Mageth

SignOfTheCross, what exactly is the purpose of your comments on this thread? To troll? To flame? To preach? I don't get it.

The question raised by the OP was "So, I�m asking for general opinions- do the views etc of ex-theists carry more weight than those of life-long atheists?" That's the topic of the thread. Do you happen to have a topical response in your pocket full of one-liners that you could whip out?

Roland98

Carry more weight for whom? The only times I've ever seen it help me (as one who grew up Christian) is when people assume I had certain a priori beliefs (for example, recently I was told that I rejected the divinity of Jesus because I'd already made up my mind that there was no God, so obviously Jesus could not be Him). Well, sorry to inform them, but I'd come to this conclusion before I was a full-fledged atheist; indeed, it's one of many things that started my "downward spiral" into atheism. That's really the only kinds of situations where I've found the fact that I was a former Bible thumper to carry more weight than a statement from a life-long atheist. Most Christians don't care either way--even if you say you were once a Christian and are now atheist, they bring in a bunch of BS about how you weren't a "True Christian" or weren't spirit-filled, etc. etc. So I don't think it matters much one way or another to them in most cases.

CoffeeFiend

I am a life long atheist and I also can't imagine someone taking religion seriously. At school, when studying middle age history I always thought that the guys who were running the show using religion didn't really believe in it, now I am not so sure anymore. Also, watching tele-evangelists is one of the most mind boggling experiences for me, I just can't understand how all those grown-up men and women are taking that guy or girl ranting on stage seriously. Though I hardly indulge in debates with theists, unless they make a challenge themselves and there is nobody else around to meet it. Because: A) I am not a very good debater. B) I can easily offend religious people without even trying. C) Fundies tend to have a lousy sense of humor

But as far as I am concerned 75% of religion = superstition and the remaining 25% is useless metaphysics.

Yes, I am arrogant

SignOfTheCross

Yes, I have more, but I just know he wanted to talk about his "Bible student of the year" award to make himself and others think he is theologically accredited.

Peace,
SOTC

DMB

Evolutionist: I deduce from the fact that you were able to access websites in your mid-teens that you aren't very old now. You were therefore fortunate not to be exposed to the full force of state-mandated religious indoctrination that I received growing up in the UK in the 1940s and 1950s. No multicultural society in those days!

As a result, I got to know the bible pretty well. Therefore, although I have never formally belonged to any religion, I probably know nearly as much about it as anyone who did.

When I was young, I didn't meet many out-of-the-closet atheists. Now the UK is full of them. Never say there's no progress!

Evolutionist

DMB:

You would be correct. I suppose by the standards of many in here, I�m not that old. When I was in secondary school (as you deduce, not that long ago) there was still prayer in assembly, hymns etc. my school had quite a lot of Muslims, Hindus and all the rest of it in there, and none of them had to join in the prayers etc- which is fair enough.

To the best of my knowledge, almost all of the school in my area at least have a significant proportion of students from non-Christian religions- and many more atheists, especially by the last year in school- yet reading this "uproar" about removing mandated prayer from schools, am I to take it that this isn't the case in the American school system?

The country is full of open atheists, and the Christians that are here generally don't go to church on Sundays, and don't believe in the inerrancy of the bible etc. I never even heard of fundamentalist Christians until I got into contact with America over the internet- you can imagine my shock and amusement when I first encountered a YEC...

I don't often admit my "age" (even though I don't concider myself that young) when in discussion with theists, as they usually brush it off as; "a childish rebellion", "just a phase", or "you'll know better when you're older" etc. Though I am pleased to note that when they do have to guess my age- they usually guess 40-50... on average. I must be mature for my age...

This is especially annoying when they use it as a smokescreen to cover the fact that they can't answer simple questions.

RTS

Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. And NOT because I was chosen "Bible Student of the year" when I was 11 years old, but because of my 35 years of study, life's experience and observations of reality since then.

No, in reality this is what YOU think that I think. And YOU are absolutely WRONG.

My intent was to express the fact that I was a good little brainwashed follower of my religious toilet training that I was indoctrinated into as a child before I learned to think realistically, logically and critically.

So, your attempt to 'read my mind' and relate what I think FAILED MISERABLY. Must have been a short circuit in your god connection part of your brain that tells you what other people think... or your god lied to you. Either way you are laughably WRONG.

==============================================

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.'' -- Seneca

"The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." -- Edmund Burke

"Rulers in antiquity used religion like dogs pee on trees." -- Me

sakrilege

Why limit it to antiquity when it is so evident today?

RTS

Exactly!

Taffer

Hey, what's that thing flying out of the window there? Why, I do believe it's the point!

If he says he's proud of being a non-believer now, I hardly think he could feel the same about getting a bible student award. And it is strongly implied that the award is more for making the recipient proud of his beliefs than for theological accomplishments.

The way I see it, you have two options.
- Address the actual point and gain credibility for being an understanding and intelligent person who knows when he took one step too many.
Alternatively . . .
- Remove the "Peace" bit from the end of your posts in this thread because it's hardly appropriate when the posts in question are little more than grenades with next to no content.


Now, back on-topic before the thread crashes entirely:
I'm a life-long atheist, which sounds very impressive and dedicated, but in truth means I just slid quite naturally into non-belief when I encountered the question for real.
One of the things that interested me the most when I started looking up stuff on the topic was deconversion. Since I considered religion a primarily irrational mindset back then and atheism rational, I just got curious how people managed to swing from one end to the other and how it felt to give up one set of values for another.
I tend to take note when people say they're former christians. I take it as a sign that they've (probably) seen both ends of the issues, made a decision for one of them, and know what they're talking about.