Introduction

[Whateverist]

I've already responded in one other of your threads in a less than sympathetic manner. Here I would like to extend a sincere hand in greeting and wish you better times here.

Like you I find the hard question as intriguing as it is elusive .. but that doesn't prevent me from thinking and theorizing about it.

Also, I would say that my agnosticism is more primary to my point of view than my atheism. I don't see agnosticism as diminishing my atheism. In fact, if I were a theist I would still be equally agnostic. When it comes to judging others, I put more stock in their agnosticism than their theism or lack there of. Agnostics want the truth on its own terms and as they find it; we're not looking for confirmation in either direction, but will accept what comes. Most atheists here are also agnostic. But there are also a good number who are latter day logical positivists, they assume too much and see no reason to delay the celebration of certainty. This has led to the misconception that atheism is a 'religion'. I think you can see the difference though.

Welcome and I hope your skin will grow sufficiently tough without diminishing your sense of touch.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

It's amusing to me the perpetual raging on new members for "misunderstanding" the "atheist position" when at the same time people are prepared to berate and harass new members before having the courtesy to find out about them first before jumping to conclusions. People: They act just like you'd expect

Onus is on them to introduce themselves to us. In case you haven't noticed we get a lot of trolls coming through who like to tell is what we think and berate us for it.

That's we have an introduction section and that's why we encourage new people to use.

OP welcome.

[sswhateverlove]

It's amusing to me the perpetual raging on new members for "misunderstanding" the "atheist position" when at the same time people are prepared to berate and harass new members before having the courtesy to find out about them first before jumping to conclusions. People: They act just like you'd expect

Onus is on them to introduce themselves to us. In case you haven't noticed we get a lot of trolls coming through who like to tell is what we think and berate us for it.

That's we have an introduction section and that's why we encourage new people to use.

OP welcome.

As someone who has gone through this personally, I would say that if this is an accepted part of your social culture, you should have some bold-typed warning on the top of the forum that says "if you do not present with an atheist perspective and you do not introduce yourself first, you will be berated and harassed". Honestly, I had no clue and it totally caught me off guard. I'm used to having my opinions valued and to being treated respectfully and I really was very confused.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Onus is on them to introduce themselves to us. In case you haven't noticed we get a lot of trolls coming through who like to tell is what we think and berate us for it.

That's we have an introduction section and that's why we encourage new people to use.

OP welcome.

As someone who has gone through this personally, I would say that if this is an accepted part of your social culture, you should have some bold-typed warning on the top of the forum that says "if you do not present with an atheist perspective and you do not introduce yourself first, you will be berated and harassed". Honestly, I had no clue and it totally caught me off guard. I'm used to having my opinions valued and to being treated respectfully and I really was very confused.

Oh please get over yourself. We've got many members on here who aren't atheists who are treated with respect.

'Atheists' are not some homogenous group of people that are given a guide book as to how to be an atheist when they're shot out of their mother's womb. We've all got opinions that vary from subject to subject. The only thing that 'unites' atheists is a lack of belief in deities. That's it.

I'm sorry if your experience of the forum hasn't been what you expected it to be. Maybe if you'd lurked more you'd have gotten to know the membership a bit more and understood the general posting etiquette better.

You've posted OPs and responses laden with fallacious reasoning and you expected us to, what, sing your praises and dance around a maypole with banners and music and cookies?

I've said welcome. I'll leave you to it.

[rexbeccarox]

Onus is on them to introduce themselves to us. In case you haven't noticed we get a lot of trolls coming through who like to tell is what we think and berate us for it.

That's we have an introduction section and that's why we encourage new people to use.

OP welcome.

As someone who has gone through this personally, I would say that if this is an accepted part of your social culture, you should have some bold-typed warning on the top of the forum that says "if you do not present with an atheist perspective and you do not introduce yourself first, you will be berated and harassed". Honestly, I had no clue and it totally caught me off guard. I'm used to having my opinions valued and to being treated respectfully and I really was very confused.

Seriously, love, we've had our share of PMs...

Why would your opinion be valued by us when we've never even met you or have never known anything about you? When you joined our community, you didn't bother to introduce yourself, and made eight threads strawmanning atheists. That's akin to crashing someone's gathering, walking up to the podium, taking the mic, averring your thoughts, and telling everyone in the room what and how they think, and then getting upset because they are angry about it.

I think you could be a really valuable member of the forum. You just need to drop the idea that anyone is persecuting you. How would you feel if someone just waltzed into your living room and told you how you are?

I'm trying to make your stay here positive...

[sswhateverlove]

As someone who has gone through this personally, I would say that if this is an accepted part of your social culture, you should have some bold-typed warning on the top of the forum that says "if you do not present with an atheist perspective and you do not introduce yourself first, you will be berated and harassed". Honestly, I had no clue and it totally caught me off guard. I'm used to having my opinions valued and to being treated respectfully and I really was very confused.

Seriously, love, we've had our share of PMs...

Why would your opinion be valued by us when we've never even met you or have never known anything about you? When you joined our community, you didn't bother to introduce yourself, and made eight threads strawmanning atheists. That's akin to crashing someone's gathering, walking up to the podium, taking the mic, averring your thoughts, and telling everyone in the room what and how they think, and then getting upset because they are angry about it.

I think you could be a really valuable member of the forum. You just need to drop the idea that anyone is persecuting you. How would you feel if someone just waltzed into your living room and told you how you are?

I'm trying to make your stay here positive...

I'm acknowledging that I was ignorant with regard to the social culture in this particular forum or that i was strawmanning atheists. I didn't come here with the intention to lurk, I came with very specific discussions that I was interested in having. I assumed that if people did not like what I had to say, they would ignore it. Unlike waltzing into your living room and taking over your microphone, I had no idea you were even going to choose to read my thread nevermind that you would take offense to me posting it here. I had no clue of the social dynamics, nor that I was doing anything that you would find insulting.

Honestly, thought process went... Just wrote 3 papers... Want feedback from people who will challenge my perspective and lead me to more information... Where do I go with my discussions?... Atheistforums, ok.... Most of the atheists I know are pretty smart with regard to science... Where should I post each discussion topic?.... Ok, categories... Hmmm... I wonder if anyone will even respond?...

Then woah, woah, woah... why is everyone being so mean? hock:

Again, I apologize for my ignorance, but it may be unrealistic to assume everyone is going to just know how to go about interacting in your community. Forums are new to me in general. I would guess others who come here may be inexperienced as well.

[rexbeccarox]

Then maybe you should have lurked a little more... gotten to know the people around here a little.

You know, you could be learning about the community as a whole, but instead you're lashing against most suggestions as to actually *how* you can get along here. I've seriously tried with you, and so have a lot of others... I even posted in a mod thread about how I'd like to see you become a valuable member... but you just push and push.

This is the Intro forum, and I'm a mod, and I really am squeezing the rules here, but just a little advice (again): try not to be so combative; try to ease into the banter here. You're obviously pushing a lot of buttons; maybe you should reflect on why that's happening.

[fr0d0]

Instead of having to go through this circus act with so many new members, as so many mods keep on complaining about, why don't you either change your attitude, change the rules, or make it a public notice on the new member sign up page. I'm certainly sick of your whining.

[rexbeccarox]

Instead of having to go through this circus act with so many new members, as so many mods keep on complaining about, why don't you either change your attitude, change the rules, or make it a public notice on the new member sign up page. I'm certainly sick of your whining.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Instead of having to go through this circus act with so many new members, as so many mods keep on complaining about, why don't you either change your attitude, change the rules, or make it a public notice on the new member sign up page. I'm certainly sick of your whining.

QFT