What do Atheists Want?

[mikkel_the_dane]

We don't believe in there being God(s), I guess an atheist could believe in an afterlife, but that such thing wouldn't come from a God. But I would imagine that it is the few rather than the many who would believe that to be the case.

So an atheist doesn't want anything from God(s), in the same way as you probably wouldn't want anything from big foots, if you don't believe that they exist. In general atheists are interested in finding out, challenging or being skeptical about the truth made by religions, as a direct result of how they impact ours and other people life.

Well, I am also skeptical about what different people claim religion is and that includes what some non-religious people claim religion and truth is. I am a general skeptic and not just a scientific one.

 

[Nimos]

Well, I am also skeptical about what different people claim religion is and that includes what some non-religious people claim religion and truth is. I am a general skeptic and not just a scientific one.

Same here, I think we should be skeptical about everything, also why simply saying "I don't know" is the best answer in most cases. And demanding proof when claims are made.

 

[ChristineM]

I have been thinking lately about the collective responses that I receive from those who reject the God narratives.

I will be the first to concede any debate against my Atheist friends as their grasp to reality is what keeps them grounded and their attention to humanly influence and scientific evidences are crucial to holding less to fantasy and more to the world and the physicality around them. Who can blame a person that would rather devote their life to science books than fantasy? Aren't their interests just as valid?

I can imagine that to the Atheist, whether God exists or not, the mere reasoning behind the way He does things wouldn't be something they could worship or admire. I could see an Atheists conversation with God after death be something like this: "Could you blame me? You had built a world that had so much evil and death inside it, when you could have made it like _________.

I am sure Atheist would love to have a conversation with God. To hear his response to their complaints about what happened and why they happened that way. Heck, I think Theists would eavesdrop in as well to that dialogue.

I believe in a God that does reason with people. We give him the title of Righteous Judge for a reason. He will hear out your side to the sentencing and based on whether He feels you have had sufficient evidence or not will judge you as fairly as possible, better so, than any person could fathom in today's judicial systems.

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder? Do they want to live forever being right? Or do they want to live forever feeling wronged?

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want? I can only speak as a theist. What do Atheist think?

What do atheists want? Not to be misrepresentated. Not to painted with your brush.

Why are there some on RF. To learn and to teach. To learn what it is that attracts some people to a bronze age myth and to teach that god ideas are less relevant to an atheist than Harry Potter, leprechauns and invisible pink unicorns ets

Yes we all die. An atheist accepts that. Some theists don't and want eternal extacy.

 

[ElishaElijah]

Reasoned skepticism is a good thing, and the hope is that by interacting on this site, it will create pause in the believer, creating a chance for them think deeply and critically about why they hold the beliefs they hold, and an opportunity to explore other beliefs and ways of thinking.

Isn’t this proselytizing? I have no problem with this and is a off topic some but don’t we all proselytize? I feel the same way about people that haven’t had a life changing experience or have no relationship with Jesus Christ. I was blind but now I see, I’m trying to get people to see but they’re not willing.
You say you’re trying to get people who were brought up in a religious home and indoctrinated which are my children now because I threw off all that stuff and lived a life of if it feels good do it and whatever I felt like doing I did it or tried it. This lifestyle ended in drug and alcohol rehab and a life of self gratification, emptiness, addiction and no purpose, I found that life to be a trap, empty and a waste.
When I called out to God he delivered me, empowered and changed me. This isn’t something I did, but He gave me His Spirit so I can communicate with Him now and His Spirit confirms to me I have Eternal Life. I also have a purpose in this life right now, which I didn’t before I knew Him.

 

[Clara Tea]

I have been thinking lately about the collective responses that I receive from those who reject the God narratives.

I will be the first to concede any debate against my Atheist friends as their grasp to reality is what keeps them grounded and their attention to humanly influence and scientific evidences are crucial to holding less to fantasy and more to the world and the physicality around them. Who can blame a person that would rather devote their life to science books than fantasy? Aren't their interests just as valid?

I can imagine that to the Atheist, whether God exists or not, the mere reasoning behind the way He does things wouldn't be something they could worship or admire. I could see an Atheists conversation with God after death be something like this: "Could you blame me? You had built a world that had so much evil and death inside it, when you could have made it like _________.

I am sure Atheist would love to have a conversation with God. To hear his response to their complaints about what happened and why they happened that way. Heck, I think Theists would eavesdrop in as well to that dialogue.

I believe in a God that does reason with people. We give him the title of Righteous Judge for a reason. He will hear out your side to the sentencing and based on whether He feels you have had sufficient evidence or not will judge you as fairly as possible, better so, than any person could fathom in today's judicial systems.

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder? Do they want to live forever being right? Or do they want to live forever feeling wronged?

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want? I can only speak as a theist. What do Atheist think?

Why do atheists refute stupid arguments? We have a right to be stupid if we want to be.

Theists mixed religion and politics, to end abortion (an abandoned issue, but used to get votes in the next election).

We have the right to take over the United States, and from that hallowed oval office, we have a right to rule the world as kings (attack peaceful nations like Iraq and Afghanistan), and assure that God's commandment to have guns is assured (that's from the 2nd Amendment of God's 10 commandments).

We have the right to make torture camps, like Guantanamo because we revere life (oppose abortion). We have the right to make wars ("thou shalt not kill)."

We have the right to ban Gay marriage (because (we won't say how) it harms our marriages). How dare those Gays inherit or gain child custody of the kids that they were rearing!!!!! Some want to treat Gays as if they were human.

Atheists object that our torture camps might hurt someone (but they elicit false testimonies....lies.....to support our wars and killing).

Some atheists object that we spy on telephones (Google Eric Snowden for more info).

Some atheists object that we have electronic probes that can illegally see through solid walls (we have to make sure that private citizens are having sex properly in the privacy of their own homes). Laws are for chumps. Privacy is for chumps.

Some atheists object that the CIA rewrites Wikipedia articles to tell lies that are so necessary to save the reputation of war criminal W. Bush. Wikipedia said that W. Bush "handled complaints about" torture. Couldn't we write the same about Hitler?

Some atheists object to suspending the Clean Water Act in order to frack. Atheists object to drilling offshore, and other environmental damage. But theists will rapture to heaven, leaving behind a toxic waste dump (they are done using the environment). They can deny the science behind Global Warming.

We have a right to destroy the world, and what right do atheists have to gripe once we destroy it? Free speech is for us, not atheists.

 

[Clara Tea]

What do atheists want? Not to be misrepresentated. Not to painted with your brush.

Why are there some on RF. To learn and to teach. To learn what it is that attracts some people to a bronze age myth and to teach that god ideas are less relevant to an atheist than Harry Potter, leprechauns and invisible pink unicorns ets

Yes we all die. An atheist accepts that. Some theists don't and want eternal extacy.

Gasp. Harry Potter isn't real?

 

[Clara Tea]

I have been thinking lately about the collective responses that I receive from those who reject the God narratives.

I will be the first to concede any debate against my Atheist friends as their grasp to reality is what keeps them grounded and their attention to humanly influence and scientific evidences are crucial to holding less to fantasy and more to the world and the physicality around them. Who can blame a person that would rather devote their life to science books than fantasy? Aren't their interests just as valid?

I can imagine that to the Atheist, whether God exists or not, the mere reasoning behind the way He does things wouldn't be something they could worship or admire. I could see an Atheists conversation with God after death be something like this: "Could you blame me? You had built a world that had so much evil and death inside it, when you could have made it like _________.

I am sure Atheist would love to have a conversation with God. To hear his response to their complaints about what happened and why they happened that way. Heck, I think Theists would eavesdrop in as well to that dialogue.

I believe in a God that does reason with people. We give him the title of Righteous Judge for a reason. He will hear out your side to the sentencing and based on whether He feels you have had sufficient evidence or not will judge you as fairly as possible, better so, than any person could fathom in today's judicial systems.

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder? Do they want to live forever being right? Or do they want to live forever feeling wronged?

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want? I can only speak as a theist. What do Atheist think?

Perhaps atheists aren't destroying religion.

Perhaps religion has been destroyed by theists who know better but defy God? God said "thou shalt not kill." The Religious Right won't support a candidate that isn't recommended by the National Rifle Association, and is for war and torture camps.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

What do atheists want? Not to be misrepresentated. Not to painted with your brush.

Why are there some on RF. To learn and to teach. To learn what it is that attracts some people to a bronze age myth and to teach that god ideas are less relevant to an atheist than Harry Potter, leprechauns and invisible pink unicorns ets

Yes we all die. An atheist accepts that. Some theists don't and want eternal extacy.

Speak for yourself. You know the drill - an atheist lacks positive belief in/don't believe in gods. That is all. The rest is your subjective opinion.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder?

I always find this question odd.

"Why would someone join a forum about climate change if they don't support climate change?"

 

[MikeF]

Isn’t this proselytizing? I have no problem with this and is a off topic some but don’t we all proselytize? I feel the same way about people that haven’t had a life changing experience or have no relationship with Jesus Christ. I was blind but now I see, I’m trying to get people to see but they’re not willing.
You say you’re trying to get people who were brought up in a religious home and indoctrinated which are my children now because I threw off all that stuff and lived a life of if it feels good do it and whatever I felt like doing I did it or tried it. This lifestyle ended in drug and alcohol rehab and a life of self gratification, emptiness, addiction and no purpose, I found that life to be a trap, empty and a waste.
When I called out to God he delivered me, empowered and changed me. This isn’t something I did, but He gave me His Spirit so I can communicate with Him now and His Spirit confirms to me I have Eternal Life. I also have a purpose in this life right now, which I didn’t before I knew Him.

I think the simplest answer is that it is proselytizing when the moderator group say that it is proselytizing.

Yes, most who participate in this site are strong advocates of their views and opinions and what they understand to be true and real. I think one of the fundament goals of this site is the exchange and sharing of these views and understandings. So I can only assume it is the tone and manner in which one expresses themselves and depending on the subject, where those views are being shared on the site. And by the same token, I imagine it also depends on how one challenges opposing views and the understanding of others.

If any of my posts are proselytizing in nature I would encourage you to report my posts as such and the moderators will deal with it (and me ) appropriately.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I have been thinking lately about the collective responses that I receive from those who reject the God narratives.

I will be the first to concede any debate against my Atheist friends as their grasp to reality is what keeps them grounded and their attention to humanly influence and scientific evidences are crucial to holding less to fantasy and more to the world and the physicality around them. Who can blame a person that would rather devote their life to science books than fantasy? Aren't their interests just as valid?

I can imagine that to the Atheist, whether God exists or not, the mere reasoning behind the way He does things wouldn't be something they could worship or admire. I could see an Atheists conversation with God after death be something like this: "Could you blame me? You had built a world that had so much evil and death inside it, when you could have made it like _________.

I am sure Atheist would love to have a conversation with God. To hear his response to their complaints about what happened and why they happened that way. Heck, I think Theists would eavesdrop in as well to that dialogue.

I believe in a God that does reason with people. We give him the title of Righteous Judge for a reason. He will hear out your side to the sentencing and based on whether He feels you have had sufficient evidence or not will judge you as fairly as possible, better so, than any person could fathom in today's judicial systems.

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder? Do they want to live forever being right? Or do they want to live forever feeling wronged?

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want? I can only speak as a theist. What do Atheist think?

I'm not worried. The atoms did just fine and they will continue to do so.

 

[Polymath257]

Mostly, what I want is respect. Give me the same respect you give a believer. Allow me to run my life in the way that I find to be good and correct.

But it goes further. Don't try to get your creed taught in the public schools. Don't require public services to be based on religious beliefs. Don't condemn those that believe things that are different than what you believe.

I mainly have problems with anti-science being taught in place of science in schools and having our science curriculum watered down to appease people who reject it.

I also have trouble with the bigotry towards non-standard sexuality. What adults do in their bedroom is none of your business.

And I have seen religious beliefs to be the primary driving forces for those two major problems.

In this forum, I want to get to learn how other people think and perhaps to counter the pervading religious narrative.

 

[Polymath257]

Either way.

I still don't think it should matter to anyone who isn't religiously inclined to be discussing religion unless it's some academic endeavor.

If you lack theism. Why discuss it? I don't come on asking a bunch of questions to atheists (except in this thread). Prove this prove that.... Who gives a ****?

I find this to show a remarkable lack of curiosity. I study religious beliefs because they are dominant in human history. They inspire art, literature,music, and architecture. They deeply affect politics and how people live. To understand humanity requires understanding the impact of religion.

I discuss theism because it affects the society that I live in. It affects my rights and the rights of those I care about. Just look at the current debates about gay and trans rights and you can see the affect of religion on society.

I am also interested in the history of ideas. And religious ideas have been a strong current in every human society. They affect the development of math and science and how those subjects are used. the development of philosophy has been strongly affected by the religion of those around it. Religious ideas also come up all the time in discussions with other people. It seems reasonable to know something about what people have believed and do believe.

 

[Audie]

I have been thinking lately about the collective responses that I receive from those who reject the God narratives.

I will be the first to concede any debate against my Atheist friends as their grasp to reality is what keeps them grounded and their attention to humanly influence and scientific evidences are crucial to holding less to fantasy and more to the world and the physicality around them. Who can blame a person that would rather devote their life to science books than fantasy? Aren't their interests just as valid?

I can imagine that to the Atheist, whether God exists or not, the mere reasoning behind the way He does things wouldn't be something they could worship or admire. I could see an Atheists conversation with God after death be something like this: "Could you blame me? You had built a world that had so much evil and death inside it, when you could have made it like _________.

I am sure Atheist would love to have a conversation with God. To hear his response to their complaints about what happened and why they happened that way. Heck, I think Theists would eavesdrop in as well to that dialogue.

I believe in a God that does reason with people. We give him the title of Righteous Judge for a reason. He will hear out your side to the sentencing and based on whether He feels you have had sufficient evidence or not will judge you as fairly as possible, better so, than any person could fathom in today's judicial systems.

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder? Do they want to live forever being right? Or do they want to live forever feeling wronged?

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want? I can only speak as a theist. What do Atheist think?

So as one who can only speak as a theist
maybe you could avoid tryimg to speak for
(a)theists. *

Note that " atheist" is not a proper noun.

 

[syo]

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want?

They (we) reincarnate as worm meal.

 

[Audie]

Interesting. Wouldn't that freedom eventually form into a religion eventually. A system where all people are religionless no matter what they choose or not being told what to believe or not?

The religion of being religionless.
Does being a "theist" train the mind to
illogic or does it work the other way around?

 

[Audie]

They (we) reincarnate as worm meal.

Not quite so simple, but here it all is

 

[Clara Tea]

I have been thinking lately about the collective responses that I receive from those who reject the God narratives.

I will be the first to concede any debate against my Atheist friends as their grasp to reality is what keeps them grounded and their attention to humanly influence and scientific evidences are crucial to holding less to fantasy and more to the world and the physicality around them. Who can blame a person that would rather devote their life to science books than fantasy? Aren't their interests just as valid?

I can imagine that to the Atheist, whether God exists or not, the mere reasoning behind the way He does things wouldn't be something they could worship or admire. I could see an Atheists conversation with God after death be something like this: "Could you blame me? You had built a world that had so much evil and death inside it, when you could have made it like _________.

I am sure Atheist would love to have a conversation with God. To hear his response to their complaints about what happened and why they happened that way. Heck, I think Theists would eavesdrop in as well to that dialogue.

I believe in a God that does reason with people. We give him the title of Righteous Judge for a reason. He will hear out your side to the sentencing and based on whether He feels you have had sufficient evidence or not will judge you as fairly as possible, better so, than any person could fathom in today's judicial systems.

So is that what Atheists want? Why do they even join this Religious Forum I wonder? Do they want to live forever being right? Or do they want to live forever feeling wronged?

The truth is, whether you believe in God or not, you will die. I'm sorry for the spoiler alert to some of you. When that happens, will Atheists and Theists get what they want? I can only speak as a theist. What do Atheist think?

Why does everyone want to grasp reality? It is relaxing to fantasize. One could be happy, laying in a bed, with tubes in their nose, a needle in their arm, and blissfully dreaming a fantasy.

Many people could fantasize about the same thing.

These many people could rally together, claiming that the sane are trying to take away their beliefs.

They could rally around a cause that they really don't care about (perhaps the abortion of fetuses), claiming that they will end that practice.

They could then abandon their quest to end abortion. After all, once elected, they have the power that they sought, and power was the end goal (not the abortion issue).

They would be powerful rulers who could destroy the environment, make wars, make torture camps, and rule, not with logic, but by calling in psychics who will guide their every more. By the way, President Ronald Reagan took off a day per week to commune with his psychic. Some worried that an actor was in charge of the United States. But, rest assured, an actor wasn't calling the shots, his psychic was. The Iran Contra scandal was vetted through his psychic...it supported the Nicaraguan dictatorship that suppressed the educations of Sandinista kids, and keep their parents powerless and poor. The dictator required that they submit a paper proving that they voted for him, or they would be black-balled....never to get a job again. Money was raised by Reagan and Bush to buy guns for Iranian dictators (made to look like they were made in Russia to dishonestly blame Russians), and US currency was counterfeited to raise funds. Hard narcotics were purchased from the Medillen drug cartel of Colombia and narcotics were sold in the United States. Politician Maxine Waters objected to those narcotics being sold on the streets of Los Angeles which addicted many minorities (notably Blacks).

So, endulging fantasies is far more relaxing than learning of the realities of politics.

Some people focus on death, narcotics, dictators, counterfeiting, lies, etc. But those are downers...depressing....Isn't it more relaxing to be in a fantasy in which you are "fightin' the Axis of Evil," and making wars against peaceful nations, and making torture camps (Guantanamo, and camps in Iraq and other places) to torture false confessions?

 

[MikeF]

What do atheists want? Not to be misrepresentated. Not to painted with your brush.

Why are there some on RF. To learn and to teach. To learn what it is that attracts some people to a bronze age myth and to teach that god ideas are less relevant to an atheist than Harry Potter, leprechauns and invisible pink unicorns ets

Yes we all die. An atheist accepts that. Some theists don't and want eternal extacy.

Gasp. Harry Potter isn't real?

Gasp. Harry Potter isn't relevant?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Which is precisely why I have a hard time believing you can be atheist and still a participant in this forum. .....

A lot are former theists.