Famous Atheists in Indian history

Sabir

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Savarkar too......
...........me too.........
 

afako

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If any of the above "Atheists" choose to participate in Indian cultural activities like festivals, would they cease to be atheist?
 

afako

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Hinduism is definitely a religion, albeit a very diverse and decentralized one and one that doesn't have any strict definition. It is used as a catch-all phrase for the various orthodox sects/cults which exist in India. Some scholars prefer the term "Hindu religions", in the plural, rather than "Hinduism". Historically speaking, the latter view would be more accurate than viewing "Hinduism" as a single religion.



Mimamsa and Samkhya schools regard the Vedas as supernatural/divine in themselves. I am not sure if they can truly be called "atheistic".

Charvaka was definitely atheistic as well as materialistic, but its tenets have very little to do with "mainstream" Hindu philosophy. Well, it's more or less extinct anyway.
BS. Hinduism does not fit purpose of the word 'Religion'. Only Abrahamic religions fit that definition since the word was conceived was at a place and a time when only Islam, Judaism and Christianity were known. Everything else is Dirty Pagan which has to be civilized by the Abrahamics.

Hinduism. whatever it means/denotes was made to fit in the word 'Religion'.

Just like other -isms:

-Taoism
-Shintoism
-Buddhism
-Jainism
-Sikhism
-Paganism
etc.
 

Das ka das

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AFAIK, Buddha was silent on the existence of God. He cannot be called an atheist.
Thanks for the correction. When I say atheists at least in the context of ancient India, I mean those who deny the existence of a personal creator god(s). We should note that in those days when science was nowhere near as advanced as now, almost everybody believed in supernatural entities and fantastic metaphysics and cosmology. So the Mimansakas, Sankya-yogis, Tirthankaras, Ajivaks believed in things no modern atheist believes yet the important factor in my part was that they did not become slaves of imaginary god(s). But yes I agree with @civfanatic that probably the only people who are comparable to modern atheists are the Charvaks and proto-Charvaks.

BTW I was reading on Wikipedia that Chandogya Upanishad is atheistic. Any views on this?
 
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civfanatic

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BS. Hinduism does not fit purpose of the word 'Religion'. Only Abrahamic religions fit that definition since the word was conceived was at a place and a time when only Islam, Judaism and Christianity were known. Everything else is Dirty Pagan which has to be civilized by the Abrahamics.

Hinduism. whatever it means/denotes was made to fit in the word 'Religion'.

Just like other -isms:

-Taoism
-Shintoism
-Buddhism
-Jainism
-Sikhism
-Paganism
etc.
BS. The word "religion" comes from the Latin word religio which refers to proper moral conduct and duty (Link:Latin Word Study Tool). The phrase was conceived at a time when all Romans were pagans, and the only Abrahamic religion in existence was Judaism (which was despised by the ancient Greeks and Romans).

Merriam-Webster defines "religion" in the following ways:
Definition of RELIGION
(1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

3: archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness

4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
"Hinduism" certainly meets the criteria. For the vast majority of practicing Hindus, "Hinduism" simply means subscribing to certain personal/dietary habits, and performing poojas and other rituals. It is actually quite similar to the ancient Greek and Roman religions.
 

Das ka das

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How would one classify the Adi Sankaracharya? He believed in one unchanging homogenous reality that permeates everything.

Also I have been reading "Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist" and was delighted that being an atheist and a follower of Tathagatha Buddha (difference from being a Buddhist) is perfectly compatible (in fact desired). What is your guys' opinion on this.

BTW to avoid confusion, I consider myself "Hindu" as in a cultural sense. For me being a "Hindu" is being a product of Indic/Dharmic civilization.
 

Das ka das

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If any of the above "Atheists" choose to participate in Indian cultural activities like festivals, would they cease to be atheist?
Most Europeans celebrate nominally Christian festivals out of custom but for all practical purposes they are atheists.
 

Singh

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Hinduism is definitely a religion, albeit a very diverse and decentralized one and one that doesn't have any strict definition. It is used as a catch-all phrase for the various orthodox sects/cults which exist in India. Some scholars prefer the term "Hindu religions", in the plural, rather than "Hinduism". Historically speaking, the latter view would be more accurate than viewing "Hinduism" as a single religion.



Mimamsa and Samkhya schools regard the Vedas as supernatural/divine in themselves. I am not sure if they can truly be called "atheistic".

Charvaka was definitely atheistic as well as materialistic, but its tenets have very little to do with "mainstream" Hindu philosophy. Well, it's more or less extinct anyway.
Hinduism is a collection of rituals, practices and beliefs indigenous to the subcontinent.
 

civfanatic

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Hinduism is a collection of rituals, practices and beliefs indigenous to the subcontinent.
Yes, you are right.

Though Ram Mohan Roy, who is the first recorded user of the term, defined it essentially as 'vegetarianism'.
 

amoy

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Met a few people with a surname Jain. I suspect that has something to do with Jainism. Is it considered a sect of "diverse and decentralised" Hinduism as @civfanatic suggests Hinduism is a "catch all phrase for all sects/cults " born on the subcontinent ?

To me Jainism sounds "atheistic". It was quite advanved to point out the world was consisting of atoms.

Sent from my 5910 using Tapatalk 2
 
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civfanatic

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Met a few people with a surname Jain. I suspect that has something to do with Jainism. Is it considered a sect of "diverse and decentralised" Hinduism as @civfanatic suggests Hinduism is a "catch all phrase for all sects/cults " born on the subcontinent ?

To me Jainism sounds "atheistic". It was quite advanved to point out the world was consisting of atoms.

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No, Jainism is not considered part of Hinduism. By Hinduism we generally refer to the orthodox sects, i.e. those which believe in the dogmas of the Vedas and Chaturvarna ("Caste System"). Jainism is a heterodox sect and rejects these dogmas, just like Buddhism and some other sects, so it is viewed separately from "mainstream" Hindu (orthodox) sects.

Orthodoxy became predominant in India during the latter half of the first millennium C.E. There are various reasons/theories out there as to how that happened, but that is probably beyond the scope of his thread. It was in between the reign of Ashoka and the ascendancy of the Guptas that the heterodox sects held the greatest influence in India. It was also during this time, between roughly c.200 B.C.E. and c.300 C.E., that Asia as a continent saw the most interaction between different civilizations, mostly through the medium of Buddhism. I would actually call this period the Golden Age of Asia.
 
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Das ka das

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Met a few people with a surname Jain. I suspect that has something to do with Jainism. Is it considered a sect of "diverse and decentralised" Hinduism as @civfanatic suggests Hinduism is a "catch all phrase for all sects/cults " born on the subcontinent ?

To me Jainism sounds "atheistic". It was quite advanved to point out the world was consisting of atoms.

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Jainism has some kinky beliefs though. Sure there is no concept of a personal god, but the Jains wholly subscribe to the dogma of karma and reincarnation. Also they along with Hindus have the bogus belief that time is cyclic. There is also a compulsory 8 day fast (where one can drink only boiled water) that Jains must take. Parents often force their kids to do this grueling fast. The nonviolence concept of Jainism is really beautiful according to my opinion.
 
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shom

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I heard one time that hinduism had their own schools of atheistic thinking. Is it true??

If true who are the Indian atheists, skepticals, or unbelievers of Antiquity, before Europeans introduces the modern atheism in India???
THose who believe hinduism as a thought and not as a religion , they are called hindu atheists. Those who takes Ramayana ,, Mahabharata,, not as holy texts but as a philosophy.
 

tramp

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I think the main problem in defining Hinduism as a religion in the conventional sense of the term is because of the absence of a prophet figure -- like Jesus, Moses, Muhammed, Guru Nanak, Imam Mahdi, Buddha Gautama, Mahavir -- to whom its cardinal teachings could be traced.

Moreover, belief in a way of life, not worship of a personal godhead, is the sine qua non for a Hindu. This dialectics is alien to Abrahamic religions and trying to define who is a Hindu by that incompatible yardstick causes all the problems.
 

afako

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Most Europeans celebrate nominally Christian festivals out of custom but for all practical purposes they are atheists.
Atheism means no belief in God, Religion or Rituals.

So by participating in rituals/festivals, isn't the atheist being hypocrite and committing Shirk on the lines?
 

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