this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2025
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TLDR - what’s the question mark in the following scale

Cult(-1)……………….Religion(0)……………….????(+1)

Long version (a.k.a my stupid mind’s question that is keeping me awake):

My understanding of cult is a group of people with an absurd or even possibly nefarious belief system. Like something negative.

By that definition I would put religion in the middle (though a majority of it leans towards the cult side). A group of people that is very serious about what they believe in, no matter how illogical it is.

So with this understanding what would you call the positive side ? A group of people coming together to have a tradition and belief system just for the fun of it ? Is there such thing ?

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[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Some, sure. Most, no.

Atheism is simply the state of nonbelief in a deity. It requires no declaration nor even conscious thought. I don’t believe in leprechauns, but I don’t belong to an anti-leprechaun cult.

e: you’re likely atheist about Ra, Thor, Sheba, and Quetzalcoatl, right? Most atheists feel the same about Yahweh, and aren’t likely to bring it up unless you do. Most will even hold out for dozens or hundreds of times. Many Christians seem oblivious to how often they reference their religion in casual conversation. Often, Atheists only have to say it once.

[–] LockheedTheDragon@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

Atheism isn't really a community either. The atheism community is more people who lack a belief in a god who banded together in various areas to protect themselves and others against having religious things forced onto them. Now an atheist group could turn into a cult because once you have a group systems of control can take over and it could turn into an authoritarian group.

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Atheism is simply the state of nonbelief in a deity.

Atheism is a spectrum too. At one end you have small-a atheists who would believe in a deity if presented with compelling proof. At the other end you have people with a fervent belief in no deities who would not be persuaded by evidence.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think you’ll find vanishingly few even fervent atheists who wouldn’t be persuaded by actual evidence. I know some percentage of fervent atheists would say if real evidence of a god were presented, they wouldn’t follow it because it’s a monster (I’m in this camp), but I don’t believe any real percentage would stick their fingers in their ears and say lalalala. That’s kind of the opposite of what atheism is about. It’s literally about evidence.

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (3 children)

That’s kind of the opposite of what atheism is about. It’s literally about evidence.

Maybe I'm being nitpick-y, but I think you're pointing at one small part of the whole and saying "that's it, right there. All of it". Atheism is literally about what you don't do - believe in any god. Some atheists come to that point through consideration and self-reflection. Others don't.

[–] flabbergast@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

What you are referring to, is people who are called atheists, not atheism itself.
Atheism is indeed just a simple definition. If anyone does not believe in any deity, they are atheists, whether they want to or not.
It's as simple as something being a spoon.
Now, those atheists come in various degrees. That's what you keep referring to. That is about a measure of intensity.
Some atheists are not even aware they are. Others are proud to be and will declare so, in various degrees.
Just wanted to clear that detail up.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

You’re right, and that’s fair. I guess I was talking about general atheists in one breath, then the specific vocal atheists OP seemed to be talking about in another.

I shouldn’t generalise like that. Atheism is simply the lack of belief in a god – any god. And there are many gods. You can be atheistic about any of them.

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Lotta downvotes in this thread. Seems like some of you feel like I'm disrespecting your non-beliefs. 😜

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Proof of a powerful entity is just proof of something we haven't seen before. If it can be observed directly or indirectly it becomes something that exists, which is why nothing is supernatural.

The concept of a deity can't exist alongside proof, as they are no longer a deity.

I'm an atheist as far as real life goes but absolutely love deities and the supernatural in fiction/role playing games like D&D, media, etc.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Newly minted atheists are like new linux users. Once they've broken their chains, they're often quite loud and obnoxious about it.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You can’t really blame people who were raised in religious environments and have newly discovered intellectual freedom, though, right? Sure, they can be obnoxious sometimes, just like we all are when we learn a new thing that’s blown our minds. They’ll grow out of it, and we should have patience, like in all things.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 2 points 1 day ago

That’s the “some” I had in mind, and you’re right.