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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 19, 2015 at 4:59 pm
(March 19, 2015 at 4:54 pm)FatAndFaithless Wrote: (March 19, 2015 at 4:52 pm)Delicate Wrote: Atheism is an attempt to save civilization from the impending disaster of religion.
Woah there, no it ain't. If you're trying to create a "cause" of atheism, then go ahead, but don't presume to include us all in your aims.
It's too late. This is what atheism is, whether you like it or not. You can choose to sit on the sidelines if you want. But don't presume atheism is some sort of social club.
Quote:Quote:The pursuit of fame and fortune inherently impedes this process.
Non sequitur...no idea how someone making money impedes "saving civilization", especially when the ideas off of which he's making money are still true and useful.
Once again, you're not reading carefully enough. It's not about making money. It's the decision to make fame and fortune an objective that detracts from other, nobler aims.
Quote:Quote:Imagine a firefighter choosing to pursue fame and fortune instead of putting out fires.
To my mind, that's what it is.
Uh..if he doesn't put out fires, he's not a fire fighter. To think that Dawkins isn't increasing the awareness and discussion of atheism is insane.
This might be the third or fourth time you're doing this- who said anything about increasing awareness and discussion of atheism? You're not engaging with what I'm saying, you're just putting words in my mouth. I'd appreciate you actually read what is being said.
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 19, 2015 at 5:05 pm
(March 19, 2015 at 4:52 pm)Delicate Wrote: (March 19, 2015 at 4:41 pm)Stimbo Wrote: Well, to quote another popular atheist: "At least you've found a way to feel superior to both, that's the main thing."
As have you, apparently.
Nope, only to superior opinion and bombast.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 19, 2015 at 5:07 pm
You said atheism is the cause of "trying to save civilization" and I'm the presumptuous one? And FYI, I don't consider atheism as a 'social club', that's nonsensical. Its one response to one question, that's it.
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
- Thomas Jefferson
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 7:25 am
(March 19, 2015 at 4:52 pm)Delicate Wrote: Atheism is an attempt to save civilization from the impending disaster of religion.
To my mind, that's what it is.
Er... What?
Where on earth do you get that notion from?
It's difficult to know where to start with that...
Quote:I don't understand why you'd come to a discussion forum, and then proceed to reap from visibility any voice that disagrees with you. If you're going to do that, why not just sit in front of a mirror and pat yourself on the back continuously?
- Esquilax
Evolution - Adapt or be eaten.
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 9:53 am
Carl Sagan, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Seth Andrews just to name a few. I love to read science books and nothing is better than a good old-fashioned Hitch Slap. I haven't read anywhere near as much as I'd like, but Carl is my favorite. His method of teaching instead of berating is more up my alley, although a good ad hominem attack is necessary in certain situations.
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 10:16 am
What this thread has turned into:
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=media.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2F1e03EIClslNCg%2Fgiphy.gif)
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 10:21 am
(March 20, 2015 at 9:53 am)thefemaleatheist Wrote: Carl Sagan, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Seth Andrews just to name a few. I love to read science books and nothing is better than a good old-fashioned Hitch Slap. I haven't read anywhere near as much as I'd like, but Carl is my favorite. His method of teaching instead of berating is more up my alley, although a good ad hominem attack is necessary in certain situations.
I'm a goob. It said CURRENT. I am such an old schooler that I have a hard time getting away from those who "brought me up". I will have to look into the new folks mentioned in the original post. I had never heard of many of them.
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 10:23 am
(This post was last modified: March 20, 2015 at 10:24 am by c172.)
Sorry to, like, get back on topic 'n stuff, but I am a huge fan of the late Carl Sagan, and of Sam Harris, and NDT. Sarah Vowell is a favorite author, who just happens to be atheist. I like Christina Rad's YouTubes, but sometimes her accent is a bit thick to understand.
Also, there was another YouTuber, a somewhat angsty young female British Columbian, that I liked, but she wasn't always atheism. She delved into feminism and other things. But I never recorded her account name, and she may have left YouTube.
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 12:43 pm
It's cool that I'm trying to save the world from religion and all, but really, getting paid for this world saving behavior would be nice.
I've been an atheist my entire life so I hope there's some back pay.
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RE: Who are your favorite current Atheists?
March 20, 2015 at 1:06 pm
(This post was last modified: March 20, 2015 at 1:20 pm by Thumpalumpacus.)
(March 18, 2015 at 10:19 pm)Dystopia Wrote: I don't disapprove what the user you are replying to said - If I created a group just for an ideologically homogeneous demographic I would expect all members to be either a part of the same ideology or to abide by certain boundaries. Yes, ideas should be questioned, but if you go to a Christian forum to say that god doesn't exist they will rightfully ban you; if you go to a communist forum to say that capitalism is perfect, they will rightfully ban you; if you go to a music forum to say music sucks, they will rightfully ban you.
That's fine and well; they're happy with their cloisters and do not wish questioning. The issue arises when folks who behave in that manner present themselves as freethinkers. If youo're going to follow where rationality leads, you must have a vibrant discussion in order to determine which course is the most rational.
Stifling debate in the name of ideology is rarely a useful heuristic for arriving at a reasonable conclusion.
(March 18, 2015 at 10:19 pm)Dystopia Wrote: Yes, ideally everything should be up to question, but in human societies (and internet groups are somewhat similar to the former in structure) imperfection reigns. I noticed some people on A+ seem to be former victims of some kind of abuse and really want to make justice for the cause, so basically everyone is ideologically motivated.
I find the ingroup/outgroup dynamics of their behavior discomfiting.
(March 18, 2015 at 10:29 pm)abentwookie Wrote: Yeah, that was the point I was trying to make earlier. I joined a Feminist group for the purpose of supporting women's issues. I joined a liberal group because I supported their political views. I joined an Atheism group similar to Atheism Plus because I shared their values. I don't join a group unless I agree with their views. If you don't agree with the majority of members on certain issues, then it probably isn't the right group for you. It seems counterproductive to join one just to debate issues with them. That isn't why they exist, unless it happens to be a debate group of course. 
What if you agree with the majority of their views, but think they are making a mistake on Issue X? What if they actually are making a mistake on that issue, but because of the requirement to not go against the grain, you cannot present a view or proposal which is possibly more useful?
This idea that you will always be able to find consensus in a group is chimerical, because people have different opinions on different issues, and the more issues your group intends to address, the more likely you are to have heterogeneous opinions inside your own group. Restricting the conversation to only those views approved by the leadership is certainly their right, at A+ -- but how much are they losing by requiring the membership to toe the ideological line?
Debate happens within every group of thinkers. Stifling it in the name of ideology is the act of valuing preachments above insights.
(March 19, 2015 at 4:59 pm)Delicate Wrote: It's too late. This is what atheism is, whether you like it or not.
Perhaps that's what your atheism means to you. As an American, I've had my fill of you're-with-me-or-against-me rhetoric for a while, thanks.
Also, the "disaster of religion" has been "impending" for quite a few millennia now. Why do you think it's taking so long getting here?
Flat claims bereft of support aren't very convincing.
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