Anne Rice renounces Christianity

[scourge99]

I'm not a militant atheist. I was just asking you to back up what you said??

Geeze... touchy.

For a fundamentalist like goshin, a "militant atheist" is any atheist who dares to challenge the claims and pronouncements of another Christian. Its quite similiar to how some blacks were labeled as "uppity" if they dared to speak out.

 

[Orion]

For a fundamentalist like goshin, a "militant atheist" is any atheist who dares to challenge the claims and pronouncements of another Christian. Its quite similiar to how some blacks were labeled as "uppity" if they dared to speak out.

Give it a rest....

 

[scourge99]

Give it a rest....

When christians such as Goshin can move past referring to atheists as "militant" I will. Until then I'll point it out such petty and disingenuous labeling everytime.

Its no different than pro-choice referring to pro-lifers as mysogynists. Or pro-lifers referring to pro-choicers as murderers. Such petty and disingenuous labeling has no place in debate.

 

[Orion]

When christians such as Goshin can move past referring to atheists as "militant" I will. Until then I'll point it out such petty and disingenuous labeling everytime.

Its no different than pro-choice referring to pro-lifers as mysogynists. Or pro-lifers referring to pro-choicers as murderers. Such petty and disingenuous labeling has no place in debate.

You know what? Goshin hasn't said anything like that in this thread. It's not your place to pre-emptively attack for no reason. You're the one coming across as an offender here, not him. Just back off for once. I am sympathetic to atheists as well but you are being over the top.

 

[scourge99]

You know what? Goshin hasn't said anything like that in this thread.

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with Goshin's typical "militant" atheist rants and overt dismissiveness. Let me enlighten you:

Many in the militant-atheist crowd frequently accuse "my kind" of being pushy, rude, intrusive and so on....

The board's militant atheists will consider this self-delusion or some other dismissive term.

Militant atheists act like we want to institute theocracy and burn heretics at the stake

My answer wouldn't mean much to you, and since this is DP after all, it would just be an invitation to the militant atheists to dogpile in mockery again...so I'll pass.

(the forebearance of DP's militant atheists on this subject would be a pleasant change of pace...)

(Yes, haters. If any group of posters treated an ethnic group the way DP's rabid militant atheists treat anyone with faith, they'd be censured for racial hatespeech!)

Instead we ended up with pretty much "the usual". It's practically impossible to have any serious theological discussion here without every second or third post being one of the board's militant athiests jumping in to say some version of "there is no God and all you believers are deluded fools".

It's not your place to pre-emptively attack for no reason.

I think I'm just more familiar with Goshin's debate strategy and terminology.

You're the one coming across as an offender here, not him. Just back off for once. I am sympathetic to atheists as well but you are being over the top.

I agree that I came off WAY too strong. Its been one of those days.:3oops:

 

[Orion]

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with Goshin's typical "militant" atheist rants and overt dismissiveness. Let me enlighten you:

I'm more than aware, but I don't think that gives you license to stalk him in non-related threads to hassle him.

Just let it go.

 

[scourge99]

I'm more than aware, but I don't think that gives you license to stalk him in non-related threads to hassle him.

Just let it go.

Don't worry. I'm far too busy to waste my time stalking anyone... for now :mrgreen:.

I just happened to be browsing and noticed the typical atheist dismissal diatribe. It appears many on this board believe that because some atheists are downright assholes that they can summarily dismiss anyone who dares question their claims. If an atheist dares to question one's "faith" or isn't overly respectful and cordial to the religious's "sacred cow" then they are labeled as militant and their arguments dismissed out of hand. This behavior has been blessed and urged by certain mods lately by them joining in on the bandwagon.

You'll notice many of these posters spend more time arguing about arguing than actually defending their claims to truth or responding to valid criticism of their claims.

 

[bryann380]

Now if only we can get the rest of the global population to renounce religion, the world would be a much better place to live in.

 

[jallman]

And then I could have the joy of taking on the half-dozen mouth-foaming militant atheists that are presently sharpening their butcher knives in anticipation... no, thanks. I'm tired of this ****.

That's pretty much where I am with them. Although, it is kind of fun to toss them a scrap once in a while and watch them beat their chests trying to prove who the alpha atheist is among them. :lol:

 

[jallman]

I'm more than aware, but I don't think that gives you license to stalk him in non-related threads to hassle him.

Just let it go.

But that would require reason and rationality that the militant atheist contingent, with their emotional kneejerking, just don't have. :shrug:

 

[LizardofOz]

I don't really have much to say on her decision but when I saw it on the news yesterday I thought I was back in 1995 for something. Like seriously who cares about Anne Rice anymore? How many books can you make about gay vampires? Why would anyone want to read anything about a ****ing vampire ever again, and lastly I'm sick and damn tired of vampires.

 

[Demon of Light]

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with Goshin's typical "militant" atheist rants and overt dismissiveness. Let me enlighten you:

Actually it looks like he has a handle on the term. A militant atheist could be alternatively described as an anti-theist. The main difference is the non-militant atheist typically does not exhibit irrational dogmatic opposition to belief in a deity. Such an atheist merely doesn't believe in a god or only actively believes there isn't a god without any real position on such a belief held by others.

The typical militant atheist spends a great deal of time in religious forums trying to convince people to turn away from their beliefs, basically they proselytize for atheism.

On the topic, I think Anne Rice has a perfectly reasonable position. If you read the Gospels you'll see Jesus spent most of his time preaching outdoors and generally only went indoors to eat. So if there is a holy place of worship for Christianity then it surely must be the cafeteria.

 

[BDBoop]

I don't really have much to say on her decision but when I saw it on the news yesterday I thought I was back in 1995 for something. Like seriously who cares about Anne Rice anymore? How many books can you make about gay vampires? Why would anyone want to read anything about a ****ing vampire ever again, and lastly I'm sick and damn tired of vampires.

Geez John. Be specific, I can't understand a bloody word you're saying. You're all over the map. Are you trying to say you're sick and damn tired of vampires?

 

[BDBoop]

Actually it looks like he has a handle on the term. A militant atheist could be alternatively described as an anti-theist. The main difference is the non-militant atheist typically does not exhibit irrational dogmatic opposition to belief in a deity. Such an atheist merely doesn't believe in a god or only actively believes there isn't a god without any real position on such a belief held by others.

The typical militant atheist spends a great deal of time in religious forums trying to convince people to turn away from their beliefs, basically they proselytize for atheism.

On the topic, I think Anne Rice has a perfectly reasonable position. If you read the Gospels you'll see Jesus spent most of his time preaching outdoors and generally only went indoors to eat. So if there is a holy place of worship for Christianity then it surely must be the cafeteria.

I think a LOT of people are turning away from organized religion, which is not the same thing at all as turning away from their belief system.

 

[scourge99]

I think a LOT of people are turning away from organized religion, which is not the same thing at all as turning away from their belief system.

From what I've read this is true. The percentage of people in the US who identify themselves with a particular organized religion are diminishing. Those who self identify as religious but without a particular organization are rapidly increasing.

 

[LizardofOz]

Geez John. Be specific, I can't understand a bloody word you're saying. You're all over the map. Are you trying to say you're sick and damn tired of vampires?

Si. Also this is why I like being Baptist, it's not so much as organized in anyway as it is you go and pray and read from a bible and then eat donuts and drink coffee (sometimes eat supper).

 

[cpwill]

Meh, I can't get excited about this at all. Renouncing organized religion because it collides with your personal values isn't news, it is common sense. If you honestly believe your God wants you to be unhappy, being untrue to yourself so that you can fit into the professed values of a Church, then you worship a pretty sadistic God.

'untrue to myself'? i want to do all kinds of horrible things, i want to lie in order to advance myself, i want to perform violence on those who infuriate me, i want to deride those around me.... if God was willing to leave me as I am, then He would be a pretty s----y guide, much less a God.

furthermore, the notion that each of us deep down is going to be just as talented as developing our understanding of moral law as each other or (more accurately) the aggregate wisdom of all those who have come before is.... well, silly at best.

 

[cpwill]

If an atheist dares to question one's "faith" or isn't overly respectful and cordial to the religious's "sacred cow" then they are labeled as militant and their arguments dismissed out of hand.

well yes. we are dealing with the most central self-definition of people's lives here. respect for each other is a wise assumption. and our public culture does contain a healthy segment of athiests who - perhaps overreacting to the common conceptions of them - prefer to think of themselves as somehow inherently more intelligent than theists.

 

[Catz Part Deux]

'untrue to myself'? i want to do all kinds of horrible things, i want to lie in order to advance myself, i want to perform violence on those who infuriate me, i want to deride those around me.... if God was willing to leave me as I am, then He would be a pretty s----y guide, much less a God.

If belief in your imaginary friend is the only thing keeping you from doing those things, by all means, don't stop believing.

 

[scourge99]

and our public culture does contain a healthy segment of athiests who - perhaps overreacting to the common conceptions of them - prefer to think of themselves as somehow inherently more intelligent than theists.

Atheists overact to (mis)conceptions of them and atheists think that are inherently more intelligent than theists? :roll: thank you for demonstrating the dismissive and condescending attitude I was pointing out. Please explain to everyone how you claim to know the personal thoughts and motivations of atheists. There is certaintly no possible way you know the thoughts and personal motivations of 1 atheist let alone all atheists to make such a generalization.

Instead of discrediting yourself by claiming to be an atheist mindreader, you should focus on DEBATING the claims being put forth rather than the person or people who put forth the claims.

 

[scourge99]

i want to do all kinds of horrible things, i want to lie in order to advance myself, i want to perform violence on those who infuriate me, i want to deride those around me.... if God was willing to leave me as I am, then He would be a pretty s----y guide, much less a God.

Atheists do not kill, rape, steal, or commit crimes disproportionately to theists (I think atheists are actually underrepresented in our prison population). Since you blatently admit that the only thing holding you back from doing such things is belief in your favored god, it is quite obvious then that atheists are more moral than you. I hope one day you will realize that it doesn't take the threat of eternal punishment or the promise of eternal bliss to do the right thing in this world, here and now.

 

[BDBoop]

Si. Also this is why I like being Baptist, it's not so much as organized in anyway as it is you go and pray and read from a bible and then eat donuts and drink coffee (sometimes eat supper).

So, when you eat - is it a casserole or hot dish?

 

[BDBoop]

Atheists do not kill, rape, steal, or commit crimes disproportionately to theists (I think atheists are actually underrepresented in our prison population). Since you blatently admit that the only thing holding you back from doing such things is belief in your favored god, it is quite obvious then that atheists are more moral than you. I hope one day you will realize that it doesn't take the threat of eternal punishment or the promise of eternal bliss to do the right thing in this world, here and now.

OMG, lol - seriously. Laughing too hard to type. omfg. lol!

 

[1069]

'untrue to myself'? i want to do all kinds of horrible things, i want to lie in order to advance myself, i want to perform violence on those who infuriate me, i want to deride those around me.... if God was willing to leave me as I am, then He would be a pretty s----y guide, much less a God.

Well, maybe religion is only useful to some people, people who want to do bad things.
If it helps such people control themselves, more power to it.
Many of us have our own moral and ethical codes, and don't have any trouble adhering to them.
I think the trouble comes when you try to adhere to somebody else's standards, somebody else's morals or ethical code.
If, on the other hand, you have your own rules for how to be a good person, based on your own personal values, it isn't difficult to follow it.

 

[cpwill]

If belief in your imaginary friend is the only: thing keeping you from doing those things, by all means, don't stop believing.

:lol: i'm going to leave this alone, because it's funny