[attribution lost] #>Atheism is a religeon of non-belief in god. So even atheists have a #>religeon. [H.T.] #>According to the book "Our Religions" and the damn instructor who taught the #>course that used that horrible book, both Buddhism and Taoism are #>"atheistic" religions (did I spell it correctly? heh.). #>Therefore, I suppose one can say, some Atheists have religion to the point #>they have a name for what they believe in. (Is this a contradiction? Not #>sure.) [Sean Penney] #Gah! Your prof was an "oxymoronic" knob. Before we get started in on name-calling in earnest, let's just check somewhere, like the American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition, s.v. "religion": 1a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. (2 omitted, irrelevant) 3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. ==== I think the Buddha's teachings qualify him as a spiritual leader. Is there any disagreement on that? Hearing no dissent, the chair rules that Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, though not an atheistic one insofar as the nonexistence of any divine power is not a tenet of Buddhism. -- Mark A. Mandel