"Another man's opinion can be as valid as the next man."
"You are entitled to your own opinion. You are not, however, entitled to your own facts." (I forget who said that, but I'm paraphrasing from someone.)
You know, I used to always think that it was really stupid when my teachers made the class do these little "opinion vs. fact" worksheets...
@ the whole "is atheism a religion" debate- it depends on how you define religion, I suppose. For example, Dictionary.com Unabridged has: "1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs," meaning that atheism would count, as it is a set of beliefs about the universe and superhuman agencies, just not traditional ones. The American Heritage Dictionary, however, has: "
1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
2. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship," meaning that atheism wouldn't count as a religion.
However, for the general purpose of discussion, it's a lot simpler to just call atheism a religion.
(And yes, I am an atheist)
