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The insults serve several purposes, but one of the main purposes is to demonstrate a total lack of respect for specific groups. Let's face it some adults enjoy being mean-spirited when they can safely get away with it. Religion seems to be one of the last areas where you can safely insult people on the internet without fear of repercussion, and some people intend to take full advantage of the opportunity. At the end of the day, most of the people who are lobbing insults desire for you to be obedient to their teachings and for you to not to try inferring your thoughts onto them. Hence, it is called insulting into compliance.
The insults serve several purposes, but one of the main purposes is to demonstrate a total lack of respect for specific groups. Let's face it some adults enjoy being mean-spirited when they can safely get away with it. Religion seems to be one of the last areas where you can safely insult people on the internet without fear of repercussion, and some people intend to take full advantage of the opportunity. At the end of the day, most of the people who are lobbing insults desire for you to be obedient to their teachings and for you to not to try inferring your thoughts onto them. Hence, it is called insulting into compliance.
Yes, so....
I see Atheists ask, "should a person just accept that such passages are not meant to be taken literally?"...relative to The Bible.
And they cite stories they know are metaphorical and allegorical such as, "When god turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt".
QUESTION FOR ATHEISTS:
Since they know this is not a literal account of occurrences, or a documentary of what was said or happened...why do they endlessly continue to pose all these questions that are based upon a literal Bible interpretation...does it really bother you that much that so many believe it literally that you are constrained to question (mostly in derisive Devils Advocate type arguments) their position and beliefs over, and over, and over again for years and years?
I think you might do just as well to ask how many times a week I beat my wife...
I've never seen a question like that posted by an atheist, which does not mean it is not there somewhere, of course.
But I would not consider it that good of a question.
Much better question, imo, would be
Why believers in Bible so conveniently insist on having their cake and eating it too by, on one hand, claiming, that Bible is "in its entirety for-ever-and-ever unchanging, all-encompassing Word of God", but, on another hand, when pressed by obvious, starting their usual post hoc rationalization dance - metaphorical, allegorical, literary art, which are attributes of something man made and, therefore, in direct contradiction with claim of divine origin? Can it be, by definition, only either/or, but not both?
Do you have a question to about this question?
This thread is for questions people might like to pose for atheists. Unfortunately, those questions are quite few compared to all the others, and no doubt the misrepresentations about what atheist do or think and why reign supreme. The beauty of straw man arguments is they can be whatever we want them to be and they really don't have to be cogent.
Can you and Goldie take your arguments to a thread that it belongs in? You've been asked or given advice about why you should stop. This is the ask an atheist thread. You keep quoting him and none of us want to see his posts. Take it elsewhere.
Good suggestion because having to scroll through so many of these before getting to another comment of a different sort is getting far too time consuming!
this is a public forum for all to post in.
there are many many readers who very much want to see not only his posts, but all the posts from everyone who cares to contribute and participate.
you (generic you) don't get to tell people not to post. and you (generic you) certainly are not the voice nor do you speak for everyone. you (generic you) only speak for yourself.
Question for Ask an Atheist: Why is it that here on CD (including in this thread) there are atheists who are very keen to share their stories, views, opinions, and beliefs. But when other voices and other views participate in the conversation, they seek to shut those voices down which may be in disagreement, or which may bring a perspective that atheists find not to their liking? Why would anyone on a public discussion forum say things like "no one wants to see their posts" such as in the post above by an atheist? Using that post as an example which is representative of the described behavior which is the subject of this Ask an Atheist question.
It was a question, "can they take it somewhere else?" No one need explain that no one can tell people what to post or read in this forum. Well of course they can, but no one need pay heed. We all know this...
Answer to your question: again you generalize far too much and too often. To present a different argument or opinion or point of view is not to "shut anyone down" necessarily, but of course we all have our varied sensitivities along these lines. You seem to be among the more sensitive. Gldn too, and I suspect this is why you are always forever embracing the same sort of objections.
None of these questions, however, seem very relevant to why an atheist is an atheist. Almost seems like religious people can't even formulate those kinds of questions. Instead it's forever quibbling about an atheist's intentions. More often than not misrepresented rather than honestly inquired about.
I would not call Golden the worst specimen of a poster, that is harsh. There are several others who fit the bill. Golden is responding exactly how any poster would when interrogated, with patience, intelligence, and courtesy. More than what is expected in this thread.
Prolific, repetitive and unrelenting are what comes to my mind before "worst specimen of a poster," and again repetitive. As if all efforts to justify contrary points of view and alternative perspectives go in one ear and right out the other. Why in my opinion it all got rather old a rather long time ago. Now Sonof the latest bone to chew on in the same exact way.
In part you're right.
But the specific sub-topic being criticized here is off-topic since they are not asking an atheist. But of course, you stick up for a certain couple of people; so transparent.
Another aspect to the repetition that goes on in this forum as if group hugs are the goal above all others!
I wasn't going to comment about this again, but since you mention it too...
Question for Ask an Atheist:
Why is it that when atheists make claims such as these (see bold above as an example of representative behavior we see here on CD by atheists) they (a) fail to provide data, links, or source material. And (b) when they do provide links it fails to support what they are saying, and (c) it often times actually shows the opposite of what they are claiming.
Regarding the specious claim in bold above, let's look at a 2021 articlefrom the Mensa society. It is titled Intelligence and Unbelief: Irreligiosity is NOT intellect's guiding light, great minds prove
"The reason people of profound intelligence don’t always find theism to be irrational is because there is nothing inherently irrational about it. Data on Nobel Prize winners from 1901–2000 shows that only 11 percent of Nobel laureates claimed to be atheists or agnostics. While 65 percent of Nobel laureates made a positive claim of believing in God."
"It’s neither correct nor helpful to frame theism and atheism into a paradigm of intelligence values. It shows an ignorance of religions and those who believe in them — and those who don’t. "
PART 2 of 2 / in response to post above
I am an example of someone who (a) qualifies for Mensa membership, and (b) would never in a million years join, and (c) am a believer. If you consider those eligible for Mensa to be brilliant, thank you for the compliment. As a believer when i go to my local house of worship, in the typical congregation (in any of the three cities I've attended in the last 15 years) on any given Sabbath sitting with me in the service are medical doctors, anthropologist, university professors, physicist, medical researcher, attorneys, plumber, accountant, realtor, print shop owner, chef, school teacher, pharmaceutical rep, import business owner, doctor of oriental medicine, and several black belts in various martial arts.
Another question for Ask an Atheist:
why is it that so many atheists on CD seem unable to post without the crude insults. Nothing makes a person look more (to quote the atheist post shown above) "ignorant and uneducated" and less able to hold a rational conversation, than calling readers by the same tiresome insults posted over and over.
Sorry but I have to chuckle and thank you for the chuckle as I read this question about (a) in particular. As if anyone bothers to supplement their comments in these threads with supporting justification beyond mere say so. Go back and check the record and get a good laugh for yourself.
Might I remind you of the many posts and supporting information related to why people believe what they do having nothing to do with intelligence? With all due respect to your Mensa membership, how about an intelligent appreciation for what makes us all believe what we do? Whether we believe the same or don't?
Give that one a try instead of forever this focus on how atheists may act differently from as you wish in this forum...
Last edited by LearnMe; 08-30-2022 at 09:40 AM..
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