Atheists... why the heck are you on RELIGIOUS forums?!

[firedragon]

No, I am not claiming that we are rational in the strong sense. I am myself a limited rationalist or irrationalist. Rational is a human behavior like walking. Both work in a limited sense.
But you can among both atheists and religious people find strong rationalists.

Of course there are rationalists in every single group of people in the world.

Rationalism is not a human behaviour like walking. Or maybe I didn't understand you. For some it could be, but for the majority of atheists in this forum its not. Unless they are closet rationalists and claim otherwise in the open.

But I think you have opened a whole new topic for me. I regret I have not time at the moment to delve into this deep. But I think without thinking too much, you have opened such a large topic for me personally. For that I should thank you.

OMG. This is unbelievable.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Of course there are rationalists in every single group of people in the world.

Rationalism is not a human behaviour like walking. Or maybe I didn't understand you. For some it could be, but for the majority of atheists in this forum its not. Unless they are closet rationalists and claim otherwise in the open.

But I think you have opened a whole new topic for me. I regret I have not time at the moment to delve into this deep. But I think without thinking too much, you have opened such a large topic for me personally. For that I should thank you.

OMG. This is unbelievable.

You have to approach it like a field anthropologist. Right now you are out there in the empirical world and studying the natives.
So what subcultures are there for a list of markers of behavior?

 

[Valjean]

Why, they are here to preach of course.

But we have no doctrines or beliefs to preach.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

But we have no doctrines or beliefs to preach.

Well, some have.
Read all of it and if you can spot it, I can't do it for you.
Our Vision

 

[RestlessSoul]

Well, here are 2 cases I learned from over the years.
A scientist claiming that it was an observable physical fact that some brains are wrong.
An atheist and a standard religious believer with contradictory epistemologies agreeing on that it was a fact, that I was wrong.

Well right or wrong is a value judgment, and we should be very wary of making those.

Jesus was unequivocal on the subject, but you don’t have to be Christian, or religious, to recognise the wisdom of;

Matthew 7:1-4

 

[RestlessSoul]

Wouldn't be much of a debate without at least 2 opposing ideas.

Why do different, or even contradictory ideas always have to be in opposition? Has that adversarial mindset served humanity well in the past, do you think? Wouldn’t it be better, always, to seek out common ground?

 

[RestlessSoul]

But we have no doctrines or beliefs to preach.

That’s no barrier to some of the more vocal types, as you can’t fail to have noticed?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

That’s no barrier to some of the more vocal types, as you can’t fail to have noticed?

Some standard non-religious people have those including that we have no doctrines or beliefs to preach.

 

[Heyo]

I’ve seen a few religious people on this site complain about the general presence of atheists on RF.
I mean, it’s called RELIGIOUS forums. So they say.
Do atheists have a place on this site? I feel like the answer is obvious, but maybe it could be addressed.
The obvious answer is yes.
So, atheist, why the heck are you here? What draws you to a religious site? Are there no adequate atheist forums?
I have this thread in the debate forum, rather than the Q&A, because, if you feel like irreligious people don’t have a place on this site, I’m interested in why. I’ve seen it said on this site, so let’s hear why you think there should only be religious people on RF.

1. I was invited and, iirc, RF explicitly encourages non believers to join.
2. It's called religious forums, plural. There are closed forums for religious and other groups where the in-group can discuss matters without us pesky doubters interfering. And I don't intend to go there and don't intend to preach (even though I can't help myself sometimes). If you want your ideas analysed, put them up and I do my best to show you where you can do better.

 

[firedragon]

You have to approach it like a field anthropologist. Right now you are out there in the empirical world and studying the natives.
So what subcultures are there for a list of markers of behavior?

You have no clue what I am on about. It's not up for debate because I have not even stated it.

Without asking for my position or epistemic stance try not to make character analysis based on your own stance.

Yet, thanks for giving a new topic for me to study. This is the value of this forum.

Cheers.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

It's a topic I enjoy discussing.

As, of course, the religious are not?

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

1. I was invited and, iirc, RF explicitly encourages non believers to join.
2. It's called religious forums, plural. There are closed forums for religious and other groups where the in-group can discuss matters without us pesky doubters interfering. And I don't intend to go there and don't intend to preach (even though I can't help myself sometimes). If you want your ideas analysed, put them up and I do my best to show you where you can do better.

And I can in some cases learn doubters to doubt if doubt is universal as to correct answers or if doubt has a limit.

 

[Aštra’el]

But we have no doctrines or beliefs to preach.

Of course you do, you just don’t call it “religion”.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Of course you do, you just don’t call it “religion”.

As an atheist I am not supposed to say this aloud, but non-religious worldviews most of the time involve the doctrine that religion is in the end a special negative and that is a FACT.

 

[Valjean]

Well, some have.
Read all of it and if you can spot it, I can't do it for you.
Our Vision

But this is an organized group, like the Knights of Columbus or Southern Baptist Convention, not atheists in general. Atheism, per se, has no doctrine or beliefs.

 

[Valjean]

Of course you do, you just don’t call it “religion”.

Name some.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

But this is an organized group, like the Knights of Columbus or Southern Baptist Convention, not atheists in general. Atheism, per se, has no doctrine or beliefs.

No, but no atheist is just an atheist. If that was the case, they would be dead in practice.

 

[Valjean]

Of course there are rationalists in every single group of people in the world.

Rationalism is not a human behaviour like walking. Or maybe I didn't understand you. For some it could be, but for the majority of atheists in this forum its not. Unless they are closet rationalists and claim otherwise in the open.

But I think you have opened a whole new topic for me. I regret I have not time at the moment to delve into this deep. But I think without thinking too much, you have opened such a large topic for me personally. For that I should thank you.

OMG. This is unbelievable.

Rationalism is a way of thinking; a way of organizing, evaluating and drawing conclusions from facts.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Rationalism is a way of thinking; a way of organizing, evaluating and drawing conclusions from facts.

Yes and it has a limit, just like facts are not all of the everyday world.

 

[Valjean]

No, but no atheist is just an atheist. If that was the case, they would be dead in practice.

Why would logic and rationalism be dead? It's like saying algebra or geometry would die, without organized support groups.

I'm just an atheist. I think most atheists are just atheists. The only requirement; the single definitive feature, is lack of belief in God or gods.

Of course we all have other beliefs, tastes, interests, hobbies, &c, but these aren't related to our lack of belief in God.