Atheists: Lowest Retention Rate Next to JWs

by breakfast of champions 173 Replies latest jw friends

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  james_woods

  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.

  That was, I assume, addressed to JamesPenton on the basis of a comment that BTS made?

  If so, I agree with BTS on this subject. In fact, I classify myself as agnostic to avoid being lumped in with this kind of atheist. Madilyn Murray O'Hair was a typical example of this "atheist evangelism".

  However, I think the real majority of atheists are perfectly happy to get along with religionists so long as religion does not try to interfere with human rights or do harm to other people. They do not prosylatize, and this may be the reason that they do not necessarily try to force their kids to also be atheist.

  That may be the reason for the findings of this poll.

  BTW - just for the record: Are there similar "unknown" percentages in the other religious categories of this poll? I think I will go have a look...
• 

  jamesmahon

  I thought it was addressed to me. Oh well.
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  james_woods

  Excuse me - I did mean you and somehow typed Penton.

  I did not mean to suggest you were an anti-semite.
• 

  jamesmahon

  I went through just to check James Penton wasn't posting and then wondered what his username might be.

  Funny that theists don't feel the need to give themselves a different classification to not be associated with the many rabid nutters that are believers. Perhaps this is because there are so many different groups of believers that each have names. Suggest we atheists need to come up with our own groups so that believers can then appropriately pigeon hole us.

  Disclaimer: Not all believers have either rabies or are nutters. Although best to avoid anyone that is frothing at the mouth.
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  james_woods

  He posted here a very few times as just plain James Penton. We think it really was the real James Penton of Canada and apostate fame.

  There were many rants about how the nation of Israel was controlling all the people in the U.S. Government - including BOTH political parties.
• 

  jamesmahon

  Well I would have believed him. I believe anyone who has a moustache. Even more so a beard - especially if it is a lady.
• 

  sabastious

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

  You seem to lack the capability to discern your own actions objectively. The scientific community is full of doctrine that can only be parsed by scientists who understand "scientific jargon." For example check out this online quiz that "tests" your ability to read science paper jargon. When atheists start spouting scientific information they can be and often are being dogmatic. There is a very understandable reason why many feel that science is being treated as if it were a religion. You should watch the South Park episode "Go God Go" or at least read the plot. For you to say that an atheist is incapable of being dogmatic is risible. A synonym with the word dogmatic is "opinionated" and that's exactly what science is: opinion set to the strict standards of the scientific method. It changes as new data is put on the table and therefore the definition of the term data becomes an important "tenent" of the scientific discipline. Science is religious, but it shouldn't be.

  -Sab
• 

  The Oracle

  anyone can be dogmatic = true.

  Real Science is not religious at all.

  The Oracle
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  james_woods

  Real science is not "religious" in the sense of theology - but Fred Hoyle and George Gamow got very religious (in the non-theological sense) over the "big bang".

  Nearly came to figurative blows before more advanced data settled the matter in favor of the big bang.

  Some say Hoyle never really recovered from losing this fight.
• 

  james_woods

  Let me add this about science - it has one quality that religion can never claim:

  It is self-correcting due to careful review of physical facts established by careful experiments. It knows the difference between theory and fact.

  Theology lacks this, because the "God" concept is always hidden, ephemeral. The people in charge of the religion can make up anything they want, and it is by definition unchallengeable.

  A good example was the CERN announcment that a particle experiment found particles moving faster than the speed of light. Further review revealed an obvious instrumental error - the announcement was far, far premature. The people who did it were demoted or fired.