Been lurking and just reading the last few days, so I thought for a while about this question. No, I didn't vote, because for me, it's not a yes or no answer.
I categorize theists here into two types: the ones who are here to proselytize, and the ones who aren't - or, at least, are more interested in discourse than conversion.
So, the former - no, I don't enjoy their presence and find them disrespectful - and often offensive. This is because they have no respect for me as a person, and no respect for my intellect and ability to choose for myself what I do and do not believe. They assume that I need their guidance and help before they even "meet" me. The latter (like you) are pleasant company. Most of my friends are Christian. In real life, I only hang around the people who accept me for who I am and don't try to convert me.
I also scanned the "Why we are here" theist thread and the other thread of comments about those comments. Most of the theists who posted seem incapable of comprehending that an atheist simply does not believe that gods (of any sort) exist. They seem to think that we're just angry at god somehow, and that a few stories or verses from their holy book will make us change our minds. This shouldn't astound me - I have seen it many times - but it does, that people who have been here for years seem to hold that view. It's really amazing.
I categorize theists here into two types: the ones who are here to proselytize, and the ones who aren't - or, at least, are more interested in discourse than conversion.
So, the former - no, I don't enjoy their presence and find them disrespectful - and often offensive. This is because they have no respect for me as a person, and no respect for my intellect and ability to choose for myself what I do and do not believe. They assume that I need their guidance and help before they even "meet" me. The latter (like you) are pleasant company. Most of my friends are Christian. In real life, I only hang around the people who accept me for who I am and don't try to convert me.
I also scanned the "Why we are here" theist thread and the other thread of comments about those comments. Most of the theists who posted seem incapable of comprehending that an atheist simply does not believe that gods (of any sort) exist. They seem to think that we're just angry at god somehow, and that a few stories or verses from their holy book will make us change our minds. This shouldn't astound me - I have seen it many times - but it does, that people who have been here for years seem to hold that view. It's really amazing.
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
