Rousseau_CHN

I have a big problem with this forum. I hope you can tag along as I outline the problem. (I will try not to provoke anyone.)

First of all, someone might say that this does not in this place. I say it does belong in this forum and nowhere else.

Second, Is this forum helping anyone? What are we really doing? All I have seen are closet atheist coming out because it's safe to come out.

There was this one atheist in this forum who was seriously considering to send his children to a Catholic school. He even volunteer to tutor him on Religion.

He finds it funny...I find it, well, not funny. There is nothing really funny about cowardice.

Third, this forum has a warning below which says, "don't include anything inflammatory."

Why not? The very name of your web site is inflammatory: Infidels. You are affirming a name, which the believer think is a thing of evil. If that is not inflammatory, I don't know what is.

Ronin

Yes.

Informing, exchanging, befriending, supporting...

Good enough for me ~ just last year I honestly had no idea that there were others out there.

Infidel ~ one who acknowledges no religious belief.

At it's most potent, infidel merely means one who is not a Christian or who opposes Christianity.

I think that for the purposes of this forum the term inflammatory are those comments designed to be blatantly offensive, directly insulting and served only to incite anger or violence.

PS only 19 more to go, Rousseau_CHN ~ almost there.

Rousseau_CHN

thanks Ronin,

problems almost solved...though I still believed we should do something about people "hiding in the closet."

No battle is won by going on the defensive

Ronin

How about we start a public website where atheists can go to share personal stories, make new and supportive friends from around the world, read insightful perspectives and otherwise grabass with far-out and fanciful heathens at their leisure which may possibly enable public deconversion and confidence...uh,...oh damn, waitaminute.

HelenM

People say it is and I generally take people at their word unless I have strong reason not to.

Helen

Rousseau_CHN

hahahaha

Sabine Grant

Bonjour Rousseau!

The term infidel has the same root as fidele which denotes the semantic notion of "foi" ( faith). Basicaly the term applies to people who do not aknowledge faith as a necessary factor in their own lives to contribute to their betterment.
The term "infidel" is mostly used in a derogative manner in the islamic faith. As a christian, I have never given the word infidel any derogative notion. Actualy, in French, the word "infidel" is used to define unfaithfulness in terms of relationships.
I find this forum to be a great opportunity to exchange various states of minds.
There are some topics and debates of superior intellectual quality which can trigger a sense of " I may be wrong about this or that" in any participant.
I am personaly grateful that inflammatory terms are being discouraged. It is a shame to see threads degenerating into personal evaluations that the opponant is an idiot. Plus it does not accomplish anything in terms of helping that opponant refocus on more rational arguments.
This is also a forum where one can build relationships with people of different backgrounds and somehow find what we all have in common.
This forum has the ability to affect how we think but also how we feel. I am convinced that a theist or non theist who has had prejudicial thinking about the other side, can become more open minded and more accepting of those differences.
Our behavior is going to speak louder than our posted thoughts when it comes to undo stereotypes.
We can see all kinds of human behaviors in the various threads. They are miroring often our own.
We can learn a lot if we are the growing type who seeks to understand better and improve in terms of behavior.
This is also a place where one can learn to say " I apologize" and " I am wrong.... thank you for pointing that to me".
Hang in there... you have as much to contribute as anyone else.

Rousseau_CHN

I am a totally changed man. Never have I been more convinced of the errors of my way than today. I am so overwhelmed that I'm speechless. I think I'd be doing more reading than posting starting today.

pescifish

Helen, does this mean you can't answer the question "Is this forum helping anyone?" from your own experience? Even with our vB conversion accounting issues, you are still one of the top two posters on this board!

Amie

hello Rousseau
I'm here for all the cute boys...


no in all seriousness I can not speak for others but I can tell you that I have learned a lot from being here.

I had just come from an anti-theist board where all of the questions I asked were answered with sarcasm...
I really like to learn what makes people think the way they think, believe the way they believe, and so I ask a lot of questions and the members here are happy to share parts of their lives and experiences with me and I feel it has really helped me gain a better understanding and to be honest with you their questions at times leave me stumped since I am atheistically challenged
I like it here...

I am glad you are still around
Amie~