UPDATE on Religion's professor saying atheism is a religion.
I've been asked so many times for clarification on what my religions professor said. Here's notes from his lectures he sends out. Also, yes, he is a Lutheran minister....and he has essentially ditched our textbook (which I liked) and everything is off of his lectures/notes.
In addition, in our papers we're only allowed to use sources that he has given us in advance so that doesn't allow for any opposing research to be included in our papers. It's not a huge deal, but it's just a tiny bit disappointing.
The notes are not written in an academic context. The sources (not reliable) and their dating (far too old, in this field of study. 5-10 years old is quite aged due to advances in sociological research) are not referenced in-text very well, i.e. no named authors so that their veracity and other work can be checked.
In academia one of the Golden Rules is to check your sources, otherwise, nonsense can pile upon nonsense, hence the unreliability of Wikipedia as you don’t know who wrote the pieces.
I would tell him that it isn't a religion and give the real definition of atheist which is (A-lacking) Theist (meaning God) therefore meaning that atheist means lacking belief in God. I would also say that this is a free country and I am free to believe what I want to believe.
I've heard that before of atheism being a religion. People equate having no faith with having faith based on having faith that monotheism is false. A bit like seeing an empty lot in a row of houses and insisting that the empty lot is still a kind of house.
Define religion.
And btw why on earth would anyone voluntarily attend such a worthless class?
It was the only class that met my needs for "culture inclusion" or something. That's one of the reasons I'm not dropping. I'm not at a Christian college, I didn't know it'd be so biased.