Atheists-Has the interenet fuelled your beliefs?

[flobadob]

I very rarely discuss religion with my family and try not to bring it up as it can take over a conversation very rapidly. However I find a lot of like minded people on the internet, in fact sometimes it seems that the majority of people on this site are atheists, but I think that this is more to do with people who respond to certain threads rather than it being the case.

Anyway, my question is do you think that the internet has played a big part in your atheist beliefs? Did you perhaps have a notion which was fuelled by all the ready information that is available to you now, moreso than when you were younger? Perhaps even it completely swayed your opinion from a religious viewpoint.

[Greedyfly]

The internet has not one bit influenced my beliefs (or lack of them). I went to a catholic school when I was very young and have never ever believed in a religion.

I only know of one person personally who has a belief and that is my mother. All colleagues, partner, friends do not believe.

[Greedyfly]

I would like to point out that it has never occured to me until you mentioned in this post to use the internet to find out more about religion etc... I still won't look into it but I do believe everyone is entitled to believe what they want. Religion in my opinion is more trouble than its worth.

When I die it is not important to me what happens, I will be buried and that is it.

[askyourgran]

I am not swayed by opinion I have my belief in a God. maybe not exactly the same one that I was told about when I attended church in my younger days, but I cannot believe that this world of ours and the intelligence in it, was an accident. The colours and patterns of nature, birds, animals and flowers to me are not mere accident.

[naomi24]

It hasn't fuelled my beliefs at all, but it's helped in my research which began long before the advent of the internet Actually, if you don't mind Flobadob, this is a perfect opportunity for me to thank some of the people here - namely Mibs, Waldo, Chakka, Jake, et al - who have, over the years, helped me to improve my knowledge of science, and in particular, of evolution enormously. Thanks guys. Your brains, as always, are appreciated. :o)

//it seems that the majority of people on this site are atheists, but I think that this is more to do with people who respond to certain threads rather than it being the case. //

I think you're right.

[LazyGun]

No, the internet has not played a big part in my beliefs, except in the sense of allowing me to reconfirm or argue my beliefs in forums such as this.

I only tend to contribute to threads about rationalism, humanism, medicine, science or politics, and only when i think that the above are being either abused or misrepresented, or when I have an original point or different slant to add to the discussion.

I do think in recent years that the internet has shown the potential it has both as a fantastic educational, research and entertainment resource ( I wish I had the internet when i was at school and university), but its huge downside is flick of the switch dissemination of a tidal wave of intolerance, religiousity, fanaticism, downright error, lazy misrepresentation, pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo, slander and out and out lies. These tendencies need to be challenged at every opportunity, and we have several contributors here who perform admirably in that regard.

[bibblebub]

my atheism is not a belief, it is knowledge

[mibn2cweus]

For me the internet is a dream come true, in more ways than one. Not only is it an invaluable resource for gaining knowledge, assuming you have established methods for distinguishing the lies from the truth and a conceptual grasp of how to engage in a productive search, but as one who spent countless unproductive hours wearing out the remote control switching channels in the search for those all too few and far between programmes that actually provided something approaching an educational quality, I'm am thrilled to now have a TV that I can not only talk to but one that listens to my protestations and responds to them as well . . . well, at least some of the time it does. Perhaps I should add that it was Naomi who pointed out to me that I was actually conversing with real live human beings complete with feelings and a desire for understanding themselves and not just an insensitive machine that could care less about how I presented my protestations. ;o)

While the internet provides access to a vast and growing resource for obtaining knowledge it panders to a darker, more sinister purpose as well; that of unscrupulously obtaining and disseminating assertions supporting assumptions from the seemingly innocuous to the patently absurd, at least, obvious to those honest enough with themselves to take notice. But it is those who, like me, have a genuine desire to acquire knowledge and to put their beliefs to the test, who are willing and desire to open their minds to the scrutiny of others and consider the validity of alternative and previously unconsidered points of view, that are of greatest interest to me. AnswerBank has proved for me to be a virtual gold mine of intelligent knowledgeable insightful and astute contributors with which to engage in discussions of this nature . . . not that there is any lack of the aforementioned here as well.

[mibn2cweus]

As has been pointed out here many times before, atheism is not a belief system, and of itself lends little to ones prospects for winning friends and influencing people. In fact I hesitate to label myself as an atheist because even amongst atheists, there is much disagreement regarding exactly what it means to be an atheist. There is however one crucially important issue that I ally myself with and that is that belief in god by virtually any definition offered is not merely irrational but has led to devastating consequences throughout history, not only in conforming to accompanying doctrines but in its implications as well. If consciousness is not an aspect derived from and contingent on life than that brings into question the value and meaning of life itself in the most dramatically conceivable way. The advances in science and technology we benefit from today no longer afford us the luxury of relying on a divine overseer of reality to care for and protect us for the simple price of believing that such an entity exists and abandoning all hope in our own ability to provide for our own survival and well being in the bargain. Such beliefs are inexcusably irresponsible and completely insane given what we have learned and are required to know now for the sake of the survival of the one species to our knowledge existing in the universe with the potential to know what is at stake.

What have I learned from the multitudes of idiots and misinformation available on the internet? Be afraid . . . be very afraid! ;o)

[Ankou]

i think that if the internet persuaded your beliefs one way or the other.... then you must be very weak minded.

regards
ankou
the wikipedian church of religious truth

[RATTER15]

I had a religious up bringing, my family have been very involved in the Salvation Army for decades, my grandfather was a good friend of William Booth (Founder of the Salvation Army) and played in the band at his funeral, I have many family members that are currently Salvation Army officers. It was actually School lessons and bible study that made me think very differently about the bible, i was then age 11. The following years convinced me of the absurdity or religion.

The Internet hasn't swayed my beliefs but has made me realise that religion is more absurd than I previously believed and shown me the the damage, the death and destruction of the people on this planet and just how controlling this absurd belief is!!

I really struggle to understand why these often intelligent people believe in such absurdities!!!

It really is Easter Bunny Stuff!!!

[jake-the-peg]

No but I have learnt some interesting arguments that I didn't know before.

Ratter's disbelief in "intelligent" people's ability to believe such absudities is interesting.

There are in the reals of Science some pretty incredible things

The ability of particles to "tunnel" through barriers is vital to the workings of certain electronics yet is like walking through walls

Quantum entanglement is even wierder

The fact that something is unbelievable is no reason not to believe it !

Difference of course is one of evidence

[naomi24]

Both Mibs and Ratter have made valid observations in that the internet, as well as affording instant access to positive knowledge, it also clearly demonstrates to anyone with the wherewithal to recognise it, the glaring flaws, inaccuracies, and outright lies promoted by various philosophies.

Jake, //The fact that something is unbelievable is no reason not to believe it !//

I have to disagree with you. There are some things that people believe that simply aren't true and are demonstrably false, and yet people still offer the misinformation the internet carries in an effort to prove them legitimate. Evidence isn't on their agenda. The internet says it's true - therefore it must be.

[Ankou]

"The internet says it's true - therefore it must be. "

the same could be said for any false claims and religious counter-arguments. so what have we learnt here ? that the internet carries truths and lies. which of those you believe in the first place, won't change your belief much after finding them on the world wide web of lies....

[jake-the-peg]

I fear I haven't explained myself well enough.

There are many things for which there is abundant evidence but are simply "unbelievable" this is especially true in Quantum Mechanics.

What I mean is that the mere fact that something is unbelievable is not in itself enough reason to dismiss it - you have to examine the evidence.

Of course incredible claims do require a very high standard of proof

[naomi24]

Jake, sorry, of course I understood what you were getting at - but was demonstrating that your statement is exactly what the religious claim. //The fact that something is unbelievable is no reason not to believe it !//

[chakka35]

Dawkins calls it the Argument from Personal Incredulity, though, of course, it isn't an argument at all.
I love countering it. When someone says "I can't possibly believe that....", I reply sympathetically "Oh dear, can't you? I can."

askyourgran, you are quite right to say that the "colours and patterns of nature are not mere accident". They are the result of evolution.

Thank you, naomi, for your kind tribute.

[naomi24]

Not at all Chakka. Credit where credit is due. :o)

[Rev Sermon]

The internet has affected my view on many things in life to some extent. In much the same way that books, television, newspapers and talking to people in the pub have.

If you are a rational person then any new viewpoint or additional snippet of information is considered and will generally colour you view of the world in some way.

As far as religion is concerned my actual views haven't changed but my standpoint sometimes does. I find few religionists are able to offer rational arguments for their beliefs and few "atheist" can even contemplate the possibility of anything currently viewed as "supernatural". Hence I now tend to play the role of devil's advocate more and more just to air some alternative views.

[mibn2cweus]

While I do not believe in an actual real live devil I do believe in a virtual devil that exists by virtue of our inability to refute the claims of his sponsors. The failure to refute such claims is the source of his power to subdue, subvert and undermine the power of reason to inform us of the true nature of reality, the understanding of which is crucial to our survival and well being. The most ominous threat we face as a species is the failure to meet the challenge posed by those intent on using reason selectively as a weapon to wage war against the efficacy of the human mind.

[naomi24]

A few appropriate quotes:

Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has....... (Martin Luther).

And from Voltaire:

Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror.

To pray to God is to flatter oneself that with words one can alter nature.

If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favour.

Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy, the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth.

And I thought Mibs (and perhaps others) might enjoy this one - so I threw it in just for fun.

It is one of the superstitions of the human mind to have imagined that virginity could be a virtue. ;o)