What's the point of this forum?

kelly1

People, I ask you, what is the point of the A&A forum?

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator?
- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?
- A place to discuss lack of belief in God (why bother)?
- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?
- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?
- To banish all traces of God from the world?

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

Having a bad day, kelly?

Nature Boy

Well you tell us, you created a thread here...

Fallen Seraph

I vote lock.

If you find something unedifying to read, then don't read it.

estebancambias

Good points Kelly. I agree with you. In those points(mainly first two) you outlined why I hate AtheiSM.

Atheists go out of their way to rebuff the existence of God/a God. If God is not there why bother discussing it...like you will not see an intellectual debating the existence of Santa Claus.

bleg

judging from recent threads, it's here for theists to seek answers from atheists

Zombrex

kelly1 wrote: »

People, I ask you, what is the point of the A&A forum?

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator?
- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?
- A place to discuss lack of belief in God (why bother)?
- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?
- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?
- To banish all traces of God from the world?

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

It is an island of reason in a sea of nonsense

People are bombarded from all sides with wacky and illogical arguments about theism. For example, a "loving" Creator who occasionally genocides civilizations.

This forum is a balance to the madness.

(and yes I was just banned from the Christian forum for seemingly asking a question that has already been answered, but I'm not bitter)

MrJoeSoap

People, I ask you, what is the point of the other religion forums/fora (what is the plural of forum?)?

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who don't believe in a loving Creator?
- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of non-believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?
- A place to discuss of belief in God (why bother)?
- To blame Atheists for all the ills of the world?
- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?
- To banish all traces of logic and reason from the world?

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

estebancambias

bleg wrote: »

judging from recent threads, it's here for theists to seek answers from atheists

That should be the only use, otherwise the forum is useless. I say this coming from an Atheist perspective. Surely they(Atheists) would be better off poking fun at dead people on AH.

MrJoeSoap

estebancambias wrote: »

That should be the only use, otherwise the forum is useless. I say this coming from an Atheist perspective. Surely they(Atheists) would be better off poking fun at dead people on AH.

Or handicapped people, like you did.

Fallen Seraph

estebancambias wrote: »

That should be the only use, otherwise the forum is useless. I say this coming from an Atheist perspective. Surely they(Atheists) would be better off poking fun at dead people on AH.

... what?

estebancambias

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Or handicapped people, like you did.

I never made 'fun' of handicapped people. I expressed my views on The Olympics for disabled people.

Did you like Southpark Mr.Joe Soap?

estebancambias

Fallen Seraph wrote: »

... what?

Oh sorry perhaps that was a bit unfair, how could I know that Atheists are the one insulting the girl who died. Well perhaps Atheists would be better off influencing their Atheist friends to stop shooting up schools.(see this as stupid as an Atheist saying Religion is the cause of all problems)

MrJoeSoap

estebancambias wrote: »

I never made 'fun' of handicapped people. I expressed my views on The Olympics for disabled people.

Don't make me dig up the thread, because I can make you a whole lot worse than any Christian should ever want themselves to look. That thread sickened me, and I'm not easily offended.

Did you like Southpark Mr.Joe Soap?

I actually don't really. I love Family Guy though, if that helps your point at all.

Fallen Seraph

estebancambias wrote: »

Oh sorry perhaps that was a bit unfair, how could I know that Atheists are the one insulting the girl who died. Well perhaps Atheists would be better off influencing their Atheist friends to stop shooting up schools.(see this as stupid as an Atheist saying Religion is the cause of all problems)

I'm clearly not as up to date on current affairs as you are.
Indeed, I'm probably glad I'm not.

I think it best to leave the rest of your post without rebuttal/reply.

estebancambias

I realise my thread came across as being in bad taste but this was not my aim. Firstly, I think it should be reffered to the Olympics, not special or anything like that. I would love to read that thread again...I never had the chance to explain myself.

Personally my Timothy McVeigh threads were disgusting.

estebancambias

Fallen Seraph wrote: »

I'm clearly not as up to date on current affairs as you are.
Indeed, I'm probably glad I'm not.

I think it best to leave the rest of your post without rebuttal/reply.

Eric Harris
Dylan Klebold
Eric-Pekka Auvinen
(All Atheist)

They are only three names, I could name more.

MrJoeSoap

estebancambias wrote: »

I realise my thread came across as being in bad taste but this was not my aim. Firstly, I think it should be reffered to the Olympics, not special or anything like that. I would love to read that thread again...I never had the chance to explain myself.

As I recall you said that you were refraining from giving your real opinion as that would result in a ban. If your real views were more extreme than what you said then you are a sick person, and so far from the teachings of your church you may as well forget it.

Fallen Seraph

I know this is just best left where it is. But I cannot help myself:



Apologies for fuelling the fire.

SubjectSean

kelly1 wrote: »

- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?

I would like to know what you think are the valid religions Kelly. Clearly Atheism isn't one of them though.

estebancambias

I agree with that, but Atheists are equally as dumb when suggesting that Religion is the cause of all problems. No people have freedom of decisions, it is our gift from God. We can do right or wrong.

Can I just say I think the Atheist forum is particulary fair..I could never exuse them of censorship.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

I thought you loved timothy McVeigh?

estebancambias

( I never 'loved Mcveigh) I realised that he was dumb, but he was human, not a monster. In his own crazy way he thought doing this would make a point, obviously it did not. I think he was willing to sacrifice 'his name' for the sake of his people in the future. Che Guvara said that the blood of his people was needed for the benefit of the human race to prosper-something like that anyway.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

are you 12?

estebancambias

Actually no I am 18, what makes you come to such an absurb conclusion?


Let me ask you are you so narrow-minded that you would assume that posting about Tim McVeigh would mean I 'love' him.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

your youthful exuberance

bleg

kelly1 wrote: »

People, I ask you, what is the point of the A&A forum?

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator?
- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?
- A place to discuss lack of belief in God (why bother)?
- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?
- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?
- To banish all traces of God from the world?

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

suppose these are the reasons why the forum exists, which i don't accept for a second, what's wrong with it? if enough people enjoy patting each other on the back to warrant a special section in ireland's largest message board why bother saying anything?

do you really think a "stupid religious person" (your words, not mine) could convince people as prejudiced as the people you describe in your post?

Bisar

kelly1 wrote: »

People, I ask you, what is the point of the A&A forum?

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator?
- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?
- A place to discuss lack of belief in God (why bother)?
- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?
- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?
- To banish all traces of God from the world?

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

Personally I found this forum very useful when I started to have doubts about my religion. Some of the post here definitely helped me to figure out what I actually believe.

condra

kelly1 wrote: »

People, I ask you, what is the point of the A&A forum?

Boards is a pretty big site. There is a forum for mustard, a forum for sleeping and drinking, and many others which may not be high on your agenda. It's boards.ie, not Kelly1.ie.

Does there have to be a "point" to every forum? I think most forums exist because there is enough demand for them to be there.

There are enough atheists and agnostics in Ireland to validate the existence of the A&A forum.

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator?

No. That is obviously not the point of this forum, but sometimes some of us do like to "pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator", and that is our prerogatives.

- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?

I'm glad you agree that atheists have superior intelligence. Some people in here are smug, but it's part and parcel of being right, about everything.

- A place to discuss lack of belief in God?

Often, yes. No offence but, DUH!

why bother?

I can't speak for the group but here are my reasons:

Superstition has huge athority in the world and it affects our lives and the lives of people we care about. Many of us are bothered by the hyprocrisy of religion and the human rights violations perpetuated by religion, amongst other things.

- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?

No. That is obviously not the point of this forum and I doubt you will find many people here blaming all religions for all the ills of the world.

I think I know what you mean when you say "the valid ones", but wether or not any religion is valid is debatable.

- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?

No. That is obviously not the point of this forum.

Either way, in my opinion, a little cynicism goes a long way towards freeing ones mind from mental slavery.

- To banish all traces of God from the world?

No. That is obviously not the point of this forum.

There are no traces of God in the world because there is no such thing as God. There are however many superstitions which are detrimental to humankind.

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

Yes, it would appear so.

Happy Christmas.

Scofflaw

kelly1 wrote: »

People, I ask you, what is the point of the A&A forum?

- To pour scorn on and poke fun at those who believe in a loving Creator?
- A place where smug people gather to clap each other on the back and wonder at the stupidity of believers while they sit back and marvel at their own superior intelligence?
- A place to discuss lack of belief in God (why bother)?
- To blame all religions including the valid ones for all the ills of the world?
- To build up one's cynicism to ever increasing heights?
- To banish all traces of God from the world?

Or is there something positive that I've failed to notice?

Perhaps it's simply somewhere where people with a similar cosmological viewpoint can discuss anything they like without having to cater overmuch to the sensibilities of those who consider that viewpoint utterly invalid as well as incomprehensible.

I appreciate that Catholics in particular don't have much of a history of tolerance for this kind of thing, but the Internet is a terribly secular place, so it looks like you'll just have to put up with it for the moment.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Dave!

This forum is where the revolution begins!