The Sects of Atheism

[slartibartfast]

If you could get a really really really honest, anonymous heartfelt tally of people who attend church regularly on their level of genuine "belief" in God you would find that a large percentage of them don't. Believe, that is. So I think your argument is a big steaming pile of monkey turd.

Yeah that's not true at all.

Funny... I have talked to quite a lot of them and I would say, it is true.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

If you could get a really really really honest, anonymous heartfelt tally of people who attend church regularly on their level of genuine "belief" in God you would find that a large percentage of them don't. Believe, that is. So I think your argument is a big steaming pile of monkey turd.

Yeah that's not true at all.

It's absolutely true. For a lot of people, church attendance is more a matter of social inertia than genuine belief. Just as there are extremely devout people who never, ever attend church, there are plenty of non-believers who are just going through the motions.

In fact, according to Jesus, believers shouldn't be in church in the first place.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

@Oldandeasilyconfused

I've been calling him worthless ever since he decided to argue that his life and all life was meaningless. It's me being polite, acknowledging the religious beliefs of others.

[Ahriman]

Why would there be a meaning? What kind of meaning could possibly be good enough? Why does there need to be a meaning?

[Deesse23]

Why would there be a meaning? What kind of meaning could possibly be good enough? Why does there need to be a meaning?

Yeah, and what does "meaning" even mean? I mean, these are important questions, dont you mean?

[zebo-the-fat]

I would think a sincere atheist would refuse to attend a church for any reason, but whatever. Maybe I'm wrong.

Yes, you are wrong
I have been to churches for weddings and funerals, it didn't bother me (why would it, it's just another building to me) but it made friends and relatives happy. Do you think I should upset people just because they think differently about the world than I do?

[The Grand Nudger]

Why would there be a meaning? What kind of meaning could possibly be good enough? Why does there need to be a meaning?

Exactly, and from that point of complete worthlessness, I can see why you'd think community would be worthless.  If the only value anything has is god value, and none of that is in this life - then there's no reason for god botherers to go to churches, either.

It wouldn't "make sense". For novel uses of the phrase specific to the beliefs that came to you while you were sleeping, ofc.

[brewer]

I would think a sincere atheist would refuse to attend a church for any reason, but whatever. Maybe I'm wrong.

You're exactly right. Cats and dogs should never ever get along.

[Ahriman]

Why would there be a meaning? What kind of meaning could possibly be good enough? Why does there need to be a meaning?

Exactly, and from that point of complete worthlessness, I can see why you'd think community would be worthless.  If the only value anything has is god value, and none of that is in this life - then there's no reason for god botherers to go to churches, either.

It wouldn't "make sense".  For novel uses of the phrase specific to the beliefs that came to you while you were sleeping, ofc.

Well yeah, I figured that out myself.

[The Grand Nudger]

Exactly so, and perhaps what you failed to figure out is that the sincerity of a persons atheism has nothing to do with whether or not they value what a given church might be doing, even if you value nothing in the entire world, including yourself.

You got it wrong because you imagined that other people were as worthless as you are, and saw as little worth as you do. Meanwhile, a great many of us have important shit to get done, and worthwhile relationships to maintain. Many hands make light work, and spending time doing things and going to places that are important to the people we love is what normal well adjusted human beings do.

I'm guessing that you're not much of a subject matter expert on either of those two things.