Post by tehincoreuptable on Jun 27, 2010 21:47:14 GMT -5
Most Atheists that I know are Atheists for one of two reasons:
1. To look cool, to rebel, and to say fuck you to G-d. They acknowledge a G-d, they just don't think He's a good guy.
2. They think Christianity is the only religion and dislike it.
I've realized that I'm officially in a debate with someone who falls into neither of the two categories, so I apologize if my arguments came off as...err..idiotic. I'm used to dealing with idiotic Atheists :\
1. To look cool, to rebel, and to say fuck you to G-d. They acknowledge a G-d, they just don't think He's a good guy.
2. They think Christianity is the only religion and dislike it.
I've realized that I'm officially in a debate with someone who falls into neither of the two categories, so I apologize if my arguments came off as...err..idiotic. I'm used to dealing with idiotic Atheists :\
Huh, I've met or spoken to several atheists, and I've never found one that falls in either category. I can perhaps imagine the former existing among teens, I suppose. I've met quite a few people who qualify the latter, but they tend to become non-denominational (believers not aligned with any particular church or organized belief) rather than atheists. There are quite a few atheists on this board and I'd say most of us are pretty rational and fair about it. (There are, that said, a lot of atheists who are atheists for the right reasons, but are still rude or otherwise unpleasant toward the religious, and for them I apologize. Fortunately, there don't seem to be any around these boards!)
That's pretty much all of the Atheists in my town. The rude ones that call you an idiot unless you totally believe that there is no G-d whatsoever. So when I debate religion with an atheist, I usually have to take things with a bit of asshole-ness. I know that all atheists aren't like that, but it's become a reflex of sorts :\
Thing is, one often cannot worship however you want. If a Muslim studies, for instance, Judaism, they will learn about yarmulkes, and realize it's encouraged to wear them. They'd feel pressure to wear one. Then go out and get shot.
See, I have to think that the action taken and the thought believed have to be seen separately. You might for example think that the Jewish interpretation of God is most accurate, but that such a god would be forgiving if you don't follow rules that would get you killed. You try to know the truth, without expressing anything that would get you killed. And I get that that's probably difficult or impossible in some places; that's why I say we each make a best effort. In an Islamic theocracy, that best effort is probably very little and one would keep it very closely to themselves whatever it is. In the free world that best effort can be much greater.
True say. You are good at this whole debating-without-offending thing.
Also, I never intended to say you weren't questioning. Only that being questioning is better than following the pack, and that using real evidence and logic is better than going with gut and truthiness. It wasn't aimed at you; rather, it was more of an observation in general.
<3 Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert
Oh, okay I share the same view: I'd rather know the truth about something even if it would bother me forever than not know and be a sheep. That's what my whole theory thing involves, after all
And yes, two of my heroes. I watch their shows every night!