(November 5, 2017 at 3:49 pm)mh.brewer Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 1:05 pm)purplepurpose Wrote: How many years passed since you left?

No fuckin MATH!  hehehehehe  I'm now 60.

You must be enjoying arguing, if you have done it your whole life.

(November 5, 2017 at 2:12 pm)purplepurpose Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 2:02 pm)Cyberman Wrote: I'd be tempted to give him the benefit of the doubt; however my prophet-sense is tingling that he wants to try the old "atheists are bitter at religion because they were damaged by it when they were young" canard. I do hope he proves me wrong.

It would be interesting to hear how many years passed to the current point of him still arguing about religion.

Why? Once one abandons the superstitious nonsense, one continues to get bombarded with it day in and day out, non-stop, 24/7. The religious are knocking on your door, they are teaching crap to your kids, they are trying to enshrine their beliefs in law, they are trying to regulate your sex life. The religious permanently trying to get into your head, your life, your laws, your country.  MH answered your question for what it's worth.  For my part, I am about 40 years an atheist. My kids recently came out of the closet publically as atheists which caught me unawares since I never promoted atheism nor talked much about it. What I did do was promote critical thinking.

Their mother, my ex-wife, on the other hand is so far in the closet that she can see a lion, a witch and a naked bloke with a goats bum called Tumnus.

(November 5, 2017 at 3:50 pm)purplepurpose Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 3:49 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: No fuckin MATH!  hehehehehe  I'm now 60.

You must be enjoying arguing, if you have done it your whole life.

Go back and re-read. I added a quick edit. 

IRL, I'm the only one in my community that self identifies as an atheist, identifies even to the theists. Can you guess what types of reception or responses I get?

(November 5, 2017 at 2:12 pm)purplepurpose Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 2:02 pm)Cyberman Wrote: I'd be tempted to give him the benefit of the doubt; however my prophet-sense is tingling that he wants to try the old "atheists are bitter at religion because they were damaged by it when they were young" canard. I do hope he proves me wrong.

It would be interesting to hear how many years passed to the current point of him still arguing about religion.

As others have asked, why? What about those of us (like yours truly) who have never had any religious upbringing, yet still have been known to argue about religion?

(November 5, 2017 at 4:02 pm)Abaddon_ire Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 2:12 pm)purplepurpose Wrote: It would be interesting to hear how many years passed to the current point of him still arguing about religion.

Why? Once one abandons the superstitious nonsense, one continues to get bombarded with it day in and day out, non-stop, 24/7. The religious are knocking on your door, they are teaching crap to your kids, they are trying to enshrine their beliefs in law, they are trying to regulate your sex life. The religious permanently trying to get into your head, your life, your laws, your country.  MH answered your question for what it's worth.  For my part, I am about 40 years an atheist. My kids recently came out of the closet publically as atheists which caught me unawares since I never promoted atheism nor talked much about it. What I did do was promote critical thinking.

Their mother, my ex-wife, on the other hand is so far in the closet that she can see a lion, a witch and a naked bloke with a goats bum called Tumnus.

I like this one.

Can we keep him?

(November 5, 2017 at 6:26 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 4:02 pm)Abaddon_ire Wrote: Why? Once one abandons the superstitious nonsense, one continues to get bombarded with it day in and day out, non-stop, 24/7. The religious are knocking on your door, they are teaching crap to your kids, they are trying to enshrine their beliefs in law, they are trying to regulate your sex life. The religious permanently trying to get into your head, your life, your laws, your country.  MH answered your question for what it's worth.  For my part, I am about 40 years an atheist. My kids recently came out of the closet publically as atheists which caught me unawares since I never promoted atheism nor talked much about it. What I did do was promote critical thinking.

Their mother, my ex-wife, on the other hand is so far in the closet that she can see a lion, a witch and a naked bloke with a goats bum called Tumnus.

I like this one.

Can we keep him?

Well, OK...but he's you're responsibility.  Make sure to take him for walkies and keep his bedding clean.  Remember what happened with the goldfish we let you have.

Boru

(November 5, 2017 at 6:39 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 6:26 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I like this one.

Can we keep him?

Well, OK...but he's you're responsibility.  Make sure to take him for walkies and keep his bedding clean.  Remember what happened with the goldfish we let you have.

Boru

Not as bad as the parrot I had.

Who knew Polyfilla wasn't bird food??

(November 5, 2017 at 6:26 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 4:02 pm)Abaddon_ire Wrote: Why? Once one abandons the superstitious nonsense, one continues to get bombarded with it day in and day out, non-stop, 24/7. The religious are knocking on your door, they are teaching crap to your kids, they are trying to enshrine their beliefs in law, they are trying to regulate your sex life. The religious permanently trying to get into your head, your life, your laws, your country.  MH answered your question for what it's worth.  For my part, I am about 40 years an atheist. My kids recently came out of the closet publically as atheists which caught me unawares since I never promoted atheism nor talked much about it. What I did do was promote critical thinking.

Their mother, my ex-wife, on the other hand is so far in the closet that she can see a lion, a witch and a naked bloke with a goats bum called Tumnus.

I like this one.

Can we keep him?

Do you want whole or just parts?

(November 5, 2017 at 10:25 pm)mh.brewer Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 6:26 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I like this one.

Can we keep him?

Do you want whole or just parts?

Is this a trick question?

(November 5, 2017 at 6:44 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote:

(November 5, 2017 at 6:39 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Well, OK...but he's you're responsibility.  Make sure to take him for walkies and keep his bedding clean.  Remember what happened with the goldfish we let you have.

Boru

Not as bad as the parrot I had.

Who knew Polyfilla wasn't bird food??

So that's what Ex-ed the Norwegian Blue!  *thump thump thump*  "'E's a stiff!"    

As someone who's been a de facto atheist for 53 years and officially adopted that descriptor 8 years ago, I'd like to comment:

The idea of a heaven is not comforting to me.  I can't imagine why anyone would want to be stuck in such a place, no matter how nice it is, for eternity.  Eternity is a fucking long time.  How could such a place satisfy the phenomenon of hedonic adaptation? Things that used to satisfy gradually lose their attraction and must be replaced with something else.

And of course, if the existence of a heaven requires hell to also exist, I am out.  I am *so* out.  I could never enjoy heaven if I knew someone was being tortured in hell.

As for why I argue on the subject of religion, it is obvious to me that many religions promote bad science, bad history, bad morality, and an us-versus-them attitude.  None of these things serve the common good, and in fact they cause grievous harm to society and hijack people's lives.  It is an immensely powerful adversary, but I think that we are gradually chipping away at that power and rendering the religious establishment less credible and less dangerous.  I intend to continue the fight indefinitely.