You Are Stupid...Unless you're an Atheist

Are you a theist or not?

Yes. GODZORZ IS TEH REAL!	19.9%	[ 140 ]
No. I LOL AT JOOR INVISIBLE SKY MAN!	26.9%	[ 189 ]
I'm an agnostic. I CAN'T PROVE NOTHIN'!	21.1%	[ 148 ]
GIMME JOOR GOLDZ!	32.1%	[ 225 ]
Total Votes:			[ 702 ]

[PuerDebonaire]

Kimihiro_Watanuki

1. Does being an atheist make you smarter than anyone else?
2. Are deities and religion nothing but delusions and forms of crowd control?
3. Where did I mess up? Logical errors, etc.
4. Is faith just a crutch?
5. Are you ever skeptical that they might ever be evidence (scientific proof) of a deity?

1. No.

2. No, but religion has been used wrongly many times before, which is why it has a bad reputation.

3. Dunno, I'm not too worried about that.

4. Some people use it as a crutch, while others just truly believe it. If it helps people get through the day, then what is wrong with it? Maybe we shouldn't use crutches either if we break a leg, since they're so bad right? We should all be strong and just hop around all day long.

5. Yes, very. I don't know if there ever will be a day when science proves that a god really does exist. We just keep discovering and learning new things that lead to more and more questions. It is an endless cycle. Who cares? If you believe in your religion, you will be believe it regardless.

For the record, I am not a religious person, but I like to think that I can see the argument both from the religious person's perspective as well as the athiest perspective.

[Fenris Drakon]

I think every religouse person has, to some extent, had a personal experiance of some kind that says "This relgion is the right path for me." I myself am a spiritualist. And from personal experiances and research of those closest to me, I find that this is the most logical.

But regardless of this, I don't go about saying that christians are wrong do I? No! Everyone has a right to belive what they want and, aslong as it doesn't hurt other people, they should be able to freely belive in it. I find the majoraty of christians in particular are very respectable, freindly and kind people. Wether they take the bibal literaly or not, the perpose it serves and the fact that it encorages good morals and alot of good ideas that should be used in sociaty, means that it shouldn't matter wether or not the events in the bibal actualy happend.

In short, we should all be allowed to live our lives as we want. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY should be able to take that away from them and classify them as "wrong".

One last note though: I would like to point out that not ALL athiests are dead set against christianity. Just as not all christians belive that the bibal is 100% factual. It's impossible to generalise and properly say "people who belive in this are like that!". So please keep an open mind and hear what each side has to say before passinge judgement.

[Axioma]

Being an atheist doesn't make you smarter, but being well educated does make you more likely to be an atheist.

Of course, correlation does not prove causality...

[Steampunk Patashu]

Axioma

Being an atheist doesn't make you smarter, but being well educated does make you more likely to be an atheist.

Of course, correlation does not prove causality...

I think it's true. sweatdrop You hear of more people converting from christianity to atheism then vice versa in their late teens/early adulthood, don't you?

[Amalia Segreta]

Kimihiro_Watanuki

So, I've been browsing the web and found videos, article, etc. on Charles Dawkins' book "The God Delusion" Frankly, my point here is that it doesn't just offend me, it really pisses me off. Charles Dawkins deliberately puts down any deity based faith, and then uses what is seemingly out going, controversial literature, lectures, and speech to back it up with. And the sad thing is, I've seen his books become a sort a sort of "Atheist's Bible".

Allow me to draw one very important point form his book. Very early on, he calls faith and religion delusions. He says anyone who has delusions, is classified mentally ill. He later on makes the connection. All religious people are mentally ill. God, Allah, Vishnu, and Zeus are no more provable than a orbiting tea cup, or a unicorn.

Now, about the Atheist's Bible part. I frequently use and online chat messenger hybrid called PalTalk. It has voice and video capability, and a wide variety of rooms to search for. Of course, the most popular rooms are the religious ones. I try to stop by an atheist room when I get the chance to, just to listen in. (I'm not exactly Christian. I'm sort of a Deist, with Christian influence thrown in.) When I voice my opinion, it is immediately shot down. And not even in a decent manner. I get met with personal insults, sarcasm, bigotry, and vulgarity. It's like a pack of wolves jumping on a dead rabbit. They immediately regard anything as I say as the wrong opinion. And the worst part is they have a seething hatred for all Christians. Not just the fire and brimstone kind. They hate EVERY SINGLE ONE, and then try to use nothing but the Old Testament and history to back up their claims.

So...to discuss.

1. Does being an atheist make you smarter than anyone else?
2. Are deities and religion nothing but delusions and forms of crowd control?
3. Where did I mess up? Logical errors, etc.
4. Is faith just a crutch?
5. Are you ever skeptical that they might ever be evidence (scientific proof) of a deity?

Many Christians that I've met insist that their being Christian makes them smarter than I.. So what's the difference?

If I didn't think that my belief is the "right" one, I wouldn't believe it. At least I dont' go knocking on poeple's doors, disrupting their weekends, to tell them to stop believing in God.

[~chibiNyoko~]

Kimihiro_Watanuki

So, I've been browsing the web and found videos, article, etc. on Charles Dawkins' book "The God Delusion" Frankly, my point here is that it doesn't just offend me, it really pisses me off. Charles Dawkins deliberately puts down any deity based faith, and then uses what is seemingly out going, controversial literature, lectures, and speech to back it up with. And the sad thing is, I've seen his books become a sort a sort of "Atheist's Bible".

Allow me to draw one very important point form his book. Very early on, he calls faith and religion delusions. He says anyone who has delusions, is classified mentally ill. He later on makes the connection. All religious people are mentally ill. God, Allah, Vishnu, and Zeus are no more provable than a orbiting tea cup, or a unicorn.

Now, about the Atheist's Bible part. I frequently use and online chat messenger hybrid called PalTalk. It has voice and video capability, and a wide variety of rooms to search for. Of course, the most popular rooms are the religious ones. I try to stop by an atheist room when I get the chance to, just to listen in. (I'm not exactly Christian. I'm sort of a Deist, with Christian influence thrown in.) When I voice my opinion, it is immediately shot down. And not even in a decent manner. I get met with personal insults, sarcasm, bigotry, and vulgarity. It's like a pack of wolves jumping on a dead rabbit. They immediately regard anything as I say as the wrong opinion. And the worst part is they have a seething hatred for all Christians. Not just the fire and brimstone kind. They hate EVERY SINGLE ONE, and then try to use nothing but the Old Testament and history to back up their claims.

So...to discuss.

1. Does being an atheist make you smarter than anyone else?
2. Are deities and religion nothing but delusions and forms of crowd control?
3. Where did I mess up? Logical errors, etc.
4. Is faith just a crutch?
5. Are you ever skeptical that they might ever be evidence (scientific proof) of a deity?

1)Being athiest doesn't make you smarter than any other person of different beliefs. Religion and belief of non-existant deity is a cultural universal, and history proves that anybody will fight (even start wars) to prove that their belief is the correct one.
Why? Because religion holds a very important role in everyone's social lives.
3)Don't worry too much, you didn't mess up, they were just doing what's sociologically expected of them.

2&4)I, for one, believe in Karl Marx's description of religion being the opiate of the masses. Even though, deep down, I still hold strong to my Christian faith, another part of me refuses to be taught to turn the other cheek when I (or my family) have been wronged.
I do believe that some who hold power use religion to keep the oppressed masses at bay with the promise that there is something better waiting for them if they behave, waite, and worship.
I'd prefer to worship of my own free will, not because I'm helplessly impoverish due to greedy corporations and look forward to possibly aquiring a mansion with streets of gold overlooking crystal waters somewhere up in the clouds after a lifetime of turning the other cheek.
No thanks, if I go to hell for it, maybe I would leave the earth in a better state because I refused to follow orders from an old book that told me to behave.

[A Lost Iguana]

Steampunk Patashu

Axioma

Being an atheist doesn't make you smarter, but being well educated does make you more likely to be an atheist.

Of course, correlation does not prove causality...

I think it's true. sweatdrop You hear of more people converting from christianity to atheism then vice versa in their late teens/early adulthood, don't you?

That's probably as much to do with coming into their own opinion about spiritual matters as it is to do with teenage rebellion. Christianity is the dominant faith taught to children, it makes sense that you would have a larger number abandoning it [the relative numbers — of the total number of Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, atheists, etc. — who convert to another way of thinking in their teens would be more informative].

[cittcatt]

mongo!!!

[The Urban Elf]

glitterxfit

i feel the same way about christians.
i'm often called stupid because i don't believe in god.
and they don't even put up a good arguement
it's usually just "YOU'RE GONNA BURN IN HELL!! =o!!! HAHA LOSER SEE YOU FROM HEAVEN!"

Actually that would be Atheists imitating a Christian.

Also i do find it offensive that people think that all religious people must be complete idiots. Being religious or non religious does not make you any more intelligent than each other. People who use that argument however are most likely to be less intelligent or less enlightened with probably very little personal experience with a true religious person and not a religious person who lives their own life and then attends certain festivals and carries out a few rituals and then claims that they are [insert religion here].

[Steampunk Patashu]

A Lost Iguana

Steampunk Patashu

Axioma

Being an atheist doesn't make you smarter, but being well educated does make you more likely to be an atheist.

Of course, correlation does not prove causality...

I think it's true. sweatdrop You hear of more people converting from christianity to atheism then vice versa in their late teens/early adulthood, don't you?

That's probably as much to do with coming into their own opinion about spiritual matters as it is to do with teenage rebellion. Christianity is the dominant faith taught to children, it makes sense that you would have a larger number abandoning it [the relative numbers — of with the total number of Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, atheists, etc. — who convert to another way of thinking in their teens would be more informative].

Yeah, you're probably right.

[KraftDerTaube]

I blieve religion is a delusion, and not just a bit either. 'Something has to be proven false for it to be a delusion'. Does the human these days need visual proof in all cases? If I were to tell you I've got a purple stray cat stapled to the side of my head and that I'm typing this message on a loaf of bread, it's pretty safe to say that I'm a tad bit delusioned.

Frankly, god and everything around him is stupid, indoctrinative bullshit. A propogandic fairytale for some to hang up on all they can not explain. Surrealistic nonsense that holds no truth.

HOWEVER, that's just how I see it. I detest religion and I think it's one of the dumbest things. But you know what, it's okay if you wanna believe in god. I'm not gonna go around and tell you why I think it's bullshit 'cause if you wanna have faith, go ahead. I don't need to be bothered with it. I have my standpoints on certain things aswell, and there aren't any christians to bash them.

All it takes is a little respect, and that doesn't have to change anything about the way you think.

[Pein and Pleasure]

Eh, just because one person is a douche doesn't mean the rest are as well, same with religion. Thats like saying all christians are like Phelps, a majority of them aren't. However, I have to agree with this guy (never heard of him until now), religion is a delusion and a crutch though I think he takes it to the extreme. People seeing angels and speaking to god and all that other good stuff are crazy, if someone thinks satan told them to burn the house down they are probably a schizo, if they literally think god sent them on a mission its probably the same thing or a just a dream they are taking WAY too seriously.

I think a lot of fellow atheists just get tired of being called stupid in public for their beliefs (it happens) or getting harassed or having religion shoved in their face all day, so they go to chatrooms like that to vent, where we are the majority that can say what we think is fact and fiction, I vent on here all the time and most likely I take it too far a bit. You don't have to be a Catholic to acknowledge your faults.

But yeah...the questions...

1. Not generally but I have noticed that the average atheist is smarter than the average theist though I can't speak for everyone.

2. Definetly. Religion is a very effective "get rich fast" scheme for religious leaders and gives them almost total power over their audience who fear their threats. Honestly, to you theists out there (mostly referring to christians), why do you believe in god? Ask yourself that and give the most honest answer without all of the bullshit. Remember, lying is a sin that will damn you to hell. the answer is because you're afraid of hell and so discontent with this life you hope for a next that is promised to be better. Thats why you go to church, because you are afraid and these religions manipulate you to not only give them money, but power over you as well.

3. Eh, you did pretty well overall.

4.Yes, look at answer three, the whole "discontent with life" thing.

5. There will never be evidence of a deity, I'm absolutely sure of this. Go to the amazon and you will be worshipped as a god for your technology or killed as a demon. What we don't or can't yet understand is almost always linked to superstition until its scientifically proven or explained. Who else thought when you turned on the tv there were actually people in there when you were little? Now that you've grown up you realize that mistake because science can create a logical explanation for that. Just attribute this to any "miracle", it can be scientifically explained without the presence of any deity. And if you're a literal christian (you take every word in the bible literally, like Fred Phelps (*coughcoughdickheadcoughcough*)) do you seriously believe some guy lived in a Whale for a couple days? You might as well believe in Pinochio.

[halibut14]

hey dude. that was very offensive just to go out and say that i'm stupid. i'd think that anyone who is not a christain is stupid but i wouldnt just say that because i care about what other people believe. if you want to change our mind try not to make us mad before you make your point! scream

[KraftDerTaube]

halibut14

hey dude. that was very offensive just to go out and say that i'm stupid. i'd think that anyone who is not a christain is stupid but i wouldnt just say that because i care about what other people believe. if you want to change our mind try not to make us mad before you make your point! scream

Fact of the matter is you shouldn't be getting mad. I know deep down you feel I'm a poor soul for living without God, and if you wish you can tell me that.

I can understand my opinion comes off somewhat offensive, but realise it's just my opinion. Even if I think it's foolisch, doesn't everyone have the right to act stupid aswell?

I'm not trying to change your mind either. God knows that's not gonna work, and I don't need it to. Follow your faith to the best you can and you'll be a fine guy.

[halibut14]

serously man. the way you put that it made it look like you were trolling. it was quite offensive.