Purchasing One's Atheism Cheaply

[Zazzy]

A first step to understanding any view, be it theism, atheism or any view in between, is to think clearly and stick to the logic rather than personal attacks.

I agree. Sometimes people don't express themselves perfectly clearly, but willfully misunderstanding them doesn't help anyone get anywhere. And I see you making personal attacks and other people making personal attacks on you, and it goes round and round. I'm suggesting that you be the bigger person and break this cycle. Your apology below is a step in the right direction.

If you are prone to complain about word games any time someone calls out bullshit definitions, you will never learn very much.

You didn't call Deidre out on a bullshit definition. It appears that you deliberately misunderstood her with the whole "atheists reject everything and believe in nothing" canard, which gets tiresome, and which I think you know is not true. Word games are never helpful, even if you think a definition is BS. They only derail useful communication. And I repeat, you are not the only one doing this, and I think there's a certain amount of baiting here that, as the batter at the plate representing your team, is hard not to give into.

PS- Sorry if I come across patronizing. Some days I have a low tolerance for idiots.

Often you do, and I think it's a reflex action of your viewing yourself as a single warrior facing an enemy army. I don't think Deidre is an idiot. She communicated her POV, and I don't think she expected it would be put under a microscope to find every undotted i. There's no need to patronize her. Civil disagreement is possible- you and I are doing it right now.

I know many posters here are weak in their thinking skills

Here's a prime example. This is what sets off rounds of "no, YOU'RE an idiot," and no one understands anyone else any better. There are people who make weak arguments everywhere (everyone has done it- that's how we learn to make stronger arguments), but that doesn't make them weak thinkers.