Great article on atheism.

[Irongrip400]

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34054057

I find myself falling in the line of the Italian fella, whilst I'd imagine SF1900 would be in the British gentlemans camp. Good article, take a few minutes and read.

[Man of Steel]

good article....there are plenty of atheists that are happy, have zero interest in science, have zero interest in religion,  live normal lives and don't seek to challenge anyone....just being them is enough.  Nice,  polite, laidback folks that have no God.


Then you have Dawkinsian atheists....these are your four horsemen, pro debaters, celebrities, youtubers, vloggers, meme posters, online comment section posters, radio personalities, the Bill Mahers, the George Carlins, etc....most are just bile and venom for religion.   The vast majority will go to their graves with atheism and will proclaim it until their dying breath.

There's a little middle ground group but not much from what I've experienced.

[che]

In before SF1900 destroys MOS  and Irongrip.

[Man of Steel]

In before SF1900 destroys MOS  and Irongrip.

stop your little instigating 

[SF1900]

In before SF1900 destroys MOS  and Irongrip.

Nice trolling attempt.  

You've really been not on point today with your trolling.   You must go back and rethink your strategy.  

In before you post the "rolling eyes" icon. 

[che]

Nice trolling attempt.  

You've really been not on point today with your trolling.   You must go back and rethink your strategy.  

In before you post the "rolling eyes" icon. 

[Radical Plato]

The only reason atheists are trying to convert the religious is because the religious have become so dangerous and offensive.  Religious cultures have monopolised the modern world and made life difficult for the atheist, and at times very dangerous.  It is no wonder the atheists are fighting back.  Not to mention how intolerable it is for intelligent and reasonable people to live amongst the majority who are morons.  The absurdity of it all for the intelligent person is so overwhelming that at times they cannot hold their tongue.  The wiser one becomes the harder it is to tolerate fools, of which their is an abundance of in this world.  Religion makes people stupid and is like a lightning rod for fools, reasoning and science make individuals smarter, but more intolerant of idiots.(aka religious folk)

[thegamechanger]

bodybuilding is my religion.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV    

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

[_aj_]

The only reason atheists are trying to convert the religious is because the religious have become so dangerous and offensive.  Religious cultures have monopolised the modern world and made life difficult for the atheist, and at times very dangerous.  It is no wonder the atheists are fighting back.  Not to mention how intolerable it is for intelligent and reasonable people to live amongst the majority who are morons.  The absurdity of it all for the intelligent person is so overwhelming that at times they cannot hold their tongue.  The wiser one becomes the harder it is to tolerate fools, of which their is an abundance of in this world.  Religion makes people stupid and is like a lightning rod for fools, reasoning and science make individuals smarter, but more intolerant of idiots.(aka religious folk)

 

Yes, yes. It's because you're so much smarter. That must be it. Oh brother.

I also enjoy how you proudly proclaim your intolerance for others. Religious folks ("morons") have been tolerant of you sanctimonious pricks for centuries.

[devilsmile]

oh shit... it's going to start again..

[Radical Plato]

Yes, yes. It's because you're so much smarter. That must be it. Oh brother.

I also enjoy how you proudly proclaim your intolerance for others. Religious folks ("morons") have been tolerant of you sanctimonious pricks for centuries.

Our intolerance isn't something you simple minded folk would understand, unfortunately it comes with the territory of being a reasonable and intelligent human being. Since it makes perfect sense that a reasonable person would struggle to tolerate an unreasonable one (religious person).  The intolerance a religious person feels is a fools one, it is based on the fact others don't believe the same fairy tales they do. Reasonable people's (atheists) intolerance is because the unreasonable (the religious) are allergic to reason and logic, so one is acting rationally and logically while the other refuses to do so.  Quite frustrating really, but fools have always been beyond help, that's what makes them fools.

And yes, atheists are smarter than religious people. Just facts, oops sorry, I forgot, god botherers don't care much for facts.

[_aj_]

The article correctly assets that modern atheism has all the tenets and precepts of a religion: it has dogma, articles of faith, overbearing prosthelytizing, and a fervent belief that the divine does NOT exist, despite lacking any evidence to prove that.

[Radical Plato]

The article correctly assets that modern atheism has all the tenets and precepts of a religion: it has dogma, articles of faith, overbearing prosthelytizing, and a fervent belief that the divine does NOT exist, despite lacking any evidence to prove that.

Using your flawed logic, you can't prove Santa Claus doesn't exist, therefore he must exist and anyone who doesn't believe this must share the same tragic dogmatic and inflexible personality flaws that the Santa Claus believer does.  This is exactly what I am talking about, this is why reasonable people struggle with such nonsense.

Perhaps you should investigate 'Russell's teapot', which states the burden of proof lies upon a person making scientifically unfalsifiable claims rather than shifting the burden of proof to others.  Russell wrote that if he claims that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, it is nonsensical for him to expect others to believe him on the grounds that they cannot prove him wrong. But then again 'nonsensical' is Religions middle name, intelligent and reasonable people expect nothing less, although even with this understanding and expectation, it remains frustrating nonetheless.

[thegamechanger]

why is it that people who think theyre smart and take names after philosophers or add "doctor" to their nickname etc end up being the dumbest on getbig

[_aj_]

Using your flawed logic, you can't prove Santa Claus doesn't exist, therefore he must exist and anyone who doesn't believe this must share the same tragic dogmatic and inflexible personality flaws that the Santa Claus believer does.  This is exactly what I am talking about, this is why reasonable people struggle with such nonsense.

Perhaps you should investigate 'Russell's teapot', which states the burden of proof lies upon a person making scientifically unfalsifiable claims rather than shifting the burden of proof to others.  Russell wrote that if he claims that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, it is nonsensical for him to expect others to believe him on the grounds that they cannot prove him wrong. But then again 'nonsensical' is Religions middle name, intelligent and reasonable people expect nothing less, although even with this understanding and expectation, it remains frustrating nonetheless.

This is the "overbearing prosthelytizing" part...

[Radical Plato]

This is the "overbearing prosthelytizing" part...

Proselytism is the act of attempting to convert people to another religion or opinion. To begin atheism, is not and never has been a religion, no matter how much you want it to be. And two, you are incapable of being converted to a reasonable stance, if you were that would have happened long ago.  As a reasonable person, I see it as a duty to counter any irrational and illogical statements with reason, truth and clear sighted perspective, not for the fools sake, but for the other reasonable souls who are wise enough and capable of still learning from other reasonable people.

[NarcissisticDeity]

good article....there are plenty of atheists that are happy, have zero interest in science, have zero interest in religion,  live normal lives and don't seek to challenge anyone....just being them is enough.  Nice,  polite, laidback folks that have no God.


Then you have Dawkinsian atheists....these are your four horsemen, pro debaters, celebrities, youtubers, vloggers, meme posters, online comment section posters, radio personalities, the Bill Mahers, the George Carlins, etc....most are just bile and venom for religion.   The vast majority will go to their graves with atheism and will proclaim it until their dying breath.

There's a little middle ground group but not much from what I've experienced.

There is a very good reason for the backlash. It's a direct response to the religious right who constantly forced their beliefs on everyone else. Literally force their beliefs , try and change policy , stifle progress , prevent Americans from marrying because they're gay , Constant attacks on abortion. People are fed up with " bile " and " venom " bible thumpers spew and are pushing back. It's a reaction to the religious action.

Religion enjoyed centuries of dominating control over people and people are fed up. One of my favorite Christopher Hitchen's quotes

Question:
“My question to Christopher is, how you can justify wanting to take something away from people, that gives meaning to 95% of the American people, and replace it with something that gives meaning to just 5% of the American people?”
Response:
“Ha! Well, what an incredibly stupid question. First I’ve said repeatedly that this stuff cannot be taken away from people, it is their favourite toy and it will remain so, as Freud said, it will remain that way as long as we’re afraid of death. Which is I think likely to be quite a long time.
Second I hope I’ve made it clear that I’m perfectly happy for people to have these toys and to play with them at home, and hug them to themselves and share them with other people who come round and play with the toys. That’s, absolutely fine. They are not, to make me play with these toys. I will not play with the toys. Don’t bring the toys to my house. Don’t say my children must play with these toys. Don’t say my toys, might be a condom, here we go again, are not allowed by their toys. I’m not going to have any of that.
Enough with clerical and religious bullying and intimidation. Is that finally clear? Have I got that across? Thank you.”

A lot of Christians are like vegetarians , you just can't be happy with your decision , you now have to force it on everyone else and remind them how shitty they are for not agreeing with you.

[Radical Plato]

There is a very good reason for the backlash. It's a direct response to the religious right who constantly forced their beliefs on everyone else. Literally force their beliefs , try and change policy , stifle progress , prevent Americans from marrying because they're gay , Constant attacks on abortion. People are fed up with " bile " and " venom " bible thumpers spew and are pushing back. It's a reaction to the religious action.

Religion enjoyed centuries of dominating control over people and people are fed up. One of my favorite Christopher Hitchen's quotes

Question:
“My question to Christopher is, how you can justify wanting to take something away from people, that gives meaning to 95% of the American people, and replace it with something that gives meaning to just 5% of the American people?”
Response:
“Ha! Well, what an incredibly stupid question. First I’ve said repeatedly that this stuff cannot be taken away from people, it is their favourite toy and it will remain so, as Freud said, it will remain that way as long as we’re afraid of death. Which is I think likely to be quite a long time.
Second I hope I’ve made it clear that I’m perfectly happy for people to have these toys and to play with them at home, and hug them to themselves and share them with other people who come round and play with the toys. That’s, absolutely fine. They are not, to make me play with these toys. I will not play with the toys. Don’t bring the toys to my house. Don’t say my children must play with these toys. Don’t say my toys, might be a condom, here we go again, are not allowed by their toys. I’m not going to have any of that.
Enough with clerical and religious bullying and intimidation. Is that finally clear? Have I got that across? Thank you.”

A lot of Christians are like vegetarians , you just can't be happy with your decision , you now have to force it on everyone else and remind them how shitty they are for not agreeing with you.

BINGO ! We have a winner ladies and gentlemen.  The world has lost a great thinker in Christopher Hitchens.  You would never even know that atheists existed if religious people weren't forcing their nonsense down everybody's throats, seizing power at every opportunity, influencing public policy and negatively impacting on civilized society.  It isn't good enough for them to be comforted by superstition and fairy tales and to pray quietly to themselves at night, NO! they have to go door to door and arse rape you with it and then throw a hissy fit when you resist being arse raped with a crucifix.

[BigRo]

http://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/quest-find-reality

[Radical Plato]

http://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/interviews/quest-find-reality

Atheists don't deny that modern science is essentially a quest to find ultimate reality, much like the ancient spiritual traditions.  What they object to is the non-scientific basis that ancient traditions have used leading to falsehoods and outright lies and deception.  Whereas science believes we can get nearer and nearer the truth and perhaps discover the ultimate truths, religious people throw it in the too hard basket and simply make shit up that happens to coincide with their deepest fantasies (immortality, heaven etc.).  Just because science seeks deeper truths, doesn't make it a religion.  Science cares about facts, Religions do not.

And Sraddhalu Ranade is just another Indian fraudster, blending science and religion to suit their indoctrination.  Such people don't really have a choice, they are indoctrinated from a young age into religion and when they discover greater truths to prevent the psychic trauma and cognitive dissonance that would come from moving beyond the things taught to us as children, they choose to combine the two conflicting ideologies rather than move from one to the other.  These poor people are doomed by either option, as both cause tremendous inner conflict.  Just one more reason the religious indoctrination of children should be seen as serious child abuse.

[_aj_]

Christians are like vegetarians , you just can't be happy with your decision , you now have to force it on everyone else and remind them how shitty they are for not agreeing with you.

The problem with this statement is its utter lack of truth and its psycological projection from atheists. It's you that are constantly trying to force your godless atheistic views on everybody else and ridiculing those that don't agree. Look in a mirror, dipshits.

[Radical Plato]

The problem with this statement is its utter lack of truth and its psycological projection from atheists. It's you that are constantly trying to force your godless atheistic views on everybody else and ridiculing those that don't agree. Look in a mirror, dipshits.

You poor deluded fool, what you are describing is blowback from centuries of religious indoctrination and persecution that continues to this very day. You suffer from privilege blindness, as most people who find themselves in a majority do. NarcissisticDeity's post earlier summed this up quite succinctly.

[_aj_]

Science cares about facts, Religions do not.

Unless the "science" is about global warming ( ), and then you ignore actual data because this thing called "reality" doesn't comport to your fervent beliefs. Sounds like a religion to me.

[_aj_]

You poor deluded fool, what you are describing is blowback from centuries of religious indoctrination and persecution that continues to this very day. You suffer from privilege blindness, as most people who find themselves in a majority do.

Oh brother. You're really gonna drop that "privilege" shit on me here? Do you even fucking lift?

[Radical Plato]

Unless the "science" is about global warming ( ), and then you ignore actual data because this thing called "reality" doesn't comport to your fervent beliefs. Sounds like a religion to me.

Science isn't perfect, nor does it rarely reach 100% consensus, unlike religion which claims divine wisdom.  Science by it's very nature evolves into an ever greater understanding of the world around us, with a built in understanding that allows it to accept when it has been wrong.  Religion just goes from one ridiculous idea to the next, each as absurd as the one before it, only making sense to the fools, the unreasonable and the irrational.