I understand the idea that, regardless of whether an external power or agent actually exists, belief in such a thing might have benefits for an individual. Personally, I don't see that any of those benefits is unavailable to somebody who does not buy into the mythology of the particular religion that is being advocated for. Also, I'm not convinced that any such benefit outweighs the detrimental effects in devoting a portion of one's time and energy (sometimes a very significant portion) to religious activities that cannot possibly produce any benefit (if the divinity is not actually real).
Consider: Personally, maybe you don't see, and maybe you aren't convinced according to your personal standard. And that is what it is, James. In and of itself, yeah, sure, whatever.
However, compared to your focus↑ on mental illness, your judgment of what value you see in other behvior is its own separate discussion.
You have definite opinions about how I should spend my "free" time, it seems. You also seem to assume that what you see here on sciforums is all there is to know about me and what I have studied, in terms of historical treasures and the like. That might be a mistake.
Maybe it's not your reading comprehension, James. Maybe it's just you.
sciforums has never been, and will never be, an academy. We are not in the business of conducting original research or "scholarship" here, even if some of us do that kind of thing outside of this forum. This place is good for connecting with the wider public, however - those not living in ivory towers. Sure, not all scholars are interested in having much of that sort of contact, but some certainly are. I think you might be making a basic mistake if you're trying to judge the worth of this place by examining its average level of "scholarship". Maybe you're setting your expectations too high - if you're for real.
That's a bit melodramatic. Moreover, the underlying pretense of cluelessness, as if we hadn't recently discussed the subject and you didn't know what that something I mentioned referred to, is unbelievable, James. Like I said, if I wonder how precisely we wish to define a scholar. You, to the other, would declare them unwelcome.
What would be useful for me (us) to do here, in your opinion? What changes would you like to see?
You're a moderator, too, remember. A forum leader. Aren't you?
Well, James, it's too bad you just couldn't be bothered to pay attention over the years. After all, there was a time when being an Administrator actually meant something; you know, like when you would undermine your staff for mysterious reasons you could never explain, but, sure, we got the message that you would change what we do if you didn't like it. So, what did expect your staff would do, James, while you made excuses for bullshit and lamented the tyranny of rational discourse? Were we supposed to just do whatever the fuck we wanted, because that's not really how it went. So maybe you should have skipped that part.
Anyway, remember that the reason for considering the atheistic purview of site moderation and administration has to do with your suggestion that it is strange that atheists get so much attention; atheism and atheists are not irrelevant to the general tenor of discussion.
On the matter of our "atheistic purview", I think that, perhaps, we provide a useful alternative voice, especially in the context of the ultra-religious United States.
No, James, we don't. It's not useful.
There is hardly a lack of Christian websites and forums out there, for those who want that.
Beside the point.
Sites with a skeptical, atheistic lean, on the other hand, are significantly less numerous.
Yes, but the phrase "skeptical, atheistic lean" is utterly meaningless. Consider your two cents on scholarship, above: That skeptical, atheistic lean has absolutely no useful meaning, James. You can't have it both ways. Maybe there's some other context in some range that might exist between blithering solipsism and "an academy … in the business of conducting original research or 'scholarship'". Like I said, how precisely we wish to define a scholar.
Also, generally speaking, I don't think we're in the business of ramming atheism down people's throats, here. Generally, they bring their crusades to us, not the other way around.
James, your threads asking religious people to tell you this or that are you asking for their attention, not them bringing their crusades to us. An atheist making up religions or religious people to wag at is not religious people bringing their crusades to us. Of seventeen threads on the first page of the Religion subforum, dating back to the middle of last year, over two-thirds are skeptical or critical of religion. The three members bringing more religious threads are not necessarily what we might consider average believers, either. Compared to the caricaturizations and criticism, the question of ramming is matter of context, but the evidence does not support the idea that "generally, they bring their crusades to us". It's one thing if, on some level, I get what you're saying, but what you're saying does not necessarily correspond to actual circumstances.
Toward atheistic purview, I guess the question is to wonder what's the point if all you really want is to be just like them.
We tend to get a regular trickle of religious visitors, albeit not always open-minded ones.
That's kind of a useless answer, compared to the discussion at hand, but, sure, whatever; we come back to something you already passed over, so never mind.
Your should probably be specific, if you have something in mind for what important thing Jesus and the Buddha and the Sufi discovered. Then we could discuss it. Why allude vaguely to great insights, rather than just telling us exactly what you have in mind?
That trying to make God happy is a futile endeavor.
Did Shakespeare work it out, too? What about Aristotle? Or Neitzsche?
Maybe; it's all in how you say it.
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