Atheists turning to cult behaviour?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Cato's criticism applies to himself. That's what he misses. He did as little by telling me what to do, as you say I'm doing by telling someone else what to do. Truth be said, your criticism of me applies to yourself.

No, it doesn't. I've marched in support of gay rights. Twice I've intervened when I saw guys getting a girl drunk in order to rape her, once at a party I was attending, once after a recording session, unwinding. That's not counting voting, and treating with people without regard to their genitalia or sexual proclivity. I've put my money where my mouth is, locally.

Now, I don't know what Cato has or hasn't done about these issues on his own, but you're assuming the worst about him, it seems to me. It's entirely possible he volunteers at a battered women's shelter, for all that either of us know.

I'm thinking perhaps you shouldn't be so fast and loose with your assumptions, especially when they are so uncharitable as those included in your OP.

I do agree entirely without criticism of me. I'm doing little to make the plight of women better by coming here. But then that's not really what I wanted to do. I was honestly more curios as to the merits of movements like secular humanism and as to whether people saw a rational basis in it. We have no such movements here (none I know of).

Secular humanism is not atheism. It can have a rational basis, just as atheism can; or, again like atheism, it can be an irrational strain. People can be right for the wrong reasons -- or no reason at all.

Yes, my initial post can easily be assumed of accusing atheists to be bigoted cultists. But no, I was not getting at that. And heck, if there is a way to change the thread title please let me know. It's the first thing I'd do.

No, your original post stated the following:

Hello.

I've observed a growing trend in public interactions and online spaces in the way atheists behave. Bullying women, insulting gays, alienating anyone who doesn't subscribe to nerd culture. Is the lack of humanistic principles in Atheism leading to cult behavior?

Notice you don't qualify "atheists" with "some", or another modifier that indicates it's not a broad generalization. Insulting gays is certainly bigoted behavior. And you specifically introduce the idea of atheism leading into cultism. These are not "assumptions" I've made; these are your words.

I'm a young man, and have limited resources. But I do what I can. If someone knows how things can be done better, I would, I would try my best. I mean it. And I'm sure telling me "Go fuck yourself" isn't going to help the plight of women in India.

I don't think that was his intent. I think his intent, one which I agree with, was to tell you to get the fuck off your high horse and stop criticizing others when you, by your own admission, have done nothing on your own.