I've frequented discussion boards for a long time and the number of atheists always outnumbers the number of theists. Why is this? Is it because atheism is inherently a position of skepticism while theism is generally a position of faith (and therefore no further questioning is necessary?) I think it's a shame.
Why are there hardly any theists on internet debate platforms?
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@nagisa3
I believe in the existence of a prime and eternal consciousness who created the universe. I also believe that moral realism is true and the only way that the implications of moral realism can be consistent is if an arbiter of humanity exists which coincides with the existence of a prime and eternal consciousness who created the universe.
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@nagisa3
My take would be they are to busy practising their own Religion.
Went elsewhere to confirm their biases.
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@Fallaneze
Atheists are hate filled but afraid to be that way in public or to family and friends. They come her to vent on strangers.
10 days later
I would say it's because a lot of atheists have a greater propensity for contention. Many theists just don't have the motivation to press their views on others.
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@Fallaneze
I have faith{ trust } that the oncoming vehicle will not cross over the center line and collide with me.theism is generally a position of faith (and therefore no further questioning is necessary?)
However, I know it can and does happen. I faith and trust that you concept of God is a placebo effect for you.
However, I also know that peoples beliefs can change --more so if their beliefs have no basis in truth to begin with--- ergo persons placebo effects can change also i.e. placebo effect that worked yesterday may not work tommorro, depending on ones point-of-view.
Change of one's belief may come with various angles-of-viewpoint. Degrees of awareness can be 2, 3, or more in a circle, and integral set of two circles may exponentially grow the number of angles-of-viewpoint of awareness.
There is only two directions from a set of viewpoints, greater number ergo a more broader set, or a more narrow set, and the narrow set inherently means ignoring greater degrees of angular points-of-view.
You could say the same about many religious people.
Home is a different story when humans aren't "socializing".
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@Fallaneze
Just guessing here, but it could be that sine we have the smaller population that we're driven more towards contention since we're the ones who want to change the societal norm.
Also some Theists don't believe in the internet like The Amish for instance. Obviously this doesn't account for the difference.
Also how much difference is there in number? I've never really stopped to count myself, lol.
19 days later
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@K_Michael
That's an odd statement given that many theists believe that an eternal suffering or pleasure is at stake in life while non-theists just think that's delusional and life is generally better if you don't tend to believe things that can't be proven.Many theists just don't have the motivation to press their views on others.
Are you sure you did not reverse this with the internal projection bias?
I can think of several reasons.
But let me start by quoting Saint Paul's epistle to The Romans...
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
It is not a very Christian thing to engage in debate about these things to begin with.
But here are some more reasons.
1. The Truth is God. Thst being the case, why would you debate someone who doesn't believe in God? If you believe that an atheist knows what they are denying, they are either insane or a liar. Why would you debate such a person?
2. If you do decide to debate an atheist, they shut down all discussion through epistemelogical nihilism or feigning knowledge. Whichever is more convenient.
3. Atheists tend to be too prideful to receive correction. Instead of allowing themselves to be taught, they adopt an unteachable "know-it-all" mentality. This being the case, atheists tend to have very superstitious ideas about God because they think they know better.
4. As the quote from Romans even predicts, many atheists drive people away by being despicable human beings.
5. Debating with atheists requires a great deal of patience, because even if they are friendly, they are, after all, complete and utter fools. It is really easy to get frustrated when you are interacting with a complete fool who is constantly insulting you. Takes a special kind of patience or masochism.
And the verses that follow the above in Romans...
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
For there is no respect of persons with God."
I will be a fool for the sake of Christ.
Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy
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@Fallaneze
Statistically, 20% of America is non religious(https://news.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx). This tends to be higher amongst younger people, who are more likely to use the internet.
I'm not sure if a majority of users of DART or other debating sites are secular.
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@Fallaneze
Theists are too busy pleasing their God then to be debating or carry on debating a stance they cannot win against people who are actually consistent or at the very least not irrational when it comes to God.
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@Mopac
It is not a very Christian thing to engage in debate about these things to begin with.
I have two responses to this.
The first is Peter 3:15 surely you know it.
The second is to ask you why in the blue blazes are you are here debating if it is unchristian?
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@secularmerlin
Our scripture is not for you to use. It nbn is our book, thank you. The devil uses scripture as well, and the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
I am here because I love you, and I want you to know The Truth. I am not here to debate, I am here to declare The Truth.
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@TheRealNihilist
Well I consider myself a theist and am not too busy trying to please God to debate. It's silly to believe that theists can't win debates or not have irrational views about God.
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@Fallaneze
So you don't read the Bible, attend church and try to spread the message of your God?Well I consider myself a theist and am not too busy trying to please God to debate.
It's silly to believe that theists can't win debates or not have irrational views about God.
Can you tell me a rational position you take in respect to God?
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@TheRealNihilist
No, because I am not a Christian.
Sure. I believe that consciousness, rather than the material world, is fundamental. I call this consciousness "God." There are a series of arguments and evidence to support this view.
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@Mopac
The devil uses scripture as well, and the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
Then why trust scripture at all?
I am here because I love you
You do not love me. You think I am a wicked fool who is worthy of ridicule and deserves to be tortured eternally (or perhaps just separated from god for eternity which honestly doesn't sound so bad since being separated from him now is not hurting me).
I want you to know The Truth.
As you have oft times stated yourself there is a difference between what is true and what is knowable. It is unreasonable for you to expect me to know the unknowable and the knowable is knowable because it can be observed/demonstrated ergo if you want me to believe without any observable evidence or demonstration from you you are being unreasonable.
I am not here to debate
Oh. That actually clears up a lot. This whole time I thought you just did not understand how to debate but if that isn't even what your trying to do your behavior actually makes a lot of sense. On a side note structuring and using valid logical arguments (otherwise known as debate) might be a more efficient way of accomplishing ypur stated goal of convincing people that your position is the correct one.
I am here to declare The Truth.
Really? Because from your behavior you would seem to be here to make bald assertions and circular arguments that actually have the effect of discouraging many of us from taking your views and arguments seriously.
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@secularmerlin
I want you to know who you really are, a bearer of the image of God. I want you to know The One True God and the One He sent so that you may have eternal life.
You do not know me, because you hate me. You hate me because you hate Christ. Yet even Christ said to forgive you, because you know not what you are doing.
If you could believe, you would see. Since you won't believe, you remain in the dark. What can I do? I desire for you to escape from this world of darkness and death and be enlightened into Life. You do not believe me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but God's will. I will remain content.
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@Fallaneze
I call this consciousness "God."
I have faith and trust that your concept of God is a placebo effect for you.
I have faith{ trust } that the oncoming vehicle will not cross over the center line and collide with me. However, I know it can and does happen.
However, I also know that peoples beliefs can change --more so if their beliefs have no basis in truth to begin with--- ergo persons placebo effects can change also i.e. placebo effect that worked yesterday may not work tommorrow, depending on ones point-of-view.
Minimal consciousness can have no less than two points of view..... me { O } and you { O } via occupied space
And in addition a minimal line-of-relationship ex gravity ( ) if not also dark energy )( must exist between those two and that line-of-relationship is most likely a geodesic Space (O)(O) lines-of-relationship.
An then there is a fourth aspect and that is the background in which the above set of three exist.
.........background space....(O)(O).......background space....
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@Mopac
False. I do not know you so I am not emotionally invested enough to maintain such a strong emotion.you hate me.
you hate Christ.
False. I do not believe he necessarily exists and so I am not emotionally invested enough to maintain such a strong emotion.
Yet even Christ said to forgive you, because you know not what you are doing.
Yet you claim that Christ will not forgive me for what I'm doing. Please decide which of your contradictory claims you actually support.
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@secularmerlin
No, you get nothing from me.
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@Mopac
Please decide which of your contradictory claims you actually support.No, you get nothing from me.
Then I am not the one holding up the conversation. I am willing to hear your explanation of your seemingly contradictory stance but you are unable or unwilling to provide any explanation beyond bald assertion and circular argument.
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@secularmerlin
No you aren't.
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@Fallaneze
What are you and tell me in context what you believe in is rational?No, because I am not a Christian.
Sure. I believe that consciousness, rather than the material world, is fundamental. I call this consciousness "God." There are a series of arguments and evidence to support this view.
I am not accepting this until you tell me what you believe in and put it in context to what you believe in.
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@Mopac
Then please procede with an argumeny which is not circular or baldly asserted without evidence that could not be applied equally to justify multiple contradictory positions. Or if this is an unreasonable please explain why rather than simply asserting baldly that it is unreasonable.
The specific argument that I am referencing by the way is yoir claim that the truth is completely dependent on a being which is capable of emotion at a minimum. You have of course claimed that it possessed other attributes during our discussions but lets start here.
I am not disputing that the truth exists I am unconvinced that it is contingent on a being which loves me based on the available evidence.
Except of course I don't know what you truly mean by love do I Mopac? Which is of course my fault for being wicked and a self defeating nihilist and worthy of ridicule isn't that right Mopac? Its a good thing you haven't ever insulted me. Really gives you the moral high ground.
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@TheRealNihilist
I call this consciousness "God."
It sounds like Fallaneze just said they are god.
And if you're conscious, then probably you too.
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@secularmerlin
The faith is not rational apprehension, it is experience.
Since you insist on doing things the wrong way, you will get nowhere.
You can insist that you know what you are asking for all you want, but I know you are in the dark.
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@3RU7AL
Pretty much and every other thing that has consciousness. I don't see how he can defend that since we have very little information about consciousness.It sounds like Fallaneze just said they are god.
And if you're conscious, then probably you too.
Wrote what I said earlier before reading this which is why I made that comment.
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@Mopac
The faith is not rational apprehension,
Perhaps not but knowledge is.