Why is the internet so vehemently atheist?

[Aporeia]

Rumblestiltskin

Aporeia

Cecilia Davidson

If anything it's violently RELIGIOUS

The internets? You're kidding, right? Let's disregard the HORDES of fluffy bunnies and just focus on people who aren't FOTMing their belief systems... the internet, especially on sites like this, is predominantly atheistic, and of those atheists, they are predominantly antagonistic towards at least one religion, if not all in general.

The internet is a haven for rebellious teenagers who've run out of things to be rebellious about (but try anyways).

The "rebellious teenager" generalization aside, I'd say the biggest reason for why there are so many atheists on the internet is because of the internet itself. Before the advent of the internet, if you lived in a small community, you got a really limited diversity of different opinions on religion. Now, on the internet, you can connect to pretty much anyone on the planet, so you get a vast diversity of opinions on religion...which causes some people to examine their own beliefs. In fact, within the last few years, we've not only seen more people becoming nonreligious, those that stay in the religion are turning more towards creationist viewpoints...which isn't surprising when you look at how much discussion is done about both on the internet.

I refuse to acknowledge people en masse as intellectual thinkers when they do everything they can to suggest the opposite to me. Rationale is uncommon in a world of emotional rollercoasters. Most people do not turn against a once held belief or social convention because they question and find logic is at odds with it, but because they feel that they, personally, are at odds with it.

You think too highly of your peers, a mistake I have learned not to make.

[Rumblestiltskin]

sinislogic

Because the more intelligent ones are either outspoken in media and science but also through the internet. The church tends to stay within the church and they are more focused on the Bible or other holy books. Than they are about study or having actual discussions. The internet is where we get to be really open I guess.

If the church actually stayed in the church, I don't think you'd see so much opposition to it. The problem is...they aren't. I mean, sure, you've got your fringe groups like WBC (who everyone seems to hate) and then there's nonsense like Living Waters and the Creationist "Museum" and Discovery Institute who are trying to put fairy tales in the science class room...but even smaller stuff, like billboards for churches...and the fact that churches are everywhere to begin with....that doesn't help...especially when you have politicians using people's religious beliefs to get them to vote against their best interest. So, I'm going to have to politely disagree with you that churches are staying to themselves.

[Rumblestiltskin]

Aporeia

I refuse to acknowledge people en masse as intellectual thinkers when they do everything they can to suggest the opposite to me.

I didn't say you had to...however your generalization doesn't apply to a large portion of atheists.

Quote:

Rationale is uncommon in a world of emotional rollercoasters. Most people do not turn against a once held belief or social convention because they question and find logic is at odds with it, but because they feel that they, personally, are at odds with it.

I sincerely doubt you've done the research to make that kind of distinction.

Quote:

You think too highly of your peers,

I really don't. But considering the fact that rates of the nonreligious have risen as the advent of the internet has become more common, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to see a connection. Also, I never said that people were becoming convinced for good reasons...just that this is a likely explanation for why it's happening more and more.

Quote:

a mistake I have learned not to make.

And it's an experience I know all too well, which is why I don't have much trust in people. However, that doesn't mean that I'll always assume the worst about people either, because that doesn't have positive benefits either.

[Obi127]

Rumblestiltskin

sinislogic

Because the more intelligent ones are either outspoken in media and science but also through the internet. The church tends to stay within the church and they are more focused on the Bible or other holy books. Than they are about study or having actual discussions. The internet is where we get to be really open I guess.

If the church actually stayed in the church, I don't think you'd see so much opposition to it. The problem is...they aren't. I mean, sure, you've got your fringe groups like WBC (who everyone seems to hate) and then there's nonsense like Living Waters and the Creationist "Museum" and Discovery Institute who are trying to put fairy tales in the science class room...but even smaller stuff, like billboards for churches...and the fact that churches are everywhere to begin with....that doesn't help...especially when you have politicians using people's religious beliefs to get them to vote against their best interest. So, I'm going to have to politely disagree with you that churches are staying to themselves.

What I meant is that as for the internet they tend to stay sheltered and honestly it may be because of how many atheists and freethinkers are on the internet. But YES you are right that they take it way too far out of church and into politics and government/ anything against their views. I just mean that I hardly see outspoken radical Christians online although I guess it depends on what site. (youtube there are few but rising, here few, ext)

[Rumblestiltskin]

sinislogic

Rumblestiltskin

sinislogic

Because the more intelligent ones are either outspoken in media and science but also through the internet. The church tends to stay within the church and they are more focused on the Bible or other holy books. Than they are about study or having actual discussions. The internet is where we get to be really open I guess.

If the church actually stayed in the church, I don't think you'd see so much opposition to it. The problem is...they aren't. I mean, sure, you've got your fringe groups like WBC (who everyone seems to hate) and then there's nonsense like Living Waters and the Creationist "Museum" and Discovery Institute who are trying to put fairy tales in the science class room...but even smaller stuff, like billboards for churches...and the fact that churches are everywhere to begin with....that doesn't help...especially when you have politicians using people's religious beliefs to get them to vote against their best interest. So, I'm going to have to politely disagree with you that churches are staying to themselves.

What I meant is that as for the internet they tend to stay sheltered and honestly it may be because of how many atheists and freethinkers are on the internet. But YES you are right that they take it way too far out of church and into politics and government/ anything against their views. I just mean that I hardly see outspoken radical Christians online although I guess it depends on what site. (youtube there are few but rising, here few, ext)

I thought you were talking in general, but I will say that there are a lot more vocal christians on the internet than you think. Atheists may be louder, because it's a place where they don't have to hide their beliefs as much, however, youtube's got a pretty healthy dose of christians, most of whom I think any rational christian would disagree with.

[randomuser2349]

sinislogic

Because the more intelligent ones are either outspoken in media and science but also through the internet. The church tends to stay within the church and they are more focused on the Bible or other holy books. Than they are about study or having actual discussions. The internet is where we get to be really open I guess.

Did you not read the second paragraph of my post?

Quote:

I've seen many[atheists] online misinterpret, twist and oftentimes fabricate statistics just to support their view, in addition to throwing in all-sentimental illogical BS reminiscent of those pure-sentimental arguments for the existence of a god such as "Look around you, there's so much beauty". Attempts to correct such false arguments are met with downrates, even if you are not arguing against atheism, and when met with any statistics against their arguments, they get butthurt and resort to petty hit-backs. I've even seen some atheists act like they were infallible Einsteins simply because they were atheists.

I am in the field of science and I have seen people misinterpret and twist facts just to satisfy their views, just like how many YECs do.

[King Shining Heaven]

When you know someone can't physically retaliate against you, you tend to let your inhibitions go.

[Cosmo_Shinden]

It's quite an interesting phenomenon, because atheists never had this big of a rally, with the exception of the objectivist movement, long before the internet's existence.

[Shinji-EVA[01]]

It depends on what site. You will find more outspoken atheists on site like this where you can be anonymous. It's an outlet for a lot of closet atheist that if they posted their feelings on Facebook, they would never hear the end of it.

[The Herald of War]

First post is too vague in its accusations. What statistics are there to skew?

[Kaworu 17]

Rumblestiltskin

If the church actually stayed in the church

Confirmed for atheist bigotry.

[Ariel Yardena Davidson]

Kaworu 17

Rumblestiltskin

If the church actually stayed in the church

Confirmed for atheist bigotry.

... the hell?

[Sandokiri]

Cecilia Davidson

Kaworu 17

Rumblestiltskin

If the church actually stayed in the church

Confirmed for atheist bigotry.

... the hell?

In slightly less vague terms: Christianity has a mandate of propagation. Therefore any desire to inhibit the pursuit of that mandate is considered by certain Christians (namely those who would pursue their mandate more actively) to be a form of bigotry.

This apparently extends to political and scientific arenas, such as Young Earth Creationism's risible attempts to undo most of science, and politicians' frequent efforts to replace our nation's de jure religious neutrality with a de facto theocracy.

[Ariel Yardena Davidson]

Sandokiri

Cecilia Davidson

Kaworu 17

Rumblestiltskin

If the church actually stayed in the church

Confirmed for atheist bigotry.

... the hell?

In slightly less vague terms: Christianity has a mandate of propagation. Therefore any desire to inhibit the pursuit of that mandate is considered by certain Christians (namely those who would pursue their mandate more actively) to be a form of bigotry.

This apparently extends to political and scientific arenas, such as Young Earth Creationism's risible attempts to undo most of science, and politicians' frequent efforts to replace our nation's de jure religious neutrality with a de facto theocracy.

I thought they were referring in some weird way to the separation of church and state and the VERY long history of the Church meddling in state.

[Rumblestiltskin]

Cecilia Davidson

Kaworu 17

Rumblestiltskin

If the church actually stayed in the church

Confirmed for atheist bigotry.

... the hell?

He has a grudge against me because I'm an atheist (so it's funny that he's calling someone else a bigot) so he tries to take any attempt he can to quote mine me...and I don't know why...cause I don't know what he expects to happen. I mean, I have him on ignore, so it's not like I got this notification...the only thing I can think of is that he thinks it'll hurt my "credibility" in the forum if he dishonestly tries and twists what I say...either that, or he's doing a tsundere act to try to get me to notice him (he IS pretty desperate to get my attention)....