Where are you as a non-theist

C-Nub · Post by **C-Nub** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:38 am

I'm kind of curious as to where the rest of you guys, whom I consider to be 'colleagues' for lack of a better word in non-theism, fall in regards to your views on faith.

I take very much the same view as Richard Dawkins, and did so before I knew he existed. I think theism, faith, religion and any sort of belief in God is a very bad thing for humanity, if not for every individual who, for lack of a better word, 'suffers' from it.

I think its safe to say that, while I'm not entirely proud of this, that I think less of theists than I do of comparable non-theists. I have less respect for people of faith, because, as I've mentioned a few times, I think its a dirty word and a lazy, fearful thing to have. I think of faith as something for people who are too weak to accept the fact that we're basically just random chance monkey spawn, only because it isn't appealing to do so.

So where do you guys fall? Are you more tolerant than I am, or less so? I hope its more, honestly, because those less tolerant than me must be getting close to rounding up the theists and forcing them all to live in Australia.

Fallibleone · Post by **Fallibleone** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:51 am

I try to respect people regardless of their belifs, although I do admit to finding it harder to respect theists. I find it harder, but I do manage it a fair bit. When I find it hard I just remember that when it comes down to it they're people, they hurt, they feel, they think. It just so happens that their lives have gone a certain way and they have ended up believers. I once believed in ghosts. Or should I say - I wanted ghosts to be true to such an extent that I tried very hard to believe in them. Now I realise that this is daft. Once I had dropped the act and started looking at the 'evidence', I realised there was none. I wised up. Was I stupider then than I am now? I don't think so. I just became less willing to brush off reality. Perhaps I became stronger and no longer felt the need to coat reality with layers of woo. Whenever I start to lose respect for theists, I remember my past ghost belief. It bothers me that people probably respected me less when I told them about it.

As for believers - perhaps their parents indoctrinated them. Perhaps something bad happened and only God made any sense. Perhaps they had a powerful subjective experience which tipped them over the edge. Perhaps they think the idea of God seems cool and so they haven't gone out of their way to study up on the arguments against him. Perhaps they realise that their beliefs are far-fetched but they are happy with them. I don't have a problem with what people believe. I have a problem with people trying to get other people to believe what they do with no evidence, and then getting offended when people say 'no way pal'.

Vladd44 · Post by **Vladd44** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:51 am

I have no qualms in viewing believers in a negative light. The only thing that causes issues for me is the fact that I was once a believer, which at times makes me want to cut them some slack in the hope they will come around one day.

But ultimately I have to judge them as I see them. If they are chasing ghosts, gods and goblins then it is difficult to not define them as ignorant.

This idea of respecting all people in insane to me. Just because someone believes it doesn't mean it deserves any respect. Foolishness is foolishness regardless of how nice the building they go to meet other fools looks.

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:21 am

C-Nub, why do you hate Australia?

I believe that theists are mistaken, but only a few are deliberately misleading people. Religion has the ability to motivate people to do things contrary to reason, contrary to their own best interests and contrary to the common good. In the extreme, this ability makes religious thought and its expression, dangerous for society. Allowing them to isolate themselves only serves to exasperate the problem. All of us, those with and those without religious beliefs, should have to work together to build our societies. Communism did not fall by the military strength arrayed against it. It did not fall by being isolated from the west. It fell only after the west learned to promote a live and let live attitude and remove the perception of the enemy from the Communist propagandists. Similarly, I believe that religion is waning and will continue to wane, so long as they cannot legitimately accuse those of us opposed to religion of using coercion. Reason, common sense and our common humanity must be allowed to win out.

Beto · Post by **Beto** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:28 pm

I'm a militant atheist. I don't think any of the "positive" traits of religion aren't inherent to modern human society and individuals, and religion is only useful to revive past and violent ghosts of human evolution. It's a persistent "virus", as adaptive and resistant as the flu.

OnceConvinced · Post by **OnceConvinced** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:49 pm

I do find myself becoming less tolerent all the time. The longer I go without recieving any good answers and the longer I go without God trying to step in and bring me back to the faith, the more I realise I was right to leave the faith. I can see myself gradually moving towards being more and more open to people about no longer being a Christian, something I have been reluctant to admit, especially to friends and family.

C-Nub · Post by **C-Nub** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 6:19 pm

I hate Australia because of what it did to my father.

I thought, somewhat erroneously now, that I represented a more extreme end of the spectrum than most here. I guess I don't, which is actually a little bit of a relief, but it does seem to indicate that I'm a little less tactful and a little more rude than most of you, which isn't quite as relieving.

I'm going to blame the diabetes. I don't have it, but I know people who do, and their diabetes is the reason I can't behave myself.

bernee51 · Post by **bernee51** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:53 pm

C-Nub wrote:I'm kind of curious as to where the rest of you guys, whom I consider to be 'colleagues' for lack of a better word in non-theism, fall in regards to your views on faith.

I take very much the same view as Richard Dawkins, and did so before I knew he existed. I think theism, faith, religion and any sort of belief in God is a very bad thing for humanity, if not for every individual who, for lack of a better word, 'suffers' from it.

I think its safe to say that, while I'm not entirely proud of this, that I think less of theists than I do of comparable non-theists. I have less respect for people of faith, because, as I've mentioned a few times, I think its a dirty word and a lazy, fearful thing to have. I think of faith as something for people who are too weak to accept the fact that we're basically just random chance monkey spawn, only because it isn't appealing to do so.

So where do you guys fall? Are you more tolerant than I am, or less so? I hope its more, honestly, because those less tolerant than me must be getting close to rounding up the theists and forcing them all to live in Australia.

I am a card carrying 'strong' atheist and uber-skeptic. I often get sick and tired of the same old canards being wheeled out in favour of god and creation. My tolerance gets tested and I used to be more ready and willing to take on the role of attack dog.

Recent experience has taught me to be more tolerant and realize that these beliefs are originating in the believers need for meaning and purpose and result from what I understand to be the 'great illusion'.

What did Oz to to your father?

C-Nub · Post by **C-Nub** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:59 pm

Unspeakable things. It involved a koala.

bernee51 · Post by **bernee51** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:04 am

C-Nub wrote:Unspeakable things. It involved a koala.

say no more....

Debating Christianity and Religion

Where are you as a non-theist

Where are you as a non-theist

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