Are you religious yes? No?

[Tez3]

It's rare enough to require aggressive Googling. What should that tell you?

Not it's not that rare actually, it's been on the news quite a bit here. The BBC has been following the stories of the Buddhist violence in Myanmar for a while. There is also anti Muslim demos in Sri Lanka but Myanmar is a bad situation. these are all reported on our main news.
BBC News - Why is there communal violence in Myanmar
Fear shock among Sri Lankan Muslims in aftermath of Buddhist mob violence - CNN.com

 

[jezr74]

Of course but is there any reason why some atheists are being particularly nasty now?

All I see is hate these days on Facebook, anti everything.

 

[Tez3]

All I see is hate these days on Facebook, anti everything.

I think it depends on who you have on as 'friends' I only have people known to me, which isn't many so I tend to not get a lot of the general hate stuff, those who post stuff from organisations like Britain First and the BNP ( both extremist right wing) get chucked off my friends list, it tends to be a lot of like minded people. Any hate stuff is usually someone who is posting against it and/or asking for help to fight it.

 

[Xue Sheng]

It's rare enough to require aggressive Googling. What should that tell you?

Yup, I know, it was pretty much a rhetorical question

 

[Tez3]

Buddhist violence against Christians too. I think the extremists everywhere are rising.
Sri Lanka 5 000 Christians pray after attacks by Buddhist extremists

 

[Tez3]

Thailand. Asian Buddhism s Growing Fundamentalist Streak Signals Growth Of Religious Nationalism In Several Countries

When Buddhist Monks Wield Kalashnikovs Foreign Policy

 

[RTKDCMB]

Not it's not that rare actually, it's been on the news quite a bit here. The BBC has been following the stories of the Buddhist violence in Myanmar for a while. There is also anti Muslim demos in Sri Lanka but Myanmar is a bad situation. these are all reported on our main news.
BBC News - Why is there communal violence in Myanmar
Fear shock among Sri Lankan Muslims in aftermath of Buddhist mob violence - CNN.com

How aggressive was the Googling to find that?

 

[Tez3]

How aggressive was the Googling to find that?

Didn't Google it, as I said before the BBC has been following the stories for a while plus there's been documentaries on both Myanmar and Thailand on other channels. The BBC covers a lot of foreign stories and will carry them on the main news.
BBC News - Why are Buddhist monks attacking Muslims

 

[Tez3]

The BBC's foreign news. BBC News - World
Our other news 'suppliers' ITN and Sky also provide a huge amount of foreign news.

 

[donald1]

I've noticed on Facebook more and more 'atheist' attacks on people's religions, all religions not just one. It does seem like there is such a lot of hatred for anyone who has a faith, which to be honest does surprise me. I have my faith, what other peoples faiths are worries me not a bit unless they directly threaten me but the language used by some of these so called atheists is nasty, bigoted and in some cases quite threatening, they have taken having no religion as their religion. It worries me, because we need to get on with each other not make more divisions.

personally i enjoy it when people come up and say mean things...i got a pair of steel toed boots... now they have a new purpose ... but joking aside though
for me i just dont understand why they care? i mean... people choose their faith, what they believe in, or choose not to believe in. none of my concerns or anyone else but their own. yet some people still say or post their disbeliefs or anger towards others based upon their choices. but the fact remains people still insult others and its going to keep on happening. maybe because they strongly dislikes other beliefs or simply because they can...

 

[Tez3]

or simply because they can...

Sadly I think there's a lot of that. A friend of mine fought on the UFC here in the UK a while back, Joe Rogan said something about her and she replied back to him in a Tweet, what followed was horrifying. She received so much abuse and nasty comments including threats on Twitter, RB and other sites as well as on her blog that it actually made her feel under siege and actually quite ill, she cut off as much of the social networks as she could ( she also advertises her business as a medical professional) so many of the comments were extremely personal and very hateful. We were horrified that people would say things like that to what to theme was a complete stranger, for sure I doubt they'd say it to her face. We can only think they said it because they could but really I wish they'd all rot in hell for what they did.

 

[Steve]

makes me wonder...do Buddhists or Taoist ever get nasty....hmmmm

Well they just, else they'd never have children.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Transk53]

Well I do hope I have not come across as insulting. Each to their own whether I agree with it or not. Well, actually being very honest here, I am unlikely to agree with any of you. But as I sincerely say, each to their own

 

[jezr74]

I think it depends on who you have on as 'friends' I only have people known to me, which isn't many so I tend to not get a lot of the general hate stuff, those who post stuff from organisations like Britain First and the BNP ( both extremist right wing) get chucked off my friends list, it tends to be a lot of like minded people. Any hate stuff is usually someone who is posting against it and/or asking for help to fight it.

I don't mind from the sense that what I find offensive other might not and vice-versa, in some cases it good to have differing points of view. I like challenging people's posts on some subjects though. Nine times out of ten they are ignorant of what they are posting and it gets awkward for them when they find their own friends and family questioning their comments.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I hesitate to use the term atheist, because atheist suggests aggression and militance, and I never talk about it,

No, atheist really doesn't suggest any such thing. The overwhelming majority of atheists don't talk about it much, don't proselytize, don't go on television and rant against those who disagree with them, or commit violence against believers. Compared to 95% of the religious denominations out there, atheists have a much, much lower incidence of aggression or militancy in the name of their beliefs/unbeliefs.

Of course but is there any reason why some atheists are being particularly nasty now?

Well, it's a small enough number of individuals that you could probably just ask them directly.

Seriously, in a world where hundreds of millions of religious folks believe that they are called by their faith to proselytize to those who believe differently, where preachers and politicians alike publically condemn those who believe differently, where a substantial percentage of religious people feel free to tell atheists they are going to hell, where religious extremists commit violence on a regular basis - if you get your feelings too bent out of shape because Richard Dawkins said something mean about believers, then you are straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

 

[Tez3]

I wonder if I have the only religion where if someone wants to join we go, really, you don't, no, really you don't want to!
There are a good many atheists here, at least we don't have the same sort of campaigning that other countries have, the Church of England is frightfully polite and wouldn't push it in your face because it would be rude to. The Church of Scotland is still very John Knox but they don't bother non believers. The Welsh are Chapel, nice people and we just don't talk about Northern Ireland. We have been invaded by some happy, clappy types who seem very earnest in wanting people to join but the British character doesn't really gel with that sort of enthusiasm. In many places one still doesn't talk about money, politics and religion so atheists actually attacking those with religion is seen as impolite.

 

[Steve]

In the UK, is someone with religion attacking atheists considered impolite, as well? Doesn't seem to be the case.

I think that in every public high school in America, we should be offering an introduction to logic as part of the math program, as well as a philosophy of world religions course that focuses on the big five (Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Muslim and Buddhism). Kids should be exposed to the myths and beliefs of the five major religions, along with the fundamental, theological arguments for and against the existance of God and the problem of evil. They should learn about Prince Siddharta and the idea of reincarnation and enlightenment, and the various aspects of the gods Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva.

You don't have to be an expert, but it sure helps to have a general understanding of where people are coming from, and if you have a basic understanding of these five religions, you're hitting most of the world's population.

Once you have that, then tackle Odin, Thor, Loki and Freya.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

In the UK, is someone with religion attacking atheists considered impolite, as well? Doesn't seem to be the case.

I'd be curious as to the answer to this one. In the US, religious believers attacking atheists is commonplace. I'm given to understand that in the UK the average citizen is more reserved about their religious beliefs, so things might be different.

You don't have to be an expert, but it sure helps to have a general understanding of where people are coming from, and if you have a basic understanding of these five religions, you're hitting most of the world's population.

Once you have that, then tackle Odin, Thor, Loki and Freya

Hey, are you leaving the Flying Spaghetti Monster out of the conversation? He will smite you with his noodly appendage!

 

[Tez3]

I'd be curious as to the answer to this one. In the US, religious believers attacking atheists is commonplace. I'm given to understand that in the UK the average citizen is more reserved about their religious beliefs, so things might be different.



Hey, are you leaving the Flying Spaghetti Monster out of the conversation? He will smite you with his noodly appendage!

I don't think 'public' religion is very common (yet) in the UK, probably because of the religious persecutions that have gone on here people do still tend to be reticent to say whether they believe in religion or not. It certainly isn't a big thing when it comes to politics, we don't have politicians telling us what their beliefs are and I think if anyone started bringing religion into politics they would lose popularity pretty quickly. This is an interesting debate. Debate Should David Cameron do God - IV Drip - Voices - The Independent

Spaghetti monster? Sure,why not? in the UK we have the Jedi as an official religion.

 

[Tez3]