What's their motivation?

[B.P.]

I’ve only been a member of this community for a short time and have noticed some unusual posting patterns. Specifically, people like muscleman, whodini, and franco seem to be on a mission to convert atheists/agnostics to christianity.

This is the JREF forum isn't it?

I suspect that most of us came here to enjoy reason and clear-thinking. I suspect that most of us also enjoy the debunking of the supernatural and pseudoscientific. What could have attracted the missionaries to this site? Clearly, their reasons were different than ours.

B.P. posted:

----
Specifically, people like muscleman, whodini, and franco seem to be on a mission to convert atheists/agnostics to christianity.
----


Pardon me?!!

Yes, you have been here an extremely short time. Try reading my first thousand posts or so.


----
What could have attracted the missionaries to this site?
----


You seriously think I am attempting to convert people to Christianity? There isn't enough smileys for me to use that would convey my amusement.

I think you missed my point at least by a long shot.

[c4ts]

Originally posted by B.P.
I’ve only been a member of this community for a short time and have noticed some unusual posting patterns. Specifically, people like muscleman, whodini, and franco seem to be on a mission to convert atheists/agnostics to christianity.

This is the JREF forum isn't it?

I suspect that most of us came here to enjoy reason and clear-thinking. I suspect that most of us also enjoy the debunking of the supernatural and pseudoscientific. What could have attracted the missionaries to this site? Clearly, their reasons were different than ours.

Maybe their gods told them to.

[Vorticity]

Originally posted by B.P.
...This is the JREF forum isn't it?...
Precisely. We encourage people on all sides of the fence to post their thoughts here. The more the merrier. If someone wants to try and convert me to Christianity through words, fine. No fat off my back. Strength through diversity.
As for their motivation: many Christians believe that non-Christians will burn forever in agonizing pain in hell. This is not a pleasant fate, as I understand it. Some Christians genuinely believe they are doing me a service then, by trying convert me. They are trying to, quite literally, "save" me. Well, fine.
Of course there's also the other side of the coin. Some of the Christians on this board seem to feel that "atheist arguments" are utterly without merit, and they derive a certain egotistical pleasure from "demolishing" these arguments (as they see) it. Also fine.

[Pouli]

Originally posted by Vorticity

Precisely. We encourage people on all sides of the fence to post their thoughts here. The more the merrier. If someone wants to try and convert me to Christianity through words, fine. No fat off my back. Strength through diversity.
As for their motivation: many Christians believe that non-Christians will burn forever in agonizing pain in hell. This is not a pleasant fate, as I understand it. Some Christians genuinely believe they are doing me a service then, by trying convert me. They are trying to, quite literally, "save" me. Well, fine.
Of course there's also the other side of the coin. Some of the Christians on this board seem to feel that "atheist arguments" are utterly without merit, and they derive a certain egotistical pleasure from "demolishing" these arguments (as they see) it. Also fine.

Well said

[Dub]

Debates without people from both sides are pretty boring. Would be just people saying, yes I agree. :D

Originally posted by c4ts


Maybe their gods told them to.


Can you list my god(s) for me c4ts?

If not, you are knowingly constructing a strawman.

[SortingItAllOut]

Originally posted by B.P.
I’ve only been a member of this community for a short time and have noticed some unusual posting patterns. Specifically, people like muscleman, whodini, and franco seem to be on a mission to convert atheists/agnostics to christianity.

This is the JREF forum isn't it?

I suspect that most of us came here to enjoy reason and clear-thinking. I suspect that most of us also enjoy the debunking of the supernatural and pseudoscientific. What could have attracted the missionaries to this site? Clearly, their reasons were different than ours.

My only motivation for being here is that, like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club, I have nothing better to do. ;)

Actually, I quite enjoy the points of view. I seldom agree with anyone completely, but learn something from every post - well, not *every* post, but many of them.

Christians might be here to:
A. Evangelize
B. Question/Explore their faith/beliefs in an anonymous setting
C. Argue their positions
D. Discuss issues with others who are interested
E. Namecall

Non-Christians might be here to do the same, interestingly enough.

Just my thoughts.

Cheers,
Sort:)

[evildave]

There are the sorts who are looking for an intellectual inferior to gnaw on. Sort of the living, breathing strawman they can pretend they're making points against the whole "other side" with.

[c4ts]

Originally posted by SortingItAllOut


My only motivation for being here is that, like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club, I have nothing better to do. ;)

Actually, I quite enjoy the points of view. I seldom agree with anyone completely, but learn something from every post - well, not *every* post, but many of them.

Christians might be here to:
A. Evangelize
B. Question/Explore their faith/beliefs in an anonymous setting
C. Argue their positions
D. Discuss issues with others who are interested
E. Namecall

Non-Christians might be here to do the same, interestingly enough.

If you split it up into catergories of "theist an non-theist" instead of "Christian and non-Christian," would you get the same results?

[SortingItAllOut]

Originally posted by c4ts


If you split it up into catergories of "theist an non-theist" instead of "Christian and non-Christian," would you get the same results?



I don't know. Probably so. I suppose you could put any two groups that hold opposing views (assuming that we'd have just two groups - a simplistic situation), set them loose in a forum and the results would likely be the same.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Sort:)

[c4ts]

Originally posted by SortingItAllOut


I don't know. Probably so. I suppose you could put any two groups that hold opposing views (assuming that we'd have just two groups - a simplistic situation), set them loose in a forum and the results would likely be the same.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Sort:)

I think so, but I also think that if you split a forum into groups, where one group does one thing and the other group doesn't, if you choose to split them up by something other than religion or ideology, you might find that they are ideologically similar.

Still waiting for c4ts to list the god(s) I supposedly believe in.

Will you completely chicken out like thaiboxerken did when I asked him the same thing after he accused me of the same thing?

Probably.