Would you vote for an atheist

[bobcollum]

Under most circumstances, it shouldn't matter much. The issue of religion or a lack thereof is usually much more important to many, since it tends to greatly define/dictate their life. Personally I try to refrain from such discussions with people I know, it's nearly impossible to not offend, even if that wasn't the intention.



I'm bobcollum, and I was speaking generally...of course it can't be applied to every individual, otherwise generalizations would make discussions more efficient.

Again, you may not feel that way, that's fine. I've had enough face-to face conversations with religious types to know that you don't speak for everyone.

I'm just trying to be logical about this. If you've spent your life worshiping a specific god, wouldn't you have some type of feeling towards someone that thinks the god doesn't even exist? Not even anger, but at the least pity? Wouldn't Christians prefer that everyone joined the ranks, or Muslims, or Jews? Why do you expect atheists to be any different? They feel there are aspects of it that would benefit humanity, just as the others do.

No, I wouldn't (in re: anger and pity). YOU would, but I'm not really interested in you assuming that you represent everyone and projecting your issues onto me.

And while my preference for people being Christians has to do with my belief that NOT being one will result in an eternity in Hell, what possible motivation could atheists have for evangelizing THEIR beliefs, aside from a desire to feel superior to others? Not nearly as sympathetic and altruistic a reason, I'm sure you can agree.

So you have a preference for people but claim to have no emotional reasoning behind it...ok.

You misunderstand the atheists intentions with what you perceive as a feeling of superiority based on your resentment for their lack of faith in your god. The funny thing is your one-sided perspective keeps you from seeing that this is the case from any angle you choose to look at it from.

Atheists think Christians act superior towards them, Christians think atheists act superior towards them, Muslims think Christians do, Jews think Muslims do, Christians think Jews do, etc, etc, etc....I'll be over here having fun with my new religion...Idontgiveashitism.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Again, you may not feel that way, that's fine. I've had enough face-to face conversations with religious types to know that you don't speak for everyone.

I'm just trying to be logical about this. If you've spent your life worshiping a specific god, wouldn't you have some type of feeling towards someone that thinks the god doesn't even exist? Not even anger, but at the least pity? Wouldn't Christians prefer that everyone joined the ranks, or Muslims, or Jews? Why do you expect atheists to be any different? They feel there are aspects of it that would benefit humanity, just as the others do.

No, I wouldn't (in re: anger and pity). YOU would, but I'm not really interested in you assuming that you represent everyone and projecting your issues onto me.

And while my preference for people being Christians has to do with my belief that NOT being one will result in an eternity in Hell, what possible motivation could atheists have for evangelizing THEIR beliefs, aside from a desire to feel superior to others? Not nearly as sympathetic and altruistic a reason, I'm sure you can agree.

So you have a preference for people but claim to have no emotional reasoning behind it...ok.

You misunderstand the atheists intentions with what you perceive as a feeling of superiority based on your resentment for their lack of faith in your god. The funny thing is your one-sided perspective keeps you from seeing that this is the case from any angle you choose to look at it from.

Atheists think Christians act superior towards them, Christians think atheists act superior towards them, Muslims think Christians do, Jews think Muslims do, Christians think Jews do, etc, etc, etc....I'll be over here having fun with my new religion...Idontgiveashitism.

What I claim is the ability to keep my thinking and my feeling in their own places in my life. I don't have to be angry at someone having a differing opinion from me, nor do I have to pity them. What kind of narcissistic freak is incapable of JUST disagreeing with someone?

I don't misunderstand anything about the intentions of atheists, thank you. The day that I meet one who DOESN'T present his beliefs with a variation of the phrase, "It's the only smart way to think", you can tell me I misunderstand them. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day.

Again, your projections onto other people are of no interest to me. YOU THINK that every group perceives a superiority attitude toward them and that that's the problem between them, but that doesn't make it so. YOU THINK that I resent atheists for not believing in God because that's how YOU would feel. Truth is, I'm not a good enough Christian to give that much of a damn what they believe, nor am I insecure enough to get into a snit just because people don't agree with me.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Oh, and I never said I had "a preference for people". I said I have a preference for people believing in Christianity, and that only because the alternative from my point of view would be Hell.

You really need to learn to read what people are actually saying, rather than rushing through and seeing what you WANT them to be saying.

 

[bobcollum]

No, I wouldn't (in re: anger and pity). YOU would, but I'm not really interested in you assuming that you represent everyone and projecting your issues onto me.

And while my preference for people being Christians has to do with my belief that NOT being one will result in an eternity in Hell, what possible motivation could atheists have for evangelizing THEIR beliefs, aside from a desire to feel superior to others? Not nearly as sympathetic and altruistic a reason, I'm sure you can agree.

So you have a preference for people but claim to have no emotional reasoning behind it...ok.

You misunderstand the atheists intentions with what you perceive as a feeling of superiority based on your resentment for their lack of faith in your god. The funny thing is your one-sided perspective keeps you from seeing that this is the case from any angle you choose to look at it from.

Atheists think Christians act superior towards them, Christians think atheists act superior towards them, Muslims think Christians do, Jews think Muslims do, Christians think Jews do, etc, etc, etc....I'll be over here having fun with my new religion...Idontgiveashitism.

What I claim is the ability to keep my thinking and my feeling in their own places in my life. I don't have to be angry at someone having a differing opinion from me, nor do I have to pity them. What kind of narcissistic freak is incapable of JUST disagreeing with someone?

I don't misunderstand anything about the intentions of atheists, thank you. The day that I meet one who DOESN'T present his beliefs with a variation of the phrase, "It's the only smart way to think", you can tell me I misunderstand them. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day.

You do the same thing by proposing that Christianity is the only way to avoid hell. To a Christian I'd think telling someone they're going to hell is one of the ultimate insults. Sure atheists don't believe in hell, but they know what it means to those that do.

Again, your projections onto other people are of no interest to me. YOU THINK that every group perceives a superiority attitude toward them and that that's the problem between them, but that doesn't make it so. YOU THINK that I resent atheists for not believing in God because that's how YOU would feel.

Not at all, I base it on discussions that I've had with Christians. Once again I'll say that I'm generalizing, and of course there will be exceptions to the rule...evidently starting with you.

Truth is, I'm not a good enough Christian to give that much of a damn what they believe, nor am I insecure enough to get into a snit just because people don't agree with me.

 

[bobcollum]

Oh, and I never said I had "a preference for people". I said I have a preference for people believing in Christianity, and that only because the alternative from my point of view would be Hell.

You really need to learn to read what people are actually saying, rather than rushing through and seeing what you WANT them to be saying.

Are you kidding? That's exactly what I was thinking when I typed it, and it should be implied.

Thank goodness I haven't misspelled anything or you'd be skirting the issue with that as well.

 

[FA_Q2]

No, I wouldn't (in re: anger and pity). YOU would, but I'm not really interested in you assuming that you represent everyone and projecting your issues onto me.

And while my preference for people being Christians has to do with my belief that NOT being one will result in an eternity in Hell, what possible motivation could atheists have for evangelizing THEIR beliefs, aside from a desire to feel superior to others? Not nearly as sympathetic and altruistic a reason, I'm sure you can agree.

So you have a preference for people but claim to have no emotional reasoning behind it...ok.

You misunderstand the atheists intentions with what you perceive as a feeling of superiority based on your resentment for their lack of faith in your god. The funny thing is your one-sided perspective keeps you from seeing that this is the case from any angle you choose to look at it from.

Atheists think Christians act superior towards them, Christians think atheists act superior towards them, Muslims think Christians do, Jews think Muslims do, Christians think Jews do, etc, etc, etc....I'll be over here having fun with my new religion...Idontgiveashitism.

What I claim is the ability to keep my thinking and my feeling in their own places in my life. I don't have to be angry at someone having a differing opinion from me, nor do I have to pity them. What kind of narcissistic freak is incapable of JUST disagreeing with someone?

I don't misunderstand anything about the intentions of atheists, thank you. The day that I meet one who DOESN'T present his beliefs with a variation of the phrase, "It's the only smart way to think", you can tell me I misunderstand them. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day.

Again, your projections onto other people are of no interest to me. YOU THINK that every group perceives a superiority attitude toward them and that that's the problem between them, but that doesn't make it so. YOU THINK that I resent atheists for not believing in God because that's how YOU would feel. Truth is, I'm not a good enough Christian to give that much of a damn what they believe, nor am I insecure enough to get into a snit just because people don't agree with me.

You have met one - me. I have never stated it that way and I would challenge you to find a place where I have.

So there goes that argument. Just because you use the hardliners here does not mean that you can apply that to the whole. I could just as easily use youwerecreated or some of the other evangelists here to paint your POV, but I do not.

 

[Photonic]

So you have a preference for people but claim to have no emotional reasoning behind it...ok.

You misunderstand the atheists intentions with what you perceive as a feeling of superiority based on your resentment for their lack of faith in your god. The funny thing is your one-sided perspective keeps you from seeing that this is the case from any angle you choose to look at it from.

Atheists think Christians act superior towards them, Christians think atheists act superior towards them, Muslims think Christians do, Jews think Muslims do, Christians think Jews do, etc, etc, etc....I'll be over here having fun with my new religion...Idontgiveashitism.

What I claim is the ability to keep my thinking and my feeling in their own places in my life. I don't have to be angry at someone having a differing opinion from me, nor do I have to pity them. What kind of narcissistic freak is incapable of JUST disagreeing with someone?

I don't misunderstand anything about the intentions of atheists, thank you. The day that I meet one who DOESN'T present his beliefs with a variation of the phrase, "It's the only smart way to think", you can tell me I misunderstand them. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day.

Again, your projections onto other people are of no interest to me. YOU THINK that every group perceives a superiority attitude toward them and that that's the problem between them, but that doesn't make it so. YOU THINK that I resent atheists for not believing in God because that's how YOU would feel. Truth is, I'm not a good enough Christian to give that much of a damn what they believe, nor am I insecure enough to get into a snit just because people don't agree with me.

You have met one - me. I have never stated it that way and I would challenge you to find a place where I have.

So there goes that argument. Just because you use the hardliners here does not mean that you can apply that to the whole. I could just as easily use youwerecreated or some of the other evangelists here to paint your POV, but I do not.

I don't think she is an idiot because of her religion. I think she is an idiot because she is an idiot.

So yea, you've met another atheist who doesn't think I'm in an intellectually superior position for being an atheist. I'm just a physicist and I have not found anything that yet needs the extra explanation of God. Maybe I will in the future, I'm open to that.

 

[Poli_Sigh]

I would not. Atheists have a goal of making atheism the law of the land.

No we don't not by any means want to make atheism the law of the land. We do believe in separation of church and state, but that is a far cry from making atheism the law of the land.

I, as a matter of fact, believe that religion plays the very important role in soceity of teaching basic human morality to the multitudes of sub-humans that just don't get the concepts of basic human decency any other way.

If it weren't for religion, most of the religious people would become total animals.

We are animals whether created by God or chance. Unless you think we are mineral or vegetable - the only other choices.

However, the idea that the existence of religion separated sub-humans from human is completely absurd.

Moses gave man the laws upon which morality and decency could be forged. And even more amazing these laws require no clerical interpretation or other papal divination. They are simply and basically rules that if followed allow one to live life, fully and happily.

Whereas, history is filled with the human suffering directly caused by the various organized religions. Perhaps in the twilight, religion served man's most spiritual needs and purposes. But the power elite subverted religion to manipulate and control the populace to serve its own purposes.

As to whether or not one who does not believe in the existence of an Omnipotent Being would make a good leader, I see no reason why not. I'd much prefer someone with those beliefs to one of those so-called holy men who were behind the Spanish Inquisition.

 

[alan1]

I'm still losing this poll.

 

[LoneLaugher]

I'm not reading all of these posts......but I have a personal litmus test for voting.

If the candidate does not accept the absolute validity of the "theory" of evolution, I will never cast a vote in his or her favor. I need the people who make laws and adminsiter them to have the ability to use reason.