Are there any Christian proselytizers left in this subforum?

[vulcanlogician]

I organized such a discussion. It was set-up as a panel discussion among Christians to discuss a topic relevant to Christians. The topic was why Christians participate on AF. Some non-Christian members were upset because they weren't invited. Other non-Christian members didn't appreciate the existence of a discussion they couldn't derail. And a couple non-Christians were appalled that Christians would consider fulfilling their duty in the Great Commission as one of their reasons for contributing to AF.

It became clear to me, from comments on the parallel 'peanut gallery' thread and private messages, that a very sizable number of prominent AF members resented our presence on AF. People I thought were my friends, or who I respected despite our philosophical differences, actually held me in contempt...not just forum trash talk or playful banter,...no, real true contempt. My experience was not unique. Other Christian members seemed equally dismayed. Lots of PMs were exchanged. Many of us believers have either scaled back, withdrawn, or opted out entirely.

That's fucked up, Neo. I was honored to be a moderator in that debate, and any atheists who resent your presence on the forum ("your" meaning theists) need to consider the fact that a dialectic is the only way we can honestly unearth truth via interaction. And there can be no dialectic without disagreement. I, for one, don't resent theists' presence here. I'll admit, I've gotten angry/flustered during the course of a debate with a theist (last one I can remember is Alpha Male) but usually this indicates investment in the discussion and is a good thing.

I want to hear from anyone who has the balls to answer these two questions, and I promise a response: Do you think this forum would be better without any theists? How?

I think the polar disagreements make things interesting, personally.

edit: I only promise a response if you quote me so I get notified. (Didn't think to say that.)

[Angrboda]

Anyone who characterizes the accusations of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford as 'gossip' deserves whatever scorn I can heap upon them. Aside from that, I don't at all resent your presence on this forum. I consider you one of the better theists on the forum.

[robvalue]

I organized such a discussion. It was set-up as a panel discussion among Christians to discuss a topic relevant to Christians. The topic was why Christians participate on AF. Some non-Christian members were upset because they weren't invited. Other non-Christian members didn't appreciate the existence of a discussion they couldn't derail. And a couple non-Christians were appalled that Christians would consider fulfilling their duty in the Great Commission as one of their reasons for contributing to AF.

It became clear to me, from comments on the parallel 'peanut gallery' thread and private messages, that a very sizable number of prominent AF members resented our presence on AF. People I thought were my friends, or who I respected despite our philosophical differences, actually held me in contempt...not just forum trash talk or playful banter,...no, real true contempt. My experience was not unique. Other Christian members seemed equally dismayed. Lots of PMs were exchanged. Many of us believers have either scaled back, withdrawn, or opted out entirely.

That's fucked up, Neo. I was honored to be a moderator in that debate, and any atheists who resent your presence on the forum ("your" meaning theists) need to consider the fact that a dialectic is the only way we can honestly unearth truth via interaction. And there can be no dialectic without disagreement. I, for one, don't resent theists' presence here. I'll admit, I've gotten angry/flustered during the course of a debate with a theist (last one I can remember is Alpha Male) but usually this indicates investment in the discussion and is a good thing.

I want to hear from anyone who has the balls to answer these two questions, and I promise a response: Do you think this forum would be better without any theists? How?

I think the polar disagreements make things interesting, personally.

edit: I only promise a response if you quote me so I get notified. (Didn't think to say that.)

Wow, I didn't realize things got that bad.

Personally, no, I don't think the forum would be better off with no theists. The more points of view we have, the more opportunity there is for discussion. It's good for everyone. As long as they are obeying the forum rules, then they should be as welcome as anyone else.

[The Grand Nudger]

Anyone who characterizes the accusations of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford as 'gossip' deserves whatever scorn I can heap upon them.  Aside from that, I don't at all resent your presence on this forum.  I consider you one of the better theists on the forum.

A damning comment on the entire class..if ever there were one.

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I want to hear from anyone who has the balls to answer these two questions, and I promise a response: Do you think this forum would be better without any theists? How?

I think the world would be better without any theists.  The boards seem tiny in comparison.

I think the polar disagreements make things interesting, personally.

If only the effect of theism was limited to "disagreement". 

[vulcanlogician]

I think the world would be better without any theists.  The boards seem tiny in comparison.

The world wouldn't be better without theists. The world would be better without ignorance. Say what you will, but if I had to be stuck in a room for twenty years with either

1) An atheist who doesn't know jack shit about anything intellectual (or care to know)
or
2) Thomas Aquinas

I'd choose the latter every time.

Here is where we agree: ignorance and theism often come packaged together. And in that sense, getting rid of all theists would solve much of the world's ignorance problem. But there would be many valuable persons lost in that exodus: namely all intellectually gifted theists. I'm not willing to dispense with them. Maybe you are, but I'm not.

That goes for in the forum or in the world.

[The Grand Nudger]

I think the world would be better without any theists.  The boards seem tiny in comparison.

The world wouldn't be better without theists. The world would be better without ignorance. 

The terms theism and ignorance are synonymous..as far as I'm concerned.

Some smart theist doesn't -have- to be ignorant. If they stopped being ignorant when it comes to gods they'd still be smart and useful people..but they wouldn't be theists. I'd choose a smart person over a smart theist every time.

Smart theists are -kindoff- more concerning than the dumb ones. Think about it. Between two theists who both think that all the gays should be disappeared.....only the smart one has an idea of how to accomplish that.

[Angrboda]

We don't have to literally get rid of theists to get rid of theists. Just get rid of theism.

[vulcanlogician]

@Khem

So what about you in the room for twenty years: Aquinas or the atheist who thinks Sammy Hagar is the deepest musician ever and hates the Beatles? (That's the most anti-intellectual thing I can think of rn).

[Angrboda]

What's wrong with Sammy Hagar? Oh damn. You've really done it now.

[The Grand Nudger]

IKR, that response was a pretty boilerplate theist "so you wanna kill us, huh" type of shit the pants affair.  

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@Khem

So what about you in the room for twenty years: Aquinas or the atheist who thinks Sammy Hagar is the deepest musician ever and hates the Beatles? (That's the most anti-intellectual thing I can think of rn).

I doubt that a person who hates the beatles can cause as much misery as a person who legitimized christianity by stealing pagan philosophy in syncretism.

Almost as if on que.....Aquinas was a "stone the gays to death" kind of motherfucker. No wonder we find ourselves here today. Hell..it's almost certain that he would have been a slavery apologist, and a euro-supremacist, while he was at it.

That's his legacy.

The other guy hated the beatles...you say?