A few questions for fellow atheists

[Jaguar]

I have a hard time buying the "big invisible friend" part of religion, but I hate militant atheists. Just because it's fun to annoy fundamentalist christians doesn't mean it's a good thing.

[yavoon]

I can see being militant about being aetheist. or even moreso if ur some kind of new age vague spiritualist.

either way, lacking belief which is fairly passive. and disbelieving which is far more active. are different. and I dont see anything odd or peculiar about being active when u truly disbelieve.

I'm not sure if I separated that well enuff, I hope yall get the idea tho.

[Bosh]

Just because it's fun to annoy fundamentalist christians doesn't mean it's a good thing.

Soooooo true. Has been hard resisting the temptation of buying this t-shirt:

[Ramo]

Thank God. Those people are annoying.

Yeah, but still less annoying than fundies.

[Agathon]

I never argue about religion unless someone else starts it. IME many religious people aren't uber rational anyway so it's pointless to argue with them, as it is with anyone who holds fanatical beliefs.

Besides, there are many atheists who have bad reasons...

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Ramo
Yeah, but still less annoying than fundies.

Imagine how I feel being between them.

[Ramo]

About how I feel, I'd guess.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Ramo


Yeah, but still less annoying than fundies.

I must agree, tho i know there really is no difference

I go along with all religious ceremonies as if I were not atheist. I think the only ones outside my close group of friends (who are also atheists, except one who is a eastern spiritualist) who know I am atheist is my Mom, and my brother. Ive never told my father, nor even led him to suspect it. My brother is the same as I am, so that wasn't hrd, adn my mother is a hippie-esque free spirit, so she tells me to believe what i want, but my father is a conservative catholic (jeez, no wonder they got a divorce ). I really dont think he would care that much, I just never have gotten around to telling him, nor really had an oppertunity (its not something i would just interject at the dinner table or somethn... "oh by the way, im an atheist..."). If he asked i would freely admit to it.

I partake in Christmas and stuff, and when im with my father i occasionally attend mass, and just kinda go along with it. Its not hard, but its not fun either

Kman

[Kramerman]

The whole time in church (ive gone to many different types), as i listen to the clerical dude (preist, reverend, or whatever he/she may be) i usually just think the whole time, "how can people believe in this?..."

It keeps the mind busy, adn away from the brain washing powers of a church speil...

[Rex Little]

My youngest brother is a fundie Christian--he could be CivNation for all I know--and I've had fun debating him on and off over the years. (I've still got some of his letters from before either of us had email.)

In general, I just go with the flow. I don't take religion seriously enough to get offended by it. I even sang in a Lutheran church choir a few years ago, just because I like to sing.

[SlowwHand]

Re: A few questions for fellow atheists

Originally posted by Boshko
I know a lot of us are pretty outspoken in slamming theists whenever they pop out of their holes on forums, but how do you tend to act IRL? Any poor infidels stuck in the closet? What do you do when at a religious service (funeral, christmas service with family whatever)?

Personally I can't remember the last time I got in an argument with someone over a religion (not counting non-serious mocking of good friends), which is completely different than online where I think people are really asking for it if they start Bible thumping. The closest I ever really got was after I stint of posting on the Internet Infidel forums (which made me meaner and more anti-religious than I like to be due to the very anti-christian atmosphere and the annoying idiocy of the christians braved the atheist hordes) I wrote some really vitriolic rants in a History & Religion class (which my very religious prof ironically loved ).

Haven't been at any religious ceremonies in years aside from Christmas services where I refuse to kneel/take communion/pray but happily belt out Christmas carrols.

But then I haven't been exposed to really in your face Christianity (except for some Mennonites which are nice cuddly pacifist fundies) since my family isn't religious and my campus is a nice godless leftist bubble that probably has more practicing Jews and Buddhists than Christians. Hope I would be able to remain my nice tolerant open-minded self and not go off on rants about Biblical errancy and whatnot like do occasionally on 'poly (more a year or two than now, we don't seem to have had many religious threads this year, probably due to the tragic lack of CivNation...).

Arrogant, yet long-winded.

[Berzerker]

I'm praying for you.

[loinburger]

I pray for everybody who's more wicked than me. It's the least I can do.

[SlowwHand]

Anyone more wicked than you? I pity the fool.

[loinburger]

Apparently you've never seen one of those annoying Carrot Top 1-800 Collect commercials. That guy needs some hardcore praying done on his ass.