The DoubtingThomas dating / relationships MEGATHREAD

[_DoubtingThomas]

Yes, I do have something to say about it: HEIMAN ISN'T YOU, AND YOU AREN'T HEIMAN! STOP GIVING A TINKER'S DAMN ABOUT WHATEVER HEIMAN SAYS!!

I just hope to be happy. And you are right. Thanks.

[_ajax18]

It’s weird how non-belief has become a system of belief

- Doc

When you can't decide whether to believe or not believe, eventually that decision is made for you. Atheism most certainly is a belief. You can't know for sure that existence ends at death or that the spirit world does not exist.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Ajax wrote, “Nothing is ideal in this world. All men eventually take whatever they can get whether they admit it or not.”

Welp. Huh. I gotta ask. Does your spouse know that she falls into the “took whatever I could get” category?

- Doc

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

What does knowing something have to do with not believing something? If I tell you I have a white dragon in my backyard that I keep as a pet, all sorts of neighbors have seen it, and therefore it’s real are you going to believe me? If you don’t believe me you’re not an anti-dragonist with a complex system of beliefs that preclude you from believing in dragons, you simply don’t believe my claims.

How in the world are you an adult, and you need this explained to you over and damned over again? Grow the “F” up.

- Doc

[_EAllusion]

It's been a while since I looked at the issue, but from what I recall, atheists having low divorce rates / high marital satisfaction rates came down to two major factors:

1) Atheists tend to wait longer to be married and are married at lower rates, indicating that they're more selective about getting into marriage and thus less likely to enter into a bad one.

and

2) Atheists are more affluent on average and not having money problems helps with marriage stability.

Both of these relate to atheists having, on average, higher educational attainment.

[_EAllusion]

For the theory that DT is and older perv enjoying posting as a fake persona, I'd point out that he comes off as utterly clueless about sex in this thread in a way that reads as authentically virginal. A good enough writer can fake anything, but I'm not sure he's a good enough writer.

This is not how sexually active people think about and understand sexual satisfaction. This does fit well within what you'd expect someone's whose ideas about sex are alien and teen-virgin like to say.

[_I have a question]

If I were atheist there's no way I would have married or had children. I'd have played the field as a permiscuous heterosexual forever. I'm not sure why any man would do differently under such a belief system.

That's very enlightening as to your underlying personal integrity, morals and values. The only thing holding you back from being a douche is your belief in God. The thing that holds me back from being a douche is my underlying love and respect for the person I'm with. Having children is the highlight of my entire life, not because of God, but because of the joy having a relationship with them brings. That you don't understand such things in and of themselves is very sad. I'm glad a belief in God holds you back from being authentically you.

I'm still waiting for that data that shows your assertion that marriage without God is impossible...

[_ajax18]

I'm still waiting for that data that shows your assertion that marriage without God is impossible..

How many kids do you have from how many different fathers? How many times have you been married and divorced?

Most people are douches as evidenced by the fact that most kids grow up in homes where their biological parents are not in a stable committed relationship. Perhaps even on the atheist side there is room for improvement in how we treat other people. It's my belief that better reasons would make for better people and fewer stepmarriages, which is really what we should be striving for if we're really seeking what's in the best interests of the child.

[_I have a question]

I'm still waiting for that data that shows your assertion that marriage without God is impossible..

How many kids do you have from how many different fathers? How many times have you been married and divorced?

Most people are douches as evidenced by the fact that most kids grow up in homes where their biological parents are not in a stable committed relationship. Perhaps even on the atheist side there is room for improvement in how we treat other people. It's my belief that better reasons would make for better people and fewer stepmarriages, which is really what we should be striving for if we're really seeking what's in the best interests of the child.

I know you’ve now moved the goalposts from “marriage is impossible without God”, I just can’t tell where you’ve moved them to. What reasons do you think people get married for, and what reasons would be better?

[_ajax18]

I think marriage as an institution was created with the best interests of the child and society in mind. People who are unwilling to make and keep this committment are not fit to have children. in my opinion