My Thoughts On Militant Atheism

[pocaracas]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I just had to reply to this:

I have, when I was 13 I gradually began to lose my faith, when I was 15 I became an agnostic and when I was 16 or a few months before I turned 16 I was a full blown atheist. It took an entirety of 3 years for me to become an atheist, I unlike some people did not have the benefit of the internet or people who I could engage in dialogue with and ponder the existence of a god. When I became an atheist I thought I was the only one in the entire world, such was my isolation, I became an atheist entirely on my own. With only a handful of scientific theories and my own philosophical inquiries.

Me TOOOO!!!!

But I was about 10 and it happened over the course of a car trip to my grandmother's.
Of course, the initial realization then required some further tuning, but I also spent years thinking I was the only one in the whole world who was even pondering the possibility that there is no god.
Then I learned there was a word to describe this kind of people, atheist, and I thought I wasn't alone anymore... then I heard someone saying that some 20% of the population are atheists.... and it felt good!
It's always good to think you belong to a group... the human psyche is a strange thing...

Regarding the topic of the thread itself, I think you're being too harsh, but it also depends greatly on the definition of "militant atheist" that you're using... and, by the end of the 3rd page, I haven't seen you define it... maybe you already have...

Anyway... I'm going to read the remaining 13 pages of this thread and will... come back.

Oh, almost forgot: Welcome aboard, I see you're already having fun!

[DramaQueen]

Should we respect scientology and deepak chopra

[Celestine]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I just had to reply to this:

I have, when I was 13 I gradually began to lose my faith, when I was 15 I became an agnostic and when I was 16 or a few months before I turned 16 I was a full blown atheist. It took an entirety of 3 years for me to become an atheist, I unlike some people did not have the benefit of the internet or people who I could engage in dialogue with and ponder the existence of a god. When I became an atheist I thought I was the only one in the entire world, such was my isolation, I became an atheist entirely on my own. With only a handful of scientific theories and my own philosophical inquiries.

Me TOOOO!!!!

But I was about 10 and it happened over the course of a car trip to my grandmother's.
Of course, the initial realization then required some further tuning, but I also spent years thinking I was the only one in the whole world who was even pondering the possibility that there is no god.
Then I learned there was a word to describe this kind of people, atheist, and I thought I wasn't alone anymore... then I heard someone saying that some 20% of the population are atheists.... and it felt good!
It's always good to think you belong to a group... the human psyche is a strange thing...

Regarding the topic of the thread itself, I think you're being too harsh, but it also depends greatly on the definition of "militant atheist" that you're using... and, by the end of the 3rd page, I haven't seen you define it... maybe you already have...

Anyway... I'm going to read the remaining 13 pages of this thread and will... come back.

Oh, almost forgot: Welcome aboard, I see you're already having fun!

I might be a little to harsh, but I am only hard on others because I am hard on myself.

I will admit I should not have insulted others, even though I did not feel as though I was insulting them nor was I trying to I should have payed closer attention to what I was saying. I must remember what I myself would not find insulting isn't necessarily something that others would not.

This newcomer is sharp and dull at the same time. The thing is, she likely thinks the same of us. If we focused more on what we share in common, rather than where we differ, I believe that prejudice can be overcome, and bridges can be formed.

Never mind me... I'm an old naive fool. Carry on.

I am a man. Not a she.

[The Grand Nudger]

Meh, I wouldn;t worry so much about insults in a vacuum. Say you'd actually put forward a well thought out screed against "militant atheism" - and added a few jabs and barbs. That would probably be kosher. Since you didn't, but added the barbs anyway, and then pulled a victim card........well, is the response you got really all that surprising?

[Losty]

I do not understand the term "militant atheist". I will admit that I don't have cable so sometimes the news is late to reach my ears. Are atheists now killing each other over who doesn't believe in god more or are atheists forming militias and killing religious people?

[RobbyPants]

I do not understand the term "militant atheist". I will admit that I don't have cable so sometimes the news is late to reach my ears. Are atheists now killing each other over who doesn't believe in god more or are atheists forming militias and killing religious people?

They're rude, they hurt people's feelings, and offend their sensibilities.

So, yeah, the hyperbolic descriptions kinda raised your expectations, didn't it? :p

[JesusHChrist]

I am a man. Not a she.

No, I'm certain you are a she.

[Clueless Morgan]

The maturity of this forum is exactly what I had anticipated it to be, a lack of intellectual thought resides here.

[snip]

It seems my time here has been wasted, and I have precious little time to be wasted by speaking to the deaf. I hope some of you will eventually understand the futility of militant atheism and stop wasting your time as well when it could be used for better purposes.

You're perfectly able to stop posting here if you think you're wasting your time and that we're all too immature, uncritical, and "deaf" to listen.

And yet you remain...

And are even starting additional threads...
http://atheistforums.org/thread-28679-po...#pid752969

Curious...

You have insulted me three times now, why? What do you expect to achieve by insulting me? Why is your behavior so poor?

Perhaps it was because instead of posting an intro or getting to know the personalities in this forum for a couple months before coming to your conclusions you started a thread that insults the members of this forum.

Perhaps it is because you're making unjustified assumptions about all militant atheists' motives, and seem to be implying that all atheists in these forums are militant from the get-go, as if that's every atheist's default approach. Did you ever think of asking who here self-identifies as militant? No, just you assumed.

Perhaps you're reaping what you have been sowing.

Perhaps you have been militantly anti-militant-atheist and are having a hard time handling it when this is pointed out to you by members of this forum.

I believe I have behaved myself rather well here all things considered, if I have stepped out of line please show me where I have done so. When have I insulted you?

You started your AF.org career off by blanket-insulting the membership of these forums, for a start.

You're making assumptions about the intelligence level of the members of this forum based on your perceived notion of everyone here falling into a single category.

You make further assumptions that your supposed wise and benevolent message of a softer approach will fall on deaf ears without even understanding that you're doing the very thing you're trying to advocate against: You started a thread telling us that being insulting and patronizing isn't a good way to change people's minds, then proceed to be insulting and patronizing to the very people you're trying to persuade, and then conclude your opening post by assuming no one will listen, not because of your condescending tone, but because the members here are just dogmatically opposed to anything but militancy, as though every single member of these forums is above having a calm discussion about what the best approach is to get someone to reconsider a position.

In conclusion, you are a hypocrite.

[pocaracas]

I did it!
I read the whole thing...

We need a "soap opera" thread on this forum...

I might be a little to harsh, but I am only hard on others because I am hard on myself.

Bah... don't mind these atheists... they see trolls everywhere!

I saw your definition of "militant" a few pages back and I was a bit put off by it.
Perhaps you were looking for outspoken (like Richard Dawkins), or those who don't give a damn about who they're talking to (like Ricky Gervais or Jim Jefferies or Tim Minchin).
Militant reminds of military and the usage of physical weapons which hurt or kill other people. I (and I think I speak for the majority in here when I say this) would never accept such methodology to impose the lack of belief.... actually, just the act of imposing a lack of belief seems nonsensical.

At one time, I did think Richar Dawkins did come out as too aggressive in his desire to rid the world of religion as fast as possible.... even if it meant taking children away from indoctrinating parents.
I still see that as abuse, but I understand his point. I see the prohibition of indoctrination as the best anti-delusional, anti-brainwashing method to rid humanity of the plague of religion.
But it's unfeasible. Perhaps it could be done on a few countries, but there are large parts of the world where it's completely impossible to implement anything like that (think of theocracies).

I will admit I should not have insulted others, even though I did not feel as though I was insulting them nor was I trying to I should have payed closer attention to what I was saying. I must remember what I myself would not find insulting isn't necessarily something that others would not.

Insults are not always conveyed through vulgarity.
Those that use vulgarity are often the less insulting.
There were insults from both sides on this thread... shame on you lot!

[The Grand Nudger]

:in a deep voice: Shame, shame, shame.