Atheists: know thy enemy

"...as Bruce E. Hunsberger and Bob Altemeyer reported in their 1997 book Amazing Conversions, research suggests that conversions from religion to atheism are disproportionately likely to be largely cognitive in nature, while conversions from atheism to religion tend to be more emotional."

The reason for this makes perfect sense in light of the spiritual development process as delineated by James Fowler and others. Deliberately leaving religion is likely the result of (cognitive) critical reflection, a necessary step in moving beyond the less mature belief stages. This represents a move from the second stage to the third (of four,) called the Faithful stage and the Rational stage respectively on my site: www.exploring-spiritual-development.com.

On the other hand, embracing a religion based on emotion is probably a step from the first belief stage ( called the Lawless on my site) to the second (Faithful) stage. This move would be typical of people who might have called themselves atheists but who had had never authentically embraced a religion in the first place.

So to greatly simplify, let us say there are two kinds of atheist - 1) the Lawless: those who have never embraced a religion, and when they do it is for emotional reasons: that they have finally seen the need for the rules and structure (salvation) religion provides. And 2) the Rationals: those who did once embrace a religion but now have reasoned themselves out of it because they no longer need the rules and structure religion provides.

Oooopssa.

When i[WE] say//mention something like "IT" ('Lord', if Ye no mind) of "THE-ROCK" that WE[i] Don't {NOt} mean "iSRAEL" (The-rock)!!

Because only [Jealous] and Pre-Apocalyptic "HUMAN"(s), aka Apocalyptic-OFF's, can call a piece or SECTtion of Land their 'rock' (ISRAEL here, or MECCA there...) and have nerve to call this un-Holyi place or JU-SECTtion of their demarcation as if be genuinely "HOLY"??. But

But, WE[i] APOCALYPTARi-ON's, (Not OFF's), aka EKLAHt-iON's, Call our miraculous NEBULA-BUiLT Holyi S.pace-S.hip Earth in Motion: S.S. GEOiD, S.S. GAiA, S.S. TELLUSng something etc.. as "OUR" REAL and only bless'th (Zero Sin/Curs'th) Holyi "R-O-C-K" for now, aka "BLUE-DOT"!!! Not SECTtion or via CUTtures, but The WHOLE Planet and "OUR" Solar System, NOt Theirs!

Wow! Such Inferior Nations! aka Humans! Shhaame on HUMAN race: Exalt and Bless Us HUUMATE-Race! WE[i] Eklahtion's art come, ALL AT ONCE, Justly fo a time (clock, sundial wise) HERE via Holyi TiME (TEMPerature) to save some, but Not all on S.S. Blue-Dot!

YES! "IT" too comes and goes in "Mysterious Way"s and fo Holyi Purpose! Believe, or PERiSH before Ye Yo SECTtions and CULTtures via MEMETiC's be destroyed way before their time! Hint: Even "OUR" Sun//Solar will DIE! Soo, this Proves that NO Israel nor Mecca, nor Vatican, Nor Tibet nor Dew Delhi et al, so-called, Human labeled Holy place will PERiSH w/out a Trace nor of MIND aka HEURiSTICa/o (Soul).!

correction. "... But it's NOt like Spotting an Enemy.."

W M A R K W

iNteresting. Talk'n bout "earlobes";

If Ye want a good (80%) indicator, by simply looking at a persons earlobe, that as an casual 'observer', WE[i] Huumate's can look at ANy Human's Ears and predict, if they will live longer-than the average Human.

Hint: The Thicker + the Longer the Lobe one is Born'th with, the, likeliest probability that that Guy or Gal will live to almost 90+. Yep! Note: But It's like spotting an 'Enemy' Yo.
____

Another Topic of Identifying certain BRANDED-HUMAN's. But this one is more out of sight (hence out of Mind), harder to spot. {Pleazza, No Cyborg's either!).

Example: According To The G-D PLAYER's who Worship JEALOUSY *includes Ishlami & Seauites et al); of the Judeo-ABE-JU Nation or PELEGiAN-Wannabe's, and in their Tribal gangs; that each and every-one of their so-called "G-D(s) Chosen People" Members must Be "BRANDED" [aka Circumcised} in order to be Accepted in the Chomesh//Amen-ra/re-Club. ELSE ye/yo con't be a member of their G_D(s)and or respected by their Jealous G_D players. Aye?. Soo

Did Ye Leave your Card at home? Do Ye/Yo know what's in Your Wodd-let? Pleaszza, Don't Leave Home With-out IT!

iMagine Every "Branded" Abe-Ju had to flash their Wodd-lettes at the Door during Ingress & or Egress, as the "MARK" of the Beast? YaYa! HAHAHAAAA! Oye Oye.

PS: Talking bout NDE (Mear Death Experience) As an infant, in Beechon Israel, i Bled-to-Death, because a "MOYLE" (Not a Tattoo-Artist, but a Rabbi; Circumciser)whom cut me vain. Soo, Me Popp's {pbuh}, a Hagganaian, came from Active-Duty (mission) and beat the peeeepeeeeo out of Him! And one ob David Ben Gurion's Relatives {can't mention] was the last-minute Blood-Done'r. Thank "IT" (LORD of 'The-ROCK': not Flies)!

Posted by: woodstock-41

ANY-1 (Human) who has a 'Tatoo(s)" on their Immaculate Body, Except Fo the WWII 'Concentration-Victims" is "Dirty" includes any Peirce'ngs [Ears, Noses, Tongues, Bods etc..] Dirty, Dirty, Dirty. (Go het Surgically Removed, Better)!
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Wheeze, *Cough* Gasp!

I actually understand and agree with something Woodstock-41 posted (except earlobes, they're not good for much).

Note: M'Tattooing' ones Flesh, except in WAR, is also An "Abomination" {Less Same-Sex's Delusion'd (Army's) & the "Eucharist" addicts (Army's).

ANY-1 (Human) who has a 'Tatoo(s)" on their Immaculate Body, Except Fo the WWII 'Concentration-Victims" is "Dirty" includes any Peirce'ngs [Ears, Noses, Tongues, Bods etc..] Dirty, Dirty, Dirty. (Go het Surgically Removed, Better)!

O' Wiccans/Witches/Pagans.. et al!

O' crazed Skin Heads & CO too! O' Tattoo-Army's [Labeled as "SuperStupidStituios' Folks]!

Edbyronadams, I can say the same thing about my ultimately discovering that Wicca was the path I was meant to follow as well! I was sent to Episcopal Sunday school until age 14, but I can't remember a Sunday where I didn't get in trouble for questioning the teacher's lessons, something in the Bible I disagreed with, or something about Christianity in general that didn't "jibe" when compared to other religions (especially when I started learning about other religions!).

However, I still have to deal with proselytizing Christians who for some bizarre reason insist on getting in my face and demanding that I justify why I follow the religion I do! Some days I have fun with them explaining it, some days it just annoys the snot out of me. Their ignorance on the subject of their own faith soon becomes apparent!

Mr. Flynn, like Wmarkw said, you basically knocked this one out of the park! I shall end with the accurate quote "Knowledge is power!" because in this case it seems to be true!

My own loss of Christian faith was, as Flynn stated, cognitive but my conversion to Buddhism was as well.

We naked apes are doomed to follow our tribal heritage and kill large numbers of the other without a transcendent reason not to.

Forgive Me, But i[WE] hath 13 Fingers, that/this is why it's confusing. [No Bull!].

Ooooppps

"... THAT; Will UNITE ALL RELIGiON S-Y-T-E-M(S). A Prophecy Whose time via Holyi TiME is Near!

iNteresting!

i[WE] know that it will be the "ATHEiST(s)" [A Religion in IT's own Right, NOt Wrong] and it will be the "AGNOSTiC(s)" [A Religion in "IT"s own Rights as well; Here in/on Sweet Sweet AMERiK on Miracle-Made, S.pace-S.hip Earth & Simiklarly Situated].

Oye! Oye!

PS: H A P P Y -- E V E R Y -- D A Y! (like a Birth-Day, aye!).

Tom Flynn;
Why complicate it? Generally, most atheists are familiar with religion because it's where they came from - what they are reacting to. Some were more indoctrinated than others, and can be quite conversant with the bible and the finer points of religion, while others - like me - are happily ignorant of basic Christianity, and are sure they're not missing anything, because it was all made up anyway - by people who knew much less than we know today about the real world.

These days Christianity is just one myth among many, and I positively reject it.

It's makes more sense to assume that there is no god. To an atheist it's a ridiculous proposition based on nothing more than wishful thinking. Even Stephen Hawking in his new book The Grand Design says that no god was necessary in figuring out how the universe was created.

I trust Hawking more than I would a preacher every time.

Atheists lack the belief in gods and yet we seem to know a great deal about what various religions of the world believe on the subject and to what extent religious beliefs are protected and prohibited in public life. Everyone loves a good survey.

One of the things which, differentiates religion from the Community of Reason is the treatment of knowledge. Religion generally tends to restrict knowledge to just teaching about their particular faith and sometimes even restricting some knowledge about the faith to the faithful flock.

You can read the rest of my response to this topic:
http://exm.nr/cERzGR

I will be responding to every issue posted in the 'On Faith' section. If you would like to be notified when my new response is up, please subscribe.

The survey appears to be more about consumerism than the depth of knowledge of one's own beliefs. While knowledge of other beliefs is useful in finding common ground when witnessing to another, it is not necessary for worship. Those with detailed knowledge of all beliefs have been searching while finding all to be lacking in providing the answers to their questions. Many have found their questions to be answered. For one to continue to search afterwards would indicate some insecurity in the decision. So perhaps a lack of commitment may also play a part in the search for knowledge.

I suspect this week's discussion isn't going to go very far, because Flynn's pretty much knocked the ball out of the park here.

I also suspect that if you surveyed such things by religion, you'd find secularists also know the most about biology, math, history, music, sociology, computers, economics, politics, astronomy, ...