I have found though, that most atheists will treat people that disagree with their perspective very harshly since any reasonable argument they would attempt to make would not hold water.

If people disagree with me, it typically doesn’t bother me. It’s when, as you do, they start categorizing everyone who disagrees with them as hypocritical, pretentious, or arrogant that it starts pissing me off.

I don’t mock RELIGIOUS people, Jon. I mock YOU, because YOU are a prick. You come onto Hemant’s blog just to troll and get reactions. Well, Jonny boy, congratulations. You got a reaction. What, did you not get enough hugs as a child? What’s with this pathetic need to be the center of attention?

… 30 years later … haven’t gone back and am soooooooooooo glad.

“I have found though, that most atheists will treat people that disagree with their perspective very harshly since any reasonable argument they would attempt to make would not hold water.

Im really having trouble parsing this sentence Jon. It sounds like your admitting that religious arguments don’t hold water. If youre trying to say atheist arguments don’t hold water, then I’m even more confused. Atheists don’t make arguments for the non-existence of god/gods, we just demand solid evidence for the claims that he/they do exist.

And for the record, I wouldn’t call you a troll. In my opinion, trolls are posters who drop an inflammatory statements, and never respond to counter arguments. I find your arguments sophomoric, not trollish.

To Jon, disagreeing with atheism doesn’t make you a troll. If you wander over to the forums over on the right side of the page, you will find many intelligent, respectful discussions between atheists and theists (and some not so much, but…meh). Posting inflammatory remarks and insults on an open atheist blog with the intent of causing an issue and with no intent of meaningful discussion makes you a troll. And yes, you are a troll.

So, to your post. What is the source of your statement about atheist parents wanting their children “to be able to believe in god”, whatever that means? You must have a source to make such a statement, especially since you point out to Delphine that one’s experiences don’t necessarily reflect a larger reality…

Most parents, even parents that are nonbelievers in Athena, want their children to be able to believe in Athena even if they don’t.

That’s a really hard sell. I mean, some of them might. But it seems like a completely meritless assertion.

Mmmm. I want to hear more about those non-affiliated kids. That’s how I was raised. I guess it *was* odd back then because off hand, I can’t think of anyone else I personally know in my age range (I’m 40) who was raised without religion. Well, other than my sister.

I really think being raised with no religion was the best thing my parents did for me and now I’m doing the same for my kids.

I definitely remember churches specifically marketing to young parents who wanted to bring their children up in church because they believed there was no other way to instill ethics and morality in them. A lot of people still equate that good stuff with belief in god, and vice verse.

But that seems to be changing, which is terrific! I think all of us coming out as atheists, telling our friends we aren’t taking our children to church and then letting them see the results (ethical, well-adjusted human beings, not hedonistic monsters – hopefully!) has helped create a framework for non-religious parenting.

Of course people like Dale McGowan, Atheist Mom and others who’ve stepped out formally deserve a lot of credit. It’s very gratifying to see the numbers turning in our direction.

Gee, psychological projection anyone?

Is Jon trolling?

Does a bear … in the woods?