(February 2, 2019 at 11:14 am)downbeatplumb Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 9:49 am)Yonadav Wrote: His post doesn't contradict yours. Some atheists are fervent in their atheism and some aren't. It's the same with the religious.

At the time of my response as well the data actually showed that half thought it was important  to them. Would you say that 50% of Christians think their religion unimportant?

I would say that at least 50% of xians don't really think about their religion very much. There is a very loud minority. The rest don't care, and don't even bother going to church.  Holidays are just fun days to get away from work.

(February 2, 2019 at 11:14 am)downbeatplumb Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 9:49 am)Yonadav Wrote: His post doesn't contradict yours. Some atheists are fervent in their atheism and some aren't. It's the same with the religious.

At the time of my response as well the data actually showed that half thought it was important  to them. Would you say that 50% of Christians think their religion unimportant?

Actual brain scans contradict the self reporting. Atheist may be more inclined to say that they’re atheism is not that important, than theists, but this doesn’t actually mean they treat it as any less important.

Brain scans shows that both atheism and theism are linked to the areas of the brain that govern our sense of self. Beliefs or concepts that support our atheism or our religious beliefs, light up our rewards centers similiarly for both.

While not every atheist wears an red A pin, has a Darwin fish bumper stickers, or attends atheists conferences, not all Christians wear crucifixes either, this doesn’t mean that these elements are any less important to our sense of self.

It also doesn’t take a genius to see how disbelief and belief, bleeds over to a variety of our perceptions, our moral views, political, meaning, etc...

I mean we are in an atheistforum.

Good question. Personally, the fact that I am an atheist isn't really very important to me, but the things that fact says about me are.
I've been an atheist since I was 8 or 9... and looking back, I think it was a pretty young age to be that thoughtful, especially when most people around me simply believed in god despite being part of a religion that doesn't force you to believe.

(February 2, 2019 at 12:13 pm)Acrobat Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 11:14 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: At the time of my response as well the data actually showed that half thought it was important  to them. Would you say that 50% of Christians think their religion unimportant?

Actual brain scans contradict the self reporting. Atheist may be more inclined to say that they’re  atheism is not that important, than theists, but this doesn’t actually mean they treat it as any less important.

Brain scans shows that both atheism and theism are linked to the areas of the brain that govern our sense of self.  Beliefs or concepts that support our atheism or our religious beliefs, light up our rewards centers similiarly for both.

While not every atheist wears an red A pin, has a Darwin fish bumper stickers, or attends atheists conferences, not all Christians wear crucifixes either, this doesn’t mean that these elements are any less important to our sense of self.

It also doesn’t take a genius to see how disbelief and belief, bleeds over to a variety of our perceptions, our moral views, political, meaning, etc...

I mean we are in an atheistforum.

I don't think faries exist either, is that also an important part of my life. To me they are equivalent.

(February 2, 2019 at 12:33 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 12:13 pm)Acrobat Wrote: Actual brain scans contradict the self reporting. Atheist may be more inclined to say that they’re  atheism is not that important, than theists, but this doesn’t actually mean they treat it as any less important.

Brain scans shows that both atheism and theism are linked to the areas of the brain that govern our sense of self.  Beliefs or concepts that support our atheism or our religious beliefs, light up our rewards centers similiarly for both.

While not every atheist wears an red A pin, has a Darwin fish bumper stickers, or attends atheists conferences, not all Christians wear crucifixes either, this doesn’t mean that these elements are any less important to our sense of self.

It also doesn’t take a genius to see how disbelief and belief, bleeds over to a variety of our perceptions, our moral views, political, meaning, etc...

I mean we are in an atheistforum.

I don't think faries exist either, is that also an important part of my life. To me they are equivalent.

Yet, we don’t see you on an “afariest” forum, gathering together in groups of “afariest”, or even feeling compelled to use any such label to identify who you are..

(February 2, 2019 at 12:49 pm)Acrobat Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 12:33 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: I don't think faries exist either, is that also an important part of my life. To me they are equivalent.

Yet, we don’t see you on an “afariest” forum, gathering together in groups of “afariest”, or even feeling compelled to use any such label to identify who you are..

We don't live in a world where "fairyists" tell us that we can't be moral without believing in fairies and making laws to enforce the rules that they say that they got from the fairies. If we did then being an "afairyist" would be a thing. When theism largely dies there will be no need to identify as an atheist.

(February 2, 2019 at 4:20 pm)unfogged Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 12:49 pm)Acrobat Wrote: Yet, we don’t see you on an “afariest” forum, gathering together in groups of “afariest”, or even feeling compelled to use any such label to identify who you are..

We don't live in a world where "fairyists" tell us that we can't be moral without believing in fairies and making laws to enforce the rules that they say that they got from the fairies. If we did then being an "afairyist" would be a thing. When theism largely dies there will be no need to identify as an atheist.

It doesn’t matter why it’s important to you, or why you feel compelled to identify as atheists, even if it’s because religious people have pushed you to form an identity around atheism, the fact remains it’s a part of your identity, even if formed as reactionary.

Perhaps in the future this would be different for other unbelievers, but currently this is not the case.

Yes it's important to me. I have the peace of mind knowing that I don't give my backing to any organisation that promotes prejudice in any shape or form.

My atheism is more important to me than:

-The Belgian stock market

-The availability of fresh sushi

-The MCU

-The proper order of the gifts in 'The 12 Days Of Christmas'

-Treacle tarts

My atheism is significantly LESS important to me than:

-Shoes that fit properly

-Printer ink

-Grilled fish

-Not getting stabbed again

-Sleep

Boru

(February 2, 2019 at 4:50 pm)Acrobat Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 4:20 pm)unfogged Wrote: We don't live in a world where "fairyists" tell us that we can't be moral without believing in fairies and making laws to enforce the rules that they say that they got from the fairies.  If we did then being an "afairyist" would be a thing.  When theism largely dies there will be no need to identify as an atheist.

It doesn’t matter why it’s important to you, or why you feel compelled to identify as atheists, even if it’s because religious people have pushed you to form an identity around atheism, the fact remains it’s a part of your identity, even if formed as reactionary.

Perhaps in the future this would be different for other unbelievers, but currently this is not the case.

I came here intrigued by the mindset of believers as I can't see why anyone would think the way they do and I've still not had a good explanation of why they think the way they do, it bemuses me.

So I am here out of curiosity of the mind set of believers and of course there are some cool people here I interact with.

But if someone were to hold gun a gun to my head and threaten me with death or renouncing my atheism I would renounce my atheism as it is not an important part of my life.

Until then I will look on at theists with a sense of confusion, how can they believe? I honestly don't know.

---

(February 3, 2019 at 10:10 am)ownbeatplumb Wrote:

(February 2, 2019 at 4:50 pm)Acrobat Wrote: It doesn’t matter why it’s important to you, or why you feel compelled to identify as atheists, even if it’s because religious people have pushed you to form an identity around atheism, the fact remains it’s a part of your identity, even if formed as reactionary.

Perhaps in the future this would be different for other unbelievers, but currently this is not the case.

Its true that my atheism is a reaction to theism, but then it can be no other. It did not force me to "form an identity" I am just able to say no when asked if I believe in god.