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Originally Posted by Knalus

Photon: You stated that you found my comments to be "insulting". I found that odd. Particularly odd that you might find an attempt to explain why some people might show bigotry personally.

That you attempted isn't insulting, the lines of reasoning you described were insulting. They're insulting to atheists, and to the people who you say employ those lines of reasoning.. or if they're actually accurate, then they deserve any resistance they experience.

Originally Posted by Knalus

Considering the shocking filth that most atheists spew at religious people stating that their belief system is evil, well, you are going to have a hard time making me feel sorry that your religious sensibilities have been hurt.

"Most atheists"? "Shocking filth"? That's baloney.

And even the most "shocking" positions put forward by the most vocal atheists are reasoned and evidenced enough to be plausible and not be described as filth.

There's always people who are in it just for the conflict, but if you are going to include those as representative of atheists (which is silly because atheists don't claim to be a common group with common worldviews) then Westbro gets included as representative of Christians.

Originally Posted by Knalus

The second thing I find so odd is that I was merely trying to explain the results of the study. One impression I get from atheists is their belief that they 'actually' understand how the universe works, and that they don't need to resort to belief in fairies and ceiling cats to feel good about the world.

Science != atheism, so your impression is wrong. There are plenty of religious scientists who accept evolution and the history of the observable universe as proposed by science.

Originally Posted by Knalus

So, when I tried to explain a possible way that the universe was working, you got offended. Pardon if I found that ironic.

"This guy thinks black people are less evolved and inferior to white people, closer to apes than human. Oh but I'm just explain a possible way the universe was working, don't get offended black people."

In this example the idea that black people are closer to apes is insulting and offensive. Describing that people actually think that way isn't offensive or insulting.

If I was offended (I said I found it insulting, not that I was offended), it's the thought process I find insulting, not the fact that you're trying to explain it and not that that is the thought processes (if it is) that's insulting.

Your idea that that's the thought process isn't what was insulting, the ideas themselves were what was insulting.

Originally Posted by Knalus

Thing is, I came to my conclusion from an evolutionary point of view, not a Christianity-is-better-than-anything point of view. No one seemed to get that, however. Probably because atheists can't fathom a Christian actually explaining something like this using evolution. Sorry. I guess you guys spend too much time arguing with guys like Calgaryborn.

See you sound reasonable and then you go and say "because atheists can't fathom" lumping all atheists together and then immediately expect yourself to be differentiated from "guys like Calgaryborn".

If you paint with a broad brush, expect to be painted with a broad brush. If you want to be view in a more nuanced view, you can't lump people together.

But fair enough, sometimes easy targets are just easier to deal with. But I don't think I've ever put you in that same group.

And I did edit my first reply to you to indicate that I missed but then read your intent with the post.

All that said, if your post does describe the thought process of people responding to that study use then I don't think that says much about them. If true, then I think it would add to the case that some atheists make about religion being harmful; that a group would establish and foster (and not intentionally, just naturally evolving as you suggest) such thought processes would mean the group itself is harmful (not intentionally) isn't it?