Hey, any other humanists or atheists around? Always nice to touch base with my fellow heathens.
I try to be a tolerant atheist, and to have meaningful discussions with believers that don't devolve into arguments. It's getting harder to have a meeting of the minds these days. Everyone seems wound so tight because of the extremism surfacing around the world. We do need to find a way to come together, though. All of this self righteous and intolerant rage is getting scary.
@Leslie_Goodreid Interesting since some atheists can also be extremists ;)
@wildnfree Yes, they can.
@Leslie_Goodreid But humanists I like
@wildnfree Humanists are atheists. hehe I think humanism sprang up because atheists wanted to do good in the world, and atheism itself is just a rejection in the belief in god(s).
@Leslie_Goodreid @wildnfree
My cousin is one of the mean atheists who tries to pick fights even if the topic of god or religion isnt mentioned. I'm like, good for you, we know already. LOL
Btw I'm one of the cool believers who doesn't ram shit down your throat. https://counter.social/media/j4IiaqOT195qQOONVXA
@espyonage @wildnfree Not making excuses, but I know the newer an atheist is to breaking from religion, the angrier they tend to be. Especially if they've left a fundamentalist sect. They feel like they've been lied to and manipulated their whole lives. Often they're scapegoated, lose their families, friends and jobs when they come out. Some are traumatized by that. And they need to feel heard. They need to let it out. But sometimes there is collateral damage when they do. :(
@Leslie_Goodreid @wildnfree @espyonage It's not just that. I've been an atheist my entire life. So are both my parents. But when you spend your entire life having people tell you that you have no morals if you don't have religion, when simply not believing on your own time makes people try to convert you, when you're bullied, degraded, picked on and excluded by schoolmates, teachers, and the relatives of your friends, told you're going to hell, blah blah blah..eventually you start pushing back.
@Leslie_Goodreid @espyonage @malice Ironic but here in Quebec, religion was literally thrown out of pretty much everything in the past 50 years about then... The discourse picked back up with guess what.. immigration ! Even if we are made up from immigration. So discourse is often back 50 years ago
@wildnfree @malice @espyonage I always assumed Quebec was mostly Catholic. I didn't realize it was so secular.
And yes, it does seem to be a hot seat now. The new mayor of Montreal seems quite progressive, though.
@Leslie_Goodreid
That's interesting to me. Aside from Salt Lake, I've never considered a city and its religious views.
@Leslie_Goodreid @espyonage @malice Kinda we went to extremes in the last 70 years or so ! Now, seems like modern days brings nationalism and with it, that old trace of catho back with it. And yes, Montreal's new mayor seems be be a promising young lady
@malice @espyonage @wildnfree So sorry that happened to you, Malice. I have heard a lot of similar stories. Heck, I've experienced it myself. I used to try and reason with them--present evidence and appeal to their emotional intelligence--but I now know it's a waste of time. And honestly, I'm not going to give my time to someone who calls me a cunt or a whore. Amazing how many far right Christians do that to strangers on the Internet.