Originally posted by Soviet Imperator
I call it 'fashion'.
As much as you'd love to think athiesm is a "trend" of some sort, it clearly is not. For some it may be, but that does not make it so, it does not change what it is. Atheism is simply a metaphysical opinion and nothing more, and it's one that is typically reached in the absense of, or rebellion against, traditional brainwashing techniques.
Yes, the same 'fashion' that inspires the hordes of screaming children to follow their pop idols and wear pink clothing, squealing and ignorant, is true as much of atheism as of religion.
Your attempts to equate atheism with religion are very amusing, and I'm not sure if you actually being serious or just being silly as a way of getting a discussion started. Being an optimist, I will presume the latter, but I will entertain this feeble notion nonetheless.
Atheism is spawned from logic and observance of the known universe, but it's also a bit of a rebellion against the dogma of organized religion (and rightly so, this sort of mind-cancer has been infecting humanity for far too long and has lead to untold suffering/stupidity). When people agree on something they tend to congregate and be vocal about that which they agree on. This is the source of the "fashion" which you are seeing. However, the same trendy attitude could be said of anything, including listening to Borknager, eating at McDonalds, driving a Civic, and writing in this forum. It's simply an aspect of human nature. Therefore, pointing out the trendiness in atheism (or anything else for that matter) does absolutely nothing to place it's sincerity or validity into light. Sure, kids use atheism like a trend, but where people are concerned, what isn't a trend of some sort? Even the anti-trends are trends. It's inescapable and can be applied to anything.
'I don't f**king believe in f**king God' is merely an attempt by most of those of little faith to convert those people who do believe in God into not doing so.
It may be that for some, and that's fine and perfectly reasonable considering how deeply mislead and brainwashed by organized religion so many poor fools in the world are today. However, it may also be an expression of an opinion and nothing more.
As for the "conversion" idea, please understand that atheistic type people value logic and common sense, and they are well aware that these character traits mean nothing to religious people who are obligated by their innane religious constructs to prefer self-delusion and self-deception over reason. This tendency for religious people to be entirely unreasonable and keep their own heads firmly implanted in their own asses is a source of confusion and frustration for atheists (who value logic and common sense, and who feel that humanity is sadly lacking in these required traits). Therefore, don't presume that every atheist who seeks to "convert" some poor deluded religious person is doing so just to be a rebellious asshole, I'm sure many are, but many are not as well and you would be wise to make this distinction. Some actually care about the religious people and want to help them break free from their burden of having to maintain a delusional conception of reality, they want them to be free of the rhetorical dogma and actually *think* insteading of just behaving like subserviant sheep in some dictator's twisted ass-kissing quest. There's a nobility in this which I think you are missing. Religion has enslaved humanity with its archiac bullshit long enough, the dark ages are over, this is the age of reason, it's about time we started to act like it and leave our feeble superstitions in the past where they belong.
So no, the disbelief in God is NOT a decision people reach on their own, at least no more than religious people do.
Oh boy, at this point I'm pretty sure you aren't just being silly for the same of conversation, it seems to me like you actually believe what you are saying. That's ok however, you won't for long..
So what you are saying is that there is some organization/institution out there which spreads misinformation and propoganda to force people to make the conclusion that there is no god? Please, that's just too innane to take seriously. What you are referring to is just another aspect of humanity, the tendency for people to get others to agree with them on matters of opinion. As much as you'd clearly love to believe otherwise, people do reach this conclusion on their own, without brainwashing, but other people do help to get them to think about it and help them make the decision by giving them stuff to ponder. They are influenced by the people around them, just as everyone is.
The line "at least no more than religious people do" was very amusing, you should really consider a career in comedy, hehe. Perhaps you are unaware that most religions insist that people begin brainwashing their children with idiotic religious bullshit before they are old enough to wipe their own asses. I'm not aware of any atheistic institutions which do this, are you? Perhaps you are also unaware that religions put considerable effort into convincing people of their innane bullplop, they even threaten them with god's evil vengence and make false promises of paradise to achieve this end. Are you aware of any atheist organizations which employ this sort of mind-fucking to bring people over to atheism? I'm sure you are not, and that's precisely what makes your claims to incredibly short-sighted and amusing.
The fact is, people are clearly influenced by others to think that atheism is the most logical and practical stance, just as they are influenced to eat a veggie dog instead of pig guts, but they reach it entirely on their own simply because no one can be mind-fucked with rhetorical bullshit or threatened with fear-laced dogma into coming to this conclusion, so the only way they can come to such a conclusion is via their own reason. I trust that you now realize this.
People may well not turn up on your door with atheism pamphlets, but the dissimilarities stop there.
What I have said above has shown you that the dissimilarities do not stop there. You are welcome to try to suggest otherwise if you'd like, but that would not be a wise course of action if your intent is to get others to take you seriously in regard to this topic. If your intent is to be silly and amusing, then by all means, rebuttal to your heart's content
If it's all bulls**t, why do you people get so offended when religious people generalise?
I don't get offended with religious people generalize, I just feel sorry for them and I want to help them, but if some people get offended I sure it's simply because religious people generally say mindless and intellectually childish things which have little or no basis in reality. Ignorance can be a source of frustration.
Besides, atheism is just an extension of humanism and that is a religion unto itself.
Humanism is a philosophy and may contain elements of spiritualism/mysticism for some, but so does yoga. Is yoga a religion? According to your definition of the word, it is. If that's how you define religion, then I would say that being a health fanatic is also a religion. I would say the same about being a prog metal fan as well. In that sense, many things are religions, but that doesn't equate them with something as absurd and harmful as something like Christianity, it doesn't mean they are born of political propoganda and bullshit, it doesn't mean that people are brainwashed into them they way they are into what MOST people mean when they say "religion".
So, as I said, WE ARE ALL THE SAME.
Yes, we are the same in more ways than not, but this is just an idea and nothing more, it's not literally true, it's only subjectively true. However, saying this does not at all show that atheism IS a religion any more than it shows that turds are hotdogs (there are similarities of course, but there are also very significant differences which we'd be foolish to overlook).
Satori
