I’ve been doing this blog for a couple weeks now, and one thing I’ve learned is that talking about being polite is, well … boring. I’m thinking it might be interesting to liven things up a bit by leaving the area of politeness occasionally, and talk about ways atheists can engage with the world without worrying about ruffling feathers.
So let’s look at an area where it’s totally acceptable (IMHO) to stop worrying about being polite — debate forums that have been set up explicitly for the purpose of debating the merits (or lack thereof) of religion or atheism.
I’m not saying there aren’t any restrictions (moderation is often an issue), or that you always feel free to let fly with all the vitriol you can muster (I have many online “friends” who are devout believers, and I try to respect their feelings even though we’ve never met).
But if it’s an online forum, set up for the express purpose of arguing about atheism (or arguing about religion), then you don’t need to be closeted, you don’t need to worry that announcing your atheism will be a bummer or will distract people from the event at hand and make it “all about you,” or any of the other considerations that often motivate atheists to keep a lid on it in public settings.
Needless to say, not all non-atheists are equally fun to debate (or argue with, or hassle, or whatever). There are those really annoying believers — the cool ones who know that they don’t have some special line to God, they just have a faith that they believe in. Those people are a real pain.
Fortunately, those types of believers are a minority. The really awesome non-atheists are the ones who combine ignorance and arrogance for a perfect storm of nose-tweakability. You know the kind — the ones who insist the Bible is completely accurate because nobody’s ever sat them down and showed them the contradictions.
The ones who say the reason there’s good in the world is all because of God, and the reason there’s evil is all because of humans (without pondering who’s responsible for creating the humans in the first place).
The ones who say God knows everything — even the future, even all the bad things you’re going to do, even before you decide to do them — and then claim you have free will (without pondering what would happen if you used your free will to choose to do something God “knew” you wouldn’t choose to do).
Atheist Etiquette 
Posted by conservativealan on May 26, 2009 at 4:39 am
Why would God not give us instruction? It is plainly recorded in a book called the Bible. There are many throughout history who have “put God to the test” and have not been found wanton. Man is the same today as he was in the days of Moses and Elijah. Still trying to say that what they have (or have not) is better than the Almighty. Every person that has ever lived or that ever will live, will eventually be convinced that Jesus is Lord; only for some it will be in death when they will have to give an account for their belief that Jesus is the Christ. I choose to bow before Him in life with the faith that He gave Himself in Death that I may not experience death.