Been back & active for a few days. Ask me anything

[icehorse]

got it, each has its own unique set of dimensions. (i think?)

cool

 

[Secret Chief]

I'm also interested in fashion, though perhaps alternative fashion.

Are you interested in teaming up and creating a clothing line that would be sure to disgust and overwhelm @Secret Chief?

You don't need any help in this. In fact you'd probably feel inhibited. The only possible constraint would be the law on outraging public decency.

 

[Secret Chief]

Sounds good. I wouldn't even be surprised if I disgusted him a lil already.

Nah, you're not even at base camp.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Going on 3.5 years here. I also take frequent hiatuses. Here is how I feel I've changed in those 3.5 years:

+More interested in critical thinking (as of late)
+More focused on fashion as a subject
-Less interested in the idea of being atheist
-Less liberal
-Less focused on making a lot of friends
-Less focused on video games, particularly RPGs

Any questions? None of them have to be specific to the list I just posted.

2 jump to mind...

1) What relationship do you think there is between being 'interested in the idea of becoming an atheist' and becoming an atheist?
2) In what ways are you less liberal, and why?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Nah, you're not even at base camp.

*is suddenly curious*

What about me? I'm Australian, remember....

 

[Secret Chief]

*is suddenly curious*

What about me? I'm Australian, remember....

Australians aren't eligible for consideration; it would be unfair to everyone else.

 

[Ella S.]

And someone will quote me saying "Atheism is lack of a religion, nothing more, nothing less" to which I'd respond "Some ideas tend to be different about it than with theists, that can result in different thought process of the people who are atheist, different reliance and importance on certain constructs (science, data, literalism, fantasy, inspiration, motivation, evidence, etc). I know this from having had some close atheist friends in my life. Sometimes the difference works out well, and we even become good sounding boards. I'm just different, where I exist outside the group but would find it hard to actually fit in it being one."

Do you think there might be a difference in emotional depth and social intelligence in some cases as well? Maybe even a cultural influence on what sorts of communities someone is able to find acceptance in?

I find that there's often some sort of emotional or social nuance to theistic and spiritual perspectives that's probably beyond my limitations to fully comprehend. For instance, you somehow manage to come across as compassionate and respectful in most of your posts, while I suspect that I probably unintentionally come across as condescending and dismissive in most of mine.

There is something about religious interpretation going on. For instance, I often see conversations in Modern Paganism about whether the gods are really external agents (what I would consider "real") or merely metaphors for psychological archetypes or natural forces (what I would consider "fictional"), which I find to be a confusing discussion for self-proclaimed polytheists to have. There's clearly something deeper going on there that I simply lack the capacity to fully appreciate.

Do you maybe know what it is?

 

[Kenny]

Going on 3.5 years here. I also take frequent hiatuses. Here is how I feel I've changed in those 3.5 years:

+More interested in critical thinking (as of late)
+More focused on fashion as a subject
-Less interested in the idea of being atheist
-Less liberal
-Less focused on making a lot of friends
-Less focused on video games, particularly RPGs

Any questions? None of them have to be specific to the list I just posted.

What interests you the most during your free time?
What aspirations do you have that you would like to see accomplished in 20 years?
What is the field that you are involved in the marketplace?

 

[JustGeorge]

You don't need any help in this. In fact you'd probably feel inhibited. The only possible constraint would be the law on outraging public decency.

Don't be ridiculous. We all know the public isn't decent...

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

1) What relationship do you think there is between being 'interested in the idea of becoming an atheist' and becoming an atheist?

It depends. Motivation in a certain direction could, in theory, direct one toward atheism. But so could lack of motivation in other directions (like religion).

If I'm not answering this correctly, you may want to expand on the question more, maybe?

2) In what ways are you less liberal, and why?

I'm just more weary of certain things on the left, because of all that's happened in the last two years. Weary of big spending without good results. Weary of long talks without the actions to back them up.

 

[JustGeorge]

I'm just more weary of certain things on the left, because of all that's happened in the last two years. Weary of big spending without good results. Weary of long talks without the actions to back them up.

Would you ever consider running off with the Libertarians?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Do you think there might be a difference in emotional depth and social intelligence in some cases as well? Maybe even a cultural influence on what sorts of communities someone is able to find acceptance in?

I find that there's often some sort of emotional or social nuance to theistic and spiritual perspectives that's probably beyond my limitations to fully comprehend. For instance, you somehow manage to come across as compassionate and respectful in most of your posts, while I suspect that I probably unintentionally come across as condescending and dismissive in most of mine.

There is something about religious interpretation going on. For instance, I often see conversations in Modern Paganism about whether the gods are really external agents (what I would consider "real") or merely metaphors for psychological archetypes or natural forces (what I would consider "fictional"), which I find to be a confusing discussion for self-proclaimed polytheists to have. There's clearly something deeper going on there that I simply lack the capacity to fully appreciate.

Do you maybe know what it is?

I suspect atheists, as part of some of their living with their perspective, adapt to kind of a style of questioning everything, in an analytical, but not necessarily really unfriendly, sense.

I had this atheist friend, and he did question religion, of course, but also if you told him about a new piece of tech or a new item that was coming out, he wouldn't really take it for face value, he'd have at least 15 additional questions on how it worked that he wanted to know, even if some questions were simple ones.

I feel like most theists would just kind of fill in the blanks. Even if it's not 100% correct.

This atheist friend could have had similar, opposing ideas of me, too, however. They probably saw me as a bit dramatic, overly sensitive, etc, when talking about subjects in general, which they didn't really understand sometimes since it was like their brain was more dedicated to information-processing than mine, but not necessarily emotions-processing.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Modern Paganism about whether the gods are really external agents (what I would consider "real") or merely metaphors for psychological archetypes or natural forces (what I would consider "fictional"), which I find to be a confusing discussion for self-proclaimed polytheists to have. There's clearly something deeper going on there that I simply lack the capacity to fully appreciate.

I'd probably have to see the particular discussion to know.

One idea I have is that it may even be possible to pray to a god that doesn't exist or isn't around, and still get results. In such a case, my suspicion is that another spirit or god fills the function of the other god you prayed to.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

What interests you the most during your free time?

My answer might be weird but.... just dreaming and planning my future. Resting. Shopping.

What aspirations do you have that you would like to see accomplished in 20 years?

Figuring out more about life. (I keep my plans simple, sometimes).

What is the field that you are involved in the marketplace?

Graphics Processing Unit Software Engineering

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Would you ever consider running off with the Libertarians?

I haven't really decided.

 

[Secret Chief]

Don't be ridiculous. We all know the public isn't decent...

True.