Wanting some feedback from the atheists

[Angrboda]

So these questions are for the atheists. Now that AF has this section for civil discourse, I feel I can ask this and get some honest answers from posters who are serious in talking this out.

What are your opinions about us theists in this forum?

I don't tend to evaluate people on that basis. I am aware that, or should say I believe that, when people with divergent views collide, there is a tendency to attribute behaviors to dishonesty, mental illness, ignorance or stupidity, or ego problems, and I can't say that I'm immune to that effect. But as near as I'm able, I try to take people as individuals more than slot them into readymade categories or attribute behavior to the relevant differences. I find that harder to do regarding political or social opinions than religious ones. I don't really have an impression based upon religion. I will say that I'm somewhat troubled by the seeming formation of theists on this forum as a bloc which, for whatever reason, is inclined to act as a group.

Do you generally like having us here? Why or why not?

I'm fascinated by religion and religious philosophy. In as much as theists are more inclined to discuss and debate these topics, I find their contribution invaluable from a personal standpoint. Insofar as their participation on other subjects is concerned, I tend not to group people that way as noted, aside from what seems to be strong correlation between religious belief and political conservatism, which causes me some consternation and, frankly, occasional resentment. I'm not a big fan of conservatives and unfortunately a lot of theist/conservative discussion regarding politics and society has been constrained to repeating conservative talking points and so hasn't amounted to much other than to get my dander up.

What can we do to improve and to make it easier/more enjoyable for you to have discussions with us?

I suspect the answer to that lies somewhere in the vicinity of treating yourselves and others as people first and ideological positions or beliefs second, but I don't know how practical or even desirable that is for all concerned. Easier said than done, especially when you have strong beliefs or ideological commitments. It's one of those things where some folks have it, and some folks don't. You, like Kingpin, for whatever reason, seem to have it. Others, not so much. Cloistering oneself in threads devoted exclusively to religious discussion, IMHO, is likely to aggravate tendencies to think of people as their beliefs first, and as people second.

Are you in favor of this civility section to have more productive discussions with theists and other people of differing views?

I enjoy debate. I'm not particular about the ground rules. I'm pretty flexible. So from a personal standpoint, it makes little difference to me. As to whether it's good or bad, that remains to be seen whether some of the good and bad things which have been voiced about it will come to fruition or not. I'm inclined to view it as a good thing, not least of which is that enforced civility tends to benefit my presentation as much if not more than it might my opposition. Yet at the same time I'm wary and know all too well that the best intentions can easily go pear shaped. So for now, I'm just keeping an open mind.

What do you hope to gain from productive discussions with theists?

A few notches on my cudgel. Seriously though, I come here for entertainment. If I find that in civil discussions, and given my personality, I strongly suspect I will, then that will be its own reward. I haven't found discussions, civil or not, generating as much light as heat, and I don't expect this forum subsection to be, in that respect, remarkably different. We all find ways of avoiding confronting uncomfortable realizations and avoiding inevitable conclusions, whether by deflecting, intransigence, or simply disappearing from the discussion; the tools at people's disposal in a civil discussion to accomplish that aren't fundamentally different from those outside of it, so I suspect in terms of "getting something out of" such discussions, the results will be largely unchanged by the change of venue. I don't have high expectations in that regard for either side. I may be something of a pessimist. I don't know.