Atheists likely to be wealthier

[GenesisNemesis]

I'm all in favor of No Robots disappearing.

I am trying hard to see the atheist''s love and tolerance that I hear so much about.

From whom do you hear that?

Here in the Christendom I live in, one of the bigger differences between theists and non-theist is that the nons don't justify their ugly attitudes and misbehavior with explanations that start with "God says..." and then quote an ancient people's primitive writings and ethics.
Tom

And yet they (the nons) have the ugly attitudes (As you have acknowledged.)
Many times it is said out loud herein that the nons are 'better' behaved, have superior morals, motives etc. than the theists.
Feet of clay are everywhere.

Yeah if you ignore the whole thing where atheists are told repeatedly that they have no morals.

 

[TomC]

The support for Trump is mystifying and ridiculous.

It's not to me, anymore.

Christian folks are quite willing to accept the most horrible ethics if the ethics are to their advantage and come from a Christian authority.

Modern American Christians are theists Writ Large.
Tom

 

[bilby]

The problem with such a claim, No Robots, is that MOST people are MOSTLY right MOST of the time, but the Bible is so often wrong, the words of the occasionally insightful socially minded people so often misunderstood by others or even themselves, that it's lack of some secular basis of logic renders it a mere curiosity.

The Bible is a  Forer Effect document. No matter what your starting position, you can find justification for it in the Bible.

That which supports everything, supports nothing.

 

[bilby]

You are 100% correct, sir.

Oh fuck you. Don't pretend to act all civil and polite when you just slandered all atheists.

Was I civil and polite? Oh, I am sorry. Let me fix that. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. Feel better?

I was more going for you acknowledging that what you did was slander, but you're too much of a dumbfuck to get that.

Slander? Your own guru says as much.

The claim that atheists have gurus is itself slanderous. Or reflects such a complete misunderstanding of what atheism entails, as to render you completely incompetent to form a useful opinion about it.

 

[Tigers!]

I'm all in favor of No Robots disappearing.

I am trying hard to see the atheist''s love and tolerance that I hear so much about.

From whom do you hear that?

Here in the Christendom I live in, one of the bigger differences between theists and non-theist is that the nons don't justify their ugly attitudes and misbehavior with explanations that start with "God says..." and then quote an ancient people's primitive writings and ethics.
Tom

And yet they (the nons) have the ugly attitudes (As you have acknowledged.)
Many times it is said out loud herein that the nons are 'better' behaved, have superior morals, motives etc. than the theists.
Feet of clay are everywhere.

Yeah if you ignore the whole thing where atheists are told repeatedly that they have no morals.

No different to the atheists repeatly saying that believers are deluded, superstitious, irrational etc. etc.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

No different to the atheists repeatly saying that believers are deluded, superstitious, irrational etc. etc.

... that is in fact different from saying "atheists are morally bankrupt because my holy book tells me so"

 

[GenesisNemesis]

By the way, shouldn't so-called Christians be practicing the whole Golden Rule thing? Instead of engaging in tit for tat?

 

[Jarhyn]

I'm all in favor of No Robots disappearing.

I am trying hard to see the atheist''s love and tolerance that I hear so much about.

From whom do you hear that?

Here in the Christendom I live in, one of the bigger differences between theists and non-theist is that the nons don't justify their ugly attitudes and misbehavior with explanations that start with "God says..." and then quote an ancient people's primitive writings and ethics.
Tom

And yet they (the nons) have the ugly attitudes (As you have acknowledged.)
Many times it is said out loud herein that the nons are 'better' behaved, have superior morals, motives etc. than the theists.
Feet of clay are everywhere.

Yeah if you ignore the whole thing where atheists are told repeatedly that they have no morals.

No different to the atheists repeatly saying that believers are deluded, superstitious, irrational etc. etc.

That's why I don't claim this. Rather, belief is deluded, superstitious, and irrational, and ought be replaced as soon as is feasible by something less junky.

Believers are believers for a myriad of reasons, many amounting to "we don't have the available time or ability to convert from belief to knowledge in this domain".

I'm not sure many atheists would favor the idea that "believers" over the idea that "belief" is problematic. You can't reach reach verification without passing at times through a moment of trust, after all.

That said, those who would forego easily available verification on their trust, those who trust, and have the opportunity and ability but completely fail in their responsibilities to verify... THEY are, in fact, deluded, superstitious, and irrational.

Thankfully there are very few such people, compared to those who would verify that which they trust as soon as they may.

The delusional-ness of a person is directly correlated with their decision to not verify their trust. IF that describes you, THEN you might have a responsibility to change that.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Also this whole thing is bullshit anyway. If you even just teach evolution Christians will claim you're immoral for teaching it, regardless of how nice you are. Doesn't matter how nice atheists are.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Oh yeah, and if we are nice we're told we actually believe in god and aren't really atheists. Because, supposedly, no morality without god.

 

[Elixir]

Thing is, see, Xtians can tell atheists they’re pieces of shit because the Xtian dogma presupposes that everyone is a piece of shit. But if - and only if - you get god, can your being a piece of shit be okay. Without god you’re just a piece of shit. Nothing personal, it’s just that, you know, god says.

 

[bilby]

Thing is, see, Xtians can tell atheists they’re pieces of shit because the Xtian dogma presupposes that everyone is a piece of shit. But if - and only if - you get god, can your being a piece of shit be okay. Without god you’re just a piece of shit. Nothing personal, it’s just that, you know, god says.

"Everyone is a sinner" is a trope used by the powerful to control the majority since forever, and its use trancends religion.

As the leader (chief, president, supreme ruler, first secretary, high poobah, or whatever), it is hugely valuable to be able to arrest (execute, exile, beat, or imprision) literally anybody that you fear might be a threat to your power and authority. But it's also dangerous to be seen to be disregarding the rules - your entire schtick is that everyone should obey (you), so rules are paramount.

The obvious solution is a set of rules (laws, commandments, regulations, traditions) that is sufficiently complex and even internally contradictory that everybody is guilty of something.

Hey, presto! Now we have a society in which arbitrary and whimsical punishments are not only permitted by the rules, but are accepted by the people as normal, reasonable and just!

This is helpful if you are Joe Stalin, and want a veneer of respectability on your actions in sending dangerous intellectuals to the gulag; But it's even more helpful if you are the Pope, and want an excuse not only for excommunicating anyone who threatens your power, but also for an allegedly moral and loving God allowing a person who has led a fairly blameless life to suffer some dreadful calamity.

Your house was flattened by a tornado (tsunami, earthquake, stampede of bison, invading barbarian horde)? Why didn't God protect you? Because you are a miserable sinner!

As long as the rules are carefully crafted to ensure that it is basically impossible for any human not to break at least some of them (lustful thoughts, anyone?) you can persuade everybody that they deserve to be punished, and you can get away with unjustly punishing anybody at all - many of them won't even complain, as they are wracked with guilt and genuinely believe that they deserve whatever you mete out.