"Well said. And let me add that I am not really upset with my brother. I am upset at how religion has robbed from him the recognition that we lost something really great, for good.
Hate the religion, not the religious.
"
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My b/f, an Atheist, believes I've just joined an organized (anti)religion .
He insists I'm now sheep in the flock at the opposite end of the spectrum from religion. I explained that this is an oasis I've found for likeminded individuals to share and discuss and a place to learn with a wealth of resources. He aint buying it, says my convictions should be strong enough that I don't need affirmation or support. How do I argue this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Фелч Гроган on -
How about you tell him to come in and argue it himself ?
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Permalink Reply by Staks Rosch on -
Atheist Nexus is for non-theists only!
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Permalink Reply by Dave Rogers on -
According to the title of the thread, he is.
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Permalink Reply by Фелч Гроган on
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You expect too much from Dunning-Krugerites. Pshaw. Reading and comprehension. Next you'll be expecting him to read the site rules.
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Permalink Reply by Wes Bonez on -
This is not an AA group. You don't have an addiction. Tell him you value the sense of community.
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Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on -
Never mind the ability to pick up on what other people know from their own angle on atheism. Each of us brings something from our own point of view and experience. I for one have learned TONS since I arrived here, and I expect to learn a LOT more yet.
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Permalink Reply by George on -
"sheep in the flock" implies conformity and compliance. Tell him it's a place to discuss differing ideas, and that there is no single viewpoint or worldview here.
"my convictions should be strong enough that I don't need affirmation or support."
Ask him why? What is his point? If you take the "I don't need support" notion to its logical extreme, he would be living alone in a forest with only sticks and rocks to defend himself, and probably would have been a meal for a bear a long time ago. Such is the nature of community.
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Permalink Reply by Think4URSelf29 on -
The greatest thing here is that you are not a follower (sheep). That implies that there is a leader, like in religion a pastor, priest, imam, etc.... Here, you get to think for yourself and allow others to discuss those thoughts open-mindfully. To quote the bible,"As iron sharpens iron, so one man (person) sharpens another." There is truth to that. I would tell your friend that nobody should be so secure in their beliefs that they become unwilling to discuss them, and even change them if so reasonably convinced. Hey, I rely on science to affirm my beliefs. We are all convinced of something,and should have a cogent reason for that conviction. Ask your friend what it is that "affirmed" his convictions.
Hope that helps!
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Permalink Reply by Staks Rosch on
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When you make the definition of "religion" so broad as to include those without religion, then the term has become pretty meaningless. Besides, I thought religious people thought religion was a good thing. Now all of a sudden it has become something evil.
A football game has more in common with religion than Atheist Nexus.
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Permalink Reply by Richard on -
networking is important in order to increase your sources of information,the atheist groups
in my area are too far away from where I live but I would love to get to know them.
There's a big difference between socializing and being a sheep,everybody wants
to know like minded people.
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Permalink Reply by Nikki Chaffin on -
See I knew I was in the right place, you've all given such wonderful feedback. Everything I essentially argued last night, like-mindedness, valuing the sense of community, the idea that sheep of a flock would suggest a leader.
DangerousTalk, you might've understood him to be a theist, he is not, he's an atheist, sorry for the misunderstanding.
George, it's funny you would suggest the notion of him "living alone in a forest with only sticks and rocks to defend himself". Close! way off the beaten path down in the Ozark Mtns with guns knives rather than sticks and rocks I guess.
He just has this thing against any kind of organized religion and he seems to think all I've done is betrayed my own convictions, that I dont trust myself enough not to need someone else's perspective, or something. I told him he was wrong about what I'm against, I'm against religion not the organization part. Organizations can do wonderful things, for me it's simply the concept of god that people are so deluded by. It's a mental illness to believe in things that do not exist. This is the only one that people get away with and I don't enjoy being surrounded by and trying to function in a society of mentally ill people. Here it's as though I've found an oasis. I guess if that makes me weak, well tough. In my opinion it's only strengthening me.
Thanks all!
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Permalink Reply by George on
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"George, it's funny you would suggest the notion of him "living alone in a forest with only sticks and rocks to defend himself". Close! way off the beaten path down in the Ozark Mtns with guns knives rather than sticks and rocks I guess."
Yes, but did he dig up the iron ore, melt it down and cast the guns and knives himself? Did he teach himself to shoot? Even if you're raised by wolves, you're still dependent on someone!
The whole notion of being completely self-sufficient is pretty silly.
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