Your stance on Hard Atheism

[Mister Agenda]

There is a small yet very vocal contingent of hard atheists who advocate for the genocide of all religious people.

I'm sure you can quote one who isn't a random internet troll, then.

From your statements I'm sure you would agree these people are fucking nuts.

Yep. I know hundreds of atheists in RL without ever hearing one of them advocate genocide. so I think you have a special gift for finding them.

I think it's high time for a more civilized dialogue between atheists and the religious, and while violent Christians are constantly condemned, there is much less acknowledgement of the danger of hard atheism.

Notice how you had to drop the word 'violent' before comparing hard atheists to Christians. Then note that certainty there is no God or gods does not have any connection to wanting theists killed. Then think about whether your approach actually contributes to a 'more civilized' dialogue.

For example, if the subject of Stalin or Mao and the millions of people they killed is brought up, it often leads to a "no true atheist" argument.

Stalin was an atheist. Stalin has as much in common with the average Western atheist because of their atheism as Osama bin Laden has with the average Western Christian because they're a theist, but Stalin was an atheist.

Mao is a bit trickier, as a (probably) Tibetan Buddhist.

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Again, you're misusing the term 'athiest' - it isn't about certainty, it is about lack of belief.

Boru

I think he's got it right. He's using the odd term 'hard atheist' instead of strong, positive, or gnostic atheist; but he's not confusing agnostic atheism with gnostic atheism, he's making the distinction.

Though rather than having four terms for an atheist who is certain or claims knowledge of the nonexistence of any gods, I propose that we use the term 'hard atheist' for someone who is both a gnostic atheist and an anti-theist.

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A-holes are A-holes, and they belong to every group, sect and community. There can be moderate and liberal A-holes too, but gnostic atheism isn't volent or irrational, and is nothing like religious fundamentalism.

When Gnostic Atheists have been placed in positions of power they were able to kill more people in one century than the entire number of people killed by all the world's religions up to that point. I would argue than an ideology that leads that allows such monsters as Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and others to do what they did without a hint of remorse is the more dangerous ideology.

And that ideology is communism, not 'hard atheism', which is not an ideology at all.

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So why does Gabriel make an appearance and why does Jesus? Did god rent them out to a different franchise?

Maybe trmof's God is not the God of Abraham? You could make a case that the personality flip between the Old and New Testaments indicates a change in gods. The Jews and Muslims are still worshipping Yahweh (also known as Allah), and the Christians are worshiping the new guy; though most of them don't know it.

Just trying to make trmof's narrative coherent.

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Because their god is a liar who's trying to ride on the real one's coattails.

Yeah sure - and pigs might fly.

You still hold the opinion that many christians believe in the existence of many gods? For your convenience I post that bible quote once again. Isaiah 45:5: I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.

How does that compute exactly?

Christians are on shaky grounds when it comes to claiming monotheism, given the trinity and the importance placed on Satan in many denominations.

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There are atheists alive today who would do exactly the same sort of thing if given power, or if they seized it. The atheist political group the Tamil Tigers was responsible for more suicide bombings than any other group at the time of their disbanding. What would have happened if they had actually gained control of Sri Lanka?

For starters, they wouldn't have made Sri Lanka atheist because they weren't an atheist terrorist group, they were a secular political terrorist group, and secular isn't a synonym for 'atheist'. Most of the Tigers were Hindus, just like most other Tamils; though they probably had a higher percentage of atheists than the general Tamil population given their communist leanings. If they had been successful, there would now be a seperate homeland for the Tamil people. one of the largest and oldest ethnic groups to not have a homeland.

The upper-case one. As for patents, there is no mention in the Bible of any kind of patent law.

That's a pretty literal-minded response.

My god believes in the free exchange of information.

Your God is okay with other gods impersonating him would be the more cogent response. You really want to go with 'my God thinks deific identity theft is okay'?