Atheists, what do you think of Taoism?

What are your opinions of Taoism? And do you consider it to be a religion or a philosophy?

But just generally, what do you think of its teachings, and do you think it is no different to Christianity, Islam, etc?

its a religion...yes...it has gods...yes it does...

edit: if Taoism doesn't have gods then WTF is the 'jade emperor'? I knew this would happen...Go go ogle search Jade emperor right now and then tell me I'm not correct...Im so sick of being correct and then thumbed downed by people who assume things about which they are ignorant of.

I don't know much about it, aside from it seems very similar to Buddhism, and I like Buddhism. I go to Sangha every week.

I like their philosophy, and Lao Tzu seems to have had a genuine insight into happiness and human well-being. Tao Te Ching is one of my favorite books, but I don't pay any attention to the mythical part some Taoists attach to this philosophy

Taoism's not my bag, I think it's a religion, and I think it's very different from the religions of Abraham.

I'm an atheist. I have Taoist beliefs, its a Philosophy, or way of being. There is not God, there is not worship.

Its not at all the same as any religion, especially ones with Gods.

Taoism is a way of living your life, to be free from all things unnecessary, and to become part of the whole that is everything... its similar to Buddhism in pure form.

They aren't really comparable as Christianity has a God, and rules, and if you don't follow the rules, eternal punishment, whereas in Taoism, there are guidelines, and if you don't follow them, its your loss, you won't be as happy and content as you could be.

It's a naive view of the world.

Taoists don't bother me, so I don't bother them.

It seems to be equal parts religion and philosophy. From what little I know about it, it could be possible to be an atheist Taoist, but that wouldn't be the norm.

For me, it is the way I've thought all of my life. I consider it a philosophy that makes sense and does not require a belief in a "god". It's teachings are nothing more than common sense stated clearly.

Taoist/Atheist (realist)

I honestly don't know a whole lot about it (though my impression is that it is more philosophy than religion), but if it does make any supernatural or metaphysical claims then unless it can back them up with empirical evidence I, personally, would find those aspects of it as silly as I do the unsupported supernatural claims of religions like Christianity or Islam.

Yeah, it is OK, there are many Taoists here and there is quite a famous Taoist temple just up the road.

From what I know of it, which is little, it is an interesting philosophy.

To my mind it is very different to the Abrahamics and more akin to Buddhism, Confusionism and maybe even Shinto.

If they believe in imaginary beings then they are just delusional humans. Here is what i know. I know, I do not pretend to believe, that no gods or devils exist outside of ones properly brainwashed mind! tag

Taoism is spiritualism.
TAO is THOU, the Beloved Spirit.
ZEN is thee sen, the self.
Christianity and Islam are personality cults, they both say the self is evil.
why are you listening to that BS?

Interesting

It is different in that it has not god/gods, they are added locally. So it does not have all that nonsense about worship.

i think that there is something in every religion/philosophy that EVERYONE can learn from.

for example, i am an atheist, but there are a few christian teachings i am perfectly OK with. likewise there are Wicca teachings I'm OK with, Jewish teachings i am OK with, Taoist teachings i am OK with, and so on down the line.

even though i dint believe in the deities that come with the religions, there are basic instructions for life rooted in all religions/philosophies. and some of those are things we would ALL do well to heed, even if we dint believe in the deity who supposedly dictated them.

I like Taoism. It records what is and makes no claims of the earth's beginnings. It views nature and time as water...constantly flowing with no creator.
There are symbols and practices a person can do but I think of it more as a philosophy. It's an observation of what is, there are no conscious deities a person has to please.
@ idleness...you get Tide's b/c 1.-you're wrong, it's a metaphor, religious story that has a lesson in it...kinda like The Tortoise and the Hare, and 2. you're reaction is pretty rude

Don't mind me, I'm just here to thumb down idleness's.

The only philosophy/religion I found interesting is Buddhism
Taoism is a philosophy (no significant border from its religious side) on how one should live a righteous life, but some of it are medieval concepts
Yes it's different from Christianity, because Christianity is a religion
=>I couldn't care less

I dint much care, I dint care what people believe in, as long as they dint give me sh!t for not believing in anything

my opinion Tao(being)ism is to know first my boss because true knowledge is my boss now then you consider it philosophy to know the real truth then you should believe in order for you to have faith now religion is how to know or for identifying true from false faith because there were lots of different kinds of false belief like atheists having no sense of mind then high on prohibited drugs to burst out their thoughts then others not catholic now when they say that they were atheists then the teachings were wicked