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They were a one time 'true believer' of one manner or other, who, after long searching couldn't rectify what they were taught and periodically come to a forum such as this to encourage cognitive dissonance. Or help reinforce why they do not believe what they do or why they are indifferent.
They were a one time true believer of one manner or other, who, after some traumatic experience in some belief construct chooses to inflict hurt back on those who they perceived as causing it or enabling it.
They are simply juvenile minded looking to get a rise out of others and attention since they really have no life outside of the digital realm they choose to live and have lot of time.
They actually seek some way to reinforce why they feel more comfortable in their lack of a belief construct by having some inquisitive parrying, a la, the biblical concept of iron sharpening iron.
They may have never experienced any belief construct in their formative years and after educational reinforcement which tends to denigrate beliefs think its fun to agitate for personal kicks.
They may have never experienced or had reason to investigate belief constructs and their standoffish 'prove it to me' attitude may be a plea toward seeking something beyond the physical realm (spiritual / or not).
It may be analogous to when one finds say, comments on music that are disparaging on a music video, and the performers 'fans' get all up in arms over their appearance asking, 'why listen and post when you don't like the music?'
Some are agitators or there may be some who have a valid musical explanation and they want to say why.. i.e. no talent, strictly a creation of today's corporate marketing machine to promote and sell something, a la, the prosperity preaching televangelist or some such equivalent in the religious realm. I.e. "My God's better than your god"....
Perhaps they think they are 'saving' others? (You may have more in common than you think!)
You have asked it before...and more times than I care to remember and indeed, you have been given the answer more times than I can remember so it is us that are perplexed that, here you are asking it again.
The short answer to your question is that we find the fight against wilful ignorance and superstition to be a worthy cause. I'm sure that someone else will come along and give you a fuller answer but I've done that before on more than one occasion and it doesn't appear to have sunk in with you. I see no point in doing it yet again.
I can't keep track of which Christian apologists (Mr5150..I thought he was an atheist...or am I thinking of Mr303? Mind's going...) have had it explained to them and which haven't, but they should surely have got the idea by now. Why do they keep asking the same questions again and and again?
The What is done,
The How is known
The Why remains fascinating...truly fascinating.
The 'tape loop recitation' was known for a long time. The skipping over the actual argument and picking on a keyword to base a (usually irrelevant) argument on was known for a long time. The "Selective memory" was something I discovered only recently. A respected Theist poster with whom I had a pretty significant discussion later claimed that she didn't remember it. I was dumbfounded. But this led me to understand that that those who simply deny they have ever been debunked, when it happened only a page ago are not lying. Their brains simply delete anything they can't accept.
This "Fundashield" as i think Trouts called it was seen absolutely starkly with old Eusebius (No qualms about naming Him ) when the lockdown evidence of the Cetan sequence proved "Macro" evolution beyond reasonable doubt. He refused to look. He flatly said that he didn't want to look at the evidence.
It is Faith -based denial. The Faith is that the god in their head (their own Ego (1) is Right and anything that says otherwise is wrong, no matter how strong the evidence. Science and logic itself is dismissed as 'mere opinion' when it conflicts with their beliefs. (2) and the well -understood image of the Closed Mind (significantly one of their major accusations levelled at atheists (3) is a shock when one realises just how closed a closed mind is.
I won't won't even go into how common this "I don't care what you say.." and "I don't want to hear it..." view is outside theism. The Fingers in the ears' song, the talking over you as you try to explain and the "Shutters coming down" (4) and the realisation that a closed mind is the norm and an Open Mind is really rather uncommon. Because we don't teach logic and critical thinking in schools. We teach religion.
(1) They talk about Pride and Ego a lot. A good rule of thumb is to apply their own accusations and denouncements to themselves. They assume that the other side thinks as they do. Projection accounts for a lot.
(2) sure, they can admit some evidence that they can cope with ..though come to think with it, they would rather explain it away, like the mobile star ("A conjunction of stars and planets" - though that Nothing like Matthew described), or "Someone could have told them later" like Caiaphas' plotting with his cronies, or the good old "Weaving together" like the deaths of Judas, but in the end ignoring it - the usual response to the shekel eating fish, No transfiguration in John, denial of Jesus' appearance in Luke, the invented attempt to murder Jesus, God giving Moses false information about the creation of the sun, and more terminal debunkers than you can shake a stick at.
(3) of course 'Open mind" translates from Theist to English as "unquestioning acceptance". But - only of One Claim. All others have to be rejected without question. It is utterly clear that they really mean "Closed mind - to protect the faith".
(4) even my dear family, when I mentioned seeing my first UFO slammed the mental shutters down. Later on I found out that it was the irridium satellite I'd seen, but it was my accepting mind that heard the explanation. it was my family that "Showed no curiosity" (Qualiasoup - 'Open mindedness')
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 12-14-2018 at 05:03 AM..
Atheists are their own religion, with their own beliefs. They are not limited to the 38,000 sects, like Christianity. Mostly they are probably disillusioned, prior "Christians", looking for a fence to set on. One day they may be a Buddhist, and the next a Taoist. Much like Simon Peter, blown in the wind, to hopefully remove the chaff. (Luke 22:31) Maybe it will turn out better for them than Simon.
Why comment on something you are clearly ignorant of?
It does hold relevance. We have just had a religious terrorist attack in Strasbourg. 9/11. Creationism. In some countries, being an atheist will get you killed. The Pope and condoms in South Africa. Religious bigotry against homosexuals. People begging the question with subjects I am an expert in.
So that is why religious people post on forums, they are uncertain of their beliefs.
As an ex Christian, I am also interested in the history of the Christian church.
I have many reasons to post here.
As an atheist, challenged to Read the Bible, I became interested in the Real Jesus problem and the who, how and why of writing the Gospels, and later, the character and thinking of Paul and the historical Novel of Acts.
It's partly why I'm here. Also the Dinosaurs on the Ark claim, OT prophecies dating from the evangelical pamphlets of the '60's and the whole social mentality -thing. But it's really because I live for reps.
Exactly right. We all have a unique perspective. It's a bit of catharsis for me to post my story, and it's not unique in the sense that many of us have perspectives that are remarkably similar. I've read stories of religious persecution that make me think about my own reality. If these posts aren't appropriate for the Religion and Spirituality, I don't where they would fit. This is a part of religion, not atheism, not agnosticism.
It's cathartic for me as well. If I wasn't raised in a high control group the topic of religion would have no interest to me. I'm working it out and for that I need to interact. It's all about me, I'm not responsible for others.
The biggest benefit I have gotten is to be able to look at belief through my own eyes. The Watchtower still owned my outlook on this topic decades after leaving simply because I never exposed myself to other people's beliefs.
There is a bit of the Streisand effect going on and I was trained by the group to stand up for what I believe in despite personal costs so there might be some of that. It's hard to tell sometimes where certain things come from. I would like to be this* as far as the Watchtower goes but then again, that's about making me feel good because like I said I'm not responsible for other people.
I have a question for you? Is there a certain disorder that assumed bad intent from other people?
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These guys...
) when the lockdown evidence of the Cetan sequence proved "Macro" evolution beyond reasonable doubt. He refused to look. He flatly said that he didn't want to look at the evidence. 
They talk about Pride and Ego a lot. A good rule of thumb is to apply their own accusations and denouncements to themselves. They assume that the other side thinks as they do. Projection accounts for a lot.
