A challenge to Statler Waldorf

[Statler Waldorf]

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While I might concede that atheism is a philisophical position, I don't get the leap to religion. It is a position on a subject, not a guide for living, an explanation for the why's of existence. It has no deities, no sacred scripture, no sacred holidays, no canon of behavior, no spiritualism, and makes no claims that must be taken on faith. While there may be leaders in the political movement, there is no uniformity to atheism aside from the a and theism. We hold the position, based upon evidence, that no gods exist. We do not believe that anything has any sort of divinity or will that controls the universe. We accept reality from a scientific viewpoint, in that the universe is governed by laws and forces, none of which are sentient, much less divine. What seperates religion from atheism, is that religion makes claims that atheist do not accept. If there were no theists, we would still be atheists, but it would be a nonissue because everyone is atheist. People believe in many things, the act of denying those claims is only a position on the subject.

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To further that point. Here is a list of things I also do not believe in: angels, dragons, demons, vampires, werewolves, fairies, satyrs, minotaurs, ghosts, bigfoot, nessie, magic, genies(tho sometimes I wish I had one), flying elephants, alien abductions, crop circles, ancient alien astronaut theories, orcs, ogres, trolls, superman, spiderman, ghost rider, or the thousands upon thousands of other mythological creatures and deities that people believe in or have believed in. My position on these subjects is shared by others, are these positions religions as well?

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Ok, I see why you are making the comparison between believing in God and believing in fairies, I get the point you are making. I just think it's not a proper comparison. I don't believe in fairies anymore than you do. However, let’s say that I started calling myself an "A-fairy-ist", and I started frequenting forums targeted at people who also shared my disbelief in fairies. I also purchased books written by some of the A-fairy-ist leaders in the a-fairy-ist community. These leaders went around the world participating in debates trying to make a-fairy-ists out of people. Some of these leaders wrote books designed to evangelize and convert others to a-fairy-ism. Many of these a-fairy-ists described their conversion to a-fairy-ism as a liberating day and the greatest moment of their life. Many of these a-fairy-ists wanted to also make a federal holiday to recognize the birth of a great scientist who they believed helped show the world that believing in fairies was not necessary because science could explain it all away. Let's say that many of these a-fairy-ists referred to this scientist as "the Great Liberator" and defended his honor and ideas with a great ferocity. Let's also say that some a-fairy-ists had also developed their own moral code and called it Secular Fairy-ism. They tried to convince others that this was the best moral code for society. Let's also say that a-fairy-ists held their own conventions where they celebrated popular figures' conversions to a-fairy-ism, and chastised and ridiculed former a-fairy-ists for leaving the movement. Many of my a-fairy-ist friends would go to court to ensure that we a-fairy-ists had the same “religious freedoms” as our fairy-ist friends. We’d also take out ads and put up signs in public forums to try and convert others to a-fairy-ism. Let's also say that I chastised "fairy-ists" because their leaders had committed terrible atrocities in the distance past, but then would turn around and say that the a-fairy-ists who had committed far worse atrocities in the not-so-distant past didn't do it because they were a-fairy-ists because a-fairy-ism can do no wrong because it really is not a true position or belief.
If my a-fairy-ist friends and I really did all of this, you'd be one of the first people calling us religious, and for good reason. So there you go.
I can point to many atheists who do all of these things and unless you can point to people who act like this when it comes to their “absence of belief” in fairies, the comparison to atheism really is not proper.

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I think I can say that I ran him off.. I joked him hard and the last response I remember him posting was crying to the mods.

Yeah leave it to the Christian to actually want to follow the rules set forth in this forum.

LMFAO..what rules.



So Waldorf... where have you been? Are you ready for another verbal beating?


I think you are a glutton for punishment.

Perhaps you should fly away from here on "holier than thou doves wings" over to Rapture Ready.

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The forum rules you were supposed to read but obviously didn't before you signed up for this forum. I have been right here, I posted yesterday. If you claim that anything you have done is even remotely close to a "verbal beating" then you sir are delusional. That really was not the best you had was it?