Gary Patel said:Look, the reason I wanted to run this little experiment was to see what the dynamic would be like on the Religion subforum if atheists stopped posting for a while. My intention was to test this because believers are constantly complaining about atheists, so I wanted to observe the atmosphere if the subforum were populated solely by theists.
Perhaps if it became evident that the forum functions more smoothly without atheists, then such a change should be implemented. This way, we could determine if atheists truly are as provocative as they are perceived to be.
Or, alternatively, we could simply rename the subforum.
Hey there, how have you been? 🙂
Listen, as far as I am concerned—you are always welcome at my door. 👍 I don't know you personally; I only know you through a few posts, but from what I have gathered, you seem like a decent guy. My apologies if I misjudged you earlier. 😁
What I meant to convey is that atheists of your caliber always have a place here in the Religion section. In truth, I am not the one who decides who belongs; I am merely expressing my opinion. To be more precise, I didn't articulate myself very clearly. Everyone has the right to participate wherever they wish, but, my friend, not everyone’s presence is particularly pleasant. Are atheists provocateurs? Some certainly are—I won't name names because I don't care to dwell on identities; I prefer to speak my mind directly. If someone has hundreds of posts but none of them are constructive, then those posts are utterly useless. I am not referring to you, of course. I just don't see the point or the purpose in certain discussions. Is there no God? Well, fine—that doesn't matter. If proving such a claim results in nothing but beating a dead horse, then it is better to step aside and enjoy the benefits of this forum and the hundreds of others across the globe. 🙂 Otherwise, you are just stifling yourself and everyone else.
Granted, atheists would still exist within the Religion subforum, though perhaps the nature of the debates would shift. I have participated in many forums where the percentage of atheists is much lower, yet I still encountered more insults, mockery, and similar behavior. Religious people can be quite fierce among themselves (a harsh term, perhaps, but an honest one) due to minor theological differences that carry massive implications. If you ask me personally, this specific Religion subforum doesn't feel much like a religious space. Not really. I have nothing against that, but when I write here, I sometimes forget—and if it weren't for other forums, I might have forgotten certain topics long ago. 🙂
Furthermore, I refuse to ignore the fact that some atheists are constantly picking fights with theists, which is complete nonsense. No atheist, lacking both an interest in religion and actual knowledge of it, should be judging theists. 😲 I am not talking about rude behavior; I certainly do not condone those kinds of posts.
The subforum wouldn't necessarily become "better" if atheists were absent; it is purely a matter of transparency, organization, and practicality. Perhaps I am wrong, but what is the harm in having a few dedicated subforums within Religion? Including atheism among them? That way, a true atheist wouldn't feel the need to wander through religious threads looking for something to engage with—that is my line of thinking, anyway. Unless, of course, they are invited to something genuinely interesting, which is a different matter entirely. I still suspect some atheists fear this, but I honestly see no reason for such apprehension. This isn't about discrimination—I could argue quite convincingly that believers are no less discriminated against in those spaces (though I won't get into that)—it is simply about the practical utility of the forum. And as for how much religious people might clash with one another once that happens—well, that is a whole other story.🙂
Actually, I think the real solution might be to simply temper our own personal perceptions—to find some calm, inject a bit of positivity into the conversation, and move forward. There is absolutely no reason for us to harbor animosity toward one another over anything; far from it. You know me well enough to know that I respect and recognize those who maintain a positive outlook, even if they happen to wear a different jersey than I do. 😁
I hope you’re doing well, and please give my regards to Shady. Especially when he hands out those penalties. 😍
Ah, apologies, I just couldn't help myself... please don't hold it against me... 😂