Atheists: Lowest Retention Rate Next to JWs (page 8)

cantleave

I am an atheist (bet no-one guessed that), but will go to church, to see my son taking part in the scout parade. Where does that place me in that survey?

FHN - I suspect you sometimes forget this is a discussion forum. Should you go to speakers corner in London I think you may also find people sharing strong opinions and shock horror - disagreeing! You seem to like sharing pretty pics and having yummy moments of reinforcment of all faith / spiritual beliefs etc. You might like to add this hangout to your web links as it sounds right up your street. http://pinterest.com/ Seriously - my wife can't get enough.

FlyingHighNow

James, you missed his point. I believe he is trying to say that atheists say they are not religious, but some atheists act religious about their atheism. Religious, meaning behaving like fundamentalist evangelists. You can find good examples of it on this thread.

FlyingHighNow

Q, thanks, but I have no interest in Pinterest.

nugget

However people raised in an atheist household can choose a religion later in life but don't have to choose between family and faith. Changing beliefs isn't relevent, people are allowed to make choices that is part of life. It is the freedom to choose that is important.

cofty

exJW atheists do try to persuade others, especially exJWs, quite dogmatically in fact./p>

Don't forget the context. This is a religious discussion forum, why should it surprise anybody if atheists write about their views here? I almost never discuss belief outside of this forum.

It is silly to call accuse an atheist of being "dogmatic" - look up the definition of the word.

Believers predicate their statemetns with "the bible says... god told me .... or the church teaches ...." That is dogmatism.

Being certain about certain facts and challenging others is not dogmatism.

Qcmbr

Agreed cofty - in fact this forum allows me to express and explore opinions that would have my extended family kicking me out of their houses for.

All to often a believer thinks they are giving a gift when they share some new bit of mythology (like my mother giving my kids Book of Mormon hero cards from her last visit to Utah) and get all huffy when confronted or questioned - especially when the first mystical brush off answer is further queried or rejected as fluff. Regarding my mother I'd be happily stunned if she would acept The God Delusion and read it but that ain't gonna' happen. Belief has been culturally taught as a one way street.

Sulla

Not sure I'm seeing much by way of an hypothesis here. Seriously, how can it be that parents who have chosen the super-rationalist, evidence-based rationality, etc., etc., etc., fail to convey a simple, scientific, rationalist, etc., etc., approach to the universe on to their children?

So, here is an hypothesis: there is a problem with the assumptions in the question I just asked.

Knowsnothing

We need more data first.

jamesmahon

how can it be that parents who have chosen the super-rationalist, evidence-based rationality, etc., etc., etc., fail to convey a simple, scientific, rationalist, etc., etc., approach to the universe on to their children?

The problem in the question is that this is not the question that the survey asked. Struggling to find the actual question but guessing it may either have been as simple as "Did you grow up in a family where your parents were atheist?" or may have been a bit more vague "Did you grow up in a house where there was no professed belief in god or great spirit?"

What they will not have asked would be:

"Did you grow up in a household where your parents were super rationalist and compelled you to believe that the universe and everthing in it has been explained by science?"

I suspect there are people that will have grown up in families that did not attend church, parents did not profess any belief or just did not convey any belief they had onto their children. This is very different than say how i imagine Richard Dawkins raised his children.

Some people see the complexity of the universe and this leads them to believe in god(s). Some hear voices in their heads that lead them to believe in god. Some feel they are guided by spirit and this leads them to believe in god. Some hear the words of others that lead them to believe in god.

I am a rationalist. Show me objective evidence that god exists and I will believe. He does not speak to me, I feel no spirit direction, I see the complexity of the universe and see no need or room for god and no one has come close to convincing me. I guess god just does not like people like me. Oh well, she can join the queue.

Atheists: Lowest Retention Rate Next to JWs

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