Why Do Atheists Criticize People's Beliefs?

[Angrboda]

To influence the other person's conclusions. duh.

It's human to do so. We're social creatures. This is our way of maintaining the cohesion of the group.

For better or worse....

[Valyza1]

Nope.  The original post quoted me but didn't have a response.  It was changed after I posted that.

I agree 100% when it comes to certain kinds of criticism, but not when it comes to ridicule.  There's nothing open minded about derision of anything and only serves to sway the openminded towards one side, whilst strengthening the prejudices of the other side.  So if your goal is to close the minds of the genuinely open minded, then by all means, use ridicule.  Otherwise, criticism is your best bet.  

I disagree.  Pointing out the ridiculousness of a belief doesn't automatically close minds.  If someone was more interested in the tone rather than the information conveyed, they weren't that open minded in the first place.

We probably agree more than is apparent. I'm not talking about a tonal difference. Criticism IS pointing out absurdities. Ridicule is taking absurdities for granted and finding entertainment from them. The open minded, by definition, have not yet taken any position for granted, so they are not in the same position as the one who is ridiculing. They may adopt a position for social or emotional reasons, but they can't be personally convinced by ridicule. The only "information" being conveyed is the opinion of the one who's ridiculing.

[Cyberman]

I do hope this was a joke.

Nope.  The original post quoted me but didn't have a response.  It was changed after I posted that.

Succubus changed it after accidentally double-posting. It didn't "get deleted".

[Whateverist]

Regarding the OP, I've just got to say it. I find the idea that atheists mock other people's beliefs laughable. What a ridiculous idea! Only a completely deluded moron would believe such a thing about atheists as nice as us.

[Valyza1]

Nope.  The original post quoted me but didn't have a response.  It was changed after I posted that.

Succubus changed it after accidentally double-posting. It didn't "get deleted".

Before I noticed any changes, all I saw was my whole post in a quote box without any response attached to it, making it look as if the response part of it possibly got deleted, and it was at that time I posted that particular statement. Why has this become an issue?

[Whateverist]

Succubus changed it after accidentally double-posting. It didn't "get deleted".

Before I noticed any changes, all I saw was my whole post in a quote box without any response attached to it, making it look as if the response part of it possibly got deleted, and it was at that time I posted that particular statement.  Why has this become an issue?

It can sound paranoid to claim staff is fucking with your posts and they don't do that here except to fix obvious messes.  No need to be a nervous nelly over something like that.  Sometimes people just accidentally hit reply before making their post. Then they just edit for the fix.  No big deal.

[vorlon13]

Before I noticed any changes, all I saw was my whole post in a quote box without any response attached to it, making it look as if the response part of it possibly got deleted, and it was at that time I posted that particular statement.  Why has this become an issue?

It can sound paranoid to claim staff is fucking with your posts and they don't do that here except to fix obvious messes.  No need to be a nervous nelly over something like that.  Sometimes people just accidentally hit reply before making their post. Then they just edit for the fix.  No big deal.

we ridicule the really lame ones in the private admin area out back, not out here

[Whateverist]

Though I have noticed you tend to go easy on the hairy assed men. So much for impartiality.

[Valyza1]

It can sound paranoid to claim staff is fucking with your posts and they don't do that here except to fix obvious messes.  No need to be a nervous nelly over something like that.  Sometimes people just accidentally hit reply before making their post. Then they just edit for the fix.  No big deal.

I never even suggested anyone was fucking with my posts and I wasn't particularly paranoid, either. I just saw it at the wrong time and tried to be helpful, in case the poster didn't realize it. Once it was obvious the poster was fixing it, I figured people would just ignore my post. I didn't think of it as even a medium sized deal.

[Cyberman]

I'm also thinking of the impression we give to the visitors who may be browsing the boards.