It's nice to see some new names in the Religion Group today.

[MineralMan]

That livens things up a bit and makes it an even more interesting place.

For those who are recent arrivals, there's one thing I'd like to say: This is a DU Group that is open to all. It is the Religion Group, not the Religious Group. You'll find people here who have religious beliefs, as well as people who have no religious beliefs at all. We discuss religion here, from all points of view.

You won't necessarily just find agreement here. In fact, that's pretty unlikely. What you'll find is questioning of all points of view regarding religion. If you're looking for agreement only, there are several protected groups under the Religion topic, where disagreement is not allowed. You can see a list of those by clicking Religion & Spirituality in the list of Topics on the left of your screen. There are groups for a fairly large range of beliefs and even one for atheists and agnostics. Sadly, not many people post in those protected groups, since it's boring to just see agreement all the time.

The Religion Group is the most active Group on DU. It's not a place everyone is comfortable with, though. Still, it's the only place on DU where religion can be discussed by the full spectrum of people, so there's plenty to talk about.

[Bretton Garcia]

1. By definition, liberalism maybe can't exclude any views?.

But?

Liberalism by definition it seems at first, can't be dogmatic or militant? Yet this makes it too soft in the face of organized antagonism, armies.

It seems good to liberally allow all opinions, including religious zealots, here. But what happens when liberals are suddenly attacked by a conservative Nazi army, that wants to make you illegal, or jail or kill you, with no pleas allowed?.

There are times when being liberally tolerant of many or all views, is good. But when facing the Nazi army in WW II, should we have laid down our weapons, and been tolerant of Nazis?

For this reason, many became less liberal, and more firmly leftist. At least as a temporary response to organized right wing Republican opposition to liberalism.

In the past, whenever religious voices were freely allowed, they outnumbered and then excluded the atheists in this very group.

Are you sure you want to strongly encourage them to return? In the past, you insisted that you yourself were a victim of precisely that kind of exclusion, and in this very blog.

[Major Nikon]

2. Tolerance does not require one to tolerate intolerance

[MineralMan]

3. My post is more nuanced than that.

[Bretton Garcia]

4. I suspect you may have just all but destroyed this atheist group.

Through some kind of residual Christian idealism.

You might say you were well intended. But note that there are six billion religionists. Who greatly outnumber atheism. The most frequent result of equal treatment to both, means that huge numbers of believers overwhelm nonbelievers.

And then? They pass rules against nonbelievers.

[MineralMan]

8. Oh, I doubt that very much.

First, this is not an "atheist group," at all. Some here are atheists, but far from all.

Second, fresh voices are always welcome. It can get boring talking to the same individuals all The time.

Finally, I did leave this group once. I found myself losing my temper too often. So I decided to depart, to avoid problems. As it turned out, the person who was the cause of my loss of temper ended up getting shown the door for other reasons, so I came back after a time.

[Igel]

5. Abibal.

There's a name you probably haven't heard.

"My father is Baal." It's a Phoenician name.

[msongs]

6. why is it that none of the various gods post here? hmmm. nt

[MineralMan]

7. Really. Or on Facebook or Twitter.

Why IS that?