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Topic The Sheeple
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Original Post
Event Horizon Posted at 7:01 pm on July 5, 2009
I was just thinking:

I really dislike the fact that atheism is becoming a youthful trend. I am happy that the idea is being broadcasted, and that some people are actually questioning their beliefs, but I fear that making atheism a "cool" youthful rebellion is undermining it.

I do not want to see a world in which the people are atheists because it is the norm--as many people are religious because that is what everyone else is. I don't want an atheistic population of sheeple. So many kids are just saying "Yea, god is silly, I'm an atheist!" and I think that it undermines what being an atheist really is.

It is not disdain for theism, no. It is, rather, individual thought and making decisions for one's self. I am happier with a theist who holds that position after deep forethought than an atheist who just thinks religion is silly. and I think that the popularization of atheism is leading down the road of the latter.

Eh. Maybe not. Whatever.
/rant.

Replies
Effigy Posted at 5:41 pm on July 7, 2009
Quote: from LogicandReason at 5:37 pm on July 7, 2009

Quote: from Event Horizon at 7:01 pm on July 5, 2009

I was just thinking:  

 I really dislike the fact that atheism is becoming a youthful trend. I am happy that the idea is being broadcasted, and that some people are actually questioning their beliefs, but I fear that making atheism a "cool" youthful rebellion is undermining it.

 I do not want to see a world in which the people are atheists because it is the norm--as many people are religious because that is what everyone else is. I don't want an atheistic population of sheeple. So many kids are just saying "Yea, god is silly, I'm an atheist!" and I think that it undermines what being an atheist really is.

 It is not disdain for theism, no. It is, rather, individual thought and making decisions for one's self. I am happier with a theist who holds that position after deep forethought than an atheist who just thinks religion is silly. and I think that the popularization of atheism is leading down the road of the latter.

 Eh. Maybe not. Whatever.
 /rant.


An interesting posit. I assume that any people denying supernatural agents for any reason is good, not that God worship is bad, but believing in superstitions can be pernicious when combined with fundamentalism and exegesis of ancient writings without a clue about the history or society that communicated said scriptures.

Please join us on the Forum where Christians debate Atheists and find out why each believe what they do: www.thehereticandthe preacher.com .


Omg, do you have to promote your site at every chance you get? Keep it in the sig.
LogicandReason Posted at 5:37 pm on July 7, 2009
Quote: from Event Horizon at 7:01 pm on July 5, 2009

I was just thinking:

I really dislike the fact that atheism is becoming a youthful trend. I am happy that the idea is being broadcasted, and that some people are actually questioning their beliefs, but I fear that making atheism a "cool" youthful rebellion is undermining it.  

I do not want to see a world in which the people are atheists because it is the norm--as many people are religious because that is what everyone else is. I don't want an atheistic population of sheeple. So many kids are just saying "Yea, god is silly, I'm an atheist!" and I think that it undermines what being an atheist really is.  

It is not disdain for theism, no. It is, rather, individual thought and making decisions for one's self. I am happier with a theist who holds that position after deep forethought than an atheist who just thinks religion is silly. and I think that the popularization of atheism is leading down the road of the latter.  

Eh. Maybe not. Whatever.  
/rant.


An interesting posit.  I assume that any people denying supernatural agents for any reason is good, not that God worship is bad, but believing in superstitions can be pernicious when combined with fundamentalism and exegesis of ancient writings without a clue about the history or society that communicated said scriptures.

Please join us on the Forum where Christians debate Atheists and find out why each believe what they do: www.thehereticandthe preacher.com .

draakprinses Posted at 5:16 pm on July 7, 2009
There are sheeple on both sides, unfortunately.
Event Horizon Posted at 3:19 pm on July 7, 2009
Yerp  

I don't know if I'm write. It was just a thought that occurred to me; I keep seeing these younger kids running around saying "I'm an atheist, that god stuff is crapola" and it just seems far too immature to me to be something that they came up with all on their own.

I'd not like to see the sheep simply switch pastures.

Moridin Posted at 3:16 pm on July 7, 2009
Quote: from Event Horizon at 1:15 am on July 8, 2009

No. Like I said, you are misunderstanding what I was saying.

I was simply saying that I fear that atheism is becoming trendy as a youthful rebellion, as free love was in the sixties, as the party-hardy scene was in the '20s, etc. I would never claim that atheism is the product of mere rebellion.


Oh I see. Thank you for that clarification.

Event Horizon Posted at 3:15 pm on July 7, 2009
No. Like I said, you are misunderstanding what I was saying.

I was simply saying that I fear that atheism is becoming trendy as a youthful rebellion, as free love was in the sixties, as the party-hardy scene was in the '20s, etc. I would never claim that atheism is the product of mere rebellion.

Moridin Posted at 3:12 pm on July 7, 2009
Quote: from Event Horizon at 1:10 am on July 8, 2009

Oh, I imagine that the very outspoken people get hate mail very often. But then, who isn't persecuted in the south, except the sheep?

That doesn't stop people from rebelling against any number of things that are considered reprehensible or vile.


Do you think Richard Dawkins is merely rebelling? He became an atheist and a biologist at a very young age.

Event Horizon Posted at 3:10 pm on July 7, 2009
Oh, I imagine that the very outspoken people get hate mail very often. But then, who isn't persecuted in the south, except the sheep?

That doesn't stop people from rebelling against any number of things that are considered reprehensible or vile.

Moridin Posted at 3:08 pm on July 7, 2009
Well, you live in New York, not in the religious south? :P

Just ask PZ Myers or Richard Dawkins to share some of their hate mail with you.

Event Horizon Posted at 3:02 pm on July 7, 2009
I think you overestimate two things:

1. The impact that those who "hate" atheists have on those who are atheists. I myself am an atheist and I know several; I know not one person who has been outwardly persecuted for their theological views. I have never felt hated or belittled.

2. The degree to which youths are affected by the disdain of aged and unknown strangers of the other generations.

Moridin Posted at 2:45 pm on July 7, 2009
Quote: from Event Horizon at 2:14 am on July 7, 2009

Quote: from Moridin at 6:16 pm on July 6, 2009

Hated the the American population at large. I linked the survey.  

 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1  

 If your reasoning is true, it would apply equally to homosexuality. After all, what would shock a devoutly religious family more than their son chosen the gay lifestyle? But this is of course not the case. You don't choose to be gay. So therefore, your argument is invalid. It is not the case that youth acts in order to upset the prevailing culture. Such a belief is almost Marxist.


Fuck that.  
It is much easier to be an atheist. It is not about spiting one's parents, its just about doing something rebellious. Even that is too strong a phrase to use. It's just something that happens to generations, as was pointed out; who knows why, it just happens.  

I'm just saying that I would hate to see atheism rise simply as a cultural phase like free love and then be recognized as such and--perhaps--rejected by later generations.


Again, why would they want to become hated by their own culture? Do you think gay people are gay because they are just rebelling?

S0LITUDE Posted at 8:03 pm on July 6, 2009
Quote: from Moridin at 7:16 pm on July 6, 2009

Quote: from S0LITUDE at 8:07 am on July 6, 2009

I think it's fine until these kids start turning into atheist bigots who want everyone to be like them. Extreme atheism tends to get close-minded at times, and then there's a lack of tolerance towards otehr peoples believes. But I also think it's just a phase.  

 Also, I don't think that in order to be an atheist you have to have any profound thoughts or analyze things. Some people simply don't care much about the god debate, and seem to care more about other things.  

 oh and the five ways only does for kinkiness and nothing else


Name a single atheist extremist and what properties they have. Claiming that there are atheist extremists is like claiming that there are not-collecting-stamps extremists. Yes, there are marxist extremists and Buddhists extremists and there are atheists who are also at the same time extremists, but there is nothing called atheistic extremism.


Jesus

Event Horizon Posted at 4:14 pm on July 6, 2009
Quote: from Moridin at 6:16 pm on July 6, 2009

Hated the the American population at large. I linked the survey.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1

If your reasoning is true, it would apply equally to homosexuality. After all, what would shock a devoutly religious family more than their son chosen the gay lifestyle? But this is of course not the case. You don't choose to be gay. So therefore, your argument is invalid. It is not the case that youth acts in order to upset the prevailing culture. Such a belief is almost Marxist.


Fuck that.
It is much easier to be an atheist. It is not about spiting one's parents, its just about doing something rebellious. Even that is too strong a phrase to use. It's just something that happens to generations, as was pointed out; who knows why, it just happens.

I'm just saying that I would hate to see atheism rise simply as a cultural phase like free love and then be recognized as such and--perhaps--rejected by later generations.

Forever Angel Posted at 3:52 pm on July 6, 2009
Quote: from Moridin at 5:43 pm on July 6, 2009

Quote: from Forever Angel at 1:34 am on July 7, 2009

Quote: from Moridin at 5:16 pm on July 6, 2009

Hated the the American population at large. I linked the survey.

  http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1

  If your reasoning is true, it would apply equally to homosexuality. After all, what would shock a devoutly religious family more than their son chosen the gay lifestyle? But this is of course not the case. You don't choose to be gay. So therefore, your argument is invalid. It is not the case that youth acts in order to upset the prevailing culture. Such a belief is almost Marxist.


So you're making the claim that there are no young people who say they are gay, lesbian or bi but are really "just kidding"?

No, all I am saying is that such an opinion with respect to homosexuality is most likely statistically incorrect. Sure, there might be a few random people who does that, but that amount would be, in my opinion, statistically insignificant.

In fact, most of the intellectual culture in the west is science and secularism, yet do you not hear about massive waves of teens actively rebelling against them?


Isn't that "secularism" much the same thing you just said was so hated? And doesn't science go "hand in hand" with that?
Moridin Posted at 3:43 pm on July 6, 2009
Quote: from Forever Angel at 1:34 am on July 7, 2009

Quote: from Moridin at 5:16 pm on July 6, 2009

Hated the the American population at large. I linked the survey.  

 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1  

 If your reasoning is true, it would apply equally to homosexuality. After all, what would shock a devoutly religious family more than their son chosen the gay lifestyle? But this is of course not the case. You don't choose to be gay. So therefore, your argument is invalid. It is not the case that youth acts in order to upset the prevailing culture. Such a belief is almost Marxist.


So you're making the claim that there are no young people who say they are gay, lesbian or bi but are really "just kidding"?

No, all I am saying is that such an opinion with respect to homosexuality is most likely statistically incorrect. Sure, there might be a few random people who does that, but that amount would be, in my opinion, statistically insignificant.

In fact, most of the intellectual culture in the west is science and secularism, yet do you not hear about massive waves of teens actively rebelling against them?

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