[cityboy2012]

I am genuinely interested as to why small pockets of religious groups like to protest at athiest conferences. Does it give extra blessings or is it better for preaching? What is the purpose of shouting infidel at an athiest conferrence and holding posters?

I focus on the following 2 examples.

This one is in Aus. I found this completely hilarious especially the athiest chances afterwards. I found the burn in hell chant really insulting.






Christians also seem to protest but they have different slogans. Irritating but lower tone.

[Spaz Man]

Athiests and religious people do this to one another. Freedom of speech and all that. What what.

[cityboy2012]

yeh but what do you get out of it. How is that going to convert anyone? I don't know of athiests trying to convert religious people by protesting outside mosques or churches

[cityboy2012]

(Original post by Spaz Man)
Athiests and religious people do this to one another. Freedom of speech and all that. What what.

How is calling someone an infidel and saying burn to help going to convert them? What important freedom of speech is it conveying? Does that mean anyone can do anything or say anything because of freedom of speech?

[Spaz Man]

(Original post by cityboy2012)
How is calling someone an infidel and saying burn to help going to convert them? What important freedom of speech is it conveying? Does that mean anyone can do anything or say anything because of freedom of speech?

They use the same reason to want to block anything that they consider blasphemy or used to deliberately antagonise people of their religion. It works in circles. Freedom of speech and all that. What what.

[Negaduck]

Considering religious groups have protested at homosexual peoples' funerals making sure everyone knows that "gay people burn in hell" or "God hates fags", I think this is not as disrespectful. Although, of course, I think it's absurd and they really get nothing out of it other than fuelling their egos and whinding up the other side.

These sorts of things are embarrassing to sane religious people and to sane athiests.

[Stalin]

'Where are the women?' - Hitchens would have been proud.

[Politricks]

If there aren't any religious nuts picketing at an Atheist conference, then an Atheist conference is just simply not complete

[B-Man.]

To show them the error of their ways

[Tomcrease]

I can't watch the videos because I'm on my phone so I may have missed the point? But what is an atheist conference? People sitting around confirming to each other that god isn't real?

I'm an atheist by the way, I just don't know why you would go to this?

[johndoranglasgow]

"What do we want?"
"God to be real!"
"When do we want it?"
"When it suits us!"

[hannah60000]

(Original post by Negaduck)
Considering religious groups have protested at homosexual peoples' funerals making sure everyone knows that "gay people burn in hell" or "God hates fags", I think this is not as disrespectful. Although, of course, I think it's absurd and they really get nothing out of it other than fuelling their egos and whinding up the other side.

These sorts of things are embarrassing to sane religious people and to sane athiests.

Actually that is the minority are you referring to Americas most hates family they go not represent the Christian faith...

[Gofre]

(Original post by Tomcrease)
I can't watch the videos because I'm on my phone so I may have missed the point? But what is an atheist conference? People sitting around confirming to each other that god isn't real?

I'm an atheist by the way, I just don't know why you would go to this?

Most of the stuff I've seen from these conventions revolves around the discussion of religion and secularism in social or political contexts, rather than being "101 reasons theists are stupid", which I imagine would get boring after the first afternoon. Plus there's usually some cool scientific presentations from "circuit regulars" like Laurence Krauss, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Richard Dawkins.

[The Mr Z]

(Original post by cityboy2012)
I am genuinely interested as to why small pockets of religious groups like to protest at athiest conferences. Does it give extra blessings or is it better for preaching? What is the purpose of shouting infidel at an athiest conferrence and holding posters?

Simple - atheism/secularism is by far the biggest threat to their religion. Which makes it the biggest threat to the leaders' power and authority. But more generally any alternative to their doctrine is a threat - they do this to other religious groups too, even other sects within their own religion. Atheists tend to have more cameras to hand though.

If large atheist conferences and gatherings, which are publicly advertised, go unchallenged they become more and more the norm and attendance and influence spreads.

Attacking them on the other hand, through harassment and ugly but "peaceful" protest, intimidates those who may consider going and overshadows the intended purpose of the event. (Does anyone know what was discussed at that conference in Australia? No, only that there was a protest)

Obviously it has backlashes for the groups involved, but they're not trying to make any friends amongst liberal society. It will however gain them attention and potential support from amongst the deeply religious sects where they draw most of their support from, so it also helps to boost their profile and influence in those communities.

It's pandering to their own supporters.

(Original post by hannah60000)
Actually that is the minority are you referring to Americas most hates family they go not represent the Christian faith...

There's a lot more than just the Westboro Baptist church (From America's Most Hated Family) that do that. It is a minority, but a frighteningly large one.

And it's not a view that the majority of Christians actually disagree with, just one they're not often vocal about. All Christian groups create a huge fuss on issues of Gay rights and marriage. They may not be saying they "burn in hell", but they do say it's a "sin" in their religion and it's against their religious rights to have to tolerate these people! (Which is saying exactly the same thing, because to Christians sinners do burn in hell for eternity, it's just being less explicit about it) Even the large Christian denominations like the Catholics, Protestants and CoE.

[Dmon1Unlimited]

(Original post by cityboy2012)
I am genuinely interested as to why small pockets of religious groups like to protest at athiest conferences. Does it give extra blessings or is it better for preaching? What is the purpose of shouting infidel at an athiest conferrence and holding posters?

I focus on the following 2 examples.

This one is in Aus. I found this completely hilarious especially the athiest chances afterwards. I found the burn in hell chant really insulting.






Christians also seem to protest but they have different slogans. Irritating but lower tone.

a thread about this was made some time ago with the same videos...
people do this to each other, but with the atheist one, their chants were edited i think so it seems more one sided. while both were shouting ignorant crap at each other, i would like to point out that its an atheist convention... protesters did start it to my knowledge...

[Dmon1Unlimited]

whilst i have no idea what goes on in an atheist conference, i believe there should be more atheist based activities... this **** needs to be considered the norm, atheism isnt just a minority of insane people, as if it were a temporary disease that can be cured...

if places of worship can be built then atheist based events should be allowed to be a common thing...

afterall religion is not superior... atheists should get just as much respect as a theist...

[A.J10]

(Original post by Tomcrease)
I can't watch the videos because I'm on my phone so I may have missed the point? But what is an atheist conference? People sitting around confirming to each other that god isn't real?

I'm an atheist by the way, I just don't know why you would go to this?

Although atheism is not a single organisation or movement there are organisations that define themselves as "Atheist ..." or something. There's a big one in America which I think exists to try and act as a counter weight to the religious organisations over there. They have stuff to discuss just like any other large organisation.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my E15i

[Negaduck]

(Original post by hannah60000)
Actually that is the minority are you referring to Americas most hates family they go not represent the Christian faith...

That sentence makes no sense whatsoever. Try using punctuation.