Overall, do you like Christians being here?

[RoadRunner79]

RoadRunner!!

Why you vote no??? Lol.

I have tendencies to go apart from the crowd!
 

But I am open to being persuaded with reason.

[johan]

Always fucking christians. You know that there are other theists as well. It's not a binary choice between atheism and christianity. Why didn't you post a thread asking "Overall, do you like theists being here?" There are also muslims, jews, buddhists, pagans, new agers etc.

Because christians always think its all about them. 

[Joods]

But you'd have to agree that there are atheists here that have no interest in being proselytized to and this place just might be the only point of escape for them to be free from all of the preachiness.

Sure. There's no excuse for obnoxiously interjecting into an unrelated conversation. That said, a thread that starts "Hey Christians..." is just asking for it. Otherwise, what I see is not straight up street-corner style preaching (which isn't that against the rules anyway?); but rather, GC, Drich, myself and others addressing objections to the faith on threads explicitly about religious topics, like the Trinity, or giving Christian perspectives in threads about morality or philosophy of mind. I don't recall any theist going "Objective morality is based in a divine reality...so repent and accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior! "

---

The privilege of speaking our opinions, and give reasons for them?

Being able to start threads titled "Damn Atheists"...wait...I guess we can't do that.

bold mine. 

No, I don't recall it either, but there has been plenty of times where posts reek of "Well, I know you believe, even if you say you don't." or "God loves you, even if you don't believe in him." And the like. Or my personal favorites "You need to have faith in Jesus because he is the way and the only way you're ever going to be happy is if you repent or believe. Otherwise, you're going to go to hell."

Honestly - there are many who have gotten similar phrases in. Even if they are being nice and not being mean or ignorant in a thread. They mean well, it's just not wanted by the majority here. 

As for being able to start a "Damn Atheists" thread, I would welcome that. I get tired of seeing Christians and Muslims being in the news all the time. Lets mix it up a little.

[johan]

Poll Question: Overall, do you generally like the presence of Christians on this site, or would you rather us not be here?

I don't like nor dislike the presence of anyone based on their theology. For me its more based on how annoying they are.

[Cecelia]

Does that include atheist?

GC

Why wouldn't it?  Individuals should be judged on their own merits.

[drfuzzy]

Been lurking and just reading the last few days, so I thought for a while about this question.  No, I didn't vote, because for me, it's not a yes or no answer.
I categorize theists here into two types: the ones who are here to proselytize, and the ones who aren't - or, at least, are more interested in discourse than conversion.
So, the former - no, I don't enjoy their presence and find them disrespectful - and often offensive.  This is because they have no respect for me as a person, and no respect for my intellect and ability to choose for myself what I do and do not believe.  They assume that I need their guidance and help before they even "meet" me.  The latter (like you) are pleasant company.  Most of my friends are Christian.  In real life, I only hang around the people who accept me for who I am and don't try to convert me.

I also scanned the "Why we are here" theist thread and the other thread of comments about those comments.  Most of the theists who posted seem incapable of comprehending that an atheist simply does not believe that gods (of any sort) exist.  They seem to think that we're just angry at god somehow, and that a few stories or verses from their holy book will make us change our minds.  This shouldn't astound me - I have seen it many times - but it does, that people who have been here for years seem to hold that view.  It's really amazing.

[Godscreated]

Does that include atheist?

GC

Why wouldn't it?  Individuals should be judged on their own merits.

 I agree, but much to often Christians on this forum are judged against the wrong doings of Christians in the past, even over a thousand years in the past, even though we were not alive and had no say in those actions. All peoples make mistakes and those mistakes that are in the past that current people do not hold as right should not be held against them, yet the atheist here are very bad in that kind of action. As God will do, individuals should be judged on their own actions and beliefs. With God it will be a judgement against His standard and with man we judge by human standards, that are mostly inconsistent over time and age. God's nature has never changed so everyone can know what they are facing.

GC

[Cecelia]

 I agree, but much to often Christians on this forum are judged against the wrong doings of Christians in the past, even over a thousand years in the past, even though we were not alive and had no say in those actions. All peoples make mistakes and those mistakes that are in the past that current people do not hold as right should not be held against them, yet the atheist here are very bad in that kind of action. As God will do, individuals should be judged on their own actions and beliefs. With God it will be a judgement against His standard and with man we judge by human standards, that are mostly inconsistent over time and age. God's nature has never changed so everyone can know what they are facing.

GC

I think you've confused Christian Individuals being judged with Christianity being judged.  There's an important distinction.  With God there will be no judgement, because he does not exist.  That which doesn't exist can't judge anyone.

[johan]

 I agree, but much to often Christians on this forum are judged against the wrong doings of Christians in the past, even over a thousand years in the past, even though we were not alive and had no say in those actions. All peoples make mistakes and those mistakes that are in the past that current people do not hold as right should not be held against them, yet the atheist here are very bad in that kind of action. 

A very fair and valid point. 

As God will do...

...And you lost me. You were so close. Should've quit while you were ahead.

[KevinM1]

I have spiritual needs.  I just don't see them as being well served by the panacea that theists are offering.

I take the idea of 'spiritual needs' in a very literal way whenever a Christian refers to them, specifically: sin, and absolution from it, an eternal self that persists after physical death, etc. Since I don't believe in spirits or souls, I cannot say I have any needs or deficiencies that may be associated with them. *shrug*

In terms of the more colloquial use of the term 'spiritual', of course. I like feeling fulfilled or inspired or content or like I belong somewhere, but, like you, religion doesn't serve my needs in those areas. Quite the opposite, in fact.

But, regarding what Neo said, I'm fairly confident he was primarily referring to version #1, with version #2 being a secondary consequence of it. My question remains, because I don't really understand the mentality. Speaking only for myself, I don't attempt to convert anyone. I don't visit theist forums. Hell, I hardly start threads here (quick edit: I've started a grand total of 33 threads since I joined in November 2014). I'll jump into an existing topic if I think there's fallacious BS going on, or people are expressing views I find to be odious. But I don't go around with a desire to give strangers my unsolicited views on religion. I respect the fact that others' religious belief in and of itself is none of my business. The consequences of that belief? Like religion in schools and what I consider to be religion-based bigotry? Yeah, I'll fight it tooth and nail. But that's because of the actions taking place and the harm being done, not just because of another's thoughts.

It's a lot like my inability to understand the appeal of being lorded over by god/Jesus. It's simply a mentality I don't think I'll ever actually understand because it runs counter to the very essence of who I am as a person. Might as well tell me the moon is made of cheese.

I will say that I actually hope there is a god. But I most certainly don't want it to be the Christian god (or the Muslim god, or, really, any of the others in our species' mythologies). My idea of god is one that is alien and essentially unknowable. An intellect so vast that it couldn't ever (and wouldn't ever bother) be anthropomorphized, or concern itself with the petty wants and desires of creatures so much more limited than it.