Quite a shame how people respond

[Whateverist]

Bear in mind that eternity isn't simply a very long time; it's never ending, by definition. Even with all the freedom and imagination in existence, you'd be hard pressed to come up with something so engaging that you'd never tire of it. Eventually, after a few thousand years or whatever, it's inevitable I'm afraid that it would be a (non-)living hell. Non-existence through oblivion is the only guarantee of eternal peace.

Maybe after enough time had gone by you'd be so bored that you might create a race of people just to fuck with them. Maybe order one of them to kill their own child just for larks before sending an angel to say "just kidding". Like anything else, that too would be come boring so after you went on to bigger and better (or collapsed into catatonic boredom) they'd still be wondering what they had to do to keep on your good side. Trouble is you'd just have no more fuck to give.

[Arellius]

Hi guys.

I've been noticing something bad in almost every thread I go into.

The thread starts usually with something a religious person asks about or posts. And what follows is a long thread of ridicule and senseless attacks.

I am noticing more an more threads that never seem to attack the question and the issue at hand. Threads filled with cheap jokes and insults. Posts that are nothing more than a link or a pair of sentences that don't contribute to the debate.

Meanwhile the religious people use those posts to later on claim that they had a "discussion" on an atheist oriented forum and they won the arguments!
"See", they would say; "I posted some of my religious proof and BOOM! Atheists didn't know what to respond".


Come on guys!


You want to comment on a news piece, do so, but with respect to the readers. Maybe write about how morality should not be derived from holy books and how that piece of news contradicted human rights, the teaching of the people who did something...


Atheists are supposed to be the elite of the educated masses. We are supposed to spread knowledge, not ridicule.

Agreed

Alas, that's the internet for you. People are free to say what they want, it's up to you not to get pissed off at a stranger who babbles cuss words all the time. The YouTube comments are the worst though, even more worse than Facebook. This is pretty oké so far I've noticed.

[Violet]

Alas, that's the internet for you. People are free to say what they want, it's up to you not to get pissed off at a stranger who babbles cuss words all the time. The YouTube comments are the worst though, even more worse than Facebook. This is pretty oké so far I've noticed.

Youtube comments? That's nothing. Us? We're nothing.

New to the internet, are you? Welcome

[Arellius]

Haha, very new and thank you..

[Violet]

Haha, very new and thank you..

Whatever happened to those days when I welcomed people with bubbling cauldrons and stun grenades?

I have grown soft. Balance is weakness...

[Brian37]

Hi guys.

I've been noticing something bad in almost every thread I go into.

The thread starts usually with something a religious person asks about or posts. And what follows is a long thread of ridicule and senseless attacks.

I am noticing more an more threads that never seem to attack the question and the issue at hand. Threads filled with cheap jokes and insults. Posts that are nothing more than a link or a pair of sentences that don't contribute to the debate.

Meanwhile the religious people use those posts to later on claim that they had a "discussion" on an atheist oriented forum and they won the arguments!
"See", they would say; "I posted some of my religious proof and BOOM! Atheists didn't know what to respond".


Come on guys!


You want to comment on a news piece, do so, but with respect to the readers. Maybe write about how morality should not be derived from holy books and how that piece of news contradicted human rights, the teaching of the people who did something...


Atheists are supposed to be the elite of the educated masses. We are supposed to spread knowledge, not ridicule.

Agreed

Alas, that's the internet for you. People are free to say what they want, it's up to you not to get pissed off at a stranger who babbles cuss words all the time. The YouTube comments are the worst though, even more worse than Facebook. This is pretty oké so far I've noticed.

So the medium matters? So if Hitchens comments on the story of Abraham asked by God to kill his own son if Hitchens said " FUCK YOU" meaning no sane parent would do that. Because he said it in a speech or is rich and famous, then that's ok. But when no name people say the same thing, others focus on cuss words rather than the message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVoloVvsupM

It does piss me off that far to many people get stuck on words when the real offense is what credulous people do when lead by the nose of fascist states and or fascist religions.

People complain about foul language as if it could ever cause the same damage as corrupt blind loyalty to a state or a god. Tyranny is when "don't offend me" is institutionalized.

[Arellius]

I meant more in the sense of; when people get mad and start swearing at you when it isn't necessary. I swear all the fucking time, swearing is cool and a great fucking way to enhance the intensity of a point one makes. However, if someone were to call me an asshole or try to offend me with any other swear word whilst having a weak argument, I don't care. In my opinion, it depends on where you use the cuss words.

I found good points between the YouTube comments all the time, even when people swear at each other needlessly. I was referring to the anonymous trolls who offend people when they get mad and state no argument at all.

As for Christopher Hitchens, he is a well educated man and widely known as a fucking awesome debater. It's hard not to give credit to him, that's an amazing clip and statement

[Mystical]

Unless and until you know the mental capacity and education of your audience, coming in and making assertions is stupid and dangerous. Sort of like the sword guy in the "nut" thread telling me to "read Holy Blood, Holy Grail" when I asked him for some sort of back up on his statement. I've already read that book. He didn't ask respectfully if I had. He just assumed I hadn't because I didn't believe him outright. Can you understand how condescending this is? This happens all the fucking time on this forum. I'm still mad at how jstrodel treated missluckie in this fashion.

I...don't even remember what specific moment of which you speak, sad eh? To be fair, my first exchange with him involved popping his mother theresa bubble

http://atheistforums.org/thread-17578-page-6.html

[Brian37]

I meant more in the sense of; when people get mad and start swearing at you when it isn't necessary. I swear all the fucking time, swearing is cool and a great fucking way to enhance the intensity of a point one makes. However, if someone were to call me an asshole or try to offend me with any other swear word whilst having a weak argument, I don't care. In my opinion, it depends on where you use the cuss words.

I found good points between the YouTube comments all the time, even when people swear at each other needlessly. I was referring to the anonymous trolls who offend people when they get mad and state no argument at all.

As for Christopher Hitchens, he is a well educated man and widely known as a fucking awesome debater. It's hard not to give credit to him, that's an amazing clip and statement

I agree, I just hate the "never" pc crowd. If we always go by the PC people then things like South Park and Huckleberry Finn would be banned. I do think some well intended people who don't like bullies or bigots miss the bigger picture long term how "never" could come back and bite them in the ass.

Hitchens also said something to the affect of " I never want to unintentionally offend anyone". Meaning not hurt the feelings of someone who doesn't deserve it. But bruising egos especially of those making absurd claims he would have no problem with.

[thesummerqueen]

I...don't even remember what specific moment of which you speak, sad eh? To be fair, my first exchange with him involved popping his mother theresa bubble

http://atheistforums.org/thread-17578-page-6.html

It was about the drugs issue and you being a good person and whether or not you had actually "prayed" enough and prostrated yourself enough in front of a non-existent being. I hate victim blaming.

---

People complain about foul language as if it could ever cause the same damage as corrupt blind loyalty to a state or a god. Tyranny is when "don't offend me" is institutionalized.

This bothers the shit out of me, especially in real life. People get stuck on the swearing and don't notice anything else. Like the fact that I'm always there to help, or that I wear nice clothes, or that I make good argument points or that I might sometimes be funny. Nope. It's the fact that I swear like a sailor. Which I don't in real life, unless I'm angry. But that's all people remember due to their own biases, and I'm cognizant of that and don't care. It actually says more about them than it does me that swearing is what they focus on rather than anything else.

"I realize I say the word 'fuck' a lot and I'd apologize...but I don't give a shit." - Lewis Black