If I were an Atheist

[downbeatplumb]

There is no atheistic belief system. You seem to have some misconceptions, equating atheism with scepticism...

Many atheists talk like they're coming from a belief system. They fight for what they believe in. They get angry and indignant if they are challenged. They consider themselves "right" and all others "wrong." At risk of repeating myself, they also have standard formulas used in speech or writing, icons such as the "atom" logo or pictures of galaxies emerging from the big bang, and codewords or phrases by which they recognize fellow atheists.

Atheists can believe in a lot of things and hold different opinions. you will find diversity here. The one thing that all atheists agree on is that they do not currently believe in gods.

An Atheist does not have to believe in the big bang evolution or any other scientific theory. I have never been a theist and so was an atheist before I new any science by default.

What you have noticed is that when discussing the same topic we bring up the same facts. We to grow tired of having to repeat ad infinitum the same information but theists keep coming thinking they are bringing in something new. Which we answer time and again.

 These are all the earmarks of a faith. I just don't buy the denial I hear, "we don't believe in anything."

No they aren't. Not believing in something is not a faith.

Do you have a not believing in fairies faith coz that is what you are accusing us of.

If people kept coming up and saying but fairies are real, you would ask "prove it".

I could keep on with this analogy for a while but I think you get the gist.

I realize atheism includes diversity and don't group them all together en bloc. But really, every human being holds a belief system of some kind, whether it's simply personal opinion or identification with an organized body of opinion-makers. We can't turn off that part of our nature as if it were a faucet.

Why is not believing in god a "belief system". It does not define me. I just come here to speak with like minded people and am fascinated by the mindset of people who choose to believe absurdities.

 

I don't fault atheists for what they choose to do with their consciences, or blame them for understandable defense of their own stances. I merely refuse to believe they are Vulcans like Mr. Spock who make choices uninformed by emotion.  

We never claimed to be unemotional robots. We just do not think that there is a being that dictates our morals. In this way we take more responsibility for our own actions.

When a theist is good it is often to please god. You often here that the only thing holding these people back from rapey rampages is their belief, (I kid you not, we've had it on this site!).
When an atheist is good it is because they are a good person.
Mostly we are well behaved.(mostly)

I don't know how you can tell we are getting emotional, hatsch.

It comes with experience smoothing the customers' ruffled archaeopteryx feathers in the commercial dining room, a place much like where the Royal Society used to meet in the early days of science. Albeit my antennae don't work as well online as they do at the table.

Meanwhile, I'd better get off the horn now lest I hog space here. My thanks to everyone.  

Much as I fundamentally disagree with you on everything I enjoy your writing style and think you are a good addition to our community. I too am totally unemotional as I sit her typing. you are not an annoyance (yet).