Here is an excellent video from a young woman who deconverted from Christianity. She made this video because of frustrations over intellectual snobbery on the part of many atheists. Also a lack of empathy from life-long atheists who have no experience ever being indoctrinated themselves. She also gives a well thought out opinion on why the levels of secularism seen in many Nordic countries are probably not realistic in the US as it is now.

I urge everyone take the time to watch this, especially if you sometimes have thoughts of intellectual snobbery towards theists. I bet most of us do. It's also good to see where the other side is coming from and how our attitudes can and do damage our reputation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1km7KfMc-f8

It seems as though she realizes, towards the end, that she's expecting religiosity from atheism and for whatever reason thinks that secular humanism isn't "doing anything". The latter is a misapprehension, the former is understandable from a deconvert but not at all possible due to the fundamentally vacuous nature of atheism itself.

(March 29, 2026 at 12:43 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: Here is an excellent video from a young woman who deconverted from Christianity. She made this video because of frustrations over intellectual snobbery on the part of many atheists. Also a lack of empathy from life-long atheists who have no experience ever being indoctrinated themselves. She also gives a well thought out opinion on why the levels of secularism seen in many Nordic countries are probably not realistic in the US as it is now.

I urge everyone take the time to watch this, especially if you sometimes have thoughts of intellectual snobbery towards theists. I bet most of us do. It's also good to see where the other side is coming from and how our attitudes can and do damage our reputation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1km7KfMc-f8

Sorry, but I have absolutely no interest in this.

Boru

(March 29, 2026 at 12:43 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: Here is an excellent video from a young woman who deconverted from Christianity.

Also a lack of empathy from life-long atheists who have no experience ever being indoctrinated themselves.

1. I don't buy that, there's no such a thing as ex-religious. They may claim they've become "atheists" (which is due to curiousity) but the moment some tragic event happens in their lives, they're back to their default brain program to blame it all on a sky daddy in the clouds or go back to the herd just for consolation.

2. I don't think it's a lack of empathy, more like they don't believe her (just like I don't) that she has been deprogrammed. Why? Bc one can say anything. For instance, I could set foot in a church for some hot chick I wanna Big Bang and pretend I'm religious, just to get into her panties but that won't mean I really am religious and there's no way for her or for anyone else to find out I'm fakin' it. It's the same with atheism: it's not a book club you join whenever it suits you, it's a way of life and of thinking. One's either born with the capacity and critical thinking for atheism or they aren't, period.
My mom tried to brainwash me when I was 9 and failed but IDK if that counts as the experience you're talking about. Though it was fun to watch my mom and her helpers fail in the task of brainwashing.

At lesdt she's found a way to feel superior today. She makes some points I agree with, some I don't, and does a sort of Gish Gallop of jargon that I find unuseful. I think too that her respect for ritual is misplaced.

(March 29, 2026 at 10:59 pm)rado84 Wrote:

(March 29, 2026 at 12:43 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: Here is an excellent video from a young woman who deconverted from Christianity.

Also a lack of empathy from life-long atheists who have no experience ever being indoctrinated themselves.

1. I don't buy that, there's no such a thing as ex-religious.

You've got to be kidding me. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. Are you actually saying that you don't believe there are people who were once religious who came to realize it was a bunch of crap? So you don't believe in people like Dan Barker who was a preacher for 19 years and is now co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation?

(March 30, 2026 at 1:00 am)AFTT47 Wrote: Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. Are you actually saying that you don't believe there are people who were once religious who came to realize it was a bunch of crap? So you don't believe in people like Dan Barker who was a preacher for 19 years and is now co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation?

You're not misunderstanding me. I see it pretty much twice a week in my country, even more often if somebody in their family kicks the bucket. The moment that happens, it's "my sky daddy is punishing me" and/or runs back to the herd in the local church to fart, errr, I mean to pray.
There are also the fake atheists (claims to be an atheist but their whole FB account is full of greetings about Jizzus' birth, easter or any other of the hundreds religious celebrations the orthodox morons have) but they're a whole different story and for a separate topic, I'd say.

As for Dan Barker - he simply found a new way to suck money from people, that's all. Being the president of FFRF doesn't make him a real atheist. If that foundation were in my country, I'd put him through my own test which takes 10 minutes tops to reveal whether someone is religious or not.

(March 30, 2026 at 6:01 am)rado84 Wrote:

(March 30, 2026 at 1:00 am)AFTT47 Wrote: Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. Are you actually saying that you don't believe there are people who were once religious who came to realize it was a bunch of crap? So you don't believe in people like Dan Barker who was a preacher for 19 years and is now co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation?

You're not misunderstanding me. I see it pretty much twice a week in my country, even more often if somebody in their family kicks the bucket. The moment that happens, it's "my sky daddy is punishing me" and/or runs back to the herd in the local church to fart, errr, I mean to pray.
There are also the fake atheists (claims to be an atheist but their whole FB account is full of greetings about Jizzus' birth, easter or any other of the hundreds religious celebrations the orthodox morons have) but they're a whole different story and for a separate topic, I'd say.

As for Dan Barker - he simply found a new way to suck money from people, that's all. Being the president of FFRF doesn't make him a real atheist. If that foundation were in my country, I'd put him through my own test which takes 10 minutes tops to reveal whether someone is religious or not.

How does finding a new way to suck money from people disqualify someone from being an atheist?

Additionally, I invite you to post that test of yours here (preferably in its own thread). Should be a hoot, since you seem to have set yourself up as the sole arbiter of True Atheism.

Boru

(March 29, 2026 at 10:59 pm)rado84 Wrote:

(March 29, 2026 at 12:43 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: Here is an excellent video from a young woman who deconverted from Christianity.

Also a lack of empathy from life-long atheists who have no experience ever being indoctrinated themselves.

1. I don't buy that, there's no such a thing as ex-religious. They may claim they've become "atheists" (which is due to curiousity) but the moment some tragic event happens in their lives, they're back to their default brain program to blame it all on a sky daddy in the clouds or go back to the herd just for consolation.

Yet more evidence that atheism is not proof against ignorance.

(March 30, 2026 at 8:26 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(March 29, 2026 at 10:59 pm)rado84 Wrote: 1. I don't buy that, there's no such a thing as ex-religious. They may claim they've become "atheists" (which is due to curiousity) but the moment some tragic event happens in their lives, they're back to their default brain program to blame it all on a sky daddy in the clouds or go back to the herd just for consolation.

Yet more evidence that atheism is not proof against ignorance.

Nor serious denial of reality.