Over the years how many Believers have been ran off of Fluther?
Looking back over the question achieves, which sometimes go back several years, I have noticed quite a few Flutheronians who professed to being Believers are no longer active on the site. There has to be a reason, it might be a far stretch to think they were all on the same sightseeing plane tour when the plane crashed; they all got busy jobs so they can make as much time as the ungodly people, etc. By the preponderance evidence on how people of faith have been received over the years (the proof is in the archives) the more plausible reason would be they were bullied off the site or into silence. Not that you would tell the truth, how many Believers do you think were ran off of Fluther and that is why they are not posting anymore?
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People come and people go. Their religious beliefs have little or nothing to do with it. Look back at old questions and count how many people are still here, and how many have left. Huge numbers have left. Very few are still here. You can choose to believe that people have left because they were felt unwelcome due to their religious belief but I say ‘show me the evidence’.
Not that you would tell the truth. Why would anyone answer this question when you already stated that you aren’t going to believe anyone’s answer?
@Hypocrisy_Central, do read @Stinley‘s post. There are many hard core atheists and anti-theists who no longer post either.
I doubt so many have been “ran off” as you think. I figure the ones who have left because of their beliefs have gone to sites with which they are more compatible, where there are others of similar interests.
There are a fair number of Christians, here, they just don’t tend to discuss it much, they talk about other stuff.
Read some of the remarks on my profile. I stayed because I’m a stubborn so and so. In spite of the (often nasty) reception I get when I mention it, I believe God loves you whether you are atheist or gay or anything else. I’ve been PM’ed by a number of Christians who got fed up and left because of the rough treatment they received for being Christian. I don’t bother to count.
I did take a year hiatus because I was going through an extremely difficult time and wasn’t up to dealing with the negativity on this site, but I’m back now.
I know some atheists who felt they were bullied off the site. I know some progressives who feel they were bullied off the site – or chose to leave because they didn’t feel agreed with. I know an anarchist who threatens to leave because he doesn’t feel we’re good enough for him. And I know some liberal Christians who are quite at home here.
Professing victimhood is never particularly attractive unless one is indeed a real victim of harm.
I would say personally that I truly don’t care what anyone’s religious beliefs – we have a number of faiths in my family – but it’s the values you show and how you treat others that matter to me. I don’t care for hypocrisy in any of its forms.
When I lived in New Zealand, I worked in an area with a very large indigenous population. They felt very strongly about their culture and didn’t like it when government agencies dictated to them how things should be run. I worked for the Regional Fire Service office. The area was often drought stricken and had fires and to manage them, we relied a great deal on local knowledge and cooperation. Over the years, the Fire Chief, Regional Commander and local whanau had built up strong mutual respect and good working relationship. Just as I joined the service, the entire country’s fire service had gone through a long and painful restructuring. We had to go have a hui (meeting) with the tribes so the head office representatives from Wellington could inform them of any changes in personnel and administration structure. I was just there as the new Regional Administrator to be introduced to help with computer training and book keeping and purchasing requirements. A young man who had been working very hard as a volunteer chief got up and spoke first. The main topic of his address was how good the local relationship was with the current Fire Chief and Regional Fire Commander and if the big bosses in Wellington had thoughts of taking them away that they, ‘haven’t cooked a white man up there for sometime now, but they still had the pot.’
I don’t think we’ve driven a ‘Believer’ away for sometime, but I think we still have the pitchforks.
Fluther tends to be a very fluid community. If you look back at a old thread, say from 2010 or earlier, you’ll see just how much the membership has changed. Some of the people, you won’t remember at all; others, you’ll be reminded of them and surprised that they’ve been gone for so long.
Devoutly religious Jellies come and go, and so do the atheists. Personally, I’ve taken two very long hiatuses from Fluther, but neither choice had anything to do with religion.
“This isn’t Starfleet Academy. You’re not going to be coddled. If you can’t take it here, then you might think about a transport ship. There’s a lot less pressure there.” . Counsellor Troi
I have a hypothesis, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.
It could be that The Rapture has occurred, and no one has told the rest of us yet.
Could you specify “Believers” in what? Having “faith” in what?
@cookieman believers in God, or perhaps in a religion.
He means fundamentalist christians.
@snowberry & @ragingloli: I suspected as much but wanted @HC to clarify. To be honest, I find it odd that he leaves it out. Aren’t there many beliefs in the world? A bit of an assumption.
The correct verb is “have been run” not “have been ran”.
We thought you had ranned off!
@Rarebear Then you wasn’t turned into a toad?
@raginloli It’s a quote from a movie.
@Rarebear One of my favorite films of all time!
@ragingloli
Why do you not make like a tree, and get out of here?
@snowberry [..believers in God, or perhaps in a religion.
Believers can only be those of God, if not Him, I don’t know what they believe in, but it might as well be a boloney sandwich. As far as other religions, I have not seen over my time here, anyone blasting wiccans, Buddhist, Jews, hara Krishna, or those idiots worshiping Baphomet, or whatever the hunk of rock was. There was no need to mention any of those religions as I have not seen them maligned here, if they have, I missed them.
^ Since on this site at any one time it appears you can count the Believers on one hand and hardly run out of fingers, of those I know where confessed believers, at least three I can remember, again, the number would not be high because there is never, in my estimation, more than 3% Believers on Fluther.
And how many of those are regularly run off? The majority of the users here (that are vocal about it) are indeed atheists or anti-theists, but so what? You yourself (and some others) are constantly derisive of, critical of, and denigrating a specific demographic here and we choose to leave or stay for whatever reasons.
If people don’t like it here, they can leave, or stay in order to keep addressing us with snide derision or rank disapproval.
Again, so what? There are infinitely worse places on the Internet to interact, and better places for specific interests.
I believe in God but I’m not a fundamentalist. I try to avoid religious discussions on here, and it’s no different than in real life. I rarely discuss religion with my friends, coworkers, etc. When we do, we don’t argue or try to change each others’ minds about it, or get hostile about everyone else’s beliefs. I have friends who believe all kinds of things, are all kinds of religions, or not, and it, in and of itself, doesn’t have any affect on my relationships with them.
On Fluther, to answer this question properly would mean a bit more information about who you’re going to include in “run off” There’s no way of knowing, unless you survey each person who was here and left, why they came and left. Who is going to be included? Is it going to include people who were here for a short time and left, or only long time users? There are lots of people who were here before under a different name and then returned. Some admit it, some don’t. People who left a long time ago may not remember why they left the first time. Some might have taken a little break for whatever reason but are still here. Are you going to include all Christians, or only the holy rollers?
People move on. It’s just that simple. It’s like a bar or any other place where people gather. There might be a small percentage of patrons “driven off”, but by and large the overwhelming majority of those who stop showing up, simply get tired of the place or find better or more rewarding things to do. I don’t think there is any sort of effort here to muscle out the “believers”. I will agree with you, that if you visit here seeking reinforcement for your religious suppositions, you’re in for some sharp discussions (and you should be).
@jca On Fluther, to answer this question properly would mean a bit more information about who you’re going to include in “run off” There’s no way of knowing, unless you survey each person who was here and left, why they came and left.
I am speaking only of those who professed that Jesus is Lord, I am sure others left, some maybe left on negative terms but I don’t take notice of them because if they are of the world, they are as on my radar as dust blowing through the street. I have nothing to go off that they were posting regularly then nothing, they maybe still around in hiatus (if Neptune has not eaten them), or gone but never deleted their account.
I thought Jesus was love but I guess not!
^ Psst He is, but He is more than that, so many try to limit Him to what they want Him to be.
King Arthur: I am your king.
Woman: Well, I didn’t vote for you.
King Arthur: You don’t vote for kings.
Woman: Well how’d you become king then?
[Angelic music plays… ]
King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.
Dennis: [interrupting] Listen, strange women lyin’ in ponds distributin’ swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
Order, eh? Who does he think he is?
It’s a good bet that the rate of “believers” abandoning fluther is no larger than that of folks defecting from the churches. I would be surprised if the numbers of the faithful “raptured” from fluther were statistically outside the norms for overall shrinkage. As you state above, you only miss or notice the absence of your fellow the bible thumpers.
Ooh, what a giveaway! Did you hear that? Did you hear that, eh? That’s what I’m on about! Did you see him repressing me? You saw him, didn’t you?
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