Jose wrote:

"If atheism is a religion, then _not_ collecting stamps is a hobby."



Hardly. It simply means your hobby is something other than stamp
collecting.


Is it possible to not have a hobby? (can you say "chartered accountant"?)

Yes, but the analogy was weak to begin with. Having a hobby isn't like
having beliefs. I don't think it is possible to have no beliefs and
more than it is possible to "stop thinking." It is just a question of
which system of beliefs you choose.

To me the analogy is more akin to a computer CPU. As long as it has
power, it is processing. The process my be excuting NOP instructions,
but the point is that the CPU is ALWAYS executing as long as it has
power. I believe the same is true of the human brain. It is always
processing and always believing in something. So, I reject the idea
that it is possible to either believe in nothing or have no beliefs at all.


Matt