Question For Fellow Atheists...

[RetiredArmy]

I'ma go back to coloring with crayons

[Autolite]

If it turned out that god belief was merely a predictable outcome given a certain kind of upbringing and that it resulted in no serious impairment to their mental capacities, would you still be distressed by the existence of believers?

I'll try and give you the bigger picture of where I'm coming from.  I'm actually disgusted with all forms of B.S.  Things like scams, hoaxes, psychics, frauds and charlatans all piss me off.  These sorts of things take advantage of folks who are just unable to figure out that they're being duped. 

Religion just happens to be one of the biggest frauds and most damaging scams that I'm aware of.  I was raised a christian and I've seen the mental anguish and anxiety cause by religion in my own family.  I've seen the psychological damage it does to someone when that individual trusts and believes in a god who just isn't there.  Believers are proponents of religion and promote the propagation of same.  

But like I've said, I have a problem with all sorts of this type of nonsense.  Several years ago I lost a friend who died because she was into homeopathy.   No one in her immediate family knew that she was even sick.  She hid it from everyone except her brother and sister in-law who had convinced her that all she needed to do was to drink this 'miracle water'.  She died suddenly from massive and sudden organ failure without ever even having talked to a doctor.

I just can't abide people who believe in and promote unsubstantiated, irrational nonsense of any type.  It's a harmful detriment to society in general... 

[Whateverist]

If it turned out that god belief was merely a predictable outcome given a certain kind of upbringing and that it resulted in no serious impairment to their mental capacities, would you still be distressed by the existence of believers?

I just can't abide people who believe in and promote unsubstantiated, irrational nonsense of any type.  It's a harmful detriment to society in general... 

In your example it certainly is but not every xtian is into homeopathy, nor do they all withhold modern medicine from themselves or their children in any but a sliver of cases.  And I'm sure there are plenty of atheists who shun modern medicine.  The famous comedian Bill Maher is on record as not supporting vaccines.  Merely holding a comforting, long instilled belief without evidence is not in and of itself damaging to themselves or society.

Meh, I think it is the sort of thing over which people can reasonably disagree for the sake of living together pro-socially.  What concerns me more is the rabid urgency to convert the unwilling.  I don't appreciate it when xtian missionaries attempt to inflict their beliefs on me.  By the same token I think it is only decent to avoid intrusive attempts at shaming believers out of their beliefs.

[Going back to read the other posts now.]

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My impression is that few people where I live are a fervent believer in a personal God. It doesn't ever come up.

Sure would like to have what you're having, but it isn't worth sending those who disagree to death camps over.

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However, I must still disagree that anyone is mentally screwed up (in any sense of the word) for being either atheist or theist, conservative or liberal, etc, simply bc you have a different opinion and cant fathom how they came to their conclussions.

We know how you came to your conclusions, C/L.  That's the problem.

The very process of how any of us comes to a conclusion is so complex and poorly understood that calling her methods into question seems premature.

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Afraid to tell us what you really believe? That you might be judged mentally ill?

I didn't think that it was a serious question.  TBH, I've never looked into it enough to really form any sort of opinion on it.  I will claim however that I am reasonably certain that there were no supernatural causes or factors.  If anyone accuses me of being 'mentally ill' for such a claim then I think that I will just live with it...

And should everyone else respect your decision to "just live with it"?  If so, are you willing to do the same when others decide to just live with the beliefs you think make them mentally ill?

What is true and how we treat each other are two different matters and shouldn't be linked.  Gods and other supernatural stuff don't literally exist - I agree with you.  But others won't.  So what?  They don't have to.

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I wanted to find a forum were I can be truthful without necessarily being polite...

That will elicit a response as you may have noticed. This isn't the atheists-only tree house for belligerent adolescents. The place is billed and moderated to be a place where people of all beliefs and no belief can communicate. Open hostility is better kept in the R'lyeh sub-forum.

[brewer]

If it turned out that god belief was merely a predictable outcome given a certain kind of upbringing and that it resulted in no serious impairment to their mental capacities, would you still be distressed by the existence of believers?

I'll try and give you the bigger picture of where I'm coming from.  I'm actually disgusted with all forms of B.S.  Things like scams, hoaxes, psychics, frauds and charlatans all piss me off.  These sorts of things take advantage of folks who are just unable to figure out that they're being duped. 

Religion just happens to be one of the biggest frauds and most damaging scams that I'm aware of.  I was raised a christian and I've seen the mental anguish and anxiety cause by religion in my own family.  I've seen the psychological damage it does to someone when that individual trusts and believes in a god who just isn't there.  Believers are proponents of religion and promote the propagation of same.  

But like I've said, I have a problem with all sorts of this type of nonsense.  Several years ago I lost a friend who died because she was into homeopathy.   No one in her immediate family knew that she was even sick.  She hid it from everyone except her brother and sister in-law who had convinced her that all she needed to do was to drink this 'miracle water'.  She died suddenly from massive and sudden organ failure without ever even having talked to a doctor.

I just can't abide people who believe in and promote unsubstantiated, irrational nonsense of any type.  It's a harmful detriment to society in general... 

I'll tell the "My Pillow" guy to duck when he see's you coming.

[Kernel Sohcahtoa]

This is my first visit to your forum.  I have been a full-hard-right Atheist for at least twenty five years but I would like to ask a question that I think only another Atheist might be able to help me with.

I've spent several years discussing religion both on and offline but I think I have reached a point of 'Atheist burn-out'.  I don't think it would be a surprise to any Atheist here that such discussions rarely actually accomplish any tangible results reference changing the mind of a Theist and far more often than not usually only end up in generating a considerable amount of animosity between both parties. 

I would like to know how you other Atheists deal with and view Theists?

It seems to bother me more and more that there are so many people who continue to buy into the B.S. that is Theism.  I recently watched the 'Jesus Camp' documentary and found it unsettling and even a little depressing.  How do you fellow Atheists reconcile the fact that most of the people that you know are basically mentally 'screwed-up'.

A few weeks ago a christian neighbour of mine made a religious comment so profoundly absurd and ridiculous that it almost sent me into shock.  How do you cope knowing that many so people are this messed up?  I sometimes feel like I'm trapped in some sort of surreal 'Twilight Zone' type of parallel universe that is controlled and run by total nut-cases...

Thank you for creating this thread, Autolite; IMO, it is a very good one.  Your op makes me think about the following quote from Inherit The Wind (1960)

Sarah Brady (In response to Matthew Brady's remark about building a monument to God for the people of Hillsboro): "...every man has to build his own monument.  You can't do it for them, Matt.  If you do, it becomes your monument, not theirs, and they'll topple it the minute they find a flaw in it."

As a result, when interacting with others who think differently than me, I like to remind myself that I do not have all of the answers and am uncertain about a great many things about that which we call reality.  Thus, my uncertainty about reality is my own path; it is a way for me to be individually unique and build my own monument of understanding. Therefore, IMO, I must allow others to find their own paths, build their own monuments, and be who they are.  Hence, based on my observations and experiences, I have found that the best that I can do is encourage people to think for themselves and come to their own conclusions. 

With that said, thanks for creating this thread.  I hope you enjoy your time here; IMO, this is a unique community, and it is a privilege to be a part of it.  Live long and prosper, Autolite.

[robvalue]

Look on the bright side: atheism/irreligion is on the rise and religion is in decline, in most civilized countries. We're in a transition period now. Eventually the West will mostly be like England I think. If you haven't been, come visit! Religion is a joke here, except for a few pockets of resistance.

[ignoramus]

Good to know Rob. But I do believe that calling the queen a parasitic old hag in public will still get you decapitated? Yes?

[robvalue]

Absolutely, yes. I have a scimitar with me at all times in case I hear such treasonous talk.

[comet]

This is my first visit to your forum.  I have been a full-hard-right Atheist for at least twenty five years but I would like to ask a question that I think only another Atheist might be able to help me with.

I've spent several years discussing religion both on and offline but I think I have reached a point of 'Atheist burn-out'.  I don't think it would be a surprise to any Atheist here that such discussions rarely actually accomplish any tangible results reference changing the mind of a Theist and far more often than not usually only end up in generating a considerable amount of animosity between both parties. 

I would like to know how you other Atheists deal with and view Theists?

It seems to bother me more and more that there are so many people who continue to buy into the B.S. that is Theism.  I recently watched the 'Jesus Camp' documentary and found it unsettling and even a little depressing.  How do you fellow Atheists reconcile the fact that most of the people that you know are basically mentally 'screwed-up'.

A few weeks ago a christian neighbour of mine made a religious comment so profoundly absurd and ridiculous that it almost sent me into shock.  How do you cope knowing that many so people are this messed up?  I sometimes feel like I'm trapped in some sort of surreal 'Twilight Zone' type of parallel universe that is controlled and run by total nut-cases...

I feel the same way about liberalism.

[brewer]

Absolutely, yes. I have a scimitar with me at all times in case I hear such treasonous talk.

Lobbed at you by a moistened bint?

This is me bowing!