(March 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: And yeah, they have been nitpicking the shit out of it

I should expect that if I were you, if you intend your work to be published. For my part, I was trying to draw attention to a common theist preconception of what atheism isn't.

(March 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: and are apparently upset that I'm only here to do research for the book I mentioned in the OP. 

Ah, that would be because of our General Forum Rule 1 - "This is a discussion forum." If you're not here for discussion, you're going to get short shrift. Add that to pimping your book - twice - in violation of our spam rules and after being asked to stop, and you're on quite thin ice. I advise that you tread softly, lest it cracks underfoot.

(March 25, 2015 at 4:58 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Feel free to talk about suicide, though; I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say

Oh, I don't know. It's really more of a subject I need primer questions to truly talk about than something I can just opine about off the cuff.

I will say this, however, that the motivations for suicide can be extremely varied, and any attempt to understand what drives people to suicide must take that into consideration. There isn't one simple reason for it, so it defies simplistic classification.

My real qualification, however, is suicide that is a result of chronic depression and clearing up misconceptions about that.

(March 25, 2015 at 4:22 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote:

(March 25, 2015 at 4:19 pm)Nope Wrote: I am a hobby writer too and I have been turned down by the best agents. Lol

Yeah agents are really hard to get unless you have stuff published already. Which is like counterproductive lol.

I did have one agent give me some harsh but good advice. My characters were too flat and unbelievable. I have been reading a lot lately, trying to discover how other writer's craft believable characters.

(March 25, 2015 at 5:20 pm)Stimbo Wrote:

(March 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: And yeah, they have been nitpicking the shit out of it

I should expect that if I were you, if you intend your work to be published. For my part, I was trying to draw attention to a common theist preconception of what atheism isn't.

(March 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: and are apparently upset that I'm only here to do research for the book I mentioned in the OP. 

Ah, that would be because of our General Forum Rule 1 - "This is a discussion forum." If you're not here for discussion, you're going to get short shrift. Add that to pimping your book - twice - in violation of our spam rules and after being asked to stop, and you're on quite thin ice. I advise that you tread softly, lest it cracks underfoot.

Uh, I was looking for a discussion. That was the whole point to the question. I wasn't pimping my book, I was responding to the question about my intentions. And I'll tell you the same thing I told the other moron. I'm not coming back in here anyway after 6pm est so ban me all you want.

This is the truth. I came in here for a polite discussion with a group of Atheists because I wanted their perspective on one of the major themes in my book. I was polite with everyone who was polite with me. Through out the entire experience all you people have done is re-enforced what Christians say about you. I was polite and courteous right up until the point when I finally lost my patience, and that specifically started with you. Who gives a good flying fuck if the word is capitalized or not. And even if you were trying to get me to understand some other notion regarding how Theists view Atheists what in the flying sam hell does that have to do with the OP? This is the first forum I've ever been in where there isn't a rule about sticking to the topic, or maybe there is and the moderators just don't follow it. I was also up front with why I was here at the very beginning, but I'm guessing some of you didn't bother to read what I actually wrote. Instead you stopped at my religion type up there at the top and decided I was the enemy right off the bat. THAT's what happened. THAT'S what you did. Go back and read through the thread. I did nothing here but try and have a discussion, that's all I tried to do, anyone with any brain at all can see that. I won't wait till 6pm, I'll go ahead and bounce now because I really have all I need for my book. The character of the typical Atheist is very clear. My character is going to be an arrogant, condescening asshole who lives in a basement and spends his day spewing vitriol to anyone who opposes his belief system.

To those of you who were kind to me today, I thank you. I took notes and will take what you said into consideration. To the rest of you. Fuck off.

"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."
-- James 1:26

(March 25, 2015 at 5:33 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: I won't wait till 6pm, I'll go ahead and bounce now because I really have all I need for my book. The character of the typical Atheist is very clear. My character is going to be an arrogant, condescening asshole who lives in a basement and spends his day spewing vitriol to anyone who opposes his belief system.

To those of you who were kind to me today, I thank you. I took notes and will take what you said into consideration. To the rest of you. Fuck off.

Thus sayeth the author of The Outsider: "Following a terrible tragedy that took his parents from him, Stanley Shaw is lured into a Devil worshipping cult by his long lost aunt. He struggles to come to terms with the death of his parents, his new surroundings, and an increasingly complicated love life while trying to survive in a place kept far away from the modern world. Will he be able to overcome the evil Pastor Brown? Or will the Unclean Spirit walk the Earth again?"

I'd love to hear about the 'research' that went into the Devil worshipping cult. Somehow I doubt it was painstaking. At least he knows everything he needs to know about the typical Atheist.

What a tool.

Family and country are very important to me and wrt morality I try to live by the golden rule and treat others as I would wish to be treated.

(March 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote:

(March 25, 2015 at 4:58 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: No, I gotcha, FNM: I agree. People do seem to be picking at nits, but maybe they have better instincts than you and I; between the OP admitting he is using us, the disregard for the 30/30 rule TWICE, and the PM he just sent me- he doesn't belong here.

Feel free to talk about suicide, though; I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say

I wasn't aware of the 30/30 rule. Saying I'm using you is putting it a bit harshly, but if that's the way you want to put it fine, I admitted that directly in the OP. And excuse me if I don't have anything nice to say to you but the first thing you said to me was fuck off. Instead of pretending like I was a complete cocksucker in that PM, why don't you just tell everyone what I said. All it amounted to was I'm surprised that they let you be a moderator when you speak to people the way you do. I stand by that statement.

You admit to knowing that I'm new here, what in the world makes you think I know the 30/30 rule. The gentleman earlier mentioned it, but I didn't see that until after I saw yours. I'm new to this forum. But yeah, get bent.

Ignorance is no excuse.

The rules of the forum are quite clearly communicated on the front page (top right) and thus you are accepting them as implicit when you start posting here. When you register, you're hit with this:

"By continuing with the sign up process you agree to the above rules and any others that the Administrator specifies."

Oh and let's not forget my original removal of your link and the reference to the rule in my moderation notice in post 18.

So I'd strike ignorance and reasses as avoidance?

(March 25, 2015 at 3:02 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: I'm guessing you boys don't like a Christian coming into your turf.

This is the kind of shit that will not help you make many friends here. I would suggest that if you want to continue doing "research" on your book in this forum that you learn some manners. Insulting those you wish to learn from does not a friend make.

---

(March 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: I wasn't aware of the 30/30 rule.

You admit to knowing that I'm new here, what in the world makes you think I know the 30/30 rule. I'm new to this forum. But yeah, get bent.

Apparently you are not "new" to how forums work in general. If I, who is also relatively new at being here for a week, can READ THE RULES, then the same applies to anyone to joins this forum.

Rule of thumb: The FIRST thing you do before joining ANY forum, is read their rules and their TOS. If you don't agree with them, you don't join. Surely your common sense would tell you to do this. If not, then hopefully you're learning a valuable lesson today in netiquette.

Oh, and telling a mod to "get bent" is a sure fire way to earn a banhammer. I see that in your future if you insist on continuing the way you have.

(March 25, 2015 at 12:36 pm)tonyc4444 Wrote: Hello,

I'm doing research for a book I'm writing in the realm of fiction.

My question is this, when it comes to theists and Christians in particular it's easy to list those things that they hold closest to them. God, family, Country. I'm wondering if there is something similar to Atheists, I don't doubt Atheists believe family and country are important, but is there anything else that follows the same theme? Anything that you can say in general that Atheists would be distraught over losing? Would science replace God in the list that I gave?

I'll give you a bit of why I'm asking, I don't want to give to much of the premise away though till I release the book because it's actually unique. One of the themes in the book explores suicide and how the things I mentioned can drive people towards that. Loss of one or all three of those things suddenly and without warning would push people towards that end. So I'm wondering what Atheists would hold closest to them in the absence of something like God that helps ground theists. Hope I'm articulating this well enough, and thoughts you have would be appreciated.

Another poster put it well, as a group (as much as possible. I know this is difficult lol) is there anything Atheists would consider giving them Happiness and Emotional Security in the same way God does for Christians?

Tony

Welcome. Atheists to Christians is apples to oranges. Atheists to theists is apples to apples. And how similar are theists?

That said, we have a lot of skeptics here, and skeptics value truth based on evidence, no matter where the evidence leads.