Atheism in Hinduism: help needed

[tantrapl at hektor.umcs.lublin.pl]

I'd like to comment on some statements by dr. Narahari Rao.
   [...] Moreover, by=20
> definition, someone who is an atheist falls outside the pale of religion. If=
> =20
> you consider Hinduism as religion, then there can't be a place for atheism=
> =20
> within that fold.=20
For many, at least some kinds of Buddhism are in fact atheistic.
Confucianism  (at least in some of its phases) seems to be an atheistic
religion too. Of course, you may have your own concept of religion but one
should realise it may not be generally accepted. The notion of God doesn't
seem to be necessary in the definition of religion. Also, some currents of
Indian "orthodox" thought (such astika systems as saam_khya and miimaam_saa)
are often interpreted as atheistic.  

 
> If you are looking for how 'Hinduism' (used as a wholesale word to subsume=
> =20
> the whole of non- islamic textual tradition of South Asia) 
	I don't think many researchers would say Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism,
Parsee religion not to mention natural religions are simply Hinduism. Of course, you have
also Christianity and Judaism exist in (South) India. "South Asia" is even
larger than this country.
			Leslaw Borowski