Is atheism just a fad on the internet, where anonymous users can fake just about everything?
543309
Atheists are intelligent. Intelligent people use computers. Computer users are often found on the Internet. Therefore, you're likely to meet a lot of atheists on the Internet.\n\nAlso, on the Internet nobody can back away from you, or tell you that you're no longer welcome at their social gatherings, or forbid their kids to play with your kids, just because they've learned what you really believe (or don't believe). These things happen to atheists every day; and I for one am relieved to have an outlet like Y!Answers where I don't have to worry about such things.
1146218
If you had a strong belief in something, and had an opportunity to espouse your view to potentially millions of people, and do so anonymously, wouldn't you speak your mind as loudly as possible?  Wouldn't you want everyone to join your club?\n\nWhat if you were a salesman, and wanted to get word out about your product as fast as you can, with no cost?  This is a perfect forum to do so.\n\nYou have to understand that not everyone on Yahoo is religious, or Christian for that matter.  Religion is just a "hot topic".  The fact that Yahoo Answers allows everyone to remain anonymous doesn't help keep the rude or insensitive comments to a minimum.  If you notice, there are religious questions where the same avatars pop up time and again.\n\nI think it's funny that even those who aren't religious are wasting the same amount of time to argue with those who are.
1162032
Well, there are a lot of weirdos online, and perhaps some of them don't want to be bothered by them?   It goes both ways---there are some non-theists and other theists who didn't put up their avatar for personal reasons.
1014145
religion is a touchy topic for people as they always believe that they are right. As for the atheist part, I'd say it has no correlation rather that most of them are probably just young immature kids, the ones who go on to post about how jesus did drugs and god sucked whatever. I believe that we don't have the ability to judge whether deity/s exsist, but I believe in the morality of being polite.
849905
LOL! I feel bad for laughing...I believe in God, heaven, the Bible, etc,i would call myself more spiritual than religious-Sometimes i think people maybe go a little too far trying to push their beliefs onto someone else...but i think for the most part, it's people who want to tell other people about God..I'm all for anyone who's intentions are to spread the word, tell how they found peace and happiness, or to educate- It's the condemning and persecuting done by the "believer" that disgusts & disappoints me, looking down on other people is not what it's all about..It's supposed to be "about" the exact opposite, anyhoo, i'll quit rambling now..Point is, apparently someone has taught them how to use a computer- maybe God himself did, haha
1161931
Most people want their fifteen minutes of fame or power, and with the gullibility of 95% of the population, what better way to get it than to promote some nebulous image and label it as a religious icon. There are so many folk out there willing to believe anything. On the one hand there is a desperate need for proof of a divine being and all that it entails even if it shows up on a potato chip. On the other there is such a vice grip of blind devotion that to deny anything that may even come close to being a true depiction of God's presence would be tantamount to blasphemy.
1017739
hell no that stuff is all fake dont worry just belive in god
907339
God makes Herself known to each person individually.  If this hasn't happened for you (and you'll know when it happens) then you're an Atheist/Agnostic.  You're one of the chosen people to have little to no regard for religious dogma and to be like all the great Atheist thinkers of history.
324226
they probably have atheist and agnostic mixed up
874579
yup\n\nI get thumbs down by christians and atheists all day. \n\nI dont think i've gotten a "best answer" in this forum since i started.
606027
Completely untrue. Countless societies throughout time have swung between religion and atheism. What you declare is a form of atheism called scientism. You state that our knowledge of the natural world is ever greater than before and with that new knowledge comes proof against God.\n\nThat is bogus and you know it. Think it through. If you told me that now we understand the inner workings of a cell or can map the paths of planets and that I no longer have to believe God has a hand in any of that, what do you think I would say?\n\nI would say the most annoying thing to those who believe in Scientism. "Yeah, so you just put words to what God created and still sets in motion."\n\nEverything that science defines, you have to realize, is merely a definition of the world. Science observes and describes and defines and even manipulates. But all this is done to and with the world that God created.\n\nI have a career in science. The more I learn about scientific theories the more I see how complex and cool God has made things.  When I see the inside of a person's body I marvel at the wonder of God. When I read about new states of matter beyond the three you think there are (got that from your 3rd grade textbook?) I thank God for the creativity placed in His creation.\n\nScience will never figure everything out. How short of a time ago was it when we didn't even know about strong interactions, weak force, and electromagnetism? How much longer before we define the other forces that we know are there, but can't get a hold on?\n\nAnd even if science could figure everything out, you are just plain narrow-minded in thinking it buys up God's property.\n\nScientism. So many believe in it for its logic it just doesn't have.
580219
people fall in love with the illusion they are being fed.  Becuse they have no idea who or what is on the other end of the computer lines.  This is the main reason why I don't get deep online with anyone.  It is always in my head that its all an illusion.
1095813
yes actually there is\n\nhttp://www.beliefnet.com/boards/index.asp\n\nThey aren't all open-minded and pleasant but the ratio is alot lot higher than here!
158823
They might get away with it, but with what?  By faking, they're just short-changing themselves.\n\nAnd, yes, the difference is easily spotted.  However, yahoo guidelines won't permit such details.
770857
Religion is just something that was invented by charismatic and smart people a long time ago.  \n\nI think of those people as just shrewd politicians.  It's in human nature for some people to do this type of stuff and for others to be sheep.\n\nWhat I can't believe is how people can take things seriously that were written by people who thought the world was flat.  My point being that they had a lot of BS stories to make themselves feel like they understood things.  \n\nJust take the fools that slaughtered people to appease the gods so they could get some rain.  Obviously they didn't know that rain wasn't a thing that was turned on and off by a magical being.  \n\nThe fact others don't realize I'm right is also mystifying.  \n\nAs a side note, it's been proven that atheists are proven to be smarter human beings than people who believe in religion.\n\nIt's a true fact that an high percentage of the genius's were atheist.
543350
I have no clue.  There is a mix of people on the net and some feel that since they are behind a computer screen they can be anything that they want. Just like my space.  I'm not saying everyone on the net is a bad person but it is too hard to weed out the good from the bad.  my opinion is take everything everyone says lightly and don't trust anyone. They don't know you and you don't know them so who cares what they think.
408477
You know, I'm glad you ask that question.  Very glad.  Because I suspect this group of users know more about what NOT to believe in on the Internet than the average Joe.  They are in fact here, in front of a keyboard and monitor not all that different from your own, in most cases.  Probably newer than mine, in almost all cases.  So it goes.\n\nI would not, if I were you, waste time trying to find out whether there does exist a single, or maybe even two or three, "get rich quick" or "get rich easy" schemes that actually would be consistent with both your ethical values and your talents.  Better you should concentrate on a better use for your computer literacy.  Build a project of your own, a respectable attempt at taking advantage of the breakthrough we have here in communications which we call the Internet.\n\nYahoo! routinely corrects me whenever I neglect to capitalize Internet, and I think I have finally groked that they are right.  It does deserve a capital letter, out of respect for what communication can do for LEGITIMATE efforts to make money, removing any need to pursue someone else's near fraud or at least contemptible taking advantage of the naive.  If you want to play fair in business, you go on the Internet and present what you have honestly and honorably, whether it be goods which you photograph clearly and sell individually on eBay, or its your own business and your own web page, small business never was easier and more diversified IN A STRUCTURED WAY than before the Internet taught us all how to search branching tree formations for whatever we want.\n\nThe magic of a search engine is magic enough to conjure gold for everyone, if used honestly and fairly.  And with respect for security measures that guard that honesty and fairness.  Forget being able to prosecute afterward; security is a very important part of the Internet, and needs to be respected, upgraded, and used for the benefit of the ones who want to play fair in the marketplace.  The better we get at detecting and discouraging the frauds and cheats, the better we can all do honest business.\n\nLike book publishing, for a non-random example.