It usually takes the form of "Atheism is a religion" - but "Disbelief is a form of belief" asserts much the same thing.
I'm probably stuck on this because of things like this,
Court rules Atheism a religion August 2005
http://www.cornswalled.com/2007/07/court-rules-atheism-religion.html July 2007
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2280807 (Read the asker's pick)
....and this Wikipedia article stating "In the United States, atheism is considered equivalent to religion under the
First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_and_religionI mean, Buddhists, Satanists, Confucianism, Taoism, Scientology.... don't believe in deities. And they're not only considered religions by the laws of the land, but consider themselves religions, because that's what they are.
Atheists aren't just a little random community of people who flock together because they THINK alike. (THINK a.k.a. intransitive verb use of BELIEVE)
I mean, there is a criteria for religions.
You have your worldview.
You have you own orthodoxy.
You have your own brand of Apostasy.
You have your own brand of prophets. (Darwin, Russell, Nietzsche)
You have their own "evangelists". (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens are literally seeking to convert people)
You believe. (whether you want to call a thought, and opinion, it's still a form of belief.)
Everything I've seen so far to say Atheism is NOT a belief is either a play on words or a logical fallacy.
......Then you go on vacation and say "I'm starving!" in the first eatery you get to, just to find out you are in Somalia and that word has an entirely different meaning there. You get bad looks and people jumping down your throat because you said something that was very misunderstood.
......Then you come here and try to fit your understanding of the word "belief" with people who have gone around and around with people time after time trying to force their definition of "belief" on us when it doesn't fit.
Just my .02
Excellent analogy Larissa. I agree with that more than analogy than "atheism is to belief as bald is to hair color".
It's clever, but it really makes no sense. It's a poor parallel example.
There are different definitions and different perspectives.... You would agree the Somalians would in effect tell that person, you are NOT starving.
.....but in effect..... both statements are correct. Starving does have a different degree, and using "starving" in place of "really REALLY hungry" would be correct usage. .....but just because you're not skin and bones doesn't mean you're not starving.
You're saying its not a belief, that its a disbelief. I do see WHY that's said.
....but if its not a "belief" as far as opinion, or a personal view, then what it is?
Its almost like saying atheism isn't even a choice between the ears.
....and I've got to admit, I'm quite intrigued that the word/concept of the dreaded "B" word has atheists recoiling from it as from a hot flame. That has me more curious than WHY its this or that type of belief.