Wanting some feedback from the atheists

[Brian37]

So these questions are for the atheists. Now that AF has this section for civil discourse, I feel I can ask this and get some honest answers from posters who are serious in talking this out.

What are your opinions about us theists in this forum?

Do you generally like having us here? Why or why not?

What can we do to improve and to make it easier/more enjoyable for you to have discussions with us?

Are you in favor of this civility section to have more productive discussions with theists and other people of differing views?

What do you hope to gain from productive discussions with theists?

1. Up to the individual.

2. Depends on the individual and topic.

3.  Be honest with yourselves. Try considering you don't need old writings that make bad claims. Try considering that you are finite, and there is no super cognition helping humans.  That does not have to mean being fatalistic or pessimistic, just realistic.

4.  Not my website so it really doesn't matter, but sure, I am for it, not because it is needed, but people like to hide their insecurities. And again, that isn't even about this website, humans don't like having their social norms upset. 

5. See answer #3.

[pocaracas]

Sorry to wade in BUT it's not just a question of 'Percentages'.

The other factors are;

The amount of years, nay decades that said practices have been on going.

Nay, centuries!

That pretty much the entire hierarchy knew about the events unfolding.

Or were a part of them...

That said hierarchy simply moved problem individuals such as to hide any consequences or blame.

Perhaps they thought it was their form of punishment... a punishment, by our standards, that was very low on actual punishing features.

That when said claims did surface, the hierarchy fought more to protect itself and its image than appoint or investgate such to adress the issue.

If it was an issue that was well known to them, why should they investigate?
According to them, like you said, they had already taken action to force the "problem individuals" from being near the particular temptations that they were with.

That the church of Rome (Not sure how bad things are/were with the English protestants or other groups) hasn't collapsed due to patronage leaving the editice in droves shows just how much the 'Average Joe' has invested in said "Needs" that such behaviour is 'Appologized away'.

From every catholic person I've ever talked about this (perhaps 3 persons), there has only been disgust at the thought that there are such priests. Granted that my own experience is anecdotal, at best, but it does not mirror your words.

Sorry for comming across as a rant but.... geeze.

I'm just pointing out that these problems exist for any human group.
Sure, there are groups that claim to be irreproachable and, when any "problem" arises in them, it is a very serious flaw that should be addressed and stomped out.
It is indeed an issue that the hierarchy has appeared to be mostly quiet about this subject, but maybe it is their strategy and we're not seeing the long term goal, there... I wish I knew.

[KevinM1]

To y’all baby bitching about my answers well she asked and I gave my opinion. And it’s true, I am around fucking religious people all the time I don’t need more on a goddamn atheist board. I don’t want friendly discussions with religious people. For just once, in one goddamn sphere, I want religious people to fuck the fuck off. I don’t want them persecuted irl. I just want a space where they do something incredibly uncharacteristic: shut their fucking mouths. Just here. I come on here it’s a bunch of fucking creationists.

So the OP is some kind of moderate non-condescending Catholic? Well, guess what? Catholicism is a huge institution of child fuckers. If you are Catholic you support child molestation. The numbers are THAT high. Do I go around giving Catholics shit irl? Fuck no. But do I want to see  one in an atheist message board? Actually, no I don’t. Unapologetically.

Looks like someone didn't read the rules (https://atheistforums.org/rules.php) before signing up. What you're bitching about is the stated mission of the forum, so, uh, l-o-fucking-l.

[Mister Agenda]

So these questions are for the atheists. Now that AF has this section for civil discourse, I feel I can ask this and get some honest answers from posters who are serious in talking this out.

What are your opinions about us theists in this forum?

You're quite a varied lot. The Christians alone fun from focused on whom Jesus would want them to hate to Christ-like in the best sense.

Do you generally like having us here? Why or why not?

I like having them, it would be an echo chamber around here without them.

What can we do to improve and to make it easier/more enjoyable for you to have discussions with us?

I think you're each who you are and unlikely to change much, especially on our account. It would be nice if we had more of the polite and reasonable ones. Maybe they could invite some friends to join us.

Are you in favor of this civility section to have more productive discussions with theists and other people of differing views?

I think it's at least worth a try.

What do you hope to gain from productive discussions with theists?

It's mainly intellectual entertainment, and some of the better ones make me wonder if they might come up with a good argument for their position that I haven't had a chance to examine before.
[/quote]

[Gwaithmir]

So these questions are for the atheists. Now that AF has this section for civil discourse, I feel I can ask this and get some honest answers from posters who are serious in talking this out.

What are your opinions about us theists in this forum?
I have no problem with communicating with theists, as long as they're willing to give me a fair hearing. I have no use for those who dismiss what I have to say with a wave of the hand and a quote from the Bible.

Do you generally like having us here? Why or why not?
See my reply above.

What can we do to improve and to make it easier/more enjoyable for you to have discussions with us?
Have the intellectual honesty and courage to test your own beliefs and admit that they might be wrong.

Are you in favor of this civility section to have more productive discussions with theists and other people of differing views?
No, because they are closed to members who cannot electronically transmit their ID data to the administrators.

What do you hope to gain from productive discussions with theists?
To get them to engage in an honest pursuit of the truth and to follow the evidence to a rational conclusion. After all, I may discover that I have been mistaken.