How has being on an atheist forums changed you?

[Alan V]

Unreflective atheists blithely assume everything in our experience will ultimately be explained by science.  

Just about everything in our experience has already been explained by science.  It's typically something way out on the edge of what we can't experience that science hasn't yet explained.

[Mark]

Unreflective atheists blithely assume everything in our experience will ultimately be explained by science.  

Just about everything in our experience has already been explained by science.  It's typically something way out on the edge of what we can't experience that science hasn't yet explained.

Well, that but also what is extremely personal and idiosyncratically meaningful to ourselves as individuals.  I shouldn't think science will make any headway in that direction and nor would I expect it too.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Unreflective atheists blithely assume everything in our experience will ultimately be explained by science.  

Just about everything in our experience has already been explained by science.  It's typically something way out on the edge of what we can't experience that science hasn't yet explained.

Me: We haven't learned everything about the universe yet.

Cuz: I have! [waves Bible]

[Alan V]

Unreflective atheists blithely assume everything in our experience will ultimately be explained by science.  

Just about everything in our experience has already been explained by science.  It's typically something way out on the edge of what we can't experience that science hasn't yet explained.

Well, that but also what is extremely personal and idiosyncratically meaningful to ourselves as individuals.  I shouldn't think science will make any headway in that direction and nor would I expect it too.

I understand how personal experiences can be meaningful.  I can't understand how anecdotal evidence can reveal general truths to anyone.

[Bucky Ball]

I have learned atheist tend to argue like bill burr says most women argue..

So, besides being an idiot, you're also a sexist idiot.

[OakTree500]

I found it to be really educational, both in the positive sense and negative.

Positive: learning a lot more about certain religions from and outsider point of views; the conception of those religions and the [ironically] evolution of said religions; finding out further information to help further solidify what I percieved to be correct and all that jazz

Negative: finding out that actual lunatics live in the world, and aren't open for legitimate discussion outside of "god did it, so LOL".

Overall, this community in particular [and TTA before it] really helped me settle down in terms of my mental state at the time, as I'd previously come from another [non atheist] forum in which most members were treated like shit for not being in the "cool kliq" or whatever. That along with social media sort of fried my brain a little bit, so to come into a great community with varieties of awesome people which included some solid debate as well, really helped me.

It's also furthered my interest in how religion is interacting with the world [In the US mainly] along with Politics in general, and helped me really find a voice when it comes to Atheism as a whole.

Cheers guys n gals!

[Gwaithmir]

I haven't been changed at all. I've been an atheist since 1982. What I now have, however, is a lot of interesting reading to take in with my morning coffee.   

[SYZ]

I've always been an atheist, so partaking in several atheist forums hasn't changed me, but it has
reinforced a few home truths—particularly with the more rabid theists like Drich or SteveII.  Each
of these blokes, and others like them, aren't really worth the time to debate with; they're all
about mindless fighting, thinly-disguised proselytising, posting wilfully inflammatory comments,
supporting inane pseudosciences, and bad-mouthing atheists and atheism.

Their attitudes explain to some degree why there are, and have been, so many religiously-based wars.

People like Drich and SteveII don't come here to engage in any meaningful, intellectual debate—they
come here to flog the product, as it were. You'll notice that they never partake in any other threads
not pertaining to their favoured soapbox stance; that of of religious virtue.

On the other hand, the generally high standards of theists' comments and their cogency gives me
faith (ouch!) that the world is not totally controlled by religious dingbats.

[Dancefortwo]

I've always been an atheist.  (I wonder if that's more unusual for women.  Seems like women are generally more religious.)  Anyway, I'd always called myself a free thinker which I think might be a softer sounding, more acceptable word than atheist.  I think a lot of people get around the word "atheist" by calling themselves free thinkers.  When I was looking for a place to vent my anger over the way my Christian neighbors were eyeing my daughter as she transitioned I thought, "there must be some atheist forums. I'll bet they wouldn't be so judgemental!".  So I tried out a few but settled on The Previous Forum which has, funnily enough, transitioned into AD.     It clearified the word "atheist"  for me and I really found my voice in this and The Previous Forum. 

Another added benefit is that because I spend more time on this forum typing  my typing skills have improved and my spelling has improved.....well....sort of.   I had to look up the word "benefit" just now.    I can never remember if it's spelled 'benifit' or 'benefit'.  I've turned off my spellcheck to force me to look up the spelling of words.  sigh

[Minimalist]

I have learned atheist tend to argue like bill burr says most women argue..

So, besides being an idiot, you're also a sexist idiot.

Dripshit is a full-featured idiot.

[Dānu]

I've always been an atheist.  (I wonder if that's more unusual for women.  Seems like women are generally more religious.)  Anyway, I'd always called myself a free thinker which I think might be a softer sounding, more acceptable word than atheist.  I think a lot of people get around the word "atheist" by calling themselves free thinkers.  When I was looking for a place to vent my anger over the way my Christian neighbors were eyeing my daughter as she transitioned I thought, "there must be some atheist forums. I'll bet they wouldn't be so judgemental!".  So I tried out a few but settled on The Previous Forum which has, funnily enough, transitioned into AD.     It clearified the word "atheist"  for me and I really found my voice in this and The Previous Forum. 

I've taken to referring to myself as religiously unaffiliated, particularly behind enemy lines. I'm not afraid of the label atheist, but people bring a lot of baggage to it that may not be helpful, particularly if I'm engaged in interfaith discussions.

[skyking]

I've learned more than a few things about various religions here. Before, I just couldn't be arsed. I learned to listen more here.
As always I made internet friends here
The big difference was knowing that we didn't have that awkward future wedge lurking about. I have a few theist friends, but we know to keep it light about some things. Ultimately that paints us into the shallow end of the friendship pool.

[Drich]

drick:
I have learned atheist tend to argue like bill burr says most women argue.

dildo used the word "learned" in a sentence, how adorable.

learn·ed
/ˈlərnəd/
adjective

1. (of a person) having much knowledge acquired by study.
   • showing, requiring, or characterized by learning; scholarly.
     "an article in a learned journal"
     

what the problem is?

[no one]

Your post alone sums it up.

[Cheerful Charlie]

Being on atheist forums many years now, going back to when forums were rare and usenet was king, I have learned the following lessons.
Logic and reason do not trump blind faith for true believers.
When in doubt arguing with an atheist, retreat into changing the subject or quibbling.

Atheist forums et al have lead me into strong atheism and taking religious claims to their logical conclusion. I have read the Bible and now understand it better than many theists. I do not like getting sucked into name calling, it just offers a way for theists to divert a discussion. And possible lurkers who might be persuadable otherwise, bail on this sort of shit posting. Seeing the rise in atheists and Nones over the years has given me hope that the lurkers and people who eventually run into such debates even if they do not read such forums are persuadable and reachable.

My efforts may then, be a raindrop, but a rain drop in a storm of religious skepticism. My aim is to be the most effective raindrop I can be. Not only to put forth forceful arguments, but to demonstrate how forceful arguments are worth making. Occasionally, I hope others accept this way to debate the theological and religious issues.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Unreflective atheists blithely assume everything in our experience will ultimately be explained by science.  

Just about everything in our experience has already been explained by science.  It's typically something way out on the edge of what we can't experience that science hasn't yet explained.

Well, that but also what is extremely personal and idiosyncratically meaningful to ourselves as individuals.  I shouldn't think science will make any headway in that direction and nor would I expect it too.

You can't hammer nails with fish tacos. Some things are personal, some things are ineffable, and those things are by definition beyond the reach of the scientific process.

That doesn't mean that those things are important, or unimportant. That's a personal decision. It does mean that they're almost surely beyond the purview of a scientific approach.

It's always a good idea to use the right tool for the job. The scientific method, like logic, has limits that adherents of each often seem uncomfortable acknowledging.

[KevinM1]

I've always been an atheist, so partaking in several atheist forums hasn't changed me, but it has
reinforced a few home truths—particularly with the more rabid theists like Drich or SteveII.  Each
of these blokes, and others like them, aren't really worth the time to debate with; they're all
about mindless fighting, thinly-disguised proselytising, posting wilfully inflammatory comments,
supporting inane pseudosciences, and bad-mouthing atheists and atheism.

Their attitudes explain to some degree why there are, and have been, so many religiously-based wars.

People like Drich and SteveII don't come here to engage in any meaningful, intellectual debate—they
come here to flog the product, as it were. You'll notice that they never partake in any other threads
not pertaining to their favoured soapbox stance; that of of religious virtue.

This was the main criticism towards them at the, err, other place.  That rather than attempting to actually be members of the community, they simply want to proselytize.

I cannot imagine how boring and unsatisfying life has to be that a person spends copious amount of their free time going online and attempting to convert the unwashed digital masses.

Regarding atheist forums: I've been an atheist for essentially my entire life.  God never made any sense to me as a kid, and I had no real desire to learn more about it.  My family is culturally Catholic, but we never really went to church.  So I had a vague idea of what it was about, with the extra sprinkles of various saints and whatnot piled on top, but it never interested me.  When I graduated from high school, I went through a short-lived "I love everyone" pseudo-spiritual phase, and that was about it.  After that, I admitted to myself that I never actually believed and likely never will.

At first, finding a forum was fun.  It was nice to find people who didn't believe and found the whole endeavor to be unnecessary.  It was a nice change of pace from living in NH, where there's the underlying assumption that everyone believes in god, even if they don't talk about it (New Hampshire people are typically very private).

Over time, I more or less got bored with it.  Atheism itself really isn't something that defines me.  I don't really spend much time thinking about my lack of belief.  I was always an atheist, so I didn't convert because of one of the celebrity writers (and I doubt I'll read any of their books... I don't need to be told what to think by anyone, and them preaching to my choir seems like a waste of time besides).  And the arguments are almost always the same.  I mean, even here Steve is still copy/pasting his inductive shit from, what, 2-4 years ago?  Drich is still an idiot and trying to be clever with his flaccid insults?  It's Groundhog Day.

So, I've more or less moved on.  I still lurk from time to time to see how people are doing or to see if anything has changed, but forums like these just can't hold my attention any longer.  I'm not going to learn anything new from them, or become a better, more fulfilled person by staying active on one.  And, like I said before, theism bores me.  I 100% don't find it interesting, likely because I find most versions of god to be nothing more than a deadbeat authority figure.  I'd rather spend my time engaging in almost anything else.

[Aroura]

You're trying to trick me into giving away something... it won't work.

It's already worked, you've given everything away!

What's that over there?

[Dom]

I've always been an atheist.  (I wonder if that's more unusual for women.  Seems like women are generally more religious.)  Anyway, I'd always called myself a free thinker which I think might be a softer sounding, more acceptable word than atheist.  I think a lot of people get around the word "atheist" by calling themselves free thinkers.  When I was looking for a place to vent my anger over the way my Christian neighbors were eyeing my daughter as she transitioned I thought, "there must be some atheist forums. I'll bet they wouldn't be so judgemental!".  So I tried out a few but settled on The Previous Forum which has, funnily enough, transitioned into AD.     It clearified the word "atheist"  for me and I really found my voice in this and The Previous Forum. 

Another added benefit is that because I spend more time on this forum typing  my typing skills have improved and my spelling has improved.....well....sort of.   I had to look up the word "benefit" just now.    I can never remember if it's spelled 'benifit' or 'benefit'.  I've turned off my spellcheck to force me to look up the spelling of words.  sigh

I still call myself a freethinker, it's actually a thing. It's like an expansion on atheism:

Freethinkers hold that knowledge should be grounded in facts, scientific inquiry, and logic. The skeptical application of science implies freedom from the intellectually limiting effects of confirmation bias, cognitive bias, conventional wisdom, popular culture, prejudice, or sectarianism.[4]

Freethought has been around for centuries. I like the definition better than that of atheism.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freethought

[Thumpalumpacus]

So, I've more or less moved on.  I still lurk from time to time to see how people are doing or to see if anything has changed, but forums like these just can't hold my attention any longer.

All the same, it's always cool to see you around and read the occasional post.

[Dancefortwo]

I've always been an atheist, so partaking in several atheist forums hasn't changed me, but it has
reinforced a few home truths—particularly with the more rabid theists like Drich or SteveII.  Each
of these blokes, and others like them, aren't really worth the time to debate with; they're all
about mindless fighting, thinly-disguised proselytising, posting wilfully inflammatory comments,
supporting inane pseudosciences, and bad-mouthing atheists and atheism.

Their attitudes explain to some degree why there are, and have been, so many religiously-based wars.

People like Drich and SteveII don't come here to engage in any meaningful, intellectual debate—they
come here to flog the product, as it were. You'll notice that they never partake in any other threads
not pertaining to their favoured soapbox stance; that of of religious virtue.

This was the main criticism towards them at the, err, other place.  That rather than attempting to actually be members of the community, they simply want to proselytize.

I cannot imagine how boring and unsatisfying life has to be that a person spends copious amount of their free time going online and attempting to convert the unwashed digital masses.

Regarding atheist forums: I've been an atheist for essentially my entire life.  God never made any sense to me as a kid, and I had no real desire to learn more about it.  My family is culturally Catholic, but we never really went to church.  So I had a vague idea of what it was about, with the extra sprinkles of various saints and whatnot piled on top, but it never interested me.  When I graduated from high school, I went through a short-lived "I love everyone" pseudo-spiritual phase, and that was about it.  After that, I admitted to myself that I never actually believed and likely never will.

At first, finding a forum was fun.  It was nice to find people who didn't believe and found the whole endeavor to be unnecessary.  It was a nice change of pace from living in NH, where there's the underlying assumption that everyone believes in god, even if they don't talk about it (New Hampshire people are typically very private).

Over time, I more or less got bored with it.  Atheism itself really isn't something that defines me.  I don't really spend much time thinking about my lack of belief.  I was always an atheist, so I didn't convert because of one of the celebrity writers (and I doubt I'll read any of their books... I don't need to be told what to think by anyone, and them preaching to my choir seems like a waste of time besides).  And the arguments are almost always the same.  I mean, even here Steve is still copy/pasting his inductive shit from, what, 2-4 years ago?  Drich is still an idiot and trying to be clever with his flaccid insults?  It's Groundhog Day.

So, I've more or less moved on.  I still lurk from time to time to see how people are doing or to see if anything has changed, but forums like these just can't hold my attention any longer.  I'm not going to learn anything new from them, or become a better, more fulfilled person by staying active on one.  And, like I said before, theism bores me.  I 100% don't find it interesting, likely because I find most versions of god to be nothing more than a deadbeat authority figure.  I'd rather spend my time engaging in almost anything else.

Very interesting post. Thanks.

[Gwaithmir]

drick:
I have learned atheist tend to argue like bill burr says most women argue.

dildo used the word "learned" in a sentence, how adorable.

learn·ed
/ˈlərnəd/
adjective

1. (of a person) having much knowledge acquired by study.
   • showing, requiring, or characterized by learning; scholarly.
     "an article in a learned journal"
     

what the problem is?

The problem is that you have not come to these discussions with the idea of learning anything. You have come here with the closed-minded notion that you are already right and that it is the atheists' opinions and beliefs which are negotiable.

[Minimalist]

[adey67]

Or has it?  Has it made for a nice outlet for you?  How did your atheism manifest itself before you joined TTA or this forum?

Awesome question. I would have to say Ive changed because I've learned so much over the last 6 years, its almost impossible to list everything but a few things I've learned include how to debate better, arguments used by theists and how to counter them, types of logical fallacies and how to spot them, history of religion, psychology,etc etc.

[Chas]

It gave me the impression that Christians weren't too bright but that was based only one the apologist missionaries who come around.  But it also made me realize that I'm never going to be a knee-jerk anti-relionist.  By also spending time on forums where intelligent Christians hang out I realized that the sample we're exposed to here and who get lots of press in the US isn't everyone.  

What I realize now is that there are lots of nothing-but'ists out there on both sides of the religious divide, and I'm not one of them.  Unreflective Christians blithely assume their god is behind everything and has all the answers.  Unreflective atheists blithely assume everything in our experience will ultimately be explained by science.  I think both are ultimately overly confident and I think shallow.

When you find a methodology that explains reality as well as science does, be sure to let us know.

Oh no, I'm quite happy with science for answering empirical questions.  But it is simply not true that every question is empirical in nature.

For instance?

Because, eventually, they all are.  Everything we do or think has an empirical explanation because it cannot be otherwise.