(September 8, 2010 at 12:23 pm)Minimalist Wrote: We don't have churches. Or priests. Or holy days. Or bingo. Or child-molesting parties.

I've never understood churches sponsoring Bingo. Aren't these the same people who tell you that gambling is immoral?

(September 8, 2010 at 9:51 am)Thor Wrote: Does any atheist try to inspire people to go out and kill believers? I doubt you can show me where that has occurred. But I would have no trouble showing you where religions have condoned and inspired the killing of others.

Does any atheist try to inspire people to go out and kill believers? Well there are a couple that come close but literally speaking, no, not that I can think of. So? Does this mean atheism doesn't kill people and religion does? That atheism doesn't inspire people to kill people but religion does? I don't think it means any such thing. As an atheist, I think the influence of religion on human behaviour is miniscule. In the kind of conflicts that lead up to killings I look for humanistic causes. The biggest cause and the ultimate responsibility lies in the mind of the killer. Their mindset is the mindset of a killer. they must answer for their acts and take the consequences. If we're looking at the geopolitical influences that lead to many people participating in the conflict at the same time, religion rarely if ever figures as the principal reason. Belief and ideology may superimpose themselves on the conflict, but I doubt you can show me where they have been the cause.

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(September 8, 2010 at 12:23 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote:And we wouldn't get an atheist telling his congregants

Atheists do not have congregants.

Quote:con·gre·ga·tion (knggr-gshn)
n.
1. The act of assembling.
2. A body of assembled people or things; a gathering.
3.
a. A group of people gathered for religious worship.
b. The members of a specific religious group who regularly worship at a church or synagogue.

We don't have churches. Or priests. Or holy days. Or bingo. Or child-molesting parties.

Atheists never assemble?

What?

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(September 8, 2010 at 4:07 am)ABierman1986 Wrote: from an ignorant perspective there are legitimate reasons why Atheism might be thought of as an ideology

Tell you what, how about you try not to explain an ambiguity with another ambiguity?

I have never attended an "atheism" assembly. What would we do? Unlike you guys we don't talk to ourselves and call it "praying."

^Lol, Min, he's an atheist just like you. Nice job.

(September 8, 2010 at 3:34 am)leo-rcc Wrote: Furthermore you mentioned political things, atheism doesn't make a person left-wing, right-wing, democrat, liberal, libertarian, or conservative.

Well anyone can call themselves an atheist. I'm interested in whether they really are. The more right-wing they are, the more internally inconsistent their atheist thoughts seem to be. By the time they've labelled their religious targets as evil and said everything they can to belittle their humanity for believing something different from them, I begin to wonder how much some of these "atheists" have thought for themselves and how much of a religion-based persecution culture they've picked up from sectarian extremists.

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(September 8, 2010 at 6:36 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I have never attended an "atheism" assembly.

You have yet to go to an atheist meeting. That doesn't mean they don't happen.

(September 8, 2010 at 6:41 pm)Watson Wrote: ^Lol, Min, he's an atheist just like you. Nice job.

You're easy to fool. I'm not so sure.

Quote:You have yet to go to an atheist meeting. That doesn't mean they don't happen.

No, again, I've never heard of one. If I had, I might go just to see what they do. You can bet your ass they don't start off with an "invocation!"

Easy to fool? How did you come to that conclusion? I'm taking what he's said at face value; he has declared openly that he is an atheist, and I see no reason to think otherwise. Unless you are privvy to some information which I am not?

(September 8, 2010 at 7:07 pm)Minimalist Wrote: You can bet your ass they don't start off with an "invocation!"

Oh please. My ass isn't that cheap.

The main thing to remember is Millions have died directly in the name of religion. People like Stalin, while an Atheist didn't kill anyone due to being an Atheist. He killed them for his political ideals. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation.

(September 8, 2010 at 6:23 pm)Existentialist Wrote: As an atheist, I think the influence of religion on human behaviour is miniscule.

"Minuscule"? Seriously?

Religion has inspired people to go to war; to kill "heretics", "infidels", "apostates" and "witches"; to torture people; to restrict basic freedoms; to punish people (often with death) for "offenses" like being a rape victim, wearing unapproved clothing, or having premarital sex (but it's okay for that 68 year old geezer to marry a 14 year old girl).

"Minuscule"? Religion causes people to surrender a significant percentage of their income to a dubious "charity". Religion causes people to waste a sizable part of their lives in an effort to please an imaginary deity. Religion causes people to impose "morals" that were written by Bronze Age goat herders. Many people live their entire lives based upon a religion. Would Sunnis and Shiites be killing each other if not for religion? Would Muslims want to kill Jews if not for religion? Would Protestants and Catholics be at each other's throats if not for religion? Would people be strapping bombs to their bodies and blowing themselves up in a crowd of strangers if not for religion? Would the screwballs have flown planes into buildings on 9/11 if not for religion?

How can you say that " the influence of religion on human behaviour is miniscule"? There are few things in life that have as much influence on people's behavior as religion.

Quote:If we're looking at the geopolitical influences that lead to many people participating in the conflict at the same time, religion rarely if ever figures as the principal reason.

Why do you think Muslims respond to the call for jihad? It has nothing to do with defending your country. It is completely about religion! Why would a Muslim from Syria, Jordan, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia go off to fight American troops in Iraq or Afghanistan? Because they are motivated by religion!

Quote:Belief and ideology may superimpose themselves on the conflict, but I doubt you can show me where they have been the cause.

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How about the Crusades? That was completely about religion. And many European conflicts were based in religion as Catholics and Protestants fought for power.