Explain to me why some people are accepting of other religions but not of atheism

[Eureka]

It's also a political concept with certain legal and tax benefits. I know several married agnostic and atheist couples.



lol, where did the Flying Spaghetti Monster ever state "Thou shalt not"?

FSM doesn't talk. Most 'atheist' kids like to go around acting tough just because they can (at least on the internet).

Ultimately, it's just kids being kids. Apparently the new thing is atheism. Who would've known?

To me, being atheist or religious is just the same, if all you do is parrot what you see from everyone else. Real choice requires effort. Critical thinking does not just mean you assume religion can't exist. It means starting with the idea that what you believe in is completely wrong (for atheists, it means stopping and considering the idea that religion is valid and correct), and working backwards from there. When you finally end up with a solution, then, and only then, have you actually made a choice.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

FSM doesn't talk. Most 'atheist' kids like to go around acting tough just because they can (at least on the internet).

Ultimately, it's just kids being kids. Apparently the new thing is atheism. Who would've known?

To me, being atheist or religious is just the same, if all you do is parrot what you see from everyone else. Real choice requires effort. Critical thinking does not just mean you assume religion can't exist. It means starting with the idea that what you believe in is completely wrong (for atheists, it means stopping and considering the idea that religion is valid and correct), and working backwards from there. When you finally end up with a solution, then, and only then, have you actually made a choice.

I don't see a lot of atheist kids going around acting tough. At very most smarmy, but pasty nerd-types don't exude toughness to me. My only encounter with a real-life obnoxious atheist was in 6th grade with this kid named Colin who would go around saying "God is a bitch and I dare him to do anything about it", and he was the only kid skinnier and whiter than me in the entire school. Nothing tough about him.

You assume that atheists began at "religion is completely wrong", and that on the chance that they did, that they couldn't have started at the right spot.

 

[notposting]

I'm religious, but as with many of the religious people I know, into science, exploration, understanding, logic, reason, and well read and educated. I certainly can doubt it (it ranks up there with an infinite universe as concepts my mind just at) but in the end I choose to believe.

I try to be a nice guy, make my own choices about things (pro-life, anti-death penalty, support gun ownership, belong to a union, dislike the welfare state, and in general don't fit under any of the cookie cutter stereotypes) live the way I think I should (ie practice what I would preach, if I was a preachy sort ), but in essence, when people do something like you mention below, I find it is because they are:

dumb, and/or;
jerks.

Sometimes, they just haven't thought it about very much, and are parroting the "accepted" viewpoint of others they know...but that borders on choice #1.

[basically skipped most of the thread, as it looks like it devolved the way one would expect in ATOT]

I hate to make a religion thread, but I have to ask a question.

I was just looking at a thread about the Boy Scouts of America. It appears that the Boy Scouts is tolerant of other religions, but will kick out atheists/agnostics.

I'm personally atheist, although I prefer the term non-religious as religious people seem to view atheism as a religion of its own.

When I "came out" as atheist as a teenager, I lost a bunch of my friends. I had friends of varying religions: Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, etc. A decent number of them told me that they could understand if I believed in a different religion, but they could not accept that somebody could be atheist. The mother of the last girl I dated refused to accept me because I was atheist, but she was fine with other religions.

Apparently this is a common view-point, but I don't understand it.

How could a religious person, who doesn't believe in all the other religions, be tolerant of all the other religions, but not of atheism?

The following quote comes to mind:
"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours"

 

[Eureka]

I don't see a lot of atheist kids going around acting tough. At very most smarmy, but pasty nerd-types don't exude toughness to me. My only encounter with a real-life obnoxious atheist was in 6th grade with this kid named Colin who would go around saying "God is a bitch and I dare him to do anything about it", and he was the only kid skinnier and whiter than me in the entire school. Nothing tough about him.

You assume that atheists began at "religion is completely wrong", and that on the chance that they did, that they couldn't have started at the right spot.

Sorry, "internet-tough" would be a better way of describing it.

Assuming your viewpoint is "wrong" is the first way of reducing bias in critical thought. If you "start at the right spot" you're only going to build more errors due to confirmation.

If it was an easy choice, it wasn't a choice.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Sorry, "internet-tough" would be a better way of describing it.

Assuming your viewpoint is "wrong" is the first way of reducing bias in critical thought. If you "start at the right spot" you're only going to build more errors due to confirmation.

If it was an easy choice, it wasn't a choice.

There is no compulsion to have a uniform perspective on life and consequently there isn't one. Personally I don't have a a desire to create tensions between reasonable people. I do however tend to break people down to those I'd like to visit and those too obnoxious to tolerate. I find little correlation between religious values and worth as a person.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Sorry, "internet-tough" would be a better way of describing it.

Assuming your viewpoint is "wrong" is the first way of reducing bias in critical thought. If you "start at the right spot" you're only going to build more errors due to confirmation.

If it was an easy choice, it wasn't a choice.

How does one confirm beliefs or lack thereof in a critical manner? Should an open-minded atheist should take every blessing and weigh them against every injustice in the world, as opposed to the irrational atheist that only pays attention to the Westboro Church in confirmation that no gods exist?

 

[WHAMPOM]

The smart ones stay agnostic. The truly smart one make Pascal's wager.

And end up condemned to eternity in hell for making Pascal's pragmatic choice and not a sincere one. Don't know your own religion very well do you?

 

[OutHouse]

3. They lack education especially in science. Especially Physics/Cosmology/Cosmetology <-

so can a Doctor or physicist believe in God?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

To me, being atheist or religious is just the same, if all you do is parrot what you see from everyone else. Real choice requires effort.

Which is why so many atheists have such contempt for wannabelievers. Atheists are generally the ones who have made the effort to examine their faith to be able to make a real choice. Believers inherit it from their parents the same way they get their eye color and blood type.

 

[sandorski]

Pascals Wager makes sense to the Religious, not because it is Logically sound, but because the goal is to convince others to join their Religion. It should be noted that the wager was made based upon some assumptions. That being that there is only 1 god in the first place. Even in the earliest time of the Old Testament this wasn't even accepted as fact.

 

[sandorski]

I like religion.

I think people who accept other religions but reject atheism do so because they have no socialization that replaces religion. Religion can play a very social role in your life and I bet Atheists have less friends than people who go to church just because of the socialization and ritual aspect.

How far do atheists go? Atheists are just haters. Do atheists get married? Thats a religious social concept.

They have nothing to contribute about how people should live their lives, just ways that they shouldn't live their lives. Its worthless. Its the little social things likw how you interact with your family, how you handle relationships, how do you treat the elderly. There is a whole entire system of rituals and social standards that religion has that Atheists do not.

I disagree. It seems more of a Biological concept that we have merely tried to understand through, traditionally, religious concepts. Partnering up exists among many species.

 

[OverVolt]

I disagree. It seems more of a Biological concept that we have merely tried to understand through, traditionally, religious concepts. Partnering up exists among many species.

Eh what have they done other than copy/paste the way Christians handle it.

Compared to say Buddhism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_view_of_marriage

Atheists actually treat marriage more like a Christian :awe:

 

[Pray To Jesus]

Which is why so many atheists have such contempt for wannabelievers.

Atheists are generally the ones who have made the effort to examine their faith to be able to make a real choice.

Prove it to be true in most cases.

Believers inherit it from their parents the same way they get their eye color and blood type.

Prove it to be true in most cases.

I highly doubt you can do so. It seems like you have subjective fictional opinions about groups of people, sterotype them a certain way, and by doing so you can feel better about your own beliefs.

From my experience with atheists on this forum, a lot of atheists refuses to learn about evidence that's contrary to their preformed beliefs. Instead, they result to ad hominem and straw man in order to win the argument. They are desperately afraid of learning about God, so they don't make the attempt to find the truth.

Instead, they are content in their ignorance and make no effort to study and learn.

The above paragraph applies to most people, with no group excluded.

I haven't seen any atheists on this forum try to look up anything as far as learning the truth. Never had any evidence been presented to refute my claims. I would appreciate the effort if some did try to do the research and post their findings instead of just wallowing in their ignorance.

 

[Jodell88]

 

[railer]

And the thread has already dissolved into a shitty atheism thread

Please try to stay on topic. I truly am curious about the topic.

The question was answered in post #4.

 

[Pray To Jesus]

Pascals Wager makes sense to the Religious, not because it is Logically sound, but because the goal is to convince others to join their Religion. It should be noted that the wager was made based upon some assumptions. That being that there is only 1 god in the first place. Even in the earliest time of the Old Testament this wasn't even accepted as fact.

Pascal's wager worked fine for me personally with a strictly defined scenario. Logical too.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Never had any evidence been presented to refute my claims.

Ignoring the refutations of the dumb things you've claimed does not make them non-existent.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Pascal's wager worked fine for me personally with a strictly defined scenario. Logical too.

Why should we believe that the only two choices are your god and no god? Why should we not consider that some other god that is not your god could exist?

 

[IronWing]

Pascal's wager worked fine for me personally with a strictly defined scenario. Logical too.

Wha? You dead, bro?

 

[sandorski]

From my experience with atheists on this forum, a lot of atheists refuses to learn about evidence that's contrary to their preformed beliefs. Instead, they result to ad hominem and straw man in order to win the argument. They are desperately afraid of learning about God, so they don't make the attempt to find the truth.

Instead, they are content in their ignorance and make no effort to study and learn.

The above paragraph applies to most people, with no group excluded.

I haven't seen any atheists on this forum try to look up anything as far as learning the truth. Never had any evidence been presented to refute my claims. I would appreciate the effort if some did try to do the research and post their findings instead of just wallowing in their ignorance.

What evidence?

 

[Pray To Jesus]

And end up condemned to eternity in hell for making Pascal's pragmatic choice and not a sincere one. Don't know your own religion very well do you?

I do know it very well. The Holy Spirit can do wonders. Christians are shown to be true Christians by the fruit that they bear.

 

[sandorski]

Pascal's wager worked fine for me personally with a strictly defined scenario. Logical too.

How do you know it worked?

When you are talking about something as fundamental as choosing correctly or potentially suffering Eternal consequences, Pascal's Wager is not logical at all. It starts out with a fatal assumption, that is that there is only 1 god and that the god in question has been properly confirmed as being a particular god. However, there is no evidence of any of those assumptions being true.

 

[Pray To Jesus]

What evidence?

Read this book if you think you can handle it. Or this one.

Try to comprehend what they are saying. If you think they are wrong in their logic and explanations, come back and post your thoughts. I would be very interested to see a counter argument to God that's based on pure logic and reasoning.

 

[sandorski]

Read this book if you think you can handle it. Or this one.

Try to comprehend what they are saying. If you think they are wrong in their logic and explanations, come back and post your thoughts. I would be very interested to see a counter argument to God that's based on pure logic and reasoning.

I have heard pretty much every Apologist argument there is, don't care to be reading books on the subject since they are all seriously flawed. Care to point out a single argument that can't be refuted?

 

[Pray To Jesus]

How do you know it worked?

When you are talking about something as fundamental as choosing correctly or potentially suffering Eternal consequences, Pascal's Wager is not logical at all. It starts out with a fatal assumption, that is that there is only 1 god and that the god in question has been properly confirmed as being a particular god. However, there is no evidence of any of those assumptions being true.

I was Buddhist, called by God through the events in my life, so I converted to Christianity. Since I was called by God, I was certain I was making the right choice. Never once was I afraid of ending up in hell.

Pascal's wager was a simple and short trick that I came up with after my conversion to quickly educate to my family how a Buddhist can convert to Christianity and be fine. I knew a lot about Buddhism, but I didn't know much about Christianity and its teachings.

In fact, the Holy Spirit has taught so much and changed me for the better. Currently, I completely understand Buddha and his thought process that led to his enlightenment.

The Holy Spirit has done work with me, which led to my bearing the fruit of a true Christian, love and joy.