The internet is going to hell?

[DoW Lowen]

Just something I've noticed across several internet forums, chat hosting sites and even in the general academic world. Everybody is an atheist, anti-religious or at the very least anti-institution. There seems to be very little faith on the net, I don't say that to defend religious institution since I have a copy of the Satanic bible, Satan speaks and the God delusion on my shelf (of course I'm not attacking it either). But i find that where you can post your view and opinion, the chances are that people there are much more blasphemous. It's an odd phenomena and I'm sure there are reasons for it, here are my opinions and I say this out of assumption -

1) Being anti-religious and abrasive is way f***ing funnier than being spiritual.
2) This is a generalization, but those who would view themselves as devout would generally not go to a place such as a forum as they tend to have more... "colorful" characters.
3) The Christians are all in hiding and they are just too fearful of being flamed for their beliefs.
4) I'm just looking in the wrong place
5) We all actually died a long time ago and God sent us to hell and now we are cursed with an insatiable desire to post our opinions on the internet. Whereas the faithful are all up in heaven, on clouds listening to Switchfoot and surrounded by virgin super model choir girls.

What do my fellow escapees believe? Does the internet breed atheism? Is access to a broader range knowledge a factor to a re-evaluation of faith? Does anonymity create anarchic thought? Does this suit make me look fat?

Also please don't start a flame war. Can we not be civilized enough to converse like gentlemen/gentleladies?

 

[Skeleon]

The Age of Enlightenment marked the first serious decrease in religious belief, as new rational and scientific theories started to arise and science actually became independent.
I'm not saying that the internet is our Age of Enlightenment, but it does provide information to a very, very broad range of people. Thus, knowledge (not just porn) is distributed farther and farther than ever before. And knowledge leads to the decline of religion.
As for your first point, I've been an atheist all my life, I didn't choose to be one because it's "funnier".

 

[Firenz]

I think I'd agree with 3 even though it is slightly dis-spiriting.

It is far easier to flame somone elses belief then defend your own and in the current climate where organised religion (especially among younger people) is generally seen as outmoded, stupid and an easy target and so it is safer for people to not advertise their beliefs.

Unless they are devout evangelicals where I think you may just be looking in the wrong place.

EDIT: I'm sure there is a pithy quote by someone about having your own views on a subject before attacking someone else's views. Unfortunately in many cases the faceless anonimity of the forums and the ability to ignore someone makes it all too easy to rubbish someone else's beliefs without any concequences.

 

[DoW Lowen]

As for your first point, I've been an atheist all my life, I didn't choose to be one because it's "funnier".

Not implying that people become atheistic because it's funnier, I'm saying that it's "funnier" to attack something or at least easier, and it would account for the aggressive behavior towards the beliefs of others. If you want to make a quick joke, it's much easier to be offensive than clever.

 

[Simon Hadow]

I'm going with five, but if it's not, I think it's more an enviroment on the internet that you mentioned, anonimity. Religion has been doing alot of stuff over these thousands and thousands of years, and only recently (By recently I mean recently for the world) have their been people with enough freedom, opinion, and the medium with wich to spread the message that religion is definetly in a hipocrytical spiral and has been for a while. And this, combined with a still very heavy religious presence as a world power, makes everybody want to "Rebel against the system", and where better to fight the power then the internet, the worlds biggest mask.

 

[SecretTacoNinja]

I'd say atheism is on the rise, I've heard that people started all this Creation "Science" nonsense because they were scared that the dirty atheist "Evolutionists" were going to try and take away their religion, which is utter bollocks (they can keep their religion but they have to keep it out of science and the government).
I think the religious people are scared that they'll be called out on their religion if they announce it, that may be a factor too.

 

[SilentHunter7]

I'm a christian, and I have no problem stating as such on forums.

Mainly because I know that anyone who isn't cool with it will either bite their tongue, or prove that they're bigoted, and no better than religions trying to force their beliefs on people.

 

[Lord George]

It could be that the completely nuts religion extremists aren't smart enough to access a computer or tie their own shoelaces for that matter and so can't spread there weird views and the intelligent religious people are quite happy in their views and have no wish to shout about it.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

I guess it's a different kind of people on forums, and that some are afraid of getting flamed. Me? I'm a believer and proud of it! Not Christian though, I have my own view of God, that doesn't have many rules and shit.

 

[LaBambaMan]

It depends on the forums you go to. Some places will be full of godless heathens like myself, but others actually have in depth discussions about religion and spirituality. I go to those forums for intellectual discussions about serious topics, and come to places like this for discussing my nerdy hobbies and such.

I do think it's un-fair, however, that you only mention Christians. There are other belief systems out there. Just because somebody doesn't openly state their religion on a forum doesn't mean that they're not religious. We seem to be under the impression that everyone is Christian or an atheist.

 

[DigitalSushi]

It depends on the forums you go to. Some places will be full of godless heathens like myself, but others actually have in depth discussions about religion and spirituality. I go to those forums for intellectual discussions about serious topics, and come to places like this for discussing my nerdy hobbies and such.

I do think it's un-fair, however, that you only mention Christians. There are other belief systems out there. Just because somebody doesn't openly state their religion on a forum doesn't mean that they're not religious. We seem to be under the impression that everyone is Christian or an atheist.

Well he's only stating Christians because he more than likely frequents forums that attract that sort of anti Christian atheists, its normal if you frequent the same sort of hobby forums, if you see what I mean.

But the OP is correct in a way, the minute you make a Christian holiday thread such as "what are you giving up for lent" you get the "I gave up Christianity for lent LOL" sort of remarks, its like its fashionable to be an Atheist and some people really believe being anti Christian on the internet is edgy and cool.

Yeah its not the anti Christian's, its just idiots who think making contreversial statements is edgy and cool.

But people like us, know it is not, it's being like the rest of the internet.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

I'm a Christian. Buddy, the internet has BEEN in hell. Where else would you find *shudder* Tubgirl?

 

[JRCB]

I don't care about religion at all. I don't judge people based on their religion, because does it really matter? As long as you're a swell guy or gal, I'm fine.

Also, I try to avoid partaking in the bashing of religion.

 

[DigitalSushi]

I'm a Christian. Buddy, the internet has BEEN in hell. Where else would you find *shudder* Tubgirl?

I also take it your canadian?, since you don't know the guy and you called him "buddy"? woohoo I'm being edgy and cool and an idiot.

 

[Gerazzi]

If heaven has no sin, I'd rather be in hell.
EDIT: also, I am an atheist. I;m just rather tolerant.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

I also take it your canadian?, since you don't know the guy and you called him "buddy"? woohoo I'm being edgy and cool and an idiot.

I like to think of everyone on the internet as my friend. Because I don't have real life ones.

If heaven has no sin, I'd rather be in hell.

I would choose lack of sin over torture any day.

 

[Inarticulate_Underachiever]

Just look at 4chan. That is proof there is no god.

 

[Mischiviktus]

I question the logic behind the whole heaven and hell thing. It says it in a book, but that's not really great evidence (research has been done to prove that sometimes, things can be misinterpreted as well as misinformed and manipulated over time (kinda like Jesus is Arabic but he's white?)).

Logically, if you're good you go to heaven where you can do...the same stuff here, but just with less work (you can't enjoy earthly sins and pleasures) and if you do "bad" stuff, you go to hell where your punishment reflects the sins. However what's the point? Be good here and you basically continue to do the same stuff in heaven, but if you try and enjoy life to the legal extent, you get punished? Religion uses the "afterlife" scenario ages ago to sort of ring people in under a governed-type system, giving laws and life lessons, which makes sense but saying "IF YOU DARE DRINK WINE AND SLEEP WITH WOMEN WITHOUT THE INTENT ON CREATING MORE LIFE, YOU'LL BE IN ETERNAL AGONY FOR THE REST OF YOUR SOUL'S EXISTENCE!!".

Seems kind of like a crappy happy ending story here, you get bum-bucked either way.

 

[magnuslion]

Bah. Im Jewish, and my beliefs don't really have a whole hell of a lot to do with what goes on here. I don't believe in "recruiting" or stuffing my beliefs down other peoples throats, but I am certainley not anti-god or atheist.

 

[LaBambaMan]

It depends on the forums you go to. Some places will be full of godless heathens like myself, but others actually have in depth discussions about religion and spirituality. I go to those forums for intellectual discussions about serious topics, and come to places like this for discussing my nerdy hobbies and such.

I do think it's un-fair, however, that you only mention Christians. There are other belief systems out there. Just because somebody doesn't openly state their religion on a forum doesn't mean that they're not religious. We seem to be under the impression that everyone is Christian or an atheist.

Well he's only stating Christians because he more than likely frequents forums that attract that sort of anti Christian atheists, its normal if you frequent the same sort of hobby forums, if you see what I mean.

But the OP is correct in a way, the minute you make a Christian holiday thread such as "what are you giving up for lent" you get the "I gave up Christianity for lent LOL" sort of remarks, its like its fashionable to be an Atheist and some people really believe being anti Christian on the internet is edgy and cool.

Yeah its not the anti Christian's, its just idiots who think making contreversial statements is edgy and cool.

But people like us, know it is not, it's being like the rest of the internet.

Always give in to peer pressure, that seems to be the motto of the internet these days.

It does seem like people are violently anti-christian because it makes them seem hard-core or some silly contrived shit like that, just like people on 4chan talking about how much they hate blacks. It's all a stunt, a play, a mask they wear to seem cooler than they really are. If someone was truly anti-christian then they'd be out bombing churches or something radical like that(although the irony strikes when you realize that some Christians used to bomb other Christian churches because there were black people inside).