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Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:20 pm
I'm not usually a "joiner" for these sorts of things, but I've been encountering a lot of toxic religious people lately and I need a break from that. I used to live in Oxford, UK, where everyone I knew was an atheist, and that was very nice. It was like a little holiday. That must be what it's like to be a Christian in nearly every other town in the Anglo-American world. Anyway, I moved to take a permanent academic job elsewhere, and I'm back to being in the minority again. It's usually not bad, but lately it has been.
I don't really have a huge axe to grind w/r/t organized religion or religious people, but occasionally they do piss me off. I have a student at the moment who is determined to question my atheism, when what I really want her to do is finish her research project. 
What I'm really here to do is chat with other atheists. I don't think I'll be very tempted to get into theological debates with believers, as I've been down that road before and I find it really boring. Anyway, I get that all the time IRL. I'm happy here just to get on with the heathen. Friendly religious folks I don't mind, just leave the god(s) out of it, please.
Cheers,
Z
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:24 pm
Quote:I don't really have a huge axe to grind w/r/t organized religion or religious people, but occasionally they do piss me off.
Wait till you meet some of the jerk-off god-freaks we've got running around here unsupervised!
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:27 pm
(May 28, 2011 at 7:24 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Quote:I don't really have a huge axe to grind w/r/t organized religion or religious people, but occasionally they do piss me off.
Wait till you meet some of the jerk-off god-freaks we've got running around here unsupervised!
LOL, but keep in mind I grew up in the midwest of the USA. I really doubt the believers around here are worse than those I had to deal with as a teenaged atheist. In many cases, you genuinely fear for your life.
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Wait till the nutty muslims show up.
You'll know you ain't in fucking Kansas anymore!
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:41 pm
(May 28, 2011 at 7:30 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Wait till the nutty muslims show up.
You'll know you ain't in fucking Kansas anymore!
Yes, it's a real problem here in Europe, because we're so close to many Islamic countries where extreme forms of the religion flourish. Four men recently beat a teacher to death for his state school teachings of Islam, which they considered to be blasphemous. Mind you, this is rare, and 95% of Muslims here abhor that sort of behavior, but combine some post-colonial politics with an unquestionable god, and, of course, a holy text with multiple readings, and you're going to get trouble.
My day-to-day problems are considerably less severe. Mainly, I get people who condescendingly tell me my life is empty, I don't understand their "true" religious principles, that life sucks for the un-churched, that I offend them by being an atheist, etc etc. They need to lay off.
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Hello Doktor, and welcome........just curious why an atheist academic would not want to respond to a challenge from a student about atheism?
 A man is born to a virgin mother, lives, dies, comes alive again and then disappears into the clouds to become his Dad. How likely is that?
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Quote:Mainly, I get people who condescendingly tell me my life is empty,
Yeah - I always find that amusing...while they grovel to their invisible sky-daddy.
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:45 pm
(May 28, 2011 at 7:43 pm)bozo Wrote: Hello Doktor, and welcome........just curious why an atheist academic would not want to respond to a challenge from a student about atheism?
Hi Bozo,
Mainly because it's boring and it's not what I teach. When I'm on the job, I want to just do my job, not get involved in a theological debate. Besides, my impression has been that religious people are not convinced in these matters by rational argument; they've already forgone reason for faith. It is a testament to the brain's ability to compartmentalize that they're able to be rational about, say, their house mortgage, but not religion. I just think it's an immense waste of time.
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Quote:I have a student at the moment who is determined to question my atheism, when what I really want her to do is finish her research project.
Fuck it...flunk her. Then tell her to pray to her silly god for you to change your mind. See how much faith she really has!
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RE: Howdy
May 28, 2011 at 7:48 pm
(May 28, 2011 at 7:45 pm)DoktorZ Wrote: (May 28, 2011 at 7:43 pm)bozo Wrote: Hello Doktor, and welcome........just curious why an atheist academic would not want to respond to a challenge from a student about atheism?
Hi Bozo,
Mainly because it's boring and it's not what I teach. When I'm on the job, I want to just do my job, not get involved in a theological debate. Besides, my impression has been that religious people are not convinced in these matters by rational argument; they've already forgone reason for faith. It is a testament to the brain's ability to compartmentalize that they're able to be rational about, say, their house mortgage, but not religion. I just think it's an immense waste of time.
Well of course that's up to you. Personally, I would have to rise to the challenge......she seems to want the debate.
A man is born to a virgin mother, lives, dies, comes alive again and then disappears into the clouds to become his Dad. How likely is that?
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