Yes. Yes Peebo, atheism is a lack of belief not a belief, and as thus, has yet to inspire anything but apathy. Religion can cause wars, just as hatred of religion can. Just as secular totalitarian atheist regimes can. Wars, death and suffering are caused by violence. Violence can be propped up by whatever cause suits your need. Can an atheist be violent? yes. Can a theist be violent? yes. That was my only point for Simon.
I have no problem saying theism contributed to lots of needless death around the world. I believe secular society has caused more for lots of various reasons. Simon though just made an assertion, without support and I didn't feel it was an equitable analogy.

(December 12, 2018 at 4:25 pm)tackattack Wrote: Yes. Yes Peebo, atheism is a lack of belief not a belief, and as thus, has yet to inspire anything but apathy. Religion can cause wars, just as hatred of religion can. Just as secular totalitarian atheist regimes can. Wars, death and suffering are caused by violence. Violence can be propped up by whatever cause suits your need. Can an atheist be violent? yes. Can a theist be violent? yes. That was my only point for Simon.
I have no problem saying theism contributed to lots of needless death around the world. I believe secular society has caused more for lots of various reasons. Simon though just made an assertion, without support and I didn't feel it was an equitable analogy.

And I think the counter-point to that, as I'm sure you are aware, is that secularism and atheism have been associated with killers but not as clearly implicated as the direct motivators of killers like religion has been. A fact I doubt that you are ignorant about. If you feel that secularism or atheism has been a direct motivator of significant killing as secularism/atheism qua secularism/atheism, then I'd like to hear your arguments and examples.

Intersting and again varying responses.
Some people justify it. Others claim its not everyone. Some are angry that im questioning their anger.

While others are still getting hung up on labels which was the first thing i tried clarifying on this forum. I repeatedly asked what to call it without a response. "We don't want any labels"
People got emotional when i called it a view or a position as well.
I have to call it something so i'll call it a belief seeing they believe there are no Gods by definition.
Perhaps people would prefer if I called it a feeling.

The man in the video has no problem excusing his own family for bringing him up in a religion. His logic being that they were taught that and don't know any better.
But instead of applying this logic to the rest of the people he goes on to slam everyone else in religion. How irrational can one be?

The same thing happened to me. I didn't say anything but I  resented my parents for raising me as a Catholic. So I was an atheist for a while. Rejecting all claims in any God.
Eventually, emotions eased and logic prevailed. My parents aren't intentionally feeding lies to me. They were taught this and don't know any better. I eventually extended this logic to the ordinary people who are theists. I eventually came to the conclusion that i cannot reject the possibility of some kind of God or creator and vowed to only deal in facts, knowledge and truth instead of feelings and beliefs.

For someone who holds a belief these type of rections are unreasonable and truly savage. He wasn't being personally confronted and shouted at. He wasn't abused, thretened or forced to do anything. The only people he can be angry with are his family and himself. Blaming ordinary people is not fair. Though atheism Im learning is in itself not very fair. Preaching ur beliefs by slandering the beliefs of others isn't at all tolerant.

Vilifying a whole group of people for something that happened before our lifetime like war or slavery is insane. No one can change the past. The fact is that 99% of Christians keep to themselves. They don't force their views on others. They have good morals.

My mum told me how she was waiting to pay for her groceries when a couple began to harass her over a simple crucifix necklace. She asked them to leave her alone but they caused such a scene that she left her shopping trolley in the queue and walked away. What kind of spinless person does this. Criticises an old woman for her necklace at the grocery store... And I bet some people here would justify this. Most won't mention it. While some will continue with the accusations as they are threatened by my skeptical line of questioning.

The dislike of Christianity is well-known and unjustifyably aggressive. The preaching of the atheist belief as being superior to other traditional beliefs lacks credability. Its a reactionary position without foundation, taken only to oppose religion. Atheists don't believe there are gods but also don't believe there are no Gods apparently. This is blatent hypocracy to the most extreme.

There's never a shortage of things for apologists to be apologetic about. Maybe that should tell you something.

OK so I just watched the video (after my last post) and agree 100 with this dude (I embedded it properly here for you OP since you're clearly too inexperienced with fora/thought to manage it yourself) - Shove a crucifix in an orifice all y'all and repent for your wicked tortuous ignorant proselytising mind rot, in the name of the concept of decency. Like I said, 100. Off to bed now.