Why are most people who answer my questions atheists ?

[Audie]

When I first discovered this place, I came as a believer. I lurked for a bit and came to atheism much later. I feel many atheists who come here deal with religious trauma if some sort or another so I'm not too surprised to see atheists here for that reason at least

Then too there is culteral anthropology
The Abrahamic teligions are still utterly weird to me.

 

[sun rise]

Many atheists and agnostics were believers at one time, so it's an interesting subject to discuss.

And quite a few moved the other way

 

[LuisDantas]

Then too there is culteral anthropology
The Abrahamic teligions are still utterly weird to me.

That makes two of us. And I hardly even know anyone who was not raised among them!

 

[Soandso]

Fear of damnation, expecting to be forgiven.

AS I see the abrahamic sects, a person can learn the rules (commandments) and follow them and be just as good as jesus or the pope and never tithe, pray or go to church even once.

Ohhhh ok. Actually, fear of hell was the first thing to go for me and led to me having the freedom to explore other paths. Keep in mind, it took a long time for me to get to that point. The whole concept of hell and a loving god was irreconcilably illogical for me to actually sit down and ponder over. Honestly, I never found Pasquale's wager convincing given it's rooted in petty self interest and cowardice. I'm not a brave person by any means, but I'm repelled by the idea of living in fear over assumptions based in ignorance

As for your original question, though, yes. I still care about the same things I cared about as a Christian, so in that case not much has changed. Instead of God being a factor now, though, I go by my own conscience. Even now, I cringe inwardly when I attempt to tell a lie, so my conscience is highly tuned and won't let me get away with too much mischief

 

[Quagmire]

That would be a stunning mathematical coincidence.
Speaking of which, the last day of the year is 123123.

So the old year will be waltzing out.

 

[Heyo]

To be religious is simply to follow a religion in my view.

Hence I see what you say as non-sequitur

The pitfalls of the English language ...
Religion, religious and religiously should have about the same meaning, yet, there are subtle differences. I think most obvious is that with the adverb which has lost almost all of its connection with the noun.

 

[Heyo]

Hey, I'm an oppressed minority

Being in the minority is just a hard fact but letting yourself being oppressed is a you problem.

 

[Heyo]

Now I am curious. When asked the full date how do people respond where you live? For example here we would say for the last day of the year that it is "December 31st, 2023." Do you actually say "It is the 31st of December, 2023"?

ISO 8601 - Wikipedia

I usually write dates according to the norm: yyyy-mm-dd but few people here do, especially when not in a formal setting. The informal way is dd.mmm.(yy)yy so e.g. 31. Dezember '23.
Afaik this is pretty common where-ever the Gregorian calendar is used. The month before day was only used in the English speaking part but even the Brits have come around to the more logical way.

 

[Heyo]

And quite a few moved the other way

Given that we are all born atheist ...
But I still have to meet a person who was an informed atheist and reasoned themselves into theism. It simply doesn't happen.

 

[sun rise]

But I still have to meet a person who was an informed atheist and reasoned themselves into theism. It simply doesn't happen.

It's called Pascal's Wager.

Pascal contends that a rational person should adopt a lifestyle consistent with the existence of God and actively strive to believe in God. The reasoning behind this stance lies in the potential outcomes: if God does not exist, the individual incurs only finite losses, potentially sacrificing certain pleasures and luxuries. However, if God does indeed exist, they stand to gain immeasurably, as represented for example by an eternity in Heaven in Abrahamic tradition, while simultaneously avoiding boundless losses associated with an eternity in Hell.[2]

 

[Heyo]

It's called Pascal's Wager.

Pascal contends that a rational person should adopt a lifestyle consistent with the existence of God and actively strive to believe in God. The reasoning behind this stance lies in the potential outcomes: if God does not exist, the individual incurs only finite losses, potentially sacrificing certain pleasures and luxuries. However, if God does indeed exist, they stand to gain immeasurably, as represented for example by an eternity in Heaven in Abrahamic tradition, while simultaneously avoiding boundless losses associated with an eternity in Hell.[2]

An informed atheist would know the wager and why it fails.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

I see very few Christians and no Muslims at all Answering my questions is there mostly atheists here ?

I can't honestly say I remember seeing any questions from you before, except your question about whether we are animals, which I did answer.. I'm Jewish btw.

 

[LuisDantas]

It's called Pascal's Wager.

Pascal contends that a rational person should adopt a lifestyle consistent with the existence of God and actively strive to believe in God. The reasoning behind this stance lies in the potential outcomes: if God does not exist, the individual incurs only finite losses, potentially sacrificing certain pleasures and luxuries. However, if God does indeed exist, they stand to gain immeasurably, as represented for example by an eternity in Heaven in Abrahamic tradition, while simultaneously avoiding boundless losses associated with an eternity in Hell.[2]

There are far, far better tools to convert atheists into theism.

As one would expect.

 

[exchemist]

I see very few Christians and no Muslims at all Answering my questions is there mostly atheists here ?

I can suggest 2 reasons. One is that it is Christmastime, so a lot of the Christians will be busy making traditional Christmas preparations. The other is that the atheists that choose to come to a religious forum will tend to be people looking for an argument.

Actually there could also be a third reason, to do with the types of question you are asking. But I have not analysed your questions to form any hypothesis about that, because, er, it’s Christmastime and I have been busy writing cards, practising carols, decorating the tree, wrapping presents and making arrangements for Christmas Day.

 

[Altfish]

It could be because atheists have more time on their hands as they don't have to visit their church, synagogue, etc. to get their weekly fix.

 

[Secret Chief]

between the thinkers and the faithful

Does it have to be one or the other?

I think (haha) you are assuming a particular type of thinking, such that one cannot be both?

 

[Secret Chief]

Now I am curious. When asked the full date how do people respond where you live? For example here we would say for the last day of the year that it is "December 31st, 2023." Do you actually say "It is the 31st of December, 2023"?

Either. Hence the (rather tasteless) comment about 9/11: What is so special about the 9th of November? (I heard that more than once).

 

[exchemist]

Either. Hence the (rather tasteless) comment about 9/11: What is so special about the 9th of November? (I heard that more than once).

But I notice you yourself have come under American grammatical influence here, as in "I just forgot how to use auxiliary verbs".

 

[Brian2]

That would be a stunning mathematical coincidence.
Speaking of which, the last day of the year is 123123.

Only in the USA.

 

[Secret Chief]

You make it sound like doing it that way is bizarre and don't make sense

If it's not American, it's wrong.