Originally posted by @romans1009Both Ghost of a Duke and I have given you non-bizarre reasons for being interested in discussing the kind of topics that come up on this forum; you didn't make any case that such reasons were "bizarre". This forum is not exclusively for people who think that a god or gods do exist.
Why someone (anyone) who thinks God does not exist would waste so much time arguing with people who believe He does is bizarre.
Not every discussion has to be personalized and I don’t feel the need or interest to justify such an obvious dichotomy - someone believes God doesn’t exist but feels the need to spend hours upon hours upon hours every day arguing with people who do.
I can see why believers spend a lot of time talking about God and the Bible. They’re trying to learn more about God and perhaps do their part to fulfill the Great Commission (i.e. lead people to Christ.)
But what does the self-described atheist get out of it? If, after you die, you simply cease to exist, why waste time trying to convince people God doesn’t exist? Suppose you succeed and someone changes his or her mind and decides God doesn’t exist. What have you gotten out of it? What satisfaction have you derived from convincing someone they’ll simply cease to exist when they die, which is what you thought they would do anyway? Why is it important to you that they think that? Why not just let them go through life thinking (wrongly in your view) that an afterlife exists?
Originally posted by @fmfYou’re again trying to personalize a general observation. I don’t recall any reasons being offered for why self-described atheists spend so much time - and it is, cumulatively speaking, an enormous amount of time - arguing that God doesn’t exist.
Both Ghost of a Duke and I have given you non-bizarre reasons for being interested in discussing the kind of topics that come up on this forum; you didn't make any case that such reasons were "bizarre". This forum is not exclusively for people who think that a god or gods do exist.
In my opinion, anyone who devotes that much time to trying to convince people that God doesn’t exist actually do believe God exists and hate Him for whatever reason. I have found many to be former believers who felt God “wronged” them (i.e. they viewed God as a “genie in the sky” who existed to satisfy their every whim and became angry when He didn’t OR they suffered a traumatic event or know of someone close to them who did and they blame God for it and hate Him for “allowing” it to happen.)
Originally posted by @romans1009Not every discussion has to be personalized and I don’t feel the need or interest to justify such an obvious dichotomy - someone believes God doesn’t exist but feels the need to spend hours upon hours upon hours every day arguing with people who do.
I can see why believers spend a lot of time talking about God and the Bible. They’re trying to learn more about God and perhaps do their part to fulfill the Great Commission (i.e. lead people to Christ.)
But what does the self-described atheist get out of it? If, after you die, you simply cease to exist, why waste time trying to convince people God doesn’t exist? Suppose you succeed and someone changes his or her mind and decides God doesn’t exist. What have you gotten out of it? What satisfaction have you derived from convincing someone they’ll simply cease to exist when they die, which is what you thought they would do anyway? Why is it important to you that they think that? Why not just let them go through life thinking (wrongly in your view) that an afterlife exists?
What did you not understand about the answers you got for these questions when you raised them before?
Originally posted by @romans1009I gave you my reasons. And I remember Ghost of a Duke giving you his reasons.
You’re again trying to personalize a general observation. I don’t recall any reasons being offered for why self-described atheists spend so much time - and it is, cumulatively speaking, an enormous amount of time - arguing that God doesn’t exist.
Originally posted by @fmfI don’t remember getting answers to those questions before and don’t think I did.
[b]Not every discussion has to be personalized and I don’t feel the need or interest to justify such an obvious dichotomy - someone believes God doesn’t exist but feels the need to spend hours upon hours upon hours every day arguing with people who do.
I can see why believers spend a lot of time talking about God and the Bible. They’re trying to learn more a ...[text shortened]... id you not understand about the answers you got for these questions when you raised them before?
Originally posted by @romans1009A whole thread about it was started expressly for your benefit. It ran for nearly thirty pages and you posted on it dozens and dozens of times. Do you really not recall?
I have no idea what agnostic atheist means.
Originally posted by @romans1009You said that many online atheists aren’t atheists. Do you have any examples from this community of atheists who you claim are theists?
I have no idea what agnostic atheist means.
Originally posted by @fmfI remember a thread was started on it, but I didn’t bother with it as I didn’t want to slog through a thread for a simple definition.
A whole thread about it was started expressly for your benefit. It ran for nearly thirty pages and you posted on it dozens and dozens of times. Do you really not recall?
Originally posted by @fmfIt was a general observation, but I would say anyone who identifies himself or herself as an atheist and who spends more than an hour a day arguing with believers that God does not exist is actually a God hater.
You said that many online atheists aren’t atheists. Do you have any examples from this community of atheists who you claim are theists?
Either that or they’re incredibly bored and have a screw loose.
Originally posted by @romans1009The 'simple definition' was in the OP of that thread and you contributed a very high proportion of the almost 400 posts it ran to.
I remember a thread was started on it, but I didn’t bother with it as I didn’t want to slog through a thread for a simple definition.
Originally posted by @romans1009So do you have any examples from this community of atheists who you claim are actually theists?
It was a general observation, but I would say anyone who identifies himself or herself as an atheist and who spends more than an hour a day arguing with believers that God does not exist is actually a God hater.