Theists and Atheists: do we make a sport of disagreeing?

Question

Why have I gotten friendlier responses from both theists and atheists to questions that lean more towards a particular camp or opinion, yet receive more fired up responses to questions implying that both camps have something in common? Why do both groups appear to have more vested interest in proving the other wrong than in finding some common ground?

Will it ever be possible to take a representative from each major belief system, lock them all in a room together for an hour, and see them walk out with a list of things they all agree on? And who wants to see me eat my hat if that ever happens?

Answer 1

yea they do make a sport of it, and it's damned pathetic, that people can't just respect other peoples believes instead of immediately trying to convert them

Answer 2

I used to be an Atheist when I lost my belief in God. Honestly, I used to secretly envy people who believed. I think atheists are making a big mistake by denying God. In order to understand the concept of God, you must be able to define God. God is the highest state of consciousness or awareness in the universe. It is called Brahman by Hindus. Self-consciousness separates the self from Brahman. Most people are lost in the illusion of their ego separateness and busy in it's pursuits, so they either turn to organized religion to explain it for them or claim that they are atheists to avoid explaining it at all.

Unfortunately, God, the transcendant creator of the immanent world, is recast in the ordinary persons mind as the dualistic image of a mighty king in heaven who rules the earth below. Religion simplifies the truth to make it accessible to the average person. This interpretation dillutes the truth, replacing direct experience of unitive consciousness with the "Idea of God".

Answer 3

I don't think that religious leaders will ever be able to agree on much of anything. If they did they would have to agree that all their religions are basically the same. People would get along better if they could realize that you don't have to agree. I have friends of different religions and you have to know that your religion doesn't define you. Other wise how could an atheist, a baptist, a catholic, a lutheran, and a methodist be friends for 12 years. There is a lil hope but i don't think you will ever eat your hat.  

Answer 4

I personally treat it as a gentleman's sport. Something partaken of in order to entertain myself. I do believe what I say but I can't help taking glee in the upset responses to my answers or in the rage I feel at somebody's relative difference of opinion to my own.

It's like an intellectual equivalent to wrestling.

Have you ever seen Richard Dawkins debating religion with religious leaders? A tremendous sight and an enlightening one.

Answer 5

It's an eternal battle! Lol!

Answer 6

This isn't a forum of things people agree on.  This R&S.

Answer 7

if that happened, i would eat more than my hat if i were you.

Answer 8

I don't agree to that.

You lose.

Answer 9

I think if we did that, no one who come out alive.

Answer 10

never never never

Answer 11

satan is using a lot of people ... it s end times he know he has no more time

Answer 12

Well they're wrong.  So you seriously expect me to agree with someone which thinks the world is 6000 years old and some mystical being made the world in 6 days, and that everything else in the bible is true?

____

Answer 13

If it's a sport, the score is   Atheists 154, Theists 0

Answer 14

I'm here for the lulz, not for a peace conference.