Brainwashed ...

[StuartJ]

Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques.

Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject’s ability to think critically or independently,[1] to allow the introduction of new, unwanted thoughts and ideas into the subject’s mind,[2] as well as to change his or her attitudes, values, and beliefs.[3][4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing

Is this an accurate description of religion ...?

[StuartJ]

[Replying to post 109 by FWI]

Yes, it is true that atheists "claim" not to believe in gods, but most of these claims are just a facade…This is evident by the "almost" obsessive need to find the one, who could lead them out of their troublesome situation. I realize that this opinion will be rejected, but it is real.

Indeed you are right ...!!!

Your opinion IS rejected.

We evidence-based Atheist type people generally need stuff like evidence of, you know ... any sort at all really ...

Before we conditionally assent to propositions ...

Such as a real Jesus being a god-sired, human-sacrifice saviour of all mankind, for example.

And "opinions" - even from our own Great Leaders like Dawkins (blessed be his hallowed name) - just don't get the neurons in our unbrainwashed, rational minds sparking merrily along.

We'd give him the middle finger just as easily as we would Jesus.

AND I didn't give his foundation any money when they asked me to

https://www.richarddawkins.net/

I mean, it's not like they were going to hand me a robe and crown at the end of it or anything ...

But maybe if there had been a sinister, not-so-subtle threat ....

And let's face it ...

Dull old Professor D with all his boring facts and figures and peer-reviewed scientific studies, and on and on with "evidence", is not a charismatic patch on a gifted Christian speaker rattling off well-rehearsed cliches at a hundred miles an hour that tell you what you want to hear with emotive music in the background and a collection plate at the ready.

**********************

By "the one", I don't think you mean the Great Dawkins or our Dear Departed Hitch.

Do you, however, think we are in search of our very own god we can declare to be THE capital-G God of all there is and ever has been ...?

Perhaps ...???

Because ...

And, look, this isn't just an opinion or anything ...

It's God's own TRUTH in my case ...

Some of we capital-A Atheists enjoy our missionary work with such zealous fervour ...

It can - I freely admit - appear to be obsession.

But it's just so much goddam FUN being an Atheist ...!!!

(And it's cheaper too ....)

[Tcg]

And let's face it ...

Dull old Professor D with all his boring facts and figures and peer-reviewed scientific studies, and on and on with "evidence", is not a charismatic patch on a gifted Christian speaker rattling off well-rehearsed cliches at a hundred miles an hour that tell you what you want to hear with emotive music in the background and a collection plate at the ready.

It's interesting that the atheists don't have any children apologists running around preaching to the faithful the way believers do. No mini-Dawkins clones pounding on text books placed on a pulpit backed by a choir of angel voiced singers with tears in their eyes.

It's enough to cause one to suspect atheists don't rely on brainwashing at all.

Either that or we are simply really bad at it and it takes years of advanced education like Dr. D has to accomplish fully. Maybe at some point we'll get it down and we'll see a crop of 3 and 4 year-old skeptics flooding the entertainment circuit raking in the cash.

It's gonna be a tough sell though. "Send us your cash and just as we've promised, once you die... well that's it, you're dead." We'll have to work on that punch line.

[rikuoamero]

[Replying to post 109 by FWI]

Yes, it is true that atheists "claim" not to believe in gods, but most of these claims are just a facade…This is evident by the "almost" obsessive need to find the one, who could lead them out of their troublesome situation.

If you're alluding to people like myself who are on on websites like DC'n'R almost every day, don't worry. I am still an atheist and I fully recognise that it is my obsessive compulsive desire to make sure of myself that is why I'm still here. That and it's fun.

Please, do not attempt to tell an atheist (or indeed any other person) why they are the way they are when you do not actually know them.

The barrage of questions and hypothetical situations, which most introduce is quite telling. Even, you support this premise, by introducing the possibility of an individual, being an atheist on Monday and on Tuesday being a theist.

I did not mean to make this hypothetical atheist seem like a flip-flopper. People clearly do change their minds, and what they thought true on Monday, they think not to be the case on Tuesday. Has that ever happened to you? Something you thought to be true, but then the next day or a few days later, you learned something new, or realized something, and then changed your mind?

Yet, to be a true atheist it would be impossible for them, to even consider to believe in God.

False. One can consider it. I consider believe in God, as I once had it.

The bible gives the example of the fallen angels as proof of this.

How does a mention of what are clearly fictional creatures in a book thousands of years old act as 'proof' of anything? You might as well have said your proof are the Orcs from Tolkien, who are twisted elves tortured into perpetual evil by Morgoth.

They cannot convert back to God's ways, there fate is locked in.

If that is what the story says, that is what the story says. J K Rowling says Voldemort's fate is locked in, a piece of his soul is always going to be stuck in the ethereal King's Cross station.
So what?

This is because of a "nonnegotiable" stance and their deep animosity towards God and His powers.

How is it I am nonnegotiable? I was once Christian, and now I am not. Clearly I 'negotiated' something!
I'm not the only Christian-turned-atheist. Hmm...it's almost like you're pulling this out of nothing.

However, even the true believers in God have a "nonnegotiable" stance concerning His existence.

Ah...so being nonnegotiable is bad only when atheists do it. It's not bad when a 'true believer in God' does it.

[StuartJ]

Lots of lovely responses on this topic ...

Thank you.

Now was a good time to give the BELIEF topic a bit of a nudge towards the top ...

And see if we can join a few dots here ....