Originally posted by divegeesterdo you really think people are mocked? i dont see it like that, except maybe dasa. i see the majority of it as banter, most of the the theists its aimed at give as good as they get. obviously there are exceptions, but in general its all done in good spirit. isnt it?
I may be one of the loudest contenders with the JWs (along with the likes of Proper Knob, FMF, Raik999 and a few others) but I think you will find that I rarely if ever mock them. The post you refer to is indeed meant to be a joke but it is hardly "mocking". In fact you will see that almost all of my exchanges with the JWs here are directed at their "o ...[text shortened]... heists by atheists and many of he subsequent posts in those threads are mocking in tone.
Originally posted by divegeesterSo when you do it it's a joke.
I may be one of the loudest contenders with the JWs (along with the likes of Proper Knob, FMF, Raik999 and a few others) but I think you will find that I rarely if ever mock them. The post you refer to is indeed meant to be a joke but it is hardly "mocking". In fact you will see that almost all of my exchanges with the JWs here are directed at their "o ...[text shortened]... heists by atheists and many of he subsequent posts in those threads are mocking in tone.
Yet the JWs constantly do mock you.
And so do the atheists.
This is a classic case of victim playing and most theists excel in that. Perhaps you should be a bit more critical of yourself and slightly less critical but instead openminded towards "the other".
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyThe whole question.
twhitehead, which points require clarification?
I agree with GKR that there is no such thing as 'the atheist' so will assume you are asking about me. What do you mean by 'deepest sense of identity'? What do you mean by 'selfhood'? And what do you mean by 'destiny'?
I am tempted to answer 'none' to all three, but I strongly suspect that you are talking in a different plane.
Who am I? I am me. What more is there to say?
I don't believe in fate or destiny.
Originally posted by Great King RatNo, I maintain that I do not mock people here, including the JWs (the post you are referring to I will concede to if you insist). I do maintain that much of the atheistic posting here is mockery of theists especially Christians. And no I couldn't care less if you or anyone else mocks me, what my op is asking is why atheists spend their time here when they have no religious interest. My suggestion is that in many/some cases it is to enjoy the mockery.
So when you do it it's a joke.
Yet the JWs constantly do mock you.
And so do the atheists.
This is a classic case of victim playing and most theists excel in that. Perhaps you should be a bit more critical of yourself and slightly less critical but instead openminded towards "the other".
Originally posted by Great King RatMost of joe whatshisname's are mockery, most of twhitehead's are not. It's not difficult to spot the difference.
By the way, I myself very much admit that I do mock religions.
Since you said "the majority of the OPs raised against theists by atheists " I wonder if you can point to some of those and for comparisons sake also point to some that are not mocking in tone?
Originally posted by divegeesterI daresay most of us definitely have religious interest. I certainly do. I'm not religious, but it definitely interest me. Also, mockery and interest aren't mutually exclusive.
No, I maintain that I do not mock people here, including the JWs (the post you are referring to I will concede to if you insist). I do maintain that much of the atheistic posting here is mockery of theists especially Christians. And no I couldn't care less if you or anyone else mocks me, what my op is asking is why atheists spend their time here when the ...[text shortened]... ave no religious interest. My suggestion is that in many/some cases it is to enjoy the mockery.
Do you really feel that that the majority of the atheists here have no religious interest??
Originally posted by Great King RatI'm not sure what individuals interst here is which is why I was asking. I guess it's a moot point as here we all are!
I daresay most of us definitely have religious interest. I certainly do. I'm not religious, but it definitely interest me. Also, mockery and interest aren't mutually exclusive.
Do you really feel that that the majority of the atheists here have no religious interest??
I don't think it's a moot point in fact it's a fair question. It's just that from your OP it seemed as though you had already made up your mind. To be fair, you partially corrected that in one of your responses to JS357.
As for Joe667's posts (I assume you meant him), first of all he's far from representative for "the atheist on this forum" because he posts very little (compared to other atheists), second if you look up his post history most of his posts are quite to the point. There may be a "mocking tone" in some of them, but that's just a writing style. We're not all the same. I honestly don't feel - based on his recent forum posts which you can look up in his profile - that he mock's only to mock.
Look up his recent forum posts and then tell me that the majority of them aren't out of "interest"* but out of a need to mock religious people. I wonder if you can honestly keep saying that.
*interest in something of course doesn't mean that you have to be positive about something.
Originally posted by Great King RatIf I didn't "honestly" think that, then I wouldn't say it. You yourself have admitted in this thread the you mock Christians, being pragmatic about your mocking doesn't make it any less reprehensible.
I don't think it's a moot point in fact it's a fair question. It's just that from your OP it seemed as though you had already made up your mind. To be fair, you partially corrected that in one of your responses to JS357.
As for Joe667's posts (I assume you meant him), first of all he's far from representative for "the atheist on this forum" because ...[text shortened]... something of course doesn't mean that you have to be positive about something.
If you maintain that Joe's post are mostly mocking and thus reprehensible, you either need to grow a thicker skin or save your sensible self from getting hurt and not read a forum which you know is visited by a good number of atheists, all of whom have different ways of communicating. His posts are not mocking and certainly not reprehensible. In fact, there are hardly any posts here that are reprehensible, except for the ones that call for the extinction of a certain group of people by Dasa.
Since you started this thread, do you feel your questions have been answered? Or is anything still unclear to you? If so, what is unclear?
Originally posted by divegeesterI would disagree that mockery is reprehensible - it tends to be indicative that one side of an argument genuinely holds a position that is not only stupid - it is self-evidently stupid.
If I didn't "honestly" think that, then I wouldn't say it. You yourself have admitted in this thread the you mock Christians, being pragmatic about your mocking doesn't make it any less reprehensible.
For example, if I asserted that 2 + 2 = 4, I find it very difficult to imagine that anyone could find a way to mock that statement in such way that they did not invite greater mockery on their own door. Of course some might remind me that making such an assertion is pointless because nobody in their right mind would have any reason to disagreement but that hardly qualifies as mockery.
On the other hand, if I asserted That tornadoes kill nice people because:
6000 years ago, in a magic garden called "Eden", some man and a woman listened to a talking snake and ate a naughty fruit that gives knowledge of right and wrong This ticked off, and surprised, an all knowing magical
then that would clearly be a stupid belief - one that is never going to be corrected with a cool head and a rational argument.
Originally posted by Great King RatI'm neither thin skinned nor sensitive, I just don't believe it is edifying for one human being to mock another because of their religious or spiritual beliefs.
If you maintain that Joe's post are mostly mocking and thus reprehensible, you either need to grow a thicker skin or save your sensible self from getting hurt and not read a forum which you know is visited by a good number of atheists, all of whom have different ways of communicating. His posts are not mocking and certainly not reprehensible. In fact, ...[text shortened]... your questions have been answered? Or is anything still unclear to you? If so, what is unclear?