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[PTTG??]

Post here if you want to say that you're avoiding the Atheism Thread because you know it won't help anyone or change anyone's mind, and if it did, it still wouldn't help anyone.

Like me.

[Akroma]

I dislike militant atheists

I mean, sure they think they are right, and that everyone who is not an atheist is an idiot with imaginary friends

but do they have to rub it into every religious person they see ?

[Okenido]

Well it's quite fun...

[viskaslietuvai]

I don't think I'm one of those that goes out of their way to abuse religious folk. But, I can sorta understand why some do.
One: Atheism has been at various times rather stigmatized, so some probably feel that it's payback time.
Two: Some religious groups, mainly Jehovah's witnesses and such attempt to impose their religious beliefs on others in an unsolicited fashion, which gets pretty goddamn annoying. So again, the payback thing.
Three: Just general human nature to say that the other guy is wrong.

I don't necessarily agree with the methodology, I'm just saying I understand.

[Awayfarer]

I've taken a pot shot at it, maybe two. Mostly I'm trying to stay out of it.

Thing is, at this point I don't even understand what the point is in debating the existience or non-existence of a god. I still need to eat breakfast, take a shit, find a job, etc. either way.

That and I tried to stay friendly between a group of theists and atheists on another forum several years ago. Doesn't work. Inevitably somebody on one side notices that you're getting along with somebody on the other, gets insecure and starts bashing you.

[Angellus]

I've taken a pot shot at it, maybe two. Mostly I'm trying to stay out of it.

Thing is, at this point I don't even understand what the point is in debating the existience or non-existence of a god. I still need to eat breakfast, take a shit, find a job, etc. either way.

That and I tried to stay friendly between a group of theists and atheists on another forum several years ago. Doesn't work. Inevitably somebody on one side notices that you're getting along with somebody on the other, gets insecure and starts bashing you.

Those people are just the wrong sort of people to talk with, if there are that kind of people somewhere, just abandon.

If every sane person would do this, I would be happy.

[Aqizzar]

I studiously avoid all religion related threads.

If you actually think you have some great revelation to show the world (inevitably either a play on words or simple logical deduction for or against belief in God), you have to be fourteen years old to think that you're the first person in five thousand years to have that idea.

If you're convinced to change your beliefs by a bunch of faceless voices on the Internet... well, you don't exist.  No one, anyone, anywhere, has ever been converted or even had their faith shaken by a thread about spirituality, because to even allow oneself into the conversation requires already having an absolute conviction in your own definitional rightness.

Ergo, the whole thing is a futile exercise.  Everyone everywhere who's ever talked about religion on the Internet has now been told off by me.

[Andir]

I dislike militant atheists

I mean, sure they think they are right, and that everyone who is not an atheist is an idiot with imaginary friends

but do they have to rub it into every religious person they see ?

Try to look at it from the other side for a second.  If you dislike "militant" atheists, do you condone shoving religion down atheists on a daily basis?
I pull a dollar out of my pocket right now and it has "God" on it.
I sit down to eat at family get-togethers and am asked to bow my head and give thanks for my food.
I was asked to be "Godfather" to my nieces.
I drive down the road and I see license plates that say CUNHVN and GZUSLVS.
I was constantly told that someone is praying for me when I got sick.
The Pledge of Allegiance had "Under God" added to it in the 50s.
I pull up to an intersection and am asked to donate to a plastic bucket for ____ Church.
I'm now being asked (and I don't know how it's legal) to pay land taxes to pay for education in a Catholic School that teaches kids something I don't believe.
How many kids don't believe, but are forced by their parents into training?  (If there were a God, why do children need to be taught about God... shouldn't they "just know"?)
George Dubya would proclaim "his creator" in just about every speech he gave.
If I sneeze:  "Bless you!"
Every Christmas/Easter everyone is reminded that it was religion that the season was for no matter what it could be about (Family, sharing, catching up, relaxing)
Is it okay for a church to put up a billboard that says: "Got God?" but it's wrong for Atheists to put up a billboard?

Why should I have to hide my belief when "the other side" doesn't?

Shall I go on?

Who's being militant about religion?  I'm just trying to live my life without being preached to every time I pay for lunch.  I suggest you look to yourself and those that you consort with before telling me who is being militant.

[Andir]

I studiously avoid all religion related threads.
...
Everyone everywhere who's ever talked about religion on the Internet has now been told off by me.

I'm having a problem understanding how you avoid them but still tell them off.

[G-Flex]

Regarding the futility of argument: It is, to a degree, true. But people's minds aren't set in stone.


I have, in my time, frequented a couple catholic/hardcore-christian IRC channels. Depending on how familiar you are with my actions here, you might already know that I'm atheistic, kind of confrontational, and are probably thinking "well that couldn't have ended well", but it's honestly not as impossible as some might think.

I actually met some pretty interesting people there. Yeah, there was a lot of argument, a lot of ridiculous religious folk, some ridiculous nonreligious folk as well, and a bunch of people in the middle, but all things considered, I actually made some friends there (of both persuasions) and had some good discussions as well, so it's not as if people can't get along regardless of these things.

Also, expecting someone to change their beliefs because of an argument is foolish, but exposing people to those ideas and getting them (and yourselves) to think about things (argument being one way) is good. Sure, they might not agree with you now, and may never agree with you, but the point is that people need to be EXPOSED to ideas in the first place. Exposure to ideas and new arguments is really half the battle if you want people to make informed decisions about their lives or to eventually/gradually reconsider the more-ignorant ones that they've already made. (here I'm not saying that all religious thought is "ignorant", just ideas and notions that come about due to lack of knowledge, especially of opposing ideology)

[Tahin]

As I see, it, those of religious inclination may go to great lengths to shove their believes down others' throats, but there's no need to drop to their level simply-- especially because you don't agree with them.

That said, atheists and agnostics need to make their presence known, or else the religious cultural "bias" is going to continue. This should simply be done in the most unobtrusive way possible. I'm not entirely sure how to go about that, though.

[Andir]

As I see, it, those of religious inclination may go to great lengths to shove their believes down others' throats, but there's no need to drop to their level simply-- especially because you don't agree with them.

That said, atheists and agnostics need to make their presence known, or else the religious cultural "bias" is going to continue. This should simply be done in the most unobtrusive way possible. I'm not entirely sure how to go about that, though.

There really isn't a way to make your presence known if you don't gather and actively teach and market it at every car wash.  The methods for allowing people to live without religion peacefully has been met by nonpeaceful people who won't allow it.  (The Pledge, Money, Freedom From Religion, The Ten Commandments in government buildings... "God" has been sprinkled into government for the past 200+ years to the point where it's infiltrated so that atheists can't live quietly and if they act on it, they are berated.)

[Aqizzar]

As I see, it, those of religious inclination may go to great lengths to shove their believes down others' throats, but there's no need to drop to their level simply-- especially because you don't agree with them.

But that's the whole point.  To inject yourself into the argument, you have to already be at that level of thinking.  "I'm right about this, and I'm going to prove it no matter what!"

[Servant Corps]

If you're convinced to change your beliefs by a bunch of faceless voices on the Internet... well, you don't exist.  No one, anyone, anywhere, has ever been converted or even had their faith shaken by a thread about spirituality, because to even allow oneself into the conversation requires already having an absolute conviction in your own definitional rightness.

...Well, on a seperate board that I went to, one person converted from Radical Christanity to Radical Agnosticism. It was likely going to happen anyway, even without the Internet, considering how radical his beliefs are, but it did happen.

Note that I didn't cause this conversion, at least directly. I witnessed it.

[PTTG??]

This is neither an Atheist nor a Theist thread. This is a Natheist (soft "a"); That is, if somebody asks to talk to a Nathiest about (no) god(s), they say "Na."

In particular, this thread is about laughing at the silly people fighting over in the Atheists thread.\
So no spill-over into here. I suppose if someone said something utterly unbelievable, you can take it over there...