Atheist topics

[Cavebear]

To be honest I assume everyone else is also an atheist unless I have reason to suspect otherwise.

That would be a bad assumption in most of the US.

However we do have a general principle here that one does not discuss politics or religion in polite company. It is only on social media and in certain areas dominated by, shall we say, "impolite society" where that breaks down. Mostly it doesn't come up. I've only been asked twice in the roughly 30 years I've been an unbeliever, if I'm an atheist. Both times it was a fundamentalist who asked, and I gave them no particular reason to ask, other than not engaging in god-talk.

Years ago I used to eat lunch at my desk.  I was that busy all the time in 1982.  One day, a co-worker walked by and was horrified to see me eating an italian sub.  He seemed outraged and shocked.  When I looked at him in some confusion, he finally sputterred "It's Good Friday".  OK, that  took me a few moments to figure out, but I realized it t was Good Friday and I had broken one of his religious rules.

I just laughed and said it didn't matter to me.  Whereupon, he demanded to know what religion I was.  God forbid I might be Jewish or something worse.  When I finally got the gist of his horror, I (rather unremarkably) said I was "atheist".  You would think I had thrown a grenade into the office.  

Everyone else suddenly wanted to know how I could (and the phrasing feels confusing to this day) "feel such hatred of God"?  How could I raise children decently?  How could I resist evil?  Etc.  Yeah, even in 1982, most people thought that way.

I explained that I just didn't see any evidence of any deity, that I would explain the world scientifically to any children I might have, and that I was just trying to eat lunch.  I'm sure (koff, koff) it was just a random event that got me moved to a different office that I had no skill in a week later.

I got a much better job 2 weeks after, where (happily) I thrived among (mostly) rational people for 25 years.

But that lunch discussion was sure a surprise.  After that, I just started telling people I was an atheist just to get it out of the way of meaningful work.

[Edible crust]

"Because Hitler was definitely an atheist and not a Catholic. How as an atheist can you criticise Catholicism?"

Was this a quote or your statement?  

Wasn’t Hitler an Aryan Christian?  Something about Jesus was white and hated Jews? I’m sure he disliked Catholics and envied their power and organizing skills but, he also found them useful and easily manipulated.  It’s something I always thought the Russians should have mimicked…instead of abolishing the church, Russia should have co opted it and manipulated the priests.

It was a question that was asked of me by a Catholic chap that I worked with a few years ago.

I don't think that it was a serious question l think it was sarcasm and he knew that I'd appreciate it.

[Thumpalumpacus]

How to tell people ( politely) you are an atheist 

"Thanks, I'm not a believer."

[Szuchow]

"Because Hitler was definitely an atheist and not a Catholic. How as an atheist can you criticise Catholicism?"

Was this a quote or your statement?  

Wasn’t Hitler an Aryan Christian?  Something about Jesus was white and hated Jews? I’m sure he disliked Catholics and envied their power and organizing skills but, he also found them useful and easily manipulated.  It’s something I always thought the Russians should have mimicked…instead of abolishing the church, Russia should have co opted it and manipulated the priests.

Wikipedia tries to muddle things but no reputable biography of Hitler says that he was anything but christian. Not particularly devout one but a christian nonetheless and his hatred of Jews certainly was in line with church thinking and doings.

Russians could hardly do what the Germans did when they had their own faith to promote - Marxism-Leninism.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Hitler was almost certainly a non-denominational Christian throughout most of his life. Towards the end he may have gone from Christianity to madness, but that's not a big leap anyway.

Hitler was raised a Catholic, turned away from the Church sometime during his adolescence or early adulthood, but referenced "Providence" and "the Almighty" to the end of his days.

[SYZ]

How to tell people ( politely) you are an atheist 

To be honest I assume everyone else is also an atheist unless I have reason to suspect otherwise.

Exactly. Downunder, nobody can really be stuffed
talking about someone's religion or lack thereof. If
somebody tells me specifically they're X religion in
the course of a convo with them that's fine, but even
then I don't see any necessary need to tell them I'm
an atheist.   Unless they ask I'm happy to though.

[Paleophyte]

Can we start a thread that discusses atheist topics instead of another christian posting why we should believe their bible? Every time I come on this forum it’s yet another christian apologist looking for converts. 

Topic Ideas

Evidence for Evolution
Separation of church and state
Atheism in popular culture
Experiences of discrimination as an atheist
How to tell people ( politely) you are an atheist 
Why atheism is a logical conclusion

Any other thoughts?

Good recipes for BBQing infants

[brewerb]

Can we start a thread that discusses atheist topics instead of another christian posting why we should believe their bible? Every time I come on this forum it’s yet another christian apologist looking for converts. 

Topic Ideas

Evidence for Evolution
Separation of church and state
Atheism in popular culture
Experiences of discrimination as an atheist
How to tell people ( politely) you are an atheist 
Why atheism is a logical conclusion

Any other thoughts?

Good recipes for BBQing infants

I prefer the Boy Scout method.

[Edible crust]

"As an atheist, what are your thoughts on the plight of the North Atlantic Cod?"

[OMM]

[Inkubus]

And into the hole he goes.

[Gwaithmir]

And into the hole he goes.

Okay, what did I miss? 

[Inkubus]

And into the hole he goes.

Okay, what did I miss? 

The funeral mantra is: 'In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost'.

Dave Allen as a young kid herd it as: 'In the name of the father, the son and into the hole he goes'.

[Inkubus]

Can we start a thread that discusses atheist topics instead of another christian posting why we should believe their bible? Every time I come on this forum it’s yet another christian apologist looking for converts.

And concern trolls. Don't forget the concern trolls.

How to tell people ( politely) you are an atheist 

Here in Old Blighty when approached by those spreading the good news they are impolitely told to fuck right off.

[Gwaithmir]

Okay, what did I miss? 

The funeral mantra is: 'In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost'.

Dave Allen as a young kid herd it as: 'In the name of the father, the son and into the hole he goes'.

[brewerb]

"As an atheist, what are your thoughts on the plight of the North Atlantic Cod?"

God did it.

[Minimalist]

No he didn't.

[Edible crust]

Here's a question.
Why do atheists 'tolerate' religious stupidity? Not on the internet but in real life, We keep our mouths shut, they fucking don't.
Every time that there's a natural disaster, a mass shooting the fucking IDF murdering children there's faith leaders coming out of the woodwork on the TV having their say.

I'd like to see someone with half a brain commenting on this shit.

[Edible crust]

Makes my blood boil.
Thanking fucking jesus for everything or Allah or Vishnu.

Where were they when the boat overturned?
Fucking snoozing.

Thank fuck there's a pouch of tobacco in the kitchen.

[brewerb]

No he didn't.

He made them too tasty.

[Edible crust]

No he didn't.

He made them too tasty.

Yeah when they're covered in batter accompanied by chips and mushy peas.

[Cavebear]

Okay, what did I miss? 

The funeral mantra is: 'In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost'.

Dave Allen as a young kid herd it as: 'In the name of the father, the son and into the hole he goes'.

Mishearing is often funny and that explains it, thank you.

I recall a joke about a kid who came home from Sunday School and said he had learned about a "cross-eyed bear named Gladly".  That confused the parents until they figured out the sermon was actually about "Gladly, the cross I'd bear".  LOL!

[Cavebear]

Here's a question.
Why do atheists 'tolerate' religious stupidity? Not on the internet but in real life, We keep our mouths shut, they fucking don't.
Every time that there's a natural disaster, a mass shooting the fucking IDF murdering children there's faith leaders coming out of the woodwork on the TV having their say.

I'd like to see someone with half a brain commenting on this shit.

Sorry, but I have more than half a brain... J/K. Some people would admit I have almost 90% of one.

Well "tolerate" is a difficult term. The theists outnumber us and when you are in the minority that is always a problem. Yeah, yeah, I know communists are technically "atheist", but not in the sense of atheism as I know it, so I don't count them much. "Official" atheism is not the same as "personal" atheism.

A dream I sometimes have... I'm on a plane that crashes and everyone else but me dies. A reporter asks me why I survived (expecting "God saved me for some future purpose"). Instead, I get to say that "God had nothing to do with it. I was thrown into a pile of 1st class pillows and survived the impact by random. In fact, I can walk away uninjured now". Bet that would never get on the air! LOL!

[SYZ]

Here's a question.
Why do atheists 'tolerate' religious stupidity? Not on the internet but in real life, We keep our mouths shut, they fucking don't.
Every time that there's a natural disaster, a mass shooting the fucking IDF murdering children there's faith leaders coming out of the woodwork on the TV having their say.

I'd like to see someone with half a brain commenting on this shit.

Dunno where you are, but that seldom happens downunder.
Australia is a nominally secular country, so unless some high
profile event occurs—such as clerical paedophilia—we don't
often see members of religion holding forth in the media.

[Gwaithmir]

"As an atheist, what are your thoughts on the plight of the North Atlantic Cod?"

I was never much of a fish eater. I preferred Haddock over Cod. I seldom eat seafood now because it contains purines which can trigger gout attacks. The only fish I can eat now, with moderation, is Salmon.