The Lurker Posteth

[uriel1972]

I couldn't help myself I just had to ask the question. I'm a curious cat.

I couldn't help but notice the battle lines drawn and the general tenseness of the group. I guess that's par for the course when atheists and theists meet openly. /sigh

[JNelson6563]

1. You mean this forum/group?

I can't say I'm aware of any particular tensions here. There has been some in the past with less than well intentioned posters who may no longer post here but, aside from that, the atmosphere here in AA is pleasant IMO.

If you don't mind my asking, what exactly is the point of your post?

Julie

[EvolveOrConvolve]

2. I think it's this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/121853518

[uriel1972]

4. Sorry I should have made it clear it was the OTHER forum

Sorry again. It was a stupid mistake on my part.

[Warpy]

6. I rarely venture into "that" group

and prefer to hang out here, where it's calm and rational.

Dare to question any of the stuff that got dinned into a believer's head when he was a helpless child, he's going to react like you're trying to take his blankie away. One of the main things dinned into their little toddler heads was thou shalt never question any of the stuff that the most timid questions will soon expose as bullshit.

Since questioning threatens them at a deep, irrational level, expecting them to question anything on their own (or appreciate our questions) is simply not reasonable.

The best thing to do is figure out how to live with each other.

[JNelson6563]

7. Understood.

I rarely go to the Religion forum. Too much nonsense.

It seems a poster or two there are rather fixated on atheists, forever posting stories about atheists/atheism.

You're always welcome to come here to this group & enjoy some rational discussion.



Julie

[EvolveOrConvolve]

3. If you spend any time in "that" group

You'll find that the environment is not a good one. But you did ask a great question - if it helps even one person to examine their beliefs and become honest with themselves then it's a good thing. Just make sure to don your Teflon armor and flameproof suit before spending any amount of time posting in there.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. You go into the Religion group at your own peril.

Many of us here in A&A rarely venture there, and you see the reason for it. For me, it is so simple....if religion would just stay out of politics and government, and confine itself to the place of worship and the acts of the religious, I would have no beef with them. I don't care what people believe. But I do care when they are trying to push their beliefs on me. And since they are not willing to stay out of all of our lives, I have a problem.

But there are others who are more militant about it, and that does spill over into debates in Religion. I understand how they feel, but I am not ready to fight that hard. Yet.

[mr blur]

8. It's a mess over there but I can't stop looking :(

As Julie says (^#7^) some poster(s) there are obsessed with atheism. It's bizarre to see a forum concerned with religion in which most of the OPs are concerned with non-believers and their/our doings. Rather like a forum centred on stamp collecting which spends most of its time talking about how awful people who don't collect stamps can be.

Spend some time there and you'll see that some peoples' way of defending the (often) indefensible is to attack non-believers. They claim to want "discussion" but what they mean is, "Respect my faith, or I'm not listening!"

It can be amusing watching the knots into which people tie themselves, of course.

[AlbertCat]

10. It's a mess over there but I can't stop looking :(

Me too. It's just so.... outrageous over there.

I'm a bad boy though. Decades ago on the AOL Classical Music boards, there were a few of us who loved to go to the Yanni board and just type "Yanni sucks". A whole week of hysterical (in both senses of the word) posts would follow. It was so easy to get their goat. (My fave post anywhere ever came from there: from a 15 year old... "Yanni is the soundtrack of my life! And it will be that way TIL THE DAY I DIE!" Too good!)

That "other" board is just like the old Yanni board. Of course religion is much more destructive than Yanni....I think. So in some ways the stakes are higher. And I don't go over there just to post "God sucks". I let them start it...because they WILL.... and then usually just make jokes at their expense... until I'm bored.

[awoke_in_2003]

9. I avoid religion and the gungeon...

life is better that way.