What religion are you?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Atheism is not a religion.  Petition to change thread title to "What religion (or type of non-religion) are you?"  And yes, I'm aware that "other non-religious" is an option, but it should be made more clear. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Atheism is not a religion. 

That's not a defensible statement.  In fact, before monotheism and polytheism became all the rage thousands of years ago, most religions were animistic or featured ancestor worship.  Even now there are a few really old Asians who practice some atheistic form of religion.

Your brand of atheism, even, which purports to be anti-religious is filled with such fervor that it might even be classified as religious zealotry were it not for your lack of concern for any ultimate reality.

I'm not at all passionate about my belief that there is not a god or gods, and that hardly drives my rhetoric on the subject.  I passionately oppose the use of religiously inspired thought in the public/governmental sphere, and find scientific explanations to be infinitely more logical and beautiful.  That's not in any way religious zealotry.  I feel like it's just "cute" for people to claim atheists are just religious in their own way, in the same way it's "cute" to say the Nazis were actually far-left.  You can tangentially relate the two, but it breaks down on a common sense level.     

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I passionately oppose the use of religiously inspired thought in the public/governmental sphere, and find scientific explanations to be infinitely more logical and beautiful.  That's not in any way religious zealotry.   

A good many religious types oppose that as well.  They oppose religious exemptions as well.  

(I'm gonna regard this as my second proper post in this thread.  Any other were in response to Miss Nannystate who feels the need to go around to the tables in restaurants where young couples have infants and tell them exactly how they need to raise their children.  Pay no mind to any parent's reasonable responses to such busybodies.  That's between us and them, son.  Just eat your peas.)

It is indeed cute when folks try to tell how NationalSozialistische are Leftists because they claim to be National Socialists, but don't confuse that with confusing code, creed, and cult for code, creed and cult.  Zealotry is zealotry, whether it waves a black flag or a red one, so to speak.  You spend a good deal of time on this forum berating all those who profess some faith.  You must admit that this is true.  I recognize that, unlike other professed atheists, you were actually raised that way.  Don't forget that I was posting here back when you were a pimply-faced junior high school student, just learning about the wonders of self pleasure, and complaining about how hard it was to be the only atheist in the know universe.  (I paraphrase, of course, but I remember well your sentiment.)  I regarded you as a bit unique in that regard, because most of us, however irreligious we--and our parents--are, our parents at least had the civility to go through the motions of a proper religious upbringing.  In my case, I suspect it is because my parents did not want their siblings to think that they were somehow derelict in their duties.  That idea wears off after generations, of course, and neither I nor my siblings have formally inducted any of our offspring into any formal religious bodies.  You must not forget, however, that your uniqueness in this regard does not insulate you from the charge of egalitarianism imposed upon all civilized beings.  Those who do practice whatever religion must at times be reminded that they are not to impose their beliefs upon others, but you too must be reminded that you are not to impose yours.

1. I berate religious institutions.  It's not my fault if people take it personally. 

2. I wasn't.  I was brought to Episcopalian church for at least holidays and for periods weekly during my childhood.  My atheism is my own construct, however early it was developed. 

3. My desire that church and state remain separate is not me imposing anything.  In a hypothetical HockeyDudeLand, the only difference in social policy concerning religion is a more defined and bolded line between church and state, no private school, and that churches are taxed.  Despite what people have said about me, I've never once proposed any curbing of the freedom of religion.