While I must admit I find some of your comments in the above post annoying Edward, I'll leave them alone as I have no been watching the conversation.
One exeption however, while you seem to have trouble grasping the idea of what atheisim even is (a pointless word that has become a badge because of majority domination) the only thing I want to touch on right now is your comment on the book 'the atheist way' and forums such as this one.
if a bunch of people get bullied because they don't think that the show Transformers is the best thing on TV, and they decide to make a forum to hang out where they won't be bothered by people who want to bother them for not thinking transformers rocks. this does not create some new culture of which they are members. A community yes but, not some new culture. You also can't assume anything about them, odds are they are probably not into shows that involve giant mechs but, to assume that about them is stupid, a smart person would ask the individual.
Like these people atheists have no rituals, we have no common sets of beleif that come as a result of our atheisim, not a single damned one. I'm not even on this forum because most of the people are atheists, I come here because I enjoy researching religion and have found that I like hanging out with the users here.
And before you try to tell me evolution is a staple of atheisim let me get this out first because it's a fundamental minsunderstanding that one has to know before they can dream to even possibly consider that they might know shit about anything in this kind of situation.
first point, theists, better to say members of a religion, have lists of things that they beleive. Christians beleive that a god exists, that he loves them and that he sent his son to earth. Muslims beleive in allah and his teachings. An atheist gets only one thing from his atheisim, and even that is saying it wrong. He gets nothing from his atheisim at all, he does not beleive in a god therefore he is an atheist. Not he is an atheist so he cannot beleive in a god. I can only hope you can see what I am trying to say here, it is not easy to explain with only text.
Now heres the trick, point two. the majority of atheists accept evolution, this must mean that because they are atheist they naturally accept evolution. Oh wait, no that's bullcrap. (/endsarcaim) this statment assumes that it is as a result of ones atheisim that causes them to think in the way that leads them to accept evolution which is 100% backwards. It is because they are, for example a freethinker, maybe they hate establishment, maybe they are solid beleivers in the scientific process and see it as the best way to advance the human race. It is these kinds of things that cause people to example god and not accept bullcrap as an excuse, thus they become atheists. It also causes them to not accept creationisim, to look at the facts and accept evolution as the best current theory.
To help show this, because I know that text is a pitiful method of communication and this is a complicated thing to explain apparently.
cause - effect1
- effect2
- effect3
I may have 'cause', so I have effects 1 2 and 3. So knowing I have 'cause you can figure out that it I have the traits given by effects 1-3. someone else might have a different 'cause' and it produces effects 1 2 and 4 but, not 3. So when you hear I have the traits given by effects 1 and 2 you might think I must also have effect three because it's so common. But you'd be an idiot, because this other guy has causes 1 and 2 but not 3.
atheisim is not a cause, it is an effect. I never chose to be an atheist, I heard theistic claims, thought about it (cause = I think), doubted their claims held any water (cause2 = I question) and eventually saw that there was never a reason to think there was a god (effect = I did not beleive the madman telling me about god. effect = I carry the title atheist.)
I know I'm long winded as hell but, I hope that got some kind of message accross.
Side note:
"Quote:
Amongst atheists you will find vastly divergent views, philosophies and ideologies,but no consensus. Not even, it seems, on definitions.
I thought you just told me that all atheists believe there is no God? Maybe you're not the best spokesperson for all atheists."
No hes pretty correct there, and anyone could have said it. It's an observation that has jack-shit to do with his atheisim. It's easy to see that atheists disagree on just about everything, even definitions. Because you don't have to be right to disagree, an atheist can feel that the word atheist implies some things he is not and will make up his own definition to fit himself personally. you are however right, he is not a good spokesman for atheists, because nobody is. Nobody on this forum speaks for my beleifs but me, nobody on this planet speaks for my beleifs but, me. Not a single person.
One exeption however, while you seem to have trouble grasping the idea of what atheisim even is (a pointless word that has become a badge because of majority domination) the only thing I want to touch on right now is your comment on the book 'the atheist way' and forums such as this one.
if a bunch of people get bullied because they don't think that the show Transformers is the best thing on TV, and they decide to make a forum to hang out where they won't be bothered by people who want to bother them for not thinking transformers rocks. this does not create some new culture of which they are members. A community yes but, not some new culture. You also can't assume anything about them, odds are they are probably not into shows that involve giant mechs but, to assume that about them is stupid, a smart person would ask the individual.
Like these people atheists have no rituals, we have no common sets of beleif that come as a result of our atheisim, not a single damned one. I'm not even on this forum because most of the people are atheists, I come here because I enjoy researching religion and have found that I like hanging out with the users here.
And before you try to tell me evolution is a staple of atheisim let me get this out first because it's a fundamental minsunderstanding that one has to know before they can dream to even possibly consider that they might know shit about anything in this kind of situation.
first point, theists, better to say members of a religion, have lists of things that they beleive. Christians beleive that a god exists, that he loves them and that he sent his son to earth. Muslims beleive in allah and his teachings. An atheist gets only one thing from his atheisim, and even that is saying it wrong. He gets nothing from his atheisim at all, he does not beleive in a god therefore he is an atheist. Not he is an atheist so he cannot beleive in a god. I can only hope you can see what I am trying to say here, it is not easy to explain with only text.
Now heres the trick, point two. the majority of atheists accept evolution, this must mean that because they are atheist they naturally accept evolution. Oh wait, no that's bullcrap. (/endsarcaim) this statment assumes that it is as a result of ones atheisim that causes them to think in the way that leads them to accept evolution which is 100% backwards. It is because they are, for example a freethinker, maybe they hate establishment, maybe they are solid beleivers in the scientific process and see it as the best way to advance the human race. It is these kinds of things that cause people to example god and not accept bullcrap as an excuse, thus they become atheists. It also causes them to not accept creationisim, to look at the facts and accept evolution as the best current theory.
To help show this, because I know that text is a pitiful method of communication and this is a complicated thing to explain apparently.
cause - effect1
- effect2
- effect3
I may have 'cause', so I have effects 1 2 and 3. So knowing I have 'cause you can figure out that it I have the traits given by effects 1-3. someone else might have a different 'cause' and it produces effects 1 2 and 4 but, not 3. So when you hear I have the traits given by effects 1 and 2 you might think I must also have effect three because it's so common. But you'd be an idiot, because this other guy has causes 1 and 2 but not 3.
atheisim is not a cause, it is an effect. I never chose to be an atheist, I heard theistic claims, thought about it (cause = I think), doubted their claims held any water (cause2 = I question) and eventually saw that there was never a reason to think there was a god (effect = I did not beleive the madman telling me about god. effect = I carry the title atheist.)
I know I'm long winded as hell but, I hope that got some kind of message accross.
Side note:
"Quote:
Amongst atheists you will find vastly divergent views, philosophies and ideologies,but no consensus. Not even, it seems, on definitions.
I thought you just told me that all atheists believe there is no God? Maybe you're not the best spokesperson for all atheists."
No hes pretty correct there, and anyone could have said it. It's an observation that has jack-shit to do with his atheisim. It's easy to see that atheists disagree on just about everything, even definitions. Because you don't have to be right to disagree, an atheist can feel that the word atheist implies some things he is not and will make up his own definition to fit himself personally. you are however right, he is not a good spokesman for atheists, because nobody is. Nobody on this forum speaks for my beleifs but me, nobody on this planet speaks for my beleifs but, me. Not a single person.
