If all theists were banned from this forum would the discussion in the religion board be better or worse?
Discuss.
Discuss.
Should we move to ban believers?
- Thread starter universaldistress
- Start date
This is a non-answer. Try and actually address the question first before you decide to take the moral high-ground and question the original poster on his motives.
I don't believe it would make the discussions better, but I do believe that there are some people that could be removed in order to better the discussions, these people are both theists and atheists. Atheists need theists to bounce arguments and ideas off of. You never know, there may be those who don't know very much about their religion and they may end up becoming atheists because of what they learn here, or they may simply learn what their religion is actually about. Most people deserve to learn, especially about something so important.
It would be worse for the debate would not have have as much discourse and where would the fun be in that? What would it be like :
Speaker A:There is no God
Speaker B: I said it first on post number 11
Speaker A: You didn't read my post on number 8
Speaker B : I first hinted at it on post number 7
End of debate
Speaker A:There is no God
Speaker B: I said it first on post number 11
Speaker A: You didn't read my post on number 8
Speaker B : I first hinted at it on post number 7
End of debate
Er..No. It's a fact. And it's always good to question somebodys' motives. Ever heard of courts? Anyway, I enjoy debating with (most) theists. Some are very knowledgable and the rationale behind many of the parables is fascinating.
In the past we tried a religion forum and an atheist forum. The atheist forum attracted almost no attention or posts so we deleted it.
Kinda makes sense since atheism is dependent on theism, and without our theist friends we would have nothing to fight against.
So definitely no banning of our wonderful believers who make life so enjoyable for us.
Kinda makes sense since atheism is dependent on theism, and without our theist friends we would have nothing to fight against.
So definitely no banning of our wonderful believers who make life so enjoyable for us.
People should be able to discuss whatever their beliefs are as long as they don't go overboard and become intolerable about it. Just as theists were banned by non theists then if they had a forum they could ban the non theists as well. Keeping an open line of discussion is paramount to let everyone be able to express what they think their beliefs are and why they think so. If they would only keep an open mind just as I do about remembering to separate facts from myths.
Kellisness
Registered Senior Member
If theists were banned from this forum just for being theists, what you'd end up with would be an huge and constant influx of new members, all of them "atheists".
How did you come to that conclusion? I have had the opposite experience, though is close to a 50/50 in 'Religion'
Arkonos's is a thoughtful and considered approach.
We could go deeper into science of religion if there was no interjection by the theists? Though they do hold knowledge the atheists do not on religion. I reckon there are pros and cons.
This is a valid point Ultra.
You'd still be left with me and people like me.
Signal, people like you are exactly what could make it work without the theists. I think I may like to try your tack sometime
It is a suggestion that theists could possibly be stilting the flow of the atheists in their interactions. But I do agree the theists can bring interesting challenges to the thought process. Seeing their varying justifications can be intriguing, in a study of human thought processes type way.
No offence was intended.
In the past we tried a religion forum and an atheist forum. The atheist forum attracted almost no attention or posts so we deleted it.
Kinda makes sense since atheism is dependent on theism, and without our theist friends we would have nothing to fight against.
So definitely no banning of our wonderful believers who make life so enjoyable for us.
Ok, sounds like a reasonable approach. Maybe the theists feel threatened by the definite presence of atheists? I don't know. What do other people make of the lack of interest in the 'Atheist' forum? Would be interesting to hear your thoughts.
The rest of the forum's boards are free of reliant-on-belief posts. Is the line here hard enough, or should we be asking more of our theists. Seems to me the best approach comes from Signal who I believe isn't a theist at all (are you defo not a theist Signal?). This doesn't seem a good advert for the continuation of the present line. Maybe we should adopt a more expectant approach like in the rest of the forum where pronouncements of the divine are deleted?
Is this boards objectivity contaminated by the theists?
I am undecided . . .
I don't follow? Why would more people come?
Additionally, should it be, not a ban on theists, but a ban on proclaiming theist belief, with theists welcome to participate only on scientific terms?
I suppose it is best to allow people to use their true viewpoint?
None taken.
Yes it is but it's also contaminated by atheist.
The question isn't should theist be here, it's..."should this be renamed the Atheist forum?"
I could imagine that the Religion's board would get seriously boring. It's always interesting to see two people who have a completely different view on life argue with each others, or not? It makes life more colourful.
I have to say the atheists seem to get the upper hand, but they would when reason is the arena. But I find discussing religion interesting as it is an appellation that more readily defines the conflict between atheism and theism (atheism and theism are mutually compatible words, one spawned from the other). An 'Atheist' board doesn't really define its interests by its title?
'Religion' as a subject seems to encapsulate more interplay than 'Atheism'. Maybe because religion, for me, is on the backfoot. Maybe a 'Atheism' board would covet more attention in a Theist dominated arena, like a devoutly Muslim culture. Or in the 'Christian South' of the USA?
Opposition is fostered but reason wins out. It has to because it creates more productive systems.
I as an atheist (I think, though I am pretty sure there needs to be a term for what I am, but atheist suffices, maybe agnostic, but not quite) am not against religion as such. The theists just need to keep a lid on the trashcan
The proportion of people exercising their christian faith in Britain has dropped massively during the last 150 years, and this is set to continue. They are in the minority but minorities are respected here. As it should be. Does this fit your assessment?
#
If this was an 'Atheist' board in a religious website would a similar trend of interest perpetuate. I am dubious. The Atheists would win the reasoning and hack-off the theists I think. I don't think such an arrangement could exist?
I think this board takes the moral high ground and gives theists the chance to be out-reasoned. Which, I suppose is not a bad format.
Just seems between the 'Religion' board and the 'Comparitive Religion' board is a small no mans land of scientific debate? Will just have to address such issues here I suppose.