The origins of atheism

[YESLORDIWILL]

the way they turn out is usually determined by their upbringing.

I don't know

 

[As I was saying]

It's funny how you keep trying (and failing) to say atheism is a religion. Keep wasting your time though

Delusional to say the least. If it not a religion why have they applied for religious tax exemption in the USA and why do they have 35 churches worldwide and counting?

 

[TheQuietRiot]

Then it is obvious that I know more about it than you do because........in the USA, the atheists have applied for a religious tax exemption. Only religions do that. And the atheists have 35 churches worldwide and counting. And the fact that you believe in nothing except me, myself and I means that you worship nothing.

You have no idea what I believe in. Don't presume to know.

The fact that groups of atheists band together in places and call themselves a church doesn't actually change the definition of the atheist.

It simply means someone who does not believe in god(s). Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[TheQuietRiot]

They are born with a God gene for want of a better way to explain it and the way they turn out is usually determined by their upbringing.

I was born in a Christian country, sung hymns at assemblies at school, went on visits to church, was christened etc.

Yet I've always been an atheist. When they taught us the stories of the Bible in school I simply saw them as nothing more than that, stories. I treated them the same as Biff, Chip and Kipper.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Why? Just because it doesn't present you in a good light. For your information, having no religion does not mean you are an atheist. I know you would like it to mean that but it doesn't.

I didn't say that it was equivalent to "atheist." The Wikipedia page clarifies that the "No religion" category includes atheists, agnostics, rationalists, humanists, and "no religion" (no further definition). Membership in this category increased from 2006 to 2011. If trends continue, we can expect it to increase further at the next census (2016).

 

[As I was saying]

Lol - you missed the "and rising" bit. That's the direction of travel in just about every country with a self identifying Christian majority. More good news. The days of dictatorial church bullying your way through a population have long gone - it's just the remnants left now.

You're just going to have to deal with that.

I hadn't realized that it was so high here - you have an absolutely wonderful day

I have no idea what you are talking abut when you say dictatorial church bullying. I haven't experienced it in 62 years as a christian so you must have thought that one up on the run to cover the paucity of numbers amongst atheists.

I don't know what remnants you are talking about. I have just read a book where the author researched the nine houses of Islam using over 100 researchers. He found that muslims are converting to christianity by the millions and in China, thousands are converting to Christianity every day and in our little church in Australia we had 161 new converts in one month. So far our total numbers mount up to about 10,000 members.

When I read facts like that, yes I do have a wonderful day.

 

[As I was saying]

I was born in a Christian country, sung hymns at assemblies at school, went on visits to church, was christened etc.

Yet I've always been an atheist. When they taught us the stories of the Bible in school I simply saw them as nothing more than that, stories. I treated them the same as Biff, Chip and Kipper.

So what? Research is never carried out on the basis of one person's experience.

 

[TheQuietRiot]

So what? Research is never carried out on the basis of one person's experience.

But this is the experience of practically my entire generation.

Religion is dying out in the more civilized and advanced parts of our world.

 

[Eudaimonist]

in the USA, the atheists have applied for a religious tax exemption. Only religions do that.

Clearly not, since atheists also do that.

And the atheists have 35 churches worldwide and counting.

Where are you getting that number from?

And the fact that you believe in nothing except me, myself and I means that you worship nothing.

No, it means that one believes in a Trinity -- me, myself, and I.

But what you are saying is silly. Atheists who congregate in church-like groups clearly believe in some form of community.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Archaeopteryx]

That is what you implied and this comment is just a belated attempt to try and salvage your discrepancies with the truth. .

I implied no such thing. I questioned your figures. Where did they come from?

 

[As I was saying]

But this is the experience of practically my entire generation.

Religion is dying out in the more civilized and advanced parts of our world.

For your information, Christianity (I don't know about religion) is not a product of western civilization. It began in the Middle East in a place called Jerusalem and spread from their to every part of the world. Your claim that religion is dying out in more civilized and advanced parts of the world may be true but christianity isn't.

Our church which started in 2004 with 200 people, now had over 10,000 and counting. And we are very civilised here. In fact our City has been adjudged as the most livable city in the world. We have buses, trains, trams, cars, motorbikes and bicycles. In addition we have skyscrapers and houses, theatres, museums, gardens, lakes, myriads of cafes and restaurants, cinemas and goodness knows what else.

 

[As I was saying]

Clearly not, since atheists also do that. Where are you getting that number from? No, it means that one believes in a Trinity -- me, myself, and I. But what you are saying is silly. Atheists who congregate in church-like groups clearly believe in some form of community. eudaimonia, Mark

Yes that is right an unholy trinity so it does mean you are a religion. What you mean like most of what atheists say is silly? and if their gathering is for community, why not call it that instead of church? In my town we have a Senior Citizens Community Centre, not a Senior Citizens Church.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

They come from all the researchers from around the world who regularly post their finding to me.

Then you should have no trouble citing relevant Australian statistics that support your claims.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

If you are too stubborn to understand such a simple concept as "godless ideals" while simultaneously arguing for a godless universe then the problem is you not the term.

You've never been able to explain the term in any intelligible way.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Our church which started in 2004 with 200 people, now had over 10,000 and counting. And we are very civilised here. In fact our City has been adjudged as the most livable city in the world. We have buses, trains, trams, cars, motorbikes and bicycles. In addition we have skyscrapers and houses, theatres, museums, gardens, lakes, myriads of cafes and restaurants, cinemas and goodness knows what else.

If you check the stats, ~23% identify as "No religion" in Melbourne.

 

[Colter]

In my country it's now up to 19% who specifically say atheist with another 10% as humanist or agnostic, and rising.

http://www.rt.com/uk/231811-uk-atheism-report-decline/


Isn't that great news

Meanwhile, back in literal-ville, middle class Brits are getting the heck out of Britain as Muslim immigrants move in.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...in-new-life-abroad--immigration-UK-soars.html

 

[As I was saying]

Not every analogy is a strawman.

If you check the stats, ~23% identify as "No religion" in Melbourne.

So?

 

[As I was saying]

Then you should have no trouble citing relevant Australian statistics that support your claims.

No I don't have any trouble doing that.

 

[TheQuietRiot]

For your information, Christianity (I don't know about religion) is not a product of western civilization. It began in the Middle East in a place called Jerusalem and spread from their to every part of the world. Your claim that religion is dying out in more civilized and advanced parts of the world may be true but christianity isn't.

Christianity is the main religion in the western world and it is dying out.

 

[As I was saying]

Christianity is the main religion in the western world and it is dying out.

No you are quite wrong. If you care to do your homework rather than just parrot what you have been told you will find that the historical churches are losing numbers because they are embracing all sorts of sins, and those churches that are not, mainly evangelical and pentecostal are growing at a rate of knots.But then I guess you are not interested in facts like this because they queer your pitch.