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1 month ago @ Atheist Revolution - Why Does an Atheist Ca... · 1 reply · +1 points

I don't think anyone has suggested that belief is exclusive to religion. The value of science includes its self-correcting nature. When the speculation turns out to be incorrect, theories are adjusted and we move forward. We don't see enough of that when it comes to religion.

3 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - Why Does an Atheist Ca... · 1 reply · +1 points

I think there are many reasons believers maintain their beliefs that don't require denial. In countries like the United States, they are regularly rewarded for these beliefs.

Direct confrontation is one of many tactics we have at our disposal. Most of the time, it is not one of the more effective. Nobody likes to feel that they are being attacked for what they believe, and this is often what confrontation does. We don't need to reach everybody. By making some forms of religion synonymous with bigotry, the religious are making their beliefs less appealing. If the numbers are to be believed, younger generations are not finding as much appeal as older generations did. This gives me some hope and makes me wonder whether direct confrontation is even necessary.

3 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - Why Does an Atheist Ca... · 0 replies · +1 points

Yes, I think it makes sense to care when it affects us. If it did not impact us in any way, we wouldn't need to concern ourselves with it.

3 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - Is Tribel Social a Sui... · 0 replies · +1 points

Man, I knew "tribel" sounded familiar but couldn't place it!

I think some level of ideological agenda may be okay, as long as they are upfront about it. That's one of the things I'm enjoying about Mastodon. Users can choose their instance based on ideology, interests, rules, location, etc. but still interact with everyone across instances. Depending on one's preferences, the result can be having a home base that feels safer and/or more relevant while still being able to venture beyond it whenever one wants.

1 month ago @ Atheist Revolution - Stay on Twitter if You... · 0 replies · +1 points

There are some interesting decentralized alternatives to Twitter. I am currently checking out one of them: Mastodon. Compared to Twitter, it has a steeper learning curve. It also isn't owned by anybody, which has some advantages. They have been getting a big influx of users from Twitter, so it will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

2 months ago @ Atheist Revolution - What Horror Awaits Ath... · 0 replies · +1 points

Yes, I think you are right to point out that many Christians won't like the outcome either. They won't be perceived as being "the right kind" of Christians when the fundamentalists take over.

2 months ago @ Atheist Revolution - What Horror Awaits Ath... · 0 replies · +1 points

Some of them may believe this, but even a cursory review of our founding documents reveals it to be a false claim. The U.S. could have been set up that way, but the founders went out of their way not to do so. This seems like yet another price we are paying for the combination of self-directed propaganda and not teaching accurate history.

2 months ago @ Atheist Revolution - How Not Being Joiners ... · 0 replies · +1 points

I think you are right about that. In some regions, religion is so thoroughly infused with daily life that leaving it behind must seem like it requires one to avoid nearly all groups. Of course, experiences like getting thrown out of one's childhood home and being bullied don't exactly lead one to want to spend more time with religious believers either.

2 months ago @ Atheist Revolution - How Not Being Joiners ... · 1 reply · +1 points

It occurs to me that those of us who were brought up in religion continue to be influenced by it long after we've left it, especially if we are still living in a country where it is the norm. Among those who don't miss it, this creates a conflict that often surfaces in groups. Some need to process their experience with religion; others want to forget it as quickly as possible. This can make it challenging to find a group that lasts without immediately fragmenting into factions.

2 months ago @ Atheist Revolution - How Not Being Joiners ... · 0 replies · +1 points

That sounds like good advice. I don't plan to try to start a new group. For now, I'll focus on supporting the lobbying efforts from afar.

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