this forum. Simply posting something to piss off another person (or persons) does not rise to the level of trolling here. Trolling the pit generally requires posting in bad faith. That is, posting things you don’t actually believe, just to generate a reaction. I don’t see any particular reason to doubt the sincerity of Chimera’s posts in this thread. The fact that he’s making them because he’s bored, and making them poorly because he’s lazy, does not weigh on the question of trolling, at least insofar as the Pit is concerned.
You responded to the same post twice, dipshit.
Dude, you’re subnormal. You are ignorant, you don’t know how to reason. You’re a pipsqueak in a gym telling powerlifters to change their form.
This is sad. 
none?
same as would go in the box when an atheist is asked “what religion are you?”
Is there life on mars?
Do you believe there is life on mars?
Don’t know about you but I would answer those very differently. “don’t know” to the first and “yes” to the second. The different answers reflect the fact that they are different questions.
We’ve been through this before but it is always worth clarifying this for the newcomers.