If Atheists Ruled the World

[_The Nehor]

When it's done with the repetition you do it, yes, I see it as calling someone stupid. I mess with my friends over their foibles all the time but I don't drone ON AND ON about them endlessly then complain about them not being able to take a joke.

You find three "examples" and call that droning on and on?

And since you've got these few "examples" you've decided to ignore all the times I've stated that I don't automatically think someone's stupid for believing in god? Mocking is taken seriously, but being serious is taken as a lie? Is that it?

Allllllrighty then. Who says you can't choose what you want to believe, eh?

I was actually surprised at the number of search results I got looking through your posts. Those wanting to dismiss this as a few isolated incidents are free to use the search function. I refuse to write a dissertation and catalogue all of them with explanatory notes. I'm not Scratch.

[_Some Schmo]

I was actually surprised at the number of search results I got looking through your posts. Those wanting to dismiss this as a few isolated incidents are free to use the search function. I refuse to write a dissertation and catalogue all of them with explanatory notes. I'm not Scratch.

I know I can be pretty abrasive with people, and I don't often pull any punches, but I have little doubt that the majoity of the time, you're reading what you want to read in my posts based on some preconceived notion you have about me. I think if anyone really cared (which I doubt) to read my posts carefully, they'd see that I tend to call out specific incidents that are worth mocking, and that I rarely make sweeping generalizations about anyone (unless I'm joking around, which I tend to also do a great percentage of the time).

If you've misinterpreted that, I'll share in the responsibility for not being clearer or a better joke writer, but it is what it is.

The fact is that I sense way more generalizations about atheists from people on this board than the other way around any day. I suppose I could be wrong about that just like you are about me.

[_The Nehor]

The fact is that I sense way more generalizations about atheists from people on this board than the other way around any day. I suppose I could be wrong about that just like you are about me.

Well, that's to be expected, atheists are godless heathens. :)

[_Some Schmo]

Well, that's to be expected, atheists are godless heathens. :)

No question... just like god believers are brainless morons. :D

(Waiting for harmony to take this as further proof that this is what all atheists really think).






__________

[_marg]

I think people demand that our leaders at least pay lip service to belief in God because when things go wrong, and they will go wrong, it helps if people think our leaders have a hotline to someone who might actually be able to do something about making us feel better. Even if He can't or won't. An atheist doesn't have that hotline, makes fun of the hotline even. So the people do the only thing left to them... they don't vote for atheists.

Maybe if y'all were a little more friendly towards people who don't think like you and a little less arrogant about how you're so smart and we're all so stupid, you'd get a few more votes. Just a suggestion.

I don't buy this reason..if the percentage of atheists in the U.S. is fairly small, it's not as if this could be a significant problem. For the average theist it's unlikely they'd have all that much contact with atheists generally, and even if any did, it's unlikely confrontational discussion over religion would be common.

So I think it more likely Harmony that what you are talking about is your experience on the Internet. I have seen atheists ridicule, poke fun, talk down to theists. It rarely is because of a God belief such as a deistic or pantheistic sort. It is usually with regards to a particular religious belief involving an interfering in mankind sort of God.

As far as my opinion, I tend to view religion critically in terms of the quality of critical thinking involved. So a person may be quite intelligent but have poorly reasoned religious beliefs. You mentioned in one of your posts in this thread that theists may believe Satan influences atheists, that sort of comment I consider exhibits very poor critical thinking if it is something truly believed.

As far as why atheists are not popular politically in the U.S. I think it's a function of religious organizational indoctrination which teaches only those who are religious can be moral and that atheists generally are immoral. Also an element of tribalism may be in play.

[_Some Schmo]

I don't buy this reason..if the percentage of atheists in the U.S. is fairly small, it's not as if this could be a significant problem. For the average theist it's unlikely they'd have all that much contact with atheists generally, and even if any did, it's unlikely confrontational discussion over religion would be common.

So I think it more likely Harmony that what you are talking about is your experience on the Internet. I have seen atheists ridicule, poke fun, talk down to theists. It rarely is because of a God belief such as a deistic or pantheistic sort. It is usually with regards to a particular religious belief involving an interfering in mankind sort of God.

As far as my opinion, I tend to view religion critically in terms of the quality of critical thinking involved. So a person may be quite intelligent but have poorly reasoned religious beliefs. You mentioned in one of your posts in this thread that theists may believe Satan influences atheists, that sort of comment I consider exhibits very poor critical thinking if it is something truly believed.

As far as why atheists are not popular politically in the U.S. I think it's a function of religious organizational indoctrination which teaches only those who are religious can be moral and that atheists generally are immoral. Also an element of tribalism may be in play.

I completely agree with this assessment. It was essentially what I was trying to say, but articulated much better than I have in this thread.

And it reinforces the idea that trying to define people based on your experience on Internet forums is like trying to make a judgment about all kinds of food based only on eating at McDonald's. (From a certain perspective, I think that's one of the reasons why the distinction between Internet and Chapel Mormons is so pertinent, for instance.) If you think you know someone based on what they post, you're living in la la land.