ALT.ATHEISM ATHEIST QUESTIONS LIST
What experiences have you had
when you told family, friends, co-workers, former ministers, etc., that
you were an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
What caused you to make the final
decision to become an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
Have you had any moments of doubt
about being an atheist and what helped you overcome them? - Michelle Malkin
The old 'no atheists in foxholes'
bit is bound to come up again. How many of you went into the service as
atheists, were involved in deadly combat and came out STILL an atheist?
- Michelle Malkin
When you realized that you were
an atheist, did you feel relief, fear, happiness? What emotion, exactly?
- Michelle Malkin
What is/are your favorite
book/books on atheism? -Michelle Malkin
Which atheist person, living or dead, do you most
admire ? - MIchelle Malkin
Do you follow some kind of
philosophy along with being an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
Were you raised in an atheist
family or did you become an atheist on your own? - Michelle Malkin
How old were you when you realized
that you were an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
What started you thinking of
being an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
Did you have a bad experience
with your former church or religion that caused you to reject it and
become an atheist? - Todd Matthew Koson
What passages from the Bible or
any other 'holy' book do you consider reasonable or worthwhile?
- Glenn Arnold
Did you become an atheist due to the
Internet/this newsgroup or would you have become
an atheist sooner if you had seen the Internet/this newsgroup? - Unknown
What is your political philosophy
(liberal, conservative, libertarian, socialist, Green, etc.?
-Jesse Freidman
How would you draw the line
between the rights of an individual vs. society's right to make restrictive laws? -
Jesse Freidman with rephrasing by Geo)
What helps you remain an
atheist? -unknown
Do you, as an atheist, listen to any sort of religious
or religious-based music and why? - Glenn Arnold
Have any atheists renounced
their former religion? - Gary Gnu
How does an atheist teach
children about God? - Gary Gnu
Have you publicly declared your
atheism? - Glenn Arnold
Have you ever been 'outed' as
an atheist by anyone? - Glenn Arnold
Do atheists who hide their lack
of belief bother you? - million $
Do you get annoyed when politicians and tv
bible-thumpers scapegoat humanism as an instigator
for modern problems or do you laugh it off considering the source?
- million $
Do you, as an atheist, watch
any tv evangelists? Which? - million $
Were you married in a
religious ceremony? Why, and how do you feel about it? - David Carrigan
Have you, after becoming an atheist, had to or decided
to go through any kind of religious ceremony
and why? - Gary Gnu
If you were going to be religious ,
what religion would you be? No made up religions and NO FLAMES! - Czar
Are there any atheists who want to
believe in a god of some kind? - Michelle Malkin
Are there any atheist parents
who want to keep religion away from their children completely? - Gary Gnu
Have you, as an atheist, any belief in 'supernatural phenomena' such as clairvoyance, esp
or past life regression therapy? - John Cabalero
Has any atheist lost a job due
to being an atheist? - Gary GNU
Have any atheists in this or any other newsgroup joined
any atheist groups ? Examples: American Atheists,
an atheist 'church, etc. - Gary Gnu
Do any atheists in this newsgroup start
religious debates or sit back and wait for others to make comments
first? Or, do some of us keep quiet so as not to make trouble? - Gary Gnu
What do different atheists do on
religious holidays . I.e., do you observe them and, if so, how?
- Chris Nelson
Do you, as an atheist, fear death
and why? - June Gill
How many of you have never been
religious and/or never had a belief in a god or gods? - Marc Lurie
Is there any one religious concept
you would like to believe in, even though you know that it's probably not
true? - Jeffrey R Gutierrez
Have any atheists experienced things which you could
not understand and which science is at a loss to
explain? If so, how do you reconcile this with atheism? - Claude Martins
Have you ever considered cryonics ?
If you have and decided against it, why? - Cat Jesus
Has any atheist reading this really tried to
accept God/Jesus/Buddha/Vishnu/whatever
and failed? - Carl Cristensen
How many of you were followers
of a religion before becoming an atheist? What was your religion, if any?
- Paul Koeck
Are any of you married or in a
relationship with a theist? Are there any problems due to differences
in belief or non-belief? - Marc Moreau
Do you consider religious
indoctrination to be child abuse? - 124c41
Do you want to live forever? -
Todd Matthew Koson
What level of toleration do we
want/expect between theists and atheists? - Antoon Pardon
Do you have a religious name?
such as Christopher or Faith and, if so, do you want to change it?
-Christopher Aumann
Atheists lack belief in the
supernatural , but what are the ideals of your atheist life? What is
the meaning of existence to you? - Doug Thornton
What have you, as an atheist, done to
advance atheism? - Todd Matthew Koson
Did you become an atheist due to
anti-theistic feelings or for other reasons? - Lisa Starr
As an atheist, what good or bad
do you think religion does to or for people? - Lisa Starr
Since you are an atheist, will you
raise your children as atheists or skeptics? - Van Isaac Anderson
Who are your favorite writers
and what are your favorite books? - Colin Montoya-Lewis
What do you think of a media
that jumps to pin a crime on someone due to their supposed atheism,
especially when it turns out that he isn't/wasn't an atheist?
- Michelle Malkin
Have any of your friends or family asked you to be a
godparent to their child and how did you respond?
- Adrian Barnett
What do you do if invited to
a religious ceremony such as a christening? If you take a present, what
sort of present is it? - Adrian Barnett
Did science fiction play any
part in your atheism? Do you think that most theisms would pose borders
on fantasy and SF writers? - Daneel
If you are an ex-theist , have
you considered your (probably dogmatic) reasons for rejecting other
gods when losing your faith and/or have you reconsidered this since then?
- Daneel
As an atheist : Who are you? What
do you want? Why are you here? -Mark Hesidence (by way of Joseph Michael
Stryzynski)
Has your being or becoming an atheist affected your
political outlook ? - Michelle Malkin
As a theist, did you ever regularly
commune with God? That is, did you believe that
you could speak directly with him on a daily basis (much as you would
with a friend) or feel the Holy Spirit working through you during
worship? If so, what are you feelings toward those experiences now?
- Adrian Barnett
Why are you an atheist? -
Michael R. Anderson (a theist also known as MRA and Mr. Goodsalt)
What do you like/dislike about
theism/specific theist religions? -Michael R. Anderson (see #62)
How many atheists did not become or
realize that they were atheists until they were past the age of 30?
-Michelle Malkin
As an atheist, what are your
thoughts on death, dying and the thought of non-existence?
- Mark Gratzke
Can you remember when you first
realized that you were an atheist. - Michelle Malkin
Do any of you play tournement chess? Is the type of
logical thought required by these games part of
what made you an atheist? - Jim Tims
As an atheist, how would you like your
remains to be handled after your die? - Chris Hall
As an atheist, what does the word
individualist mean to you and do you consider yourself to be one?
- Michelle Malkin
As an atheist,what is your opinion
of the concept of "Free will". -Michelle Malkin
What is your opinion of genetic
manipulation ? - Michelle Malkin
What is your deepest fear ?
- Veyanne
What is your darkest desire ?
-Veyanne
As an atheist, would you like to have some kind of
ceremonial marker after your death, i.e.,
gravestone or some other memorial? - Mr. Douglas
How many atheists became atheists after attending a
religious school or university? - Paula Lauterbach
Do you think that belief in religions and gods will
vanish completely sometime in the future? - otto
Do you think being an atheist makes you a
better person or has it has it radically changed
your life for the better? - Don Niebyl
Do you ever get pressured to
stop being an atheist and join some kind of religion? - Don Niebyl
As an atheist, if you come from a theist
background , do you still cling to any of your
former religions' superstions? If so, why? - Don Niebyl
As an atheist, do you ever feel left out or
excluded by any of your friends who hold
religious beliefs? Does this bother you? - Don Niebyl
As an atheist, when do you think it is
worse to have been born than never to have lived
at all? - unknown
What would you leave as a
message on your gravesite? - Kalle Helenius
Is there any one part of the Old
or New Testament, Koran, Vedas any other religious books that was a
strong reason for your becoming an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
If by means of technology or
evolution or whatever you became all-knowling, all-seeing,
all-powerful, what would you do? - zach
Would you like to see more media
exposure concerning atheism? If so, what medium and with what
message? -Peter Kirby
What value , if any, do you see
in arguing with believers? - Peter Kirby
What approach do you take
towards door-to-door and other in-the-face proselytizers? - Peter Kirby
Do you identify with a specific
religion or philosophy (e.g., Buddhism, Wicca, secular humanism) -
Natalie Ramsey
Have you ever considered
becoming a theist or returning to being a theist? - Natalie Ramsey
Do you think that it is valuable
for atheists to engage in 'interfaith' dialogue with religious groups?
- Natalie Ramsey
Outside of the newsgroup , do
you treat proselytizers with tolerance, hostility or something else?
- Natalie Ramsey
How open are you about your
atheism with your family,extended family, parents? - Natalie Ramsey
Is making atheism more acceptable
in society a worthwhile goal? If so, how can this be achieved
- Natalie Ramsey
Do you have a pet ? What kind?
- Natalie Ramsey
What do you think of patriotism ?
- Natalie Ramsey
What do you do to relax ? If you
meditate, do you do it to relax or for other reasons?- Natalie Ramsey
Do you own any religious texts ?
Do you read them for any purpose besides the rebuttal of theist claims?
- Natalie Ramsey
Are you a vegetarian ? Why?
- Natalie Ramsey
If it turned out there was a god
and that god is not dissimilar to the God of the fundies, would you
oppose him, in the certain knowledge that such opposition has no hope of
success and that by opposing him, in full knowledge of the consequences,
choose unending agony post-mortem as a consequence of what you know to be
right? (No getting out of the question by assuming that hell is a place of
hedonism. For the purpose of the question,you must assume they are right.
- Therion Ware
Did you have a 'road to Damascus'
conversion to atheism? How old were you at the time? - Therion Ware
How many atheists went from
one religion to another when they were young? - Van Isaac Anderson
Do you have any relatives
who are atheists, and has that made your atheism any easier?
- Van Isaac Anderson
Do any of the atheists in this newsgroup or any other
still attend church ? Why? - Van Isaac Anderson
Is the setai@home project
discovers aliens and they are all theists, would this make you reconsider
your position as an atheist? -Therion Ware
As an atheist, which supernatural
horror films are your favorites? Which fantasy? Which SF? Why?
- Therion Ware
Is a world government a good
idea? - Therion Ware
Are cats better pets for
atheists than dogs? - Therion Ware
Are countries such as the US
and groups such as the EEC morally obliged to use force of one kind or
another to prevent human rights abuses as defined by the UN Charter on
Human Rights? - Therion Ware
As an atheist, what set of moral
laws would you endorse? - Peter van Velzen
As an atheist, do you think ethics
are eternally true or do you think they will change over time?
- Peter van Velzen
What do you think (in general)
triggers God belief or disbelief? - Peter vanVelzen
Are there really any 'objective'
views? - Peter Allen Neely
Do you feel that Fundamentalism
is in some way detrimental to the growth of religion (in general)?
- unknown
Do you identify yourself with your
emotions , your rational thoughts, your memories,
your 'soul' or your body? Which of these things do you think you could
lose (theoretically speaking)and still be 'you'? Feel free to add any
other aspects of self that you think this question has overlooked. -
Jeff Dee
If gods do not exist , why do
you think humankind invented them? - unknown
How many atheists figured out for themselves that
Santa Claus does not exist, as opposed to being
told the terrible truth by parents, siblings, friends, etc? -Goatboy
If you were once a fundamentalist
theist of any kind, what was it that first caused you to doubt your
beliefs? How did you react to this at first, and what caused you to
continue doubting? - Michelle Malkin
What was the final straw that led you to the
realization (insert brand of theism here) was
a con game? - Stoney
How many single atheists
actively seek out other atheists to date or for long term relationships?
- Lady Lorelei
For those atheists who are married
to theists (and were already atheists at the time of the marriage),
would you do it any differently if given the chance to do it over again?
- Lady Lorelei
Do any of you actively try to
dispel the stereotype that Christians have placed on atheists?
- Lady Lorelei
When you first became an
atheist, did you adopt a particular philosophy that you fought for tooth
and nail until you realized that such behavior was merely a leftover
from your theist upbringing? - Michelle Malkin
What is your favorite time period to study and read about? Would you want to go back and live at that time? -
Michelle Malkin
How many atheists think that Jesus
never existed or that he was a man whose life was blown out of
proportion? - Steve Scott
Do any of the atheists reading this own a
Bible and read it? - Steve Scott
What do the atheists reading this feel about
attitudes to death, particularly with what
children are told and how they are treated when someone dies. - Diem
How many atheists reading this have been
assaulted and/or threatened due to their atheism?
- Shuddapeeps
Was your becoming an atheist influenced by any kind of
literary genre ? - chibiabos
If you ever attend a religious
service for whatever reason, how do you spend your time? What goes
through your mind? - Niall McAuley
For atheists who were once theists: do you remember
what it felt like to believe in a god? Do you
ever miss it? - Niall McAuley
How can we cure the world from
its theist insanity? - Peter van Velzen
Could we come up with a set of
morals to surpass the 'ten' commandments? -Peter van Velzen
Could we find a way to survive
all the catastrophes that threaten the survivsl of humankind?- Peter van
Velzen
Why are most atheists not willing
to use violence? - Peter van Velzen
Should we discuss politics in
alt.atheism? -Peter van Velzen
Have you ever felt the need to stand up for your
right to religious freedom? If you did, were you surprised by the reactions of others,
pro or con? Were your supporters who you thought they would be? - Clayskye
Can you define god (The Judeo-Christian brand)?
- Mike Smith
Why do you think religion seems to be an intellectual
blindspot for otherwise clear-thinking people? - Mike Smith
Do you think that religious buildings, such as churches,
synagogues and mosques, should be taxed ? - Mike Smith
Why are religious holidays recognized
by the various governments? Should they be? - Mike Smith
Did some aspect of your education start
you on the road to becoming an atheist? - Michelle Malkin
If you became an atheist due to some kind of
disappointment , why did you remain an atheist after you got over the
disappointment? - Michelle Malkin
Why do you think some theists try to connect the
evil that some atheists do with their atheism, rather
than their political philosophy?- Michelle Malkin
Why do you think some theists insist on connecting
evolution , which is a science, with atheism, which is a
lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods? - Michelle Malkin
Why do you, as an atheist, think that so many theists refuse
to describe exactly what the god that they supposedly worship is, where it comes
from, what it looks like, what is it made of, etc.? - Michelle Malkin
Do you think that the current fundamentalist
backlash was caused by a sincere desire to spread the word of their religion
or by their leaders taking advantage of their followers fear of rapidly advancing
knowledge and their inability to keep up with it due to deliberately poor education?
Do you have any other possibilities or thoughts on this? - Michelle Malkin
Why do you think that many fundamentalists act as though
atheism was a personal threat to them? - Michelle Malkin
If you inherited a billion dollars,
what would you do with it? - zach
If humanity was dying out due to its own
excesses and you, as a scientist, found a way to save it, would you? - zach
What do you think are the worst books
you've ever read? - Michelle Malkin
Was your becoming or being an atheist
influenced by a particular person in your life and, if so, would you
please tell us something about that person? - Red Foster
Do you think political correctness has
influenced the amount of freedom people have to speak their minds? - D.J. Nozem
Have you seen films that are critical of
a religion or religions in general? Which is your favorite and why? - Daneel
If you deconverted from Christianity or Judaism, do you still
think that 'man has dominion over Earth and its creatures'
or do you think that this is species chauvinim? - Daneel
Which religions do you dislike more:
proselytizing ones or those creating closed societies where lack of knowledge of
and how to live in the outside world , excommunication of tradition violators,
etc., chain down people from childhood? - Daneel
How do you feel when you come across some
reference to or mention of religion in science fiction or other literature?
- Ernest Domenigo
Are there observable traits among atheist
attitudes to marriage and family? Does any observable atheist model conform largely
to the standard model of the Judeo/Christian nuclear family? - Ciaran ONeill)
Are atheist sexual mores based pretty much on Judeo/Christian norms or is there a tendency towards (for instance) polygamy or open relationships among atheists? - Ciaran ONeill
To what degree do 'first generation' atheists manage to
discard (where appropriate) the (religious) culture they
came from? - Ciaran ONeill
What are the connotations of the word 'atheist' among atheists? Does what the word implies to atheists themselves stop
at a belief that there is no God? - Ciaran ONeill
Do any atheists reading this believe that they have a "mision"
or that there is a collective atheist duty - Ciaran ONeill
If you are/were a parent raising your child without religion,
how would/did you handle someone who, in spite of your
express wish not to raise your child/children religiously, tried to teach your
child/children religion for you? - Clayskye
What is the worst theist argument
you've ever heard? What is the theist argument you are most tired of? - Kania
Can you see yourself as a Christian if Christianity was revealed to be true? - Kania
What do you think is the worst passage in the Bible? What do you think is the most beautiful? - Kania
What do you think is the worst thing theists say about atheists? How do you respond to this? - Kania
Do you remember the first time you heard the word 'atheist'? If so, how did you feel about it? - Clayskye
What can we as atheists do to make ignorant people stop thinking of us as 'evil'? - Michelle Malkin
Do you think that race has an influence on a person becoming an atheist and why? - Michelle Malkin
Did you choose your nickname/handle or new legal name for religions/atheistic purposes, and what does it mean? - Bob Dog
What is the best theist argument you've ever heard? - Avender
If you ever were one, do you feel you
wasted your years as a believer? - Angel Arnal
What religious traditions (gifts, meals,
decorations, etc,) do you continue for the sake of your kids and why? - Michelle Malkin
Have any atheists created a non-theist 'grace' to say when asked to before a meal? - Diane Newman
Do any of the atheists/agnostics in alt.atheism have theist friends with whom you can discuss atheism and theism? Does this help to keep you tolerant of religion followers? -
Why do some theists insist that we, as atheists, know and thoroughly understand their religious documents ? Why do they also insist that we, as atheists, accept them as proof of their arguments without verification? - Liquid Grace
Are there any theist you admire ? Why? (This is intended as a compliment, not an insult.) - John Hachmann
If you had the power and the opportunity to
rewrite the sections of the US Constitution (or the laws of your own country) regarding religion, what would you change? - John Hachmann
Hopefully, the human race will outgrow religion. However, until that day happens, do you think any new religions will arise to take the place of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc., and what might they look like? - John Hachmann
How much of the bible do you thinkis historical as opposed to mythological - Peter van Velzen
Are you a materialist , or do you think anything can exist that is neither energy nor matter? - Peter van Vlzen
Do you think it is plausible that extra-
terrestrials ever visited our planet? Do you think Bible passages could be explained that way? - Peter van Velzen
What kind of posters in alt.atheism will no longer get a response from you? Why? - Peter van Velzen
Do you, as an atheist, have a concept of good and evil ? If so, what defines good and what defines evil? - Peter van Velzen
Do you believe that there is (and that there is only one)
ultimate, absolute truth or do you think that this
belief doesn't make sense from an atheist viewpoint? - D.J. Nozem
Do you think certain character traits have caused you to become/remain an atheist? Which ones? - D.J. Nozem
How do you answer theists who say, "Someday something bad will happen to you and you'll find/pray to God ? - David Moisan
What is the most offensive thing a theist has said to you during a debate or proselytization? - Robert Coates
Theists often accuse atheists of being without morals . While it is true that atheism imposes no morals, most atheists follow some kind of moral code. What form does this take and which religions/philosophies influenced this for you as an individual? - Owen Hughes
Have you, as an atheist, ever gone through a life-threatening situation or illness and never once thought of a god or considered a religion? - Michelle Malkin
What do you think about the ecumenist idea that all religions are just different views of the same God? If you are an ex-theist who believed this, what did you think about Hindu polytheism, present day animists and other forms of worship? - Daneel
Have you ever had an experience suggesting reincarnation or any other psychic phenomena? - Daneel
Why do you think gods were invented ? Why do you think *Gods* were invented? - Daneel
What sources do you use for news or history from others' points of view ? - Charles R. Ward
If you could know with absolute certainty the answer to one yes or no question, what would it be? Would you use your one answer to find out for sure if a god or gods exist or would you use it for somethying else? - Adam Marczyk
In your opinion, what is the best thing about being an atheist? - Adam Marczyk
If you could know, with absolute certainty, the answer to one yes or no question , what would it be? Would you use your one answer to find out for sure if a God or gods exist or would you use it for something else? - Adam Marczyk
Have you ever tried to deconvert anyone to atheism? If so, were you
successful? - Adam Marczyk
In your opinion, what personality trait makes a person most likely
to be a theist? - -Adam Marczyk
What do you find most astonishing about fundamentalist Christians? - Stoney
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