1. Religious legislation impacts our freedoms. This is especially troubling in America.

2. "Belief", it can be argued, flies in the face of science, critical thinking, and rationality. This has deep implications for any society.

3. Many religious communities inculcate varying degrees and forms of isolationism, bigotry, and outright aggression toward other groups. Westboro Baptist, anyone?

4. Some religious communities engage in blatantly abusive practices like child marriage, sex abuse, etc., a la FLDS.

I'm not a fan of bashing. But I'm very concerned about creationism beimg taught in schools, gay teachers getting fired, and Roe v. Wade being overturned.

To an extent I agree, but then, what’s the point of a site that’s specifically for a group of like minded people? While bashing doesn’t help anyone really, it is an outlet in a community that understands rather than disapproves.
I don’t mean for this to sound whiny, but most - of not all - of us, aren’t really welcome to discuss openly what we (don’t) believe, where in every single other social media “thoughts and prayers” and comments of religious expression are flooding onto every page. The other side has exponentially more acceptance publicly and to be frank, we need to bitch about that sometimes. With great power comes great responsibility and it’s ours not to go off on our tyraids to those people publicly. This forum gives us a place to do just that outside the larger public. It’s the electronic equivalent to going in your room and screaming into your pillow. Except sometimes that pillow reaches out a parralel and comforting agreement.
Take away a persons voice, and all they have are their thoughts. It’s a lonely place to be with no vent.
If you want a site where people don’t bitch about what plagued them the most, this one probably isn’t the place to be. I don’t know of a social website free of argument and strong opinions. It actually sounds like a very boring place to spend time.

I imagine it is hard NOT to discuss that which impacts your life to a great degree.

It definitely affects every aspect of our lives even after denouncing it. Plus, many of us are sorting through trauma inflicted in the name of religion. This is a place where that's common and therefore accepted.

Well the site is called agnostic rather than atheist. There are more than a few people on here who are simply questioning rather than having been decided. Even those who do identify as atheist, like myself, do not claim definitively that no deities exist, period. We are still open to the idea. But even when we aren't discussing the merits of a particular claim, we still live in a society that is still quite religious. In America, where I believe most of us live, religious politicians and organizations attempt to push their beliefs on us frequently, through laws, through schools, etc.

Because it effected and continues to effect my life in a negative manner.

I discuss a variety of topics, but religion is something that keeps pushing it's way into our lives. I attended a public high school basketball game a few weeks ago. During halftime the kids were asked to come to the middle of the basketball court and recite their favorite Bible quote and quickly say how that quote has influenced their lives for the better. Five children came forward and recited their favorite quote. This sounds harmless because nobody was forced to do this, but how would these people reacted if I asked five atheist kids to come out and discuss how their atheism has bettered their life? I hope you can see why we need to keep religion out of schools because the parents of these Christian kids don't. This is one example and I'm going to leave you with one more. I was wearing a t-shirt that says Evolution with a picture of Charles Darwin on the back. A woman wearing a t-shirt that said Faith across her chest asked me, "Why do you feel the need to advertise your Atheism" She was an older lady, so I was polite and said, miss, Evolution has nothing to do with Atheism and I hate to point this out but your shirt says Faith. You're advertising your faith I'm advertising my science. A lot of bitterness came about, but I won't bore you with all the details. Discussing these things isn't hateful and I'm not angry. I'm expressing my feelings about religion on a forum with like minded people.

im more agnostic than i am atheist, but for me, while i don't worship or necessarily believe in anyones god/gods, i have always been interested in them. i find the different ways people have come up with 2 explain their world 2 be sort of amazing. all the ideas and the way different people interprete different things fascinates me. i don't care for the cruelty and all that, but i like learning about other people.

I don't make a lot of religion posts anymore. Sometimes I'll post a funny meme that has to do with religion. I'm kind of tired of talking about god. I have to hear it everywhere I go in my everyday life.

Good point. I have not spent my time here bashing religion - no point. I never suffered due to the dogma, cultism or sexual abuse which may be the basis for some. Can't fault 'em for wanting to vent, lots of evil shit been done in the name of God. I've joined 3 groups. and the cheesy jokes are pretty good sometimes.

I’ve noticed this, too. It’s not a dragon to be slain, in most cases. Or maybe that’s it, people are slaying their dragons?

Atheism has never really take up a lot of my time until very recently and I've never been militant about it until the religious right started trying to force everyone to obey their superstitions. Since then, if the topic comes up I make sure that my position is known and that I don't support the Christian Taliban.

To each his own. Different strokes for different folks applies to our membership here - diverse.

You wouldn't be alone on that thought, over the last few days I've noticed a few others commenting about that, and most of them were met with rather degrading comments that of which they did not deserve. I'm starting to wonder myself now? For the most part though, I just ignore or block the users who say anything hostile.

Because religion is holding us back from scientific discovery, it’s influencing politics and people have been killing each other over it for thousands of years! I can’t imagine an institution that has caused more fear and suffering, not even to mention it’s a molestation mill, oops I mentioned it. It’s a medieval method of controlling people and we really need to move on. Allow me to take this moment to thank every single person that bashes religion in the name improving “this” life, the only one we get, thank you.

I noticed that too. Lots of folk on here very angry. I guess they have something to be angry about but sooner or later youve got to let that go.
As the Buddha is supposed to have said 'holding on to anger is like holding on to a red hot coal while you wait for someone to throw it at...'

People vote based on their religion. Policies are being written due to religion. People are being discriminated against because of religion. People are being killed over religion. Wars are being fought over religion. What would you have us talk about?

I understand where you're coming from here, but most other things don't dictate government policy, wars, etc. And it's a hard topic to get away from when the vast majority of people are religious. It's far easier for religious people to ignore atheism, for instance.

Some people really identify with their atheism and want to express themselves, while for others it's just something they happen to think.

At one time, I too made that observation. However, some people feel the need to define their non-belief, others discuss the difficulties from religion, and others do not care. This last group does well by selectively choosing which conversations to engage in and which ones to skip. Then we go about our merry atheist way. ?

Agnostics is an attractive name . We may not be as attractive ! Religion really has done and is doing some rotten stuff. right now, in almost secular toronto, the catholic school board [ yes we have govt. backed religious schooling in the 21st century] is withdrawing all fund raising for any charity that promotes abortion , stem cell research , contraception and premarital sex. Like what the F. Religion is certainly no friend of ours and we talk about it coz it's more important than the weather or dating sites

Productive for whom and from what perspective? I see reilgion as a great harm to myself and others, and have a desire to undo some of my role in supporting that kind of ideology earlier in life.

IRL (In Real Life) I don't talk about it with people because we don't do that in polite society.

But people come to places like this precisely to ask questions on these topics, because everyone is here voluntarily and has implcitly expressed an interest in the topic. Many of these people are wrestling with questions, and seek support. Why not provide it if they are asking for it?

Some people come here to vent because they are exasperated with living in a world that does not value reason, facts or science. Why not be supportive?

Historically I get this question from theists on sites where they participate more than here, and it's often a sort of thinly-veiled "why don't you just shut up and go away and leave us to spout nonsense without pushback in the marketplace of ideas" ethos. Which I obviously have no sympathy for. They can leave the kitchen if they can't take the heat. The days when people like us cowered in closeted silence because of blasphemy laws and social approbation are long since gone. They'll have to adjust.

Finally ... if all agnostics / atheists came here for was to talk about things unrelated to those belief positions, we would be here to talk about nothing of more consequence than you go to someplace like FaceBook or Twitter to yammer on about. What would be the point of this site, if not to discuss issues, questions and problems relating to living with integrity AS an atheist or agnostic. And finally ... if you're not here because you're interested in discussion of these matters, then ... why ARE you here? I suppose if you're here to meet new people, and you want those people to have similar views about God ... and that's it, then that's fine ... just stay away from Religion & Spirituality, stay off of threads you're not interested in, and you're good to go.

Yes but you have to keep in mind a lot of people have been harped on or even excommunicated from their family/friend based on "religious" beliefs

Because the subject imposes itself on so many aspects of our daily lives. It's a literal obsession with many of the people we interact with, it permeates our culture, it causes problems we often have to address, and it infiltrates our governments and dictates laws.