Now that the new blog is up and running, I’d like to ask your opinion on the policies. Although I may or may not agree, I’d like to hear your ideas:1) Should all posts be OK’d before published, to make sure there is no preaching or the like? This would mean a delay before your post showed up. Is that good or bad?2) Should Christians or other religious people be allowed to post? Some have complained I am lax on this issue, and let certain regular religious posters do so at their, um, phree will, but I think they inspire returns and encourage debate.n Your thoughts?3) Should members of American Atheists be allowed special privilege or moniker? Would it encourage you to join? 4) Any other policy input?
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atheistgoddess,
Actually, with rare exception, only Dave can start a new topic – though you can always ask him to address something specific.
David,
My old eyes and I thank you for the “control +” advice. It worked! I had tried going to my “view” menu and then clicking on “text size” but that didn’t work.
It’s really ridiculous that I didn’t know how to do this. My husband is a computer engineer! I try to figure out my computer problems on my own, but I go to him if I can’t figure something out. I just never thought to ask him about this.
Anyway, thanks again for the advice.
NotSoFast said,
“The agnostic atheist comes, looks both ways, and if he sees no traffic coming, crosses the road.”
I hope not to read into what you said, something you did not intend, but, as the cutting edge of science moves forward, there are things we can accept as fact, that organized religion as a whole is a fraud, a corrupt movement, meant to enslave the minds of the ignorant and the fearful for power, money, and prestige. Rejection of this presence in society is a basic idea of free thought. But, somehow, I have never seen that as proof positive that no force of life exists that manifests itself in unimaginable places like near boiling water near volcanic vents deep in the ocean, and in the coldest parts of the polar caps. There is not only life there but thriving ecosystems. The tenacity of life is absolutely amazing!!!
While evolution is a fact, the mechanism, the ability to evolve has been built into lifeforms of every type. But, ninety five percent of all species which ever existed on this planet are now extinct, doesn’t sound much like a loving god does it? More like a madly driven insatiable machine.
NeoWolfe
neowolfe ,
What did you read into what I said? I was just using the putative danger of crossing a road as a metaphor for belief in god, to contrast my interpretations of the 5 different thinking modes. I’ve no idea how that stimulated the thoughts you express below:
Because religion is a human institution with no supernatural protection against the corruption of self-interest. And not just religion, but any human institution.
And the freethought movemment is also a human institution. Let’s hope we remain vigilant against those corrupting influences.
“But”? You see this statement as contradicting the previous ones somehow?
“Force of life” — Do you see that as some mystical property of “life” as opposed to “non-life” a la Star Trek?
Yes, the evolutionary process is largely random, therefore mad. But it’s not a physical “machine”, just a description of the way certain physical objects behave. And the life forms that display that amazing tenacity are all descended from the 5% that were luckier than the 95% that went extinct.
Dave,
On your questions 1), 2), and 3): What everybody else is saying.
On 4): How about a permanent open thread, where anybody can post anything without messing up a regular thread with off-topic comments?
And on my previous problem: I think I figured it out. I must have selected and tried to delete something in the preview panel instead of in the typing field.
The religious should be allowed to post since we do not fear them and are by nature open to interpretation, discussion, new ideas or in their case really old ideas.
I think members like me should have a moniker which says we are members.
It would be great if all the members could sign in since my e-mails go ignored. But i paid my dues a month ago and do not belong to the site yet.
1) Censorship is wrong. Don’t do it. How could you suggest such a thing while we fight for the right to be represented! Delete spam though.
2) Let them preach. They’re not selling anything here and it’s good sparring practice. If someone’s fragile feelings get hurt by a troll, that’s not your problem, it’s theirs. You should have better things to do with you life than reviewing comments. Besides, doesn’t George W Bush illustrate the quality of thought that occurs in an echo chamber? If an atheist says something illogical, let the trolls have at him or her.
3) Perhaps a brain icon next to the post. It gets taken away after your first ad homimem attack and you have to say 4 logical things to get it back.
4) A focus on the future of atheism and a strategy for how/if we can save the world from the religion virus.
NotSoFast made this comment:
“Yes, the evolutionary process is largely random, therefore mad. But it’s not a physical “machine”, just a description of the way certain physical objects behave. And the life forms that display that amazing tenacity are all descended from the 5% that were luckier than the 95% that went extinct.”
No offense, NotSo, but, you totally missed the point. The point that ninety five percent of the species that ever existed on earth are extinct, is an obituary to every species, including ours. There is only one thing in nature that never changes, and that is the constant flow of change. When living conditions change, either a species adapts, or it goes extinct, but when it adapts it becomes a new species, therefore, extinction is inevitable.
My point about a “machine” is that nature has no conscience. It does not feel sorry. It does not feel the need to offer bailouts to species with real potential. It just coldly marches over the bones of those who evolved the wrong way to cope with the next big change.
That was my contrast with the idea of a “loving god” who is sympathetically trying to rescue us from sin which was thrust upon us by our forefathers”.
To me common sense does not close the idea of inteligent participation in the origin of life, but the idea that nature has a conscience, or pity, or tolerates any flaw is an absolute denial of obvious fact.
And I believe that organized religion is the most dangerous force threatening the survival of our species. Can I get a witness? Can I get an amen? Damn, this crowd sucks.
NeoWolfe
Evolutionary science has known this almost from the beginning. Far more potentially beneficial mutations die out soon after they arise, than become fixed in a population.
And I believe that religion is at least as much a symptom as a cause of human evil. Get rid of religion, and watch something else just as bad take its place.
NotSoFast,
You shocked me with this flash of insight:
“And I believe that religion is at least as much a symptom as a cause of human evil. Get rid of religion, and watch something else just as bad take its place.”
Wow! Excelent comment. History backs you up in spades. Communist Russia set up the Russian Orthodox religion as the state religion, while simultaneously outlawing teaching religion to children. I guess the enlightenment required to outlaw religious education to children is one of the things that I have always admired about the communist movement, but, exactly as you stated, a whole new box of evil followed in it’s footsteps. You are right, it’s a question of the human condition, religion is as much a symptom as a cause. Our need to know why we are here, and how we got here, and hoping for some guidance while we are here, are stupid irrelevent questions we all ask, but do so because we are driven by our nature to do so. Excelent post, I underestimated you.
NeoWolfe