Should theists be treated like ordinary humans?

[Dywyddyr]

Atheists would remain a very small, in fact the very smallest of minorities

False.

help atheists rid themselves of the mantle; 'the most hated and mistrusted minority of the world'*
* since I can not post url Google study, mistrusted minority etc

Also false.

That study refers to the USA (as does, I assume, your claim that atheists are "the smallest of minorities").
I think, if you bother to look, that you'll find that the USA is not (and this may come as a shock to you) the entire world.

 

[gmilam]

Interesting. And you grew up in a society/culture where disagreeing with others doesn't necessarily imply that you are criminal, bad or insane?

My immediate reaction is to think "Because I am rebellious, evil. If I would be a good person, I would do as others tell me."
I just became aware of this. It's what I was taught from early on.

Sounds like you were raised in a closed community of some sort. Mennonite maybe...

There are support groups to help people learn to live in "normal" society.

 

[Adstar]

One of the problems that atheist recruitment faces, is it is a strict and clannish religion that repels people. I doube anyone was ever recruited from religion on this site. Atheism is very negative and full of grouchy people. Religions grow and renew themselves for centuries because they know how to be nice and inclusive; even the atheists are welcome.

As an helpful exercise for the atheists, maybe we can practice good manners and open discourse.

Well said.

Having been on this forum for years i have probably only seen 1 or two atheists who have come across as caring or polite.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Adstar]

Still peddling that idiocy I see...
It is not a religion.


Balls.


You're an idiot. A particularly stupid one at that.

LOL proving the point in replying to that post. How funny it is being grouchy and impolite while replying in the negative that atheists are grouchy and impolite.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Yazata]

I don't automatically believe everything that other people tell me.

How did you come to that stance and practice?

It's called native intelligence and fundamental sanity. Everyone is born with it, to a greater or lesser extent. I've never encountered anyone, child or adult, who always behaves as he's told to behave and believes as he's told to believe. We are human beings, not automatons.

If a person tells you to do X, but you don't do X, then we can say that your own personal ethics and philosophy has overriden theirs.

I don't agree.

The concept being discussed is "override".

The topic of this rather neurotic thread is "Should theists be treated like ordinary humans". The word "override" was yours, introduced during one of the stream-of-consciousness twists and turns that the thread subsequently took.

My point is that my not letting an evangelist's views overwrite and hence replace my own existing views is NOT overriding their views. Not in any conceivable way. They still have their own views, every one of them, totally pristine and intact. I'm just reserving my right to say the same thing, to possess views of my own.

Interesting. And you grew up in a society/culture where disagreeing with others doesn't necessarily imply that you are criminal, bad or insane?

Of course I didn't. Neither did you.

 

[wynn]

If a person tells you to do X, but you don't do X, then we can say that your own personal ethics and philosophy has overriden theirs.

I don't agree.

Then how would you describe what happens when you don't do as others tell you?

Do you conceptualize the situation as something like this: "Other people's personal ethics and philosophy are within the boundaries of their personal space and do not impinge on mine." -?


Generally, I tend to view communication in the metaphor of the exchange of chemicals, where each person throws chemicals at the other and also uses them for oneself. If dangerous chemicals are thrown, then unless one somehow neutralizes them or otherwise makes them harmless, one suffers.
(Hence the notion of overriding - if someone throws acid at you, you have to apply lye to yourself to neutralize the acid or you get burned.)

Of course I didn't. Neither did you.

I was certainly often made to feel guilty for expressing disagreement.