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| 425 Chaotic Requisition |
 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject: How many theists? |
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The Doctor
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 3331
Location: England, UK.
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There are only about 145 million atheists in the world according to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Worldwide_percentage_of_Adherents_by_Religion.png
Which makes me wonder, if you are a minority compared to mainly theists, you must feel a huge burden upon you to cleanse the world of religion? How do you suppose you can go about to turn 5.8 billion people away from delusions? Is it possible for only 2 odd percent of the world to change the rest? Should you be able or even have the right to do so?
As a theist I woudn't normally think about this but I am finally seeing the frustration that atheists must go through day in day out. For instance most theists know others are theists even if they're religion is different, but atheists don't have that luxury they are unique and so feel affected due to religion interfering for one reason and another. So that brings up my question, how can atheists help cure people of these delusions people have gotten themsevles into? Is it through education and the prevention of indoctrination as a child as Q's method suggests, or is it through total dictation of religion and through subliminal messaging like Dawkins' method? (Assuming that you take that conspiracy theory to be the truth (which I don't).
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"Victory is in trying. Defeat is in not". - SVRDW. |
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| BumFluff |
| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Senior
Joined: 06 Mar 2008
Posts: 394
Location: Canada
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How many non-believers were there before Darwin wrote his famous books? And how many after? Memes and lines of cultural beliefs take quite a long time to change just as the processes that go through evolution. Times are chaning and beliefs are changing and I'm fairly certain that you nor I nor anyone else on these forums can do anything about it even if we wanted to. We can argue to our hearts content but the only way people's beliefs are going to be changed is because peple want them to change.
I think the way to chaneg the believers into nonbelievers isn't about arguing on forums or manipulating people through subliminal messages but with understanding and education. Did you know that most of the theists who don't believe in evolution actually have no idea what evolution is? I keep hearing the argument "One species can't give birth to a whole new species" from their side. They fail to understand that's not the way evolution works.
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"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt" - Bertrand Russell |
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| i_feel_tiredsleepy |
| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 21 Mar 2008
Posts: 659
Location: Montreal
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| I don't see why an atheist should feel an obligation to convince others to be atheist. I just feel that as long as religion is not being forced on me or others in an unreasonable way, I am completely content to let others believe whatever they want. |
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Cosmic Wizard
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Posts: 2231
Location: South Africa
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I am of the opinion that the more people become scientifically literate the better. I also believe that this will necessarily and significantly reduce the amount of people who claim to believe in a god. Although it is not my primary reason for wanting more people to become scientifically literate so that they can become atheists (or agnostic), I would not find the change unwelcome. 
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"Gullibility kills" - Carl Sagan
As jy dom is, moet jy kak. |
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| prasit |
| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Bachelors Degree
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 496
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The Pope must feel a huge burden upon himself to cleanse the world of non-catholics.
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Einstein is not always right. |
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| Bunbury |
| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:37 pm Post subject: Re: How many theists? |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 26 Sep 2007
Posts: 850
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| 425 Chaotic Requisition wrote: |
| you must feel a huge burden upon you to cleanse the world of religion? |
It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
| Quote: |
| I am finally seeing the frustration that atheists must go through day in day out. For instance most theists know others are theists even if they're religion is different, but atheists don't have that luxury they are unique and so feel affected due to religion interfering for one reason and another. |
Yes, it's awful, really awful. I can barely function. Somehow I struggle through, day by day. It's only my faith that one day everyone will be like me that keeps me going. That's the light at the end of the tunnel, the holy grail, the promised land. I'm glad, though, that you finally see my pain. Can you feel it? Can you?
| Quote: |
| So that brings up my question, how can atheists help cure people of these delusions people have gotten themsevles into? Is it through education and the prevention of indoctrination as a child as Q's method suggests, |
I favor mass lobotomies, followed by massage therapy.
| Quote: |
| or is it through total dictation of religion and through subliminal messaging like Dawkins' method? |
When did you stop beating your wife?
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| (Assuming that you take that conspiracy theory to be the truth (which I don't). |
What conspiracy theory? |
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| marnixR |
| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject: Re: How many theists? |
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Forum Isotope
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Posts: 2587
Location: Cardiff, Wales
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| Bunbury wrote: |
| What conspiracy theory? |
this one 
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if you find this place too crowded or too confrontational, how about trying Philosophorum,
the amicable forum where small is beautiful and even the trolls are intelligent
biology without evolution is but stamp collecting |
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| geezer |
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:20 am Post subject: Re: How many theists? |
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Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 12 Jun 2005
Posts: 524
Location: london
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Known Atheists, a lot, for survival sake, and peace of mind, keep quiet.
| 425 Chaotic Requisition wrote: |
Which makes me wonder, if you are a minority compared to mainly theists, |
I don't see how, your lumping all together, some are poly-theist some are mono-theist, your using a common fallacy, (Argumentum ad populum) to put your point across, that they all follow the same god. Fail.
However we are no different to any other people, you are in fact an atheist to all other gods bar yours. Aren't you then in a minority also,( there are a lot of denominations and sects) you must feel a huge burden upon you to cleanse the world of all those other religions?
| 425 Chaotic Requisition wrote: |
you must feel a huge burden upon you to cleanse the world of religion? How do you suppose you can go about to turn 5.8 billion people away from delusions? |
There is no one but the religious adherent that can have a change of mind, other than themselves.
It's not a burden, as eventually, people will see sense, it's only a matter of time, now isn't it.
| 425 Chaotic Requisition wrote: |
Is it possible for only 2 odd percent of the world to change the rest? |
Not that an atheist is trying, but Jesus, Bush, Amin, Stalin, thought/think they have the power to change the world, they were just one person out of 6.6 billion.
so it would be possible, wouldn't it.
| 425 Chaotic Requisition wrote: |
Should you be able or even have the right to do so? |
No, and we aren't trying. your the only person who's going to change your mind.
| 425 Chaotic Requisition wrote: |
| as a theist I woudn't normally think about this but I am finally seeing the frustration that atheists must go through day in day out. |
thats not because of the reasons you gave here, we are just baffled as to how an intelligent person could be so irrational.
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"Before you Believe in anything, make sure you look for the BeLIEve hidden within.." |
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| Cat1981(England) |
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 948
Location: Mind your own business
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SV, "cleanse" is not the right word to use. We are not trying to cleanse anyone.
Imagine being stuck in a room full of adults all of whom believe in Father Christmas, and yes everybody has the right to believe in Father Christmas if they want to. But would you sit there and simply giggle when they started to write letters to Santa, or would you try and explain to them that no matter how much they want to believe that Santa exists, and no matter how many people they manage to persuade to believe in him, they are never going to find magically appearing presents under their tree on Christmas day.
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When we talk to God it's called a prayer. When God talks back it's called schizophrenia. |
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| 425 Chaotic Requisition |
| Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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The Doctor
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 3331
Location: England, UK.
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Would they listen? No. So it thus begs the question, why bother? Or does it? How much has belief in father Christmas hurt anybody compared to that of religion right?
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"Victory is in trying. Defeat is in not". - SVRDW. |
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| Cat1981(England) |
| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:15 am Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 948
Location: Mind your own business
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But people do listen, isn't that why you have missionaries? People questioning their faith or non-faith is a good thing, it means people can believe in what they (in their heart) do actually believe, rather than following the status quo.
I personally know two polish fellas who have converted over to the dark side (atheist) after moving to Britain. Not because of anything i or others have said to them but simply because after moving here three years ago they started to question their own faith.
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I do have a couple of issues with your opening post though. First, although this has already been mentioned, you seem to be willing to lump all theists together in one group. There are many theist in the world who are willing to kill other theists because of their beliefs. Secondly, atheists are not in a minority because atheism doesn't actually exist, it is just a term (roughly) for someone who doesn't believe in supernatural beings and/or a supernatural world. Lastly, the number of atheists in the world is nothing more then an educated guess, i know several people who have no interest in religion nor practise it and yet still put Church of England down during the last national census.
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When we talk to God it's called a prayer. When God talks back it's called schizophrenia. |
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| free radical |
| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:34 am Post subject: Re: How many theists? |
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Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 525
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| marnixR wrote: |
| Bunbury wrote: |
| What conspiracy theory? |
this one |
Priceless.
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| For I am not just an evil atheist, but a humble servant of Satan. |
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| free radical |
| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:38 am Post subject: |
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Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 525
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Giggling at the ones believing in father christmas is about right.
The only times that cleansing the world seems like a good idea are when people believe their children are possessed, and beat them to death. Horrible. |
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