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My experience has been that when I dip my toe into this forum, which is very rarely, I see atheists criticizing believers just as much as you say believers criticize the atheists here.
Which has zero to do with whether believers should unfairly or unkindly criticize unbelievers and whether doing so while complaining about the inverse is or is not hypocritical.
We also need to agree on a definition of "criticize" because often that word gets misused and abused. I can say that I do not agree with a religious idea or do not see evidence for it and that becomes "criticism".
As an atheist, I don't mind a believer pointing out some real or perceived downside of atheism or that they don't agree with it or find it objectionable and giving their reasons for same. I only object to them putting words in my mouth, or, more often, ignoring the actual words coming out of my mouth as if I did not say them or said something entirely different.
My experience has been that when I dip my toe into this forum, which is very rarely, I see atheists criticizing believers just as much as you say believers criticize the atheists here.
I once did a straw poll of 9 threads. The attacks began from theists in 5 of those threads. One atheist was responsible for starting the attacks in 2 of those threads. Only 2 of the threads remained neutral.
You can do your own test to see who starts the attacks if you wish, maybe actual data may change your view on what you see.
I'd be willing to bet that if you have actually experienced that, you have never experienced it in real life
Who are all these people out there mocking believers?
In my entire life I have never personally witnessed an atheist mocking a believer, ever IRL. Not once, ever.
And I have a lot of atheists around me. .
The truth is, atheists just go about their daily lives, same as you.
I'm here to put paid to a lot of these myths about atheists.
Internet forums tend to attract extremes of people. That's where you will find atheists deciding religion in exactly the same way you will find people of religion deriding atheists.
On this forum it seems it is the SOLE purpose of some posters to deride atheism. I rarely see them type about anything else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pathrunner
I have someone in my life who mocks believers almost every single day. Just because you've never experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Diogenes
Why is that shocking, one example does not equate to 'all these people out there mocking believers'?
Indeed, and in my straw poll, the score was 5 offensive attacks started by theists, 2 by one atheist, and only 2 threads remained neutral.
We could do the experiment again, but as that atheist no longer posts, it may be even worse for the theists this time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Diogenes
I once did a straw poll of 9 threads. The attacks began from theists in 5 of those threads. One atheist was responsible for starting the attacks in 2 of those threads. Only 2 of the threads remained neutral.
You can do your own test to see who starts the attacks if you wish, maybe actual data may change your view on what you see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pathrunner
My experience has been that when I dip my toe into this forum, which is very rarely, I see atheists criticizing believers just as much as you say believers criticize the atheists here.
As I stated earlier, my position is that it is pointless to argue or debate what is the explanation of reality or the existence (or not) of God. People believe what is comfortable to them. That's all.
The human ego historically has prevented entire cultures and countries from co-existing peacefully. It's the nature of this dualistic world. It isn't going to change. If it does change, that evolution, in my view, is FAR into the future or "time," as we know it and perceive it.
It'll be a relief to exit this dualistic world.
Your observation is accurate pathrunner.
It's pretty simple to figure.
Just look at the # of threads and posts critical of Religion/Theism...and the number that are positive about it.
Now...factor in that the world is over 4 out of 5 Theist/Religious....so, anything more than 20% threads/posts critical of Theism/Religion, skews to a relative disproportion.
There have been Atheist members that put up 10 posts a day, and a couple threads a week (almost 500 total), for 5 1/2 years straight...slamming Theism in every way possible: https://www.city-data.com/forum/sear...rchid=45603217
I never saw any Theist do that towards Atheism.
It strikes me that this forum spends as much time discussing atheism as it does discussing theism, if not more so. And that's coming from both sides.
A thought just struck me as I was reading another thread. I've always been very open and forthright about my reasoning for visiting this forum:
Nowadays it's largely because I'm fond of some of a lot of the posters here and like to check in to see how everyone is doing, and because I find the discussion entertaining.
Initially though, the primary reason I came here because I really wanted to understand why people believed in god and I didn't. I wanted to understand how people ticked. I think I have a pretty good handle on that now. There's not much that is new and the same basic conversations all keep coming back around.
But the prevalence of discussion about atheism leads me to believe that theists are just as fascinated with people that don't believe in god as atheists are with people who do.
There are a few people who have seen both sides: atheists turned to theism and theists turned to atheism. Those people have a unique perspective (in my opinion, not having been there). There's still a part of me that can't really grasp how an atheist can turn into a theist but that's probably because I'm very settled in my perspective.
Anyhow, I don't expect this to be a long thread, as it's just based on my ramblings, but your thoughts are welcome.
^^^evidence for what the atheists here are saying, this is the Pavlonian atack I was talking about.
Here is the REAL evidence. Check it out.
The claim a response to someone that posts at twice the rate I do, about their insult & mocking of Theism/Religion, is an "attack"! Yeah, right.
Of the past 30 posts in this thread...6 are his & 1 is mine.
But I'm the one that's Pavlovian! HaHaHa!
It's pretty simple to figure.
Just look at the # of threads and posts critical of Religion/Theism...and the number that are positive about it.
Now...factor in that the world is over 4 out of 5 Theist/Religious....so, anything more than 20% threads/posts critical of Theism/Religion, skews to a relative disproportion.
There have been Atheist members that put up 10 posts a day, and a couple threads a week (almost 500 total), for 5 1/2 years straight...slamming Theism in every way possible: https://www.city-data.com/forum/sear...rchid=45603217 I never saw any Theist do that towards Atheism.
No Theist ever said that Atheists should be arrested & jailed for teaching Atheism to their children.
Thanks GldnRule. I think atheists oftentimes forget that there are moderates when it comes to theism. I myself have had numerous supernatural experiences, have studied every religion in the world, practiced a few, liked them all to varying degrees.
If we all lived by The Golden Rule there would be no religion nor atheism. There would be no need for it.
But that ain't how this planet rolls. Other planets and galaxies, anyone?!
My big disappointment will be if it ain't all explained to us after we exit this moral coil. And I'm not counting on it!!
I'm actually not engaging in debate. That idea is laughable because I am not trained in debate, although I wish that I were.
I'm just stating my opinion on the matter.
The idea that what we have here is debate is laughable.
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