RE: I'm an atheist, my brother is not.
October 5, 2011 at 10:41 pm
(This post was last modified: October 5, 2011 at 10:42 pm by thesummerqueen.)
[facepalm]
I can't believe I'm dumb enough to respond to this thread after being completely destressed, but I guess I must fucking love you all.
First of all, Jason, atheists are a minority. Chances are pretty much 99.99% that everyone on here knows, perhaps intimately, a theist of some sort in their outside life. Some of us used to be theists. It's more than a little condescending to assume that we don't consider what a theist might feel, as theists might be our spouses, our lovers, our dearest friends, or long-running fellow members of this board. Or, if you had stopped to look a moment, even respected and well liked staff members. We currently have a muslim moderator and had a Christian moderator for a while. On an atheist forum. We do this because we take other people's feelings into account.
Something theists need to understand when they come onto this board is that they are walking into OUR clubhouse. We are not taking over some Christian clubhouse and demanding you play by our rules. We built our own little tree house here and left the trap door open. If you want to stay, you have to respect the fact that we WON'T play by your rules and if you don't like it you can leave.
On the other hand, we might end up liking you and what you bring to the mix, which is what's demonstrably happened. We have theists, deists, atheists and everything inbetween. Those who stayed did so because they, as people, added humor, love, intelligence, and respect to this board, which I'm sorry to say a lot of theists DON'T when they sign up. They waltz in here expecting to do what you accused us of: changing ideas with one good post. It's not going to happen. When it doesn't, they throw fits. We're not here to change anything with a good post, although I love it when a lurker happens through and feels inspired. We're here as a community of people who want sanctuary from the religious nuts. Not a single one of us would be here if all of the theists in our lives acted with the same respect and forethought as you're asking for. For instance, I showed up because Shell found me in a pissing match on one of her pages with a theist who was trying to restate history to fit her religious views. I can't stand that shit and need a place to vent. If people weren't so eager to change science and history to agree with their worldview, my sexy ass would be gracing some other site.
Before you come in here "casting stones" as it were, take a minute to realize you, as a claimed atheist, basically walked in rockin' out with your cock out like several other preacher-types. You have an idea, but you haven't established your character with us yet to give us any reason to even hear it out, much less try it.
For the record, *I* made a long post asking for people here to be a little nicer on BOTH sides - so yeah, I kinda get what you said. Guess what? Got the same answers, just a lot less cursing. Suck it up, cupcake.
If theists want to come here for real discussion and not be blasted out, they have to first establish that they aren't crazy - because living in the Bible Belt my knee jerk reaction is to say "I don't want to deal with you, holy roller." Yet some of my deepest friends believe in god. They're my friends because they deal with me in a way that has nothing to do with God, and I deal with them the same way. But come in pissing at me and we'll have a problem. Most people here are the same way. If anyone thinks differently, the best example I have is the goodbye post Ryft (one of our most stubborn apologists) made to our creator (Tiberius) in his stepping-down thread. They've gone head-to-head on a number of things on and off the forum and still maintain deep respect and affection for each other as people. All because an atheist AND a theist treated each other the way they wanted to be treated themselves. Funny how that works out.
So sit down, drink an iced tea, have a biscuit and cool your jets. Let's get to know you. Check up on what you write, if you're really an atheist, and make sure your language reflects what you're really thinking and communicates it in the best way possible. This place is fun. It's not a place to throw accusations around. We'll fuckin' bury you. Or serve you lemonade. Your pick. Take some time to get to know the locals and see if we're still the sort to completely disregard what theists think and feel. In this instance, I promise you, sugar, posts WILL change your mind.
PS - I do love you all. I feel very smiley. Y'all are great. I really don't know what I'd have done without this place for the past year.
I can't believe I'm dumb enough to respond to this thread after being completely destressed, but I guess I must fucking love you all.
First of all, Jason, atheists are a minority. Chances are pretty much 99.99% that everyone on here knows, perhaps intimately, a theist of some sort in their outside life. Some of us used to be theists. It's more than a little condescending to assume that we don't consider what a theist might feel, as theists might be our spouses, our lovers, our dearest friends, or long-running fellow members of this board. Or, if you had stopped to look a moment, even respected and well liked staff members. We currently have a muslim moderator and had a Christian moderator for a while. On an atheist forum. We do this because we take other people's feelings into account.
Something theists need to understand when they come onto this board is that they are walking into OUR clubhouse. We are not taking over some Christian clubhouse and demanding you play by our rules. We built our own little tree house here and left the trap door open. If you want to stay, you have to respect the fact that we WON'T play by your rules and if you don't like it you can leave.
On the other hand, we might end up liking you and what you bring to the mix, which is what's demonstrably happened. We have theists, deists, atheists and everything inbetween. Those who stayed did so because they, as people, added humor, love, intelligence, and respect to this board, which I'm sorry to say a lot of theists DON'T when they sign up. They waltz in here expecting to do what you accused us of: changing ideas with one good post. It's not going to happen. When it doesn't, they throw fits. We're not here to change anything with a good post, although I love it when a lurker happens through and feels inspired. We're here as a community of people who want sanctuary from the religious nuts. Not a single one of us would be here if all of the theists in our lives acted with the same respect and forethought as you're asking for. For instance, I showed up because Shell found me in a pissing match on one of her pages with a theist who was trying to restate history to fit her religious views. I can't stand that shit and need a place to vent. If people weren't so eager to change science and history to agree with their worldview, my sexy ass would be gracing some other site.
Before you come in here "casting stones" as it were, take a minute to realize you, as a claimed atheist, basically walked in rockin' out with your cock out like several other preacher-types. You have an idea, but you haven't established your character with us yet to give us any reason to even hear it out, much less try it.
For the record, *I* made a long post asking for people here to be a little nicer on BOTH sides - so yeah, I kinda get what you said. Guess what? Got the same answers, just a lot less cursing. Suck it up, cupcake.
If theists want to come here for real discussion and not be blasted out, they have to first establish that they aren't crazy - because living in the Bible Belt my knee jerk reaction is to say "I don't want to deal with you, holy roller." Yet some of my deepest friends believe in god. They're my friends because they deal with me in a way that has nothing to do with God, and I deal with them the same way. But come in pissing at me and we'll have a problem. Most people here are the same way. If anyone thinks differently, the best example I have is the goodbye post Ryft (one of our most stubborn apologists) made to our creator (Tiberius) in his stepping-down thread. They've gone head-to-head on a number of things on and off the forum and still maintain deep respect and affection for each other as people. All because an atheist AND a theist treated each other the way they wanted to be treated themselves. Funny how that works out.
So sit down, drink an iced tea, have a biscuit and cool your jets. Let's get to know you. Check up on what you write, if you're really an atheist, and make sure your language reflects what you're really thinking and communicates it in the best way possible. This place is fun. It's not a place to throw accusations around. We'll fuckin' bury you. Or serve you lemonade. Your pick. Take some time to get to know the locals and see if we're still the sort to completely disregard what theists think and feel. In this instance, I promise you, sugar, posts WILL change your mind.
PS - I do love you all. I feel very smiley. Y'all are great. I really don't know what I'd have done without this place for the past year.
![[Image: Untitled2_zpswaosccbr.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i1140.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fn569%2Fthesummerqueen%2FUntitled2_zpswaosccbr.png)
