@Drank_Spear
I don't think it is a bold statement at all.

I analyse the statement as follows:

1. 'A' in 'atheism' means 'without'.
   'Theism' derives from a Greek word 'theo' meaning 'god'.
   'Ism' means 'a set of ideas', 'philosophy' if you like.
   To me, 'atheism' therefore means 'the idea of living a life without god(s)', and again, to me, it doesn't translate to the rejection of religion or doesn't even generate negativity.

2. 'Self-imposed ignorance' means one 'chooses' not to know something.
   Well, whatever the context, I don't have time for that kind of people.

Nicely done @Ryo1! You drew him out into the open, and he publicly committed himself to a completely indefensible attack. His flank is exposed, and there's a kill shot open to anyone who cares to take it. Mind you, he may not go down immediately, armored as he is with single-minded religious zeal, and thus impervious to reason. But it won't matter. We all know he's just a walking dead zombie.

@Drank_Spear
>>> I understand the rejection of a position but what position does that leave an atheist in? It leaves them with no position. Is no position a position?
An atheist doesn't, and shouldn't, set any particular position, especially with respect to any other person's position, regardless of whether this other person is religious or not . The bottom line to me is that to live with or without god(s) is none of anyone's f'ing business.

@Drank_Spear
Come back with a better premise next time so that it can lead to a decent discussion instead of getting yourself subjected to derogatory comments.

@Drank_Spear No. I wasn't making any reference to anything or anyone. I was describing how your posts normally end up in generating a lot of negativity.

@Drank_Spear
'I know that I know nothing'.
Instead of criticizing anyone else for their ignorance, I suggest that you learn not to think of yourself as better than them - it is called humility. And if you are a humble person, you should be able to take my suggestion as a friendly piece of advice. See ya, mate.

@FVCKYOU (you are, aren't you?) Don't try to put words in my mouth, mate. And if you seriously wish to get your messages across to atheists and agnostics, try to be specific and elaborate your argument instead of resorting to obscure, ambiguous wording every time someone challenges you. The truth is, you haven't got anything to offer, have you? You are clueless, aren't you? Like I care. Lol Cheers, mate.

@Drank_Spear We are not brothers; we're cousins.

@Ryo1 he is definitely that fuckyou guy.

And his premise doesn't make any sense at all.
'Atheism is the religion of self imposed ignorance.' Yeah, right.

@noworry28 Bingo!

Atheism is a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.
Not, a lack of belief in a Religion. There is a few Religions, where God is not involved

Now the true God, is the US Goverment.

The Goverment registered Atheism as Religion in order to protect them.
Goverments take a third or most of your money and boss you around every day. Name any other God or Religion that can force you do this and talk about them all the time from all groups and Religions?

@Castlepaloma Which Government "registered" Atheism as a religion? Who keeps the list of "registered" religions?

Last, your first two sentences are meaningless.

@Drank_Spear No preaching involved and I am not your brother.

@Alienbeing

I don't think atheism is a religion myself. yet it still has that ism. I got individualism, no Goverment over me.
Atheism is protected by Congress and many of the same Constitutional rights that protect religion. They are protected in the same way as the religious beliefs of others.

@Castlepaloma Actually you are wrong. The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to worship as they please. Since Atheists don't worship anything what there is no "same way". No "ism" involved.

If you want to sound correct you should say the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right from religion as well as the right of religion.

@Alienbeing

It doesn't matter to me, it's more of a con to get religious people to think atheism is a religion. The ism part is more related to religions of the world.

Circuit court created legal definition of religion, atheism
In short, the courts have held that the establishment clause is equally applicable to the nonreligious and even the anti-religious. As the 7th Circuit stated, “[A]theism may be considered, [only] in this special sense, a religion.”Jan 1, 2009. Somehow the vast majority of American worship their Goverment like God, I do the opposite. Centroism like it is today, to the highest degree is unethical to me.

I only worship the Sun and pussy.

@Drank_Spear I just call them as I see them, and what I keep seeing is you striking out, over and over.

We've had dozens like you here before. You will eventually get tired and fade away. Poof! And You're gone.

@David1955 Oh look, he attacks, then hides behind decorum, and acts like he has no idea where that arrow came from. What a pathetic display. He's trying to bore us to death.

@Flyingsaucesir and succeeding.

We all suffer from ignorance in some things. Put a scalpel in my hand in front of a patient with a brain tumour and I will admit ignorance.

@Betty Do that with me and somebody might get an operation.

@Druvius He acts like he doesn't get it. Is he really that stupid? Or is he just trying to put a good face on it?

@Flyingsaucesir I don't think so. He is playing a word game, hoping to get a "Gotha" moment. It is a silly immature game for immature minds.

@Betty I'm inclined to agree with you. He actually hasn't got much to offer. A sad case.

@Ryo1 He is a right fighter. He wants everyone to bow to his superior rightness. When he feels cornered he resorts to gibberish. When he realises you won't conform he resorts to insults. He's like a little kid that wants his candy...right now!!! and throws a temper tantrum. He has a lot of growing up to do and I don't think he will do it here, if at all.

@Betty Pitiful...

@Ryo1 I agree.

@Drank_Spear who else would define it? What a nonsensical question

@Drank_Spear How is your reply at all associated with the 6/25 Tejas post?

@Tejas You're right in that atheism is a rejection of an unsupported or unsubstantiated claim. But I think you go astray at your equating "being spiritual" with ignorance. Spirituality can be an emotional response to the awesome beauty of nature, without the slightest reference to any deity or religious dogma. And the more one knows about science (which is both a process of investing nature and all the knowledge about nature that the process has uncovered) the more awestruck by nature's beauty one can be. One feels their spirit uplifted. It's a spiritual experience. And it arises not from ignorance, but from knowledge.

@Flyingsaucesir I agree with you. My view on spirituality is I typically see it as people believing in the supernatural.

@Tejas That is often the way if it. But not in every case.

@Drank_Spear Lack of evidence is NOT ignorance. Everyone has a lack of any evidence that dark is light and that is not ignorance.

@Alienbeing Well stated. The religious take lack of evidence as proof of God to explain the things they can't understand. An atheist can accept that there is a lot we don't know, and many things will remain unknowable. And that's OK.

@Drank_Spear Considering all the nonsensical posts you make you are in NO position to suggest anyone is in a deep sleep, and I am not your brother.

The remainder of your reply is typical of the word salads you make. Perhaps you should go into a deep sleep.

@Drank_Spear Anytime you want to compare intelligence bring it on moron.

@Mitch07102 Thanks.

@Drank_Spear I could not care less what you wish for, you are a loser.

@Drank_Spear You should take all that wish power you refer to and wish for a brain.

@Drank_Spear If you know the answer, what was the question?

@Drank_Spear No atheism is not a belief, it is a non belief, or a lack of belief, how can it be so difficult to understand the difference. It is not negative and positive, but a zero. You are doing binary thinking.

It is true that there are some called hard atheists, who assert that there is certainly no god/divinity, but they are very rare, and I only know of a couple on this site.

@Drank_Spear You obviously do NOT get it.

@Drank_Spear To be zero one day is the fate of us all, and a great desire of the wise. But I suspect that you are now trying to reduce the conversation to the level of childish insult, in which case I will take that as an admission, that the debate has reached a level beyond your current understanding, and will treat it therefore as over.

@Drank_Spear Evidence may come in many forms, but in most of the forms there is good evidence, poor evidence and false evidence. The art is to tell the difference.

Your patience is admirable and your kindness can not be faulted. You have deemed him worthy of your insight and knowledge and I wish you well in this endeavour.

@Drank_Spear Almost all evidence is given, since we are cultural animals. That is especially true of religion/spirituality/ god/ divinity belief which is almost completely culturally given. And while it is true that direct sensory experience may be very high on the scale of evidence, it is still very untrustworthy like all forms of evidence. Especially so, because it is not only free of the main problem affecting most sources of evidence, which is our strong bias in favour of things which we like and enjoy, and the tendency to believe what brings pleasure and comfort to us, but is perhaps the most affected by that.

@Drank_Spear It is true that some of us have escaped our cultural conditioning, but I am sorry to say that having observed you for some time now, I can say with certainty that that is a thing not yet by any means even on your horizon. So I am sorry to say that of all the people on this site I find you to be the most culturally conditioned of us all. However I will persist in trying to engage you in adult conversation, because I do not like to give up on anyone.

@Fernapple I am sure you know he is trying hard to catch you contradicting yourself. He is anticipating a "Got You" moment. His efforts in converting you are relentless. So far, he has been civil but when frustrated, he resorts to insults.

He is on a mission and will not be worth the aggravation at some point. He appears to believe himself to be superior with secret knowledge. People like him are the hardest nuts to crack.

Keep a record of your conversations with him. He will contradict himself and you may be able to use that.

I hope your patience and tenacity outweigh his delusions.

@Betty You said it! This cat is the very embodiment of the term "passive aggressive."

@Flyingsaucesir He is just pedalling the worn out old. "You have to abandon thought, reason, knowledge and discernment, before you can believe and get the sweeties." Anti-intellectual message, that religions have pedalled without much success, when they are cornered and getting desperate for centuries.