What shall we do about theists?

[Blackrook]

This kind of thread is why Christians fear and distrust atheists. It's not funny to talk about rounding people up and putting them in death camps. Atheists have a bad history of actually doing this.

[Hezekiah]

This kind of thread is why Christians fear and distrust atheists. It's not funny to talk about rounding people up and putting them in death camps. Atheists have a bad history of actually doing this.

I agree with you and I understand your concern, but try not to take it that way. Instead use this as an opportunity to peacefully voice how you would like to see atheist and theist interactions play out.

In response to the question at hand: whether you're religious or non-religious, the most mature and peaceful way to deal with someone of a different worldview, is to simply remember that the individual is human being, seperate from the values they hold dear. You don't have to agree with their beliefs, but a person's beliefs should never out-weigh their value as a human being.

[Ben Davis]

This kind of thread is why Christians fear and distrust atheists. It's not funny to talk about rounding people up and putting them in death camps. Atheists have a bad history of actually doing this.

Atheists have a bad history of this??!? And what of the centuries of persecution that atheists have suffered (and still suffer) at the hands of the religious? Have you considered that meeting such a blood-soaked history with a little humour is a sign that you have less to worry about than we do?

[RobbyPants]

I'd say a bit of #1 and #3, with the caveat that we, as a society, don't cut religions slack for breaking laws or acting terribly.

So, I wouldn't say that we should outright outlaw fundamentalism pre se, but there are plenty of dumb things fundies do that we simply shouldn't tolerate. For example:

• Don't let people force their views on others or try to restrict their rights on religious grounds.
  
• Don't let people be violent toward or bully others for religious reasons.
  
• Don't let creationism into public education.
  
• Don't give nutters "equal time" or consideration in grown-up conversations.
  
• Don't let people claim religion as an excuse for bad behavior/rule breaking.
  

Aside from that, while I consider theists to be more credulous than they ought to be, if they aren't inflicting their views on others, I can't really get mad at them for it.

[Whateverist]

This kind of thread is why Christians fear and distrust atheists. It's not funny to talk about rounding people up and putting them in death camps. Atheists have a bad history of actually doing this.

Sorry if you felt threatened. As the author of the poll I can tell you my intention was to inject some enthusiasm for each of the options, even the ones I don't personally hold. It might make you feel better to note that only one person has chosen that option and my bet is it was made to be funny. It's called "dark humor".

You might also note that the vast majority of us chose the live and let live options. If I hadn't made the darker options available you wouldn't be able to see how we don't choose those.

[JesusHChrist]

We could drug all the theists, put them in minimal life-support pods, and using <magic technology>, extract their electrical essence. If they become aware of their state, our machines will mercifully dispatch them.

In effect, we could use them as battery farms.

Global warming? Solved.

Energy crisis? Solved.

Annoying door-knockers? Solved.

Free to live a bohemian life of sin without dirty looks from Church Ladies? Solved.

[Jenny A]

This kind of thread is why Christians fear and distrust atheists. It's not funny to talk about rounding people up and putting them in death camps. Atheists have a bad history of actually doing this.

Really, a bad history? You mean Hitler? The jury's still out on him. He was a Catholic and the bulk of the Germans carrying out his plan were Christian and it's Christian hatred of Jews that made his program workable. Stalin, you can have. He was atheist. Currently, there are many places in the world where being atheist is a death penalty crime. How many places is that true of Christianity.

But putting that aside, you really think atheists are more likely to find death camps funny than Christians? Really? And you did notice the poll results. Live and let live it is.

[Chas]

This kind of thread is why Christians fear and distrust atheists. It's not funny to talk about rounding people up and putting them in death camps. Atheists have a bad history of actually doing this.

Seriously? Which atheists were those?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Generally, I behave as I am, and enjoy the surprise when they learn that a decent, upright guy is a non-believer.

It's a good way to show them that religion is not necessary for the moral life, without being an obnoxious prick.

What they do with that information is up to them.

---

Stalin, you can have. He was atheist. Currently, there are many places in the world where being atheist is a death penalty crime. How many places is that true of Christianity.

The fact is that very few of Stalin's victims were incarcerated and murdered for their religion. Stalin himself was a seminary student before he became a revolutionary, and it's not outside of reason that he might have remained a believer.

And if we're to be totting up balance sheets, theists have not only Christian misdeeds such as the Inquisition, the Crusades, the Thirty Years' War, and the medieval witch-hunts to their ledger, but also the victims of Muslim expansion, the Hindu-Muslim battles in India, the sacrifical victims thrown into volcanoes throughout history and on every continent... because the balance sheet is not atheists compared to Christians, it's atheists compared to theists.

[C4RM5]

We could drug all the theists, put them in minimal life-support pods, and using <magic technology>, extract their electrical essence. If they become aware of their state, our machines will mercifully dispatch them.

In effect, we could use them as battery farms.

Global warming? Solved.

Energy crisis? Solved.

Annoying door-knockers? Solved.

Free to live a bohemian life of sin without dirty looks from Church Ladies? Solved.

Do we get complimentary pillows because I want to be comfy when I get my electrical essence extracted?