Why is the Irish Atheist so aggressive?

DeleveleD

Hello there!

I assume the topic pretty much gives my question away.

I'm a German and have moved to Ireland about a year ago. While the people on the street seem generally friendly, I'm not the kind of guy to walk up to some stranger and make friends.

So I decided to join these boards and was delighted to find an Atheism & Agnosticism forum. Not much of a person of god myself I thought that I might find some nice discussions going on here.

However, I was almost shocked to find so much name calling and aggressiveness going on. Not only against people of different belief systems, but also amongst the atheists and agnostics themselves.

I'd simply like for someone to explain all this fighting and infighting to me, as it is very different from what I've come to learn as the behaviour of more rational folk.

Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

Doctor DooM

Forums are made for debate, and specifically this one is a forum for debating religiousy stuff or the desired lack thereof.

I've never met an aggressive atheist in the real world.

DeleveleD

Of course I'm not talking physical aggresiveness here.

But in some of these threats the posters seem to be at each others throat constantly, despite the general consensus being "religion gets you nowhere".

UDP

Can you give an example?

robindch

DeleveleD wrote: »

Of course I'm not talking physical aggresiveness here.

Remember that you're coming into a discussion that in some cases has been going on for years -- position have been taken, debates and arguments had and all the rest of it. It's perhaps like arriving along in the middle of somebody else's dinner party, where most of the guests know each other. Some of the debate can seem a bit energetic, but in general terms, the forum charter is respected. If you feel that anybody has stepped outside it, then do feel free to report the post and the moderators (mostly Dades and myself) will take whatever action we feel is appropriate.

Other than that, wilkommen!

you startin' on me, are ya??!!
:mad:


:pac:

Mistress 69

Always love arriving in the middle of a party..... most of the guests are well on..........:pac:

AhSureTisGrand

Have you checked out After Hours yet?

MagicMarker

Well name calling is against the charter, so I'd also like to see examples of this you nincompoop.

ShooterSF

No one I know here are aggressive towards religious posters (well, one did condone wife beating and other demonstrated an unhealthy desire to segregate society...). We can get quite frustrated with recycling of specific arguments and downright angry at the position the church holds in our state. Can German public schools legally discriminate on religion to choose who gets in? If you want to see aggressive I'm sure someone can link you to the late late show thread over in the tv forum recently which had some of the most xenophobic posts towards non-Irish Atheists living in this country looking for a fair education for their children.


Oh and welcome to the forum and I most say your written English is fantastic. See, we can be nice

Ickle Magoo

Why is the Irish Atheist so aggressive? Because they still have reason to be would probably be the simple answer.

I'm not from Ireland either and prior to moving here religion or lack there of had never even been a consideration...a few years here and suddenly religion has forced it's way into our lives and resentment has grown to biblical proportions (pun intended).

I would think that if Ireland were as secular as Scotland or Germany, there would be as much call for aggressive atheism or the same degree of resentment against religion/the religious stranglehold on state services and policy here as there is in those countries...

As for aggression between ourselves, that's just a mixture of lively debate and verbal facepalming.

Turtwig

bluewolf wrote: »

you startin' on me, are ya??!!
:mad:


:pac:

You're a buddhist so you cannot be aggressive. :pac:

Turtwig

DeleveleD wrote: »

Hello there!

I assume the topic pretty much gives my question away.

I'm a German and have moved to Ireland about a year ago. While the people on the street seem generally friendly, I'm not the kind of guy to walk up to some stranger and make friends.

So I decided to join these boards and was delighted to find an Atheism & Agnosticism forum. Not much of a person of god myself I thought that I might find some nice discussions going on here.

However, I was almost shocked to find so much name calling and aggressiveness going on. Not only against people of different belief systems, but also amongst the atheists and agnostics themselves.

I'd simply like for someone to explain all this fighting and infighting to me, as it is very different from what I've come to learn as the behaviour of more rational folk.

Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

Heya, I think this might explain the answer to your question.

Jonathan Lanman wrote:

The second phenomenon was moral opposition to religious beliefs and values. For many, religions are not just factually wrong but morally harmful and to be opposed. This phenomenon is interesting not only because of current controversies concerning religion and public life but because it raises fascinating questions about how moral judgements arise from both pan-human intuitions and particular socio-cultural environments. I have my own terms for these distinct phenomena: I call the lack of belief in the existence of supernatural agents "non-theism" and the moral opposition to religious beliefs and values "strong atheism". The majority of Danes are non-theistic; few are strong atheists.

While distinguishing between the two is important, it is only a first step towards explaining these patterns of thought and behaviour. The next step is to notice patterns in their distribution. Not only do we find more non-theism and strong atheism in some places, but we even find, at least in the west, that they are negatively correlated. Denmark and Sweden, for instance, have the highest proportion of non-theists but very little strong atheist sentiment or activity. The US, however, has a very low proportion of non-theists but significant levels of strong atheism.

Why? In a word: threat. That is, I believe the distributions we see in levels of non-theism and strong atheism can be explained by the effects of threatening stimuli. Let's take non-theism first. We have compelling evidence from Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart in Sacred and Secular that nations with high existential security, that is the perception that one's life, well-being and society are secure, exhibit less religious belief and behaviour. But we also have good reasons to doubt the common explanation of this pattern, that religion provides comfort and becomes more convincing in trying times.

Anthropologically, societies in existentially insecure environments actually believe in very non-comforting supernatural agents. In contrast, the most comforting religious ideas, such as New Age spirituality or hell-less Christianity, flourish in the affluent west. Psychologically, we have little to no evidence that our minds will believe in something just because it would be comforting to do so.

So how do we explain the link between existential security and non-theism? Rather than a "comfort" theory, evidence supports a "threat and action" theory. We have an abundance of evidence from psychology and anthropology that feeling under threat increases commitment to in-group ideologies, whether they are religious ideologies or not.

Threats also increase the motivation to participate in religious communities to obtain material benefits. For example, in many contexts, religions are the only game in town for social insurance. Finally, we have evidence that from prayer to psalm recitation, threats increase superstitious behaviour. Increased commitment, participation and superstitious behaviour are all actions, not just words, that testify to religious beliefs.

How important are such actions in producing theism? Crucial. Work by Joseph Henrich from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, myself, and others suggests that humans believe the statements of others to the extent that they back those statements with actions. That is, rather than believing everything authority figures say, we believe to the extent that they "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk". The implication is that if parents and others believe in supernatural agents but do not show these beliefs through attendance, self-sacrifice, rule obedience and/or emotional displays, they will find their children sceptical of these beliefs and their society less theistic.

This is what happened in Scandinavia in the 20th century as governments instituted extensive welfare policies for ethnically homogenous populations. Fewer economic and social threats meant less religious action and, in the span of a generation, levels of theism fell. The US, on the other hand, instituted comparatively weak social welfare policies for a more divided population. Consequently, it saw little decline in theism.

But what of strong atheism? Counter-intuitively, while I think that a lack of social and economic threat produces non-theism, I believe that higher levels of threat to a particular vision of society help produce strong atheism. Strong atheism is not the absence of an in-group ideology but the defence of one: modern secularism.

Many scholars, including philosopher Charles Taylor in A Secular Age, have documented the emergence of a new vision of western societies in the wake of the Protestant Reformation and the growth of modern nation states. Societies were no longer seen by most of their citizens as kingdoms under God but as societies of mutual benefit in which citizens use their rational minds to cooperate and improve their lives. When religions stood in the way of this by denying individual liberty and pleasure and by asserting that the purpose of life should be transcendent rather than earthly well-being, religions themselves became anti-social and even immoral.

We can partially explain strong atheist sentiment and activity as the result of religious threats to this secular vision of society. Supporting evidence is chronological and geographical. Chronologically, we find Sam Harris writing The End of Faith as a response to 9/11; strong atheists in the US picking up Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion and joining atheist groups after the re-election of George W. Bush; and many Danes joining the Danish Atheist Society after the Muhammad cartoon controversy.

Geographical evidence can be seen in the contrast between the US and Denmark. In the US, where many Christian conservatives make no secret of their desire to govern by "Biblical" principles, we find hundreds of atheist organisations and thousands of people expressing the view that religion is immoral and to be combated through argument. In Denmark and Sweden, with little threat of politicians governing by religious principles, we find fewer atheist organisations and, in organisations that do exist, much less activity.

My account is based on both qualitative and quantitative evidence, but it requires further research. An overall point can be made, however. Our beliefs, behaviours and moral sentiments are not simply the result of dispassionate reason. As psychologists and anthropologists have argued for some time, to understand them involves considering something we might call "human nature" as well as the particular socio-cultural contexts in which people live. This is as true for explaining atheism as it is for religion.

Source.

Basically in a nutshell the majority religion of Catholicism f**ked up aspects of Irish society and is continuing to do so.

strobe

DeleveleD wrote: »

Hello there!

I assume the topic pretty much gives my question away.

I'm a German and have moved to Ireland about a year ago. While the people on the street seem generally friendly, I'm not the kind of guy to walk up to some stranger and make friends.

So I decided to join these boards and was delighted to find an Atheism & Agnosticism forum. Not much of a person of god myself I thought that I might find some nice discussions going on here.

However, I was almost shocked to find so much name calling and aggressiveness going on. Not only against people of different belief systems, but also amongst the atheists and agnostics themselves.

I'd simply like for someone to explain all this fighting and infighting to me, as it is very different from what I've come to learn as the behaviour of more rational folk.

Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

: Probably too much whiskey drinking and wife beating. Angries up the blood so it does.

:I guess it's something similar to Israel Syndrome (for the record I think I just invented that term. I fucking love inventing terms.) You have to understand the devastating consequences religious influences have had on the island of Ireland and it's people. You may as well ask why a dog that has been beaten it's whole life is prone to snapping when a hand comes near it...

:Vapour trails innit?

:You may be misinterpreting basic Irish 'slagging' for aggression. Sometimes an Irish person might call someone a cunt face and threaten to burn their home down, but it's all in jovial jest really and meant in the friendliest possible way.

:Our lack of God's love and chronic amphetamine habits make us twitchy and overly reactive to criticism.

:Tube amps are ludicrously expensive in this country. It is a major source of political tension amongst the working class.

:For funsies.

:Your name is a palindrome and that makes me smile. Palindromes are fucking rapid.

Turtwig

strobe wrote: »

: Probably too much whiskey drinking and wife beating. Angries up the blood so it does.

:I guess it's something similar to Israel Syndrome. You have to understand the devastating consequences religious influences have had on the island of Ireland and it's people. You may as well ask why a dog that has been beaten it's whole life is prone to snapping when a hand comes near it...

:Vapour trails innit?

:You may be misinterpreting basic Irish 'slagging' for aggression. Sometimes an Irish person might call someone a cunt face and threaten to burn their home down, but it's all in jovial jest really and meant in the friendliest possible way.

:Our lack of God's love and chronic amphetamine habits make us twitchy and overly reactive to criticism.

:Tube amps are ludicrously expensive in this country. It is a major source of political tension amongst the working class.

:For funsies.

:Your name is a palindrome and that makes me smile. Palindromes are fucking rapid.

*Says a prayer for Strobe's Head in the morning*

Duke Leonal Felmet

DeleveleD wrote: »

Hello there!

I assume the topic pretty much gives my question away.

I'm a German and have moved to Ireland about a year ago. While the people on the street seem generally friendly, I'm not the kind of guy to walk up to some stranger and make friends.

So I decided to join these boards and was delighted to find an Atheism & Agnosticism forum. Not much of a person of god myself I thought that I might find some nice discussions going on here.

However, I was almost shocked to find so much name calling and aggressiveness going on. Not only against people of different belief systems, but also amongst the atheists and agnostics themselves.

I'd simply like for someone to explain all this fighting and infighting to me, as it is very different from what I've come to learn as the behaviour of more rational folk.

Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

If it is true, you might want to reflect on the effect that religion has had on our country. Perhaps this would explain the hostile response to religion by Irish atheists.

strobe

Malty_T wrote: »

Strobe's Head

Sounds like the name of a storm weathered north Atlantic island where a schizophrenic bi-polar poet would sequester themselves in order to compose an epic soliloquy to the death of industrial revolution morality.

Tomk1

As atheism is relativly new in Ireland, many of the defender's of the faith call atheists anti-religionists, or as that Mayo mag 4you, baby-eaters, satan-worshipers, etc.
When some atheists come out they want to challenge the rightous religious, and mistakenly take the religious personna of an atheist as being anti-religion, since religious created the word atheist.

But for some atheists, debating with religious is entertainment, and a chance to flex their intellect, more fun than crosswords.

Lets say new atheism or atheist-gurus just want to live without the infliction/intrusion of religion into their daily life, and change the christian evil-word 'atheist' into a positive viewpoint of life.

Since German culture is more familiar with the concept of atheism, even before Nietzsche, as are many other euro-countries, then often when people who move to Ireland, they are in for a culture shock, many of whom just don't want to say anything as fear the usual rebutal: 'if you don't like it get out', the funny thing is many of the so called part-time christians will say the same thing to Irish people.

Just stick around, and give your experience of the Irish religious CULTure.

CashMoney

DeleveleD wrote: »

Hello there!

I assume the topic pretty much gives my question away.

I'm a German and have moved to Ireland about a year ago. While the people on the street seem generally friendly, I'm not the kind of guy to walk up to some stranger and make friends.

So I decided to join these boards and was delighted to find an Atheism & Agnosticism forum. Not much of a person of god myself I thought that I might find some nice discussions going on here.

However, I was almost shocked to find so much name calling and aggressiveness going on. Not only against people of different belief systems, but also amongst the atheists and agnostics themselves.

I'd simply like for someone to explain all this fighting and infighting to me, as it is very different from what I've come to learn as the behaviour of more rational folk.

Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

It's the lack of belief in a holy book which means we have no moral compass :pac:

Monty.

Here's my own observations :
Most adults are secure in their own beliefs and have no need to attack the beliefs of others, but some reason the typical Irish atheist seems to be both immature and insecure. Prejudices regarding religion are taken as blanket gospel, and they refuse to distinguish between individuals. They also tend to be evangelical atheists who want to convince and convert everyone to their unbelief, copying religion at its dogmatic worst, pretending they have all the answers. They think Irish life would be vastly improved if only everyone believed as they do. Unless your prepared to agree with everything they say, you'll never have a two way conversation with them, they just like to shout the same script over and over with their fingers in their ears. They've taken the hysterically over the top publicity seeking pantomime acts of Dawkins / Hawkins etc. as their role models. I came here with an open mind to understand their own views and perspective, but they have none of their own. If one of them shows the slightest signs of diverting from the script, he's shot down by the rest. I just come here now to see if there is any bottom level to their bigotry. So far there is not, but it has been a useful exercise to get to know their true mentality.

strobe

Monty. wrote: »

. I just come here now to see if there is any bottom level to their bigotry. So far there is not, but it has been a useful exercise to get to know their true mentality.

I thought you came here out of Christian love and charity Monty? To share the Gospel so that we may be saved? This is a most unexpected revelation. I'd quote a couple of verses from the book of Proverbs now in relation to your post only I know you don't like that.

It's useful to know that your true mentality is so very far from that which Jesus hoped to propagate however. The level of your bigotry must make Him very proud, I am sure... For as He said "fuck them guys, they don't think exactly like us", right?

Very sad, that it would come to this...

Monty.

strobe wrote: »

I thought you came here out of Christian love and charity Monty? To share the Gospel so that we may be saved? This is a most unexpected revelation. I'd quote a couple of verses from the book of Proverbs now in relation to your post only I know you don't like that.

It's useful to know that your true mentality is so very far from that which Jesus hoped to propagate however. The level of your bigotry must make Him very proud, I am sure... For as He said "fuck them guys, they don't think exactly like us", right?

Very sad, that it would come to this...

This from the guy that threatened to post "diseased animal feces" to a Catholic newspaper.

You speak with a forked tongue.

Just for you ; Matthew 10:11-34

strobe

Monty. wrote: »

This from the guy that threatened to post "diseased animal feces" to a Catholic newspaper.

Proof they are quite happy to speak with a forked tongue.

Now now, 'promised', not threatened.

Although acquiring diseased animal faeces is proving somewhat more difficult than I had originally envisioned. How am I to know whether or not it is diseased for a start? I mean presumably all animal faeces would carry some disease or another. But to be sure would require some very expensive lab tests. A work in progress. I'll keep you up to date as it develops.

Monty. wrote: »

Just for you ; Matthew 10:11-34

John 11:11. Think about it.

Sam Vimes

Monty. wrote: »

Here's my own observations :
Most adults are secure in their own beliefs and have no need to attack the beliefs of others, but some reason the typical Irish atheist seems to be both immature and insecure. Prejudices regarding religion are taken as blanket gospel, and they refuse to distinguish between individuals. They also tend to be evangelical atheists who want to convince and convert everyone to their unbelief, copying religion at its dogmatic worst, pretending they have all the answers. They think Irish life would be vastly improved if only everyone believed as they do. Unless your prepared to agree with everything they say, you'll never have a two way conversation with them, they just like to shout the same script over and over with their fingers in their ears. They've taken the hysterically over the top publicity seeking pantomime acts of Dawkins / Hawkins etc. as their role models. I came here with an open mind to understand their own views and perspective, but they have none of their own. If one of them shows the slightest signs of diverting from the script, he's shot down by the rest. I just come here now to see if there is any bottom level to their bigotry. So far there is not, but it has been a useful exercise to get to know their true mentality.

Firstly, I think it's funny that you talk about atheists not having any perspective of their own while making the highlighted comment, which I think is highly likely to have been taken almost verbatim from this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14944470 "Evangelical atheists who want to convert the world to unbelief are copying religion at its dogmatic worst. They think human life would be vastly improved if only everyone believed as they do"

And secondly, when religious people accuse atheists of "following atheist dogma", not having any perspective of their own, "following a script" etc I'm put in mind of mathematicians. If you ask a mathematician the answer to the question "what is 1+1?" you will get the answer 2. No matter how many mathematicians you ask, no matter how many times you ask, no matter in how many ways you ask you will get the answer 2, because that is the correct answer. But no one accuses mathematicians of "following a dogmatic script and having no perspective of their own", they simply recognise that 2 is the correct answer to the question so it is not only to be expected, it is to be encouraged.

I know that I for one didn't read the likes of Dawkins and Hitchens to find out what to think. I've never read anything by Hitchens but when I read The God Delusion he wasn't saying anything new, he was saying things that I already thought myself; the only thing that was new was specific examples of things from history that I'd never heard of. What he was saying was simply common sense so, just like I would expect mathematicians to all give the same answer to 1+1, I was wholly unsurprised to find people all over the world of all races, colours and creeds (whether they had heard of Richard Dawkins or not) all giving the same answers to the questions posed by the various religions.

Honestly Monty, when you find that you get the same answers over and over again from people who have no apparent connection to each other, instead of deciding that they all must have read the same book and are mindlessly regurgitating it back at you, maybe you should consider the possibility that you've simply asked a question that has a single correct answer, and that you're going to get the same correct answer no matter how many times you ask the question

MagicMarker

Monty. wrote: »

Here's my own observations :
Most adults are secure in their own beliefs and have no need to attack the beliefs of others, but some reason the typical Irish atheist seems to be both immature and insecure. Prejudices regarding religion are taken as blanket gospel, and they refuse to distinguish between individuals. They also tend to be evangelical atheists who want to convince and convert everyone to their unbelief, copying religion at its dogmatic worst, pretending they have all the answers. They think Irish life would be vastly improved if only everyone believed as they do. Unless your prepared to agree with everything they say, you'll never have a two way conversation with them, they just like to shout the same script over and over with their fingers in their ears. They've taken the hysterically over the top publicity seeking pantomime acts of Dawkins / Hawkins etc. as their role models. I came here with an open mind to understand their own views and perspective, but they have none of their own. If one of them shows the slightest signs of diverting from the script, he's shot down by the rest. I just come here now to see if there is any bottom level to their bigotry. So far there is not, but it has been a useful exercise to get to know their true mentality.

OP, this is why. ^^

yawha

Why does the OP think that "The Irish Atheist" is represented by a handful of posters on an internet forum?

It amuses me the amount of people who seem to extrapolate from some passionate online atheist debaters and come to the conclusion that atheists evangelize as much as the religious. Anyone who thinks the internet represents real life needs their head examined.

Can anyone here honestly say they've ever been approached by an atheist on the street who has tried to get them to convert?

Can anyone here honestly they've ever encountered anyone in real life over the age of 16 who's actively confronted a religious person about their beliefs without the conversation topic having happened to come up?

DeleveleD

I just wanted to give you a general 'Thank you'.

Not only did you manage to explain the high tension between theists and atheists, you even went as far and got a real life example!

I can now safely say that I understand better and, rereading some of the posts which originally had me concerned, might have been a bit sensitive. Culture shocked even.

Why does the OP think that "The Irish Atheist" is represented by a handful of posters on an internet forum?

Through the magic of generalization. Even though I try to avoid it, I still fall into that trap sometimes.

With all this in mind I've decided to go ahead and donate a couple'o tube amps to the nearest community centre. May they be a source of peace and understanding.

Sarky

I love happy endings.

robindch

Monty. wrote: »

I came here with an open mind [...]

Really?

Turtwig

Monty. wrote: »

Here's my own observations :
Most adults are secure in their own beliefs and have no need to attack the beliefs of others, but some reason the typical Irish atheist seems to be both immature and insecure. Prejudices regarding religion are taken as blanket gospel, and they refuse to distinguish between individuals. They also tend to be evangelical atheists who want to convince and convert everyone to their unbelief, copying religion at its dogmatic worst, pretending they have all the answers. They think Irish life would be vastly improved if only everyone believed as they do. Unless your prepared to agree with everything they say, you'll never have a two way conversation with them, they just like to shout the same script over and over with their fingers in their ears. They've taken the hysterically over the top publicity seeking pantomime acts of Dawkins / Hawkins etc. as their role models. I came here with an open mind to understand their own views and perspective, but they have none of their own. If one of them shows the slightest signs of diverting from the script, he's shot down by the rest. I just come here now to see if there is any bottom level to their bigotry. So far there is not, but it has been a useful exercise to get to know their true mentality.

Citation needed.

Turtwig

Oh and Monty could you give an example of this bigotry by any of the following posters :

Robindch,
Dades,
Wick -dammit- Zombrex
Bluewolf. (Ahem, bluewolf ya loon Malt)
Sarky,
Oldwisnr
Sponsored Walk
Strobe.
Newaglish.
Sensibleken.
Genghis Cohen.
Giselle.
Ickle Magoo.
ShooterSF.

Ta.

Sarky

In fairness I still have huge problems with a hamster running for president. Call me bigoted if you like but that's just the way God made me! :pac:

Turtwig

Sarky wrote: »

In fairness I still have huge problems with a hamster running for president. Call me bigoted if you like but that's just the way God made me! :pac:

That's not a nice thing to say about the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.

gbee

DeleveleD wrote: »

Hello there! I'm a German Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

There's your answer right there.

Dades

Monty. wrote: »

I came here with an open mind

Citation needed.

Monty, your existence in this forum - like that of dead one - only continues in order to catalogue the worst aspects of the religious mindset. Keep up the good work.

MagicMarker

Malty_T wrote: »

Oh and Monty could you give an example of this bigotry by any of the following posters :

Robindch,
Dades,
Wick -dammit- Zombrex
Bluewolf. (Ahem, bluewolf ya loon Malt)
Sarky,
Oldwisnr
Sponsored Walk
Strobe.
Newaglish.
Sensibleken.
Genghis Cohen.
Giselle.
Ickle Magoo.
ShooterSF.

Ta.

Hey!!

MagicMarker

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey!!

you big bigot ya

Dades

Quiet, you bigot! :pac:

EDIT: snap!

MagicMarker

I'm no bigot and that's a fact seeing as my opinion is the only one that matters.:pac:

you're so open minded it's an inspiration, MM

Panrich

Tomk1 wrote: »

or as that Mayo mag 4you, baby-eaters, satan-worshipers, etc.

Can someone translate this for me? I have been looking at it for 5 minutes and nothing registers.

oldrnwisr

Panrich wrote: »

Tomk1 wrote: »

or as that Mayo mag 4you, baby-eaters, satan-worshipers, etc.

Can someone translate this for me? I have been looking at it for 5 minutes and nothing registers.

This lovely bundle of mindless apologetics is what I believe Tomk1 is referring to:

http://www.4you.ie

Panrich

oldrnwisr wrote: »

This lovely bundle of mindless apologetics is what I believe Tomk1 is referring to:

http://www.4you.ie

Cripes!

Dades

Panrich wrote: »

Cripes!

I know! They've absolutely positioned the navigation bar 120px from the left while allowing the main content table to centre inside it's containing DIV.

Crazy Christians!

kylith

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey!!

I'm not on it either. Hooray! I'm a bigot. I've always wondered what it's like.

Newaglish

Dades wrote: »

I know! They've absolutely positioned the navigation bar 120px from the left while allowing the main content table to centre inside it's containing DIV.

Crazy Christians!

I've come to realise that faith in religion is inversely related to aptitude for web design.

DeleveleD

gbee wrote: »

There's your answer right there.

Don't make me pull Godwin's Law on you.

Logical Fallacy

Monty. wrote: »

Here's my own observations :
Most adults are secure in their own beliefs and have no need to attack the beliefs of others, but some reason the typical Irish atheist seems to be both immature and insecure. Prejudices regarding religion are taken as blanket gospel, and they refuse to distinguish between individuals. They also tend to be evangelical atheists who want to convince and convert everyone to their unbelief, copying religion at its dogmatic worst, pretending they have all the answers. They think Irish life would be vastly improved if only everyone believed as they do. Unless your prepared to agree with everything they say, you'll never have a two way conversation with them, they just like to shout the same script over and over with their fingers in their ears. They've taken the hysterically over the top publicity seeking pantomime acts of Dawkins / Hawkins etc. as their role models. I came here with an open mind to understand their own views and perspective, but they have none of their own. If one of them shows the slightest signs of diverting from the script, he's shot down by the rest. I just come here now to see if there is any bottom level to their bigotry. So far there is not, but it has been a useful exercise to get to know their true mentality.

I like that thing you said about not distinguishing between individuals. I found it particular poignant that you backed it up with a real world cross-denominational example by doing so repeatedly in your own post.

Pretty much the argumentative equivalent of hitting yourself in the face with your own foot.

smokingman

Malty_T wrote: »

Oh and Monty could you give an example of this bigotry by any of the following posters :

Robindch,
Dades,
Wick -dammit- Zombrex
Bluewolf. (Ahem, bluewolf ya loon Malt)
Sarky,
Oldwisnr
Sponsored Walk
Strobe.
Newaglish.
Sensibleken.
Genghis Cohen.
Giselle.
Ickle Magoo.
ShooterSF.

Ta.

I'm the bad guy?!

Zombrex

DeleveleD wrote: »

Hello there!

I assume the topic pretty much gives my question away.

I'm a German and have moved to Ireland about a year ago. While the people on the street seem generally friendly, I'm not the kind of guy to walk up to some stranger and make friends.

So I decided to join these boards and was delighted to find an Atheism & Agnosticism forum. Not much of a person of god myself I thought that I might find some nice discussions going on here.

However, I was almost shocked to find so much name calling and aggressiveness going on. Not only against people of different belief systems, but also amongst the atheists and agnostics themselves.

I'd simply like for someone to explain all this fighting and infighting to me, as it is very different from what I've come to learn as the behaviour of more rational folk.

Thanks in advance, DeleveleD

Depends on the posters I guess. Which threads are you referring to?

As has already said you should remember that there is often history between various posters, and that some posters may have simply run out of patience with others.

This is normal on an internet forum.

More worrying examples would be where a completely new person joins in and is instantly called names and made fun of. This is much less acceptable than someone calling a troll a troll for example.

Monty.

strobe wrote: »

Now now, 'promised', not threatened.

Although acquiring diseased animal faeces is proving somewhat more difficult than I had originally envisioned. How am I to know whether or not it is diseased for a start? I mean presumably all animal faeces would carry some disease or another. But to be sure would require some very expensive lab tests. A work in progress. I'll keep you up to date as it develops.

Nice, you do that.