Existentialism

[The Grand Nudger]

Well.....facebook. So, low bar.

Religious existentialism is an interesting thing to me. How might a genuine existentialist go about constructing an explicitly (purportedly)objective set of normative claims?

In this, to me at least, it seems like their religiosity might be a separate and circumstantial aspect of what life has done to them.

[Belacqua]

I've never met anyone whose views could be fairly described this way. Sounds pretty foolish.

Come now. You've never met anyone in the digital sandbox who thought that eradicating religion will pave the way for scientific progress unrestricted by superstition and lead to a utopia of peace, prosperity, health, freethinking and rationality? It sounds like the norm among village atheists rather than the exception.

Recently someone averred that if there were no religion, the Ukraine would be at peace.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Every in-group has members that think the world would be a peaceful utopia if everyone else were more like the in-group in the particular ways of the in-group.

And I agree with @TheGrandNudger that AF has a wide mix of personalities and attitudes. There are a couple villiage atheist types that I find annoying and have learned to ignore but, IMHO their acting like asses has nothing to do with their atheism. I enjoy the thoughts of people who put thought into what they post. And there are more such thoughtful posters on AF than any other social media I know.

[The Grand Nudger]

I guess we can leave you to assure our new friend that the people here are not, despite their own insistence, the people they want to pick a bone with.

The whole thing is deliriously meta. Love it. In the meantime, it's manifestly obvious that a world without religion, for example, wouldn't be better - proven every time that some nutbag cultists shows up to swear to christ...literally....that their religion is the only thing between them and curbstomping the neighbors kid.

I'd even go so far as to mention that even though you don't enjoy the way I advocate and what I advocate for..... you're a fan of how I do it. Any new friend will have to mediate their expectations and insistence if they want to have any meaningful interaction with the atheists here. Any apologist, here, will have to bring more than their facebook a-game.

[HappySkeptic]

Recently someone averred that if there were no religion, the Ukraine would be at peace.

No, I didn't say that.  I did say that religion was a factor, as it is in many wars.

Religion may give some people purpose, but it also divides.  The resurgent Russian Orthodox Church is in bed with Putin.  Their interests align.

[Neo-Scholastic]

I'd even go so far as to mention that even though you don't enjoy the way I advocate and what I advocate for..... you're a fan of how I do it.

Not a so much a fan as having a healthy admiration for your savant-level trolling. And I sincerely mean that as a compliment. I read your posts but I am not about to reply and put myself in the crosshairs of your superpower. :-)

Any apologist, here, will have to bring more than their facebook a-game.

Well, it is a bit amusing to watch the unprepared crash-and-burn in their arrogance.

[vulcanlogician]

Every in-group has members that think the world would be a peaceful utopia if everyone else were more like the in-group in the particular ways of the in-group.

And I agree with @TheGrandNudger that AF has a wide mix of personalities and attitudes. There are a couple villiage atheist types that I find annoying and have learned to ignore but, IMHO their acting like asses has nothing to do with their atheism. I enjoy the thoughts of people who put thought into what they post. And there are more such thoughtful posters on AF than any other social media I know.

Btw, Neo, I think you'd make a pretty good thoughtful atheist yourself.... if you weren't a Christian.

[Belacqua]

Recently someone averred that if there were no religion, the Ukraine would be at peace.

No, I didn't say that.  I did say that religion was a factor, as it is in many wars.

Religion may give some people purpose, but it also divides.  The resurgent Russian Orthodox Church is in bed with Putin.  Their interests align.

It was someone else.

[The Grand Nudger]

I'd even go so far as to mention that even though you don't enjoy the way I advocate and what I advocate for..... you're a fan of how I do it.

Not a so much a fan as having a healthy admiration for your savant-level trolling. And I sincerely mean that as a compliment. I read your posts but I am not about to reply and put myself in the crosshairs of your superpower. :-)

Any apologist, here, will have to bring more than their facebook a-game.

Well, it is a bit amusing to watch the unprepared crash-and-burn in their arrogance.

Hey...I'll take it - and point out that our new friend was unprepared, and despite interacting with our new friend, you failed to mention it.

What a dick. 

A snakes a snake, but what kind of asshole human plugs up and doesn't mention the snakes.... All kidding aside, I think our new friend is a jackass, so it's not clear that putting up a speedbump would have helped. In the end, it wont matter. They'll enjoy complaining at us about whomever they met on facebook and even though you know better and even though you know the pitfalls of that approach, you'll cheer the poor rube on.

All christ-like and shit.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Not a so much a fan as having a healthy admiration for your savant-level trolling. And I sincerely mean that as a compliment. I read your posts but I am not about to reply and put myself in the crosshairs of your superpower. :-)

Well, it is a bit amusing to watch the unprepared crash-and-burn in their arrogance.

Hey...I'll take it - and point out that our new friend was unprepared, and despite interacting with our new friend, you failed to mention it.

What a dick. 

A snakes a snake, but what kind of asshole human plugs up and doesn't mention the snakes.... All kidding aside, I think our new friend is a jackass, so it's not clear that putting up a speedbump would have helped. In the end, it wont matter. They'll enjoy complaining at us about whomever they met on facebook and even though you know better and even though you know the pitfalls of that approach, you'll cheer the poor rube on.

All christ-like and shit.

If that's how you see it, as me cheering him on, I will not try to disuade you. I will just say I have a weakness for eccentric thinkers.