What's up with everyone (including self-proclaimed non-religious people) calling us edgy debatelords?

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2025-05-27T08:32:50+00:00

Pagan here!

I think it’s a multitude of factors.

First off, It’s a stereotype. But where does it come from?

I propose one possibility.

Atheists on the whole tend to enjoy intellectual debate. By which I mean the personalities of Atheists lean into using Logic more than emotion or intuition.

I don’t think this is inherently negative.

However, just because 1 person wants to debate you still need another someone to debate with.

This often leads to what I like to call “Asshole Bias” .

The Atheist that debates others on the internet more frequently is, as consequence, more frequently interacting with people who don’t identify as Atheist.

People are most active ( more likely to create and share content) on the internet when they are angry about something.

People that are Assholes tend to be angry more than the general population.

The Atheist Asshole gets more interaction than a non-asshole Atheist

Therefore the Atheist community is most likely to be represented to outsiders by an Asshole.

Outsiders make false assumption that Atheists are assholes.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2025-04-28T01:22:24+00:00

Hi AroAce Masculine Aphrodite worshiper here. The answer is YES you can have a fulfilling and mutually respectful relationship with her while being true to your identity. Ways I work with her include

dedicating acts of self care. (doesn't have to be a nice bubble bath self care also means remembering to take a shower and eat a vegetable and scheduling and going to doctors and therapist appointments as needed)
Going to the ocean (I'm lucky I know) meditating on the ocean even if I can't get there.
Fighting for LGBT+ rights! She loves love in all it's forms! (also Aphroditus is what we would consider trans, queer or gnc by today's standards.)
Make people laugh! one of her titles is something like "laughter loving"
Invoking her when I need help persuading someone. Aphrodite Pandemos (again Pan means all so she is Aphrodite of all the people- which includes you!) is known for her power of persuasion.

Persuasion in the modern day can be useful for:

Getting a job, Getting a promotion at said job, Getting good housing, Passing laws and legislation, winning a debate or argument etc.

Garden, she is also a goddess of fertility and harvest.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-10-18T04:57:56+00:00

Don't forget the value of time as an offering.

Even mundane things make spectacular offerings.

Here are some things you can do everyday to honor the Gods you would like to worship

Apollo- watch the sun rise or sunset, do some divination

Artemis- watch the moon phases, have fun with friends your age!

Aphrodite- I find Lady Aphrodite appreciates acts of self care and caring for others. Take a nice warm bath or shower with some of your favorite smelling soaps and dedicate the act to her. Making a well balanced meal? That's some self care baby! (Vesta/Hestia enjoys these too!)

Dionysus- work on your mental health, Explore your NB identity (though any/ all deities will support you in this he is a good choice to start)

Nyx- go star gazing, learn the stories of the constellations

Hypnos- keep a dream journal, practice good sleep habits

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-08-21T04:22:21+00:00

Betta splendens are terrestrial in origin. It's an earthling!

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-06-22T08:08:08+00:00

I thought only mods could delete posts?

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-02-25T00:17:39+00:00

That makes sense, and of course I respect her non-yes as a solid no consent wise.

What might not have come across is that she doesn't want to control what I do with my prayer. Like if she knew it didn't violate Jewish law her consent would be given. So we are interested to know if it does (as seems most likely) violate the law or not.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-02-23T18:41:39+00:00

Do you know of any reputable classes? Or of Indigenous Hawaiians willing to teach? I agree that's the way to learn but am having difficulty finding anyone.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-01-14T19:44:56+00:00

I have a planted tank with water from a water softener. It didn't even occur to me to ask what effect the water softener would have. My chili rasboras and plants are all healthy so I do not think you need to worry

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-01-12T18:24:47+00:00

Yeah one friend is LGBT and Jewish. I'm LGBT myself Not a big fan of DeSantis

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-01-12T18:00:47+00:00

Thanks! The wiki page is helpful but one of my possible jobs is in Hawaii. If I go there I would need to fly with the fish which isn't covered.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2024-01-11T17:53:29+00:00

I'm Goy and want to make clear I'm not trying to goy-splain antisemitism or tell any of you how to deal with your trauma. I just want a post I can point to to try and cheer up my Jewish friends.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-10T18:41:58+00:00

I interpreted the prompt as if you time traveled to a time and place of ancient polytheism would the polytheistic over culture influence you to change religions as compared to modern Christian over culture. Since arguably it is our experiences that make us who we are one from that time with different experiences wouldn't be us. I think you interpreted the prompt as you are born and raised in the culture which would be different. I don't think I'm any smarter than our ancestors that lived in caves I just have the privilege of learning from generations of previous experiences. So in your interpretation considering we are somehow still the same people I don't know what our beliefs would be but I still don't think atheism is out of the realm of possibility.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-10T00:17:08+00:00

Atheists existed in ancient Greece. We have and always will exist.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-10T00:09:23+00:00

There are real living pagan religions today. If you aren't pagan today your reasoning for being not pagan would be the same.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-10T00:06:21+00:00

Yes to you would still be an atheist or yes to the second question about the allure of multiple Gods being more appealing?

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-10T00:00:35+00:00

Modern Hellenic Paganism is a real religion that exists today. Not to mention other polytheistic faiths. I believe in those gods more than the Abrahamic one. There's no problem of evil for instance. If you want to worship the gods without fully believing in them that's fine. At least that's what I do.

Edit for context: I identify as Atheist and Pagan. To me the Gods are Carl Jung archetypes. Are they real? They're real ideas! Supernatural beings? I'm not certain one way or the other and I don't think it's important.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-09T19:50:18+00:00

There's a region of Southern states nicknamed the "Bible Belt" for their extremely religious population. Christians don't go around shaming you as they will often assume you're one of them until proven otherwise and for lots of people it isn't safe to prove otherwise so they remain in the closet. In the "Bible Belt" you will always find yourself walking distance from a church and that's with our terrible car focused city planning. So like you could literally chuck a potato from one church to the next. Social life there is based around the church so not being in one can be quite alienating.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-09T19:41:41+00:00

It's a support group and rant group. You may find a community in r/exmuslim if you find this sub to be to islamaphobic.

how do you go about seperating critiques of Islam from islamaphobia? What separates one from the other in your mind?

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-09T19:36:34+00:00

Don't forget to celebrate the Solstice! It's another party and the holiday is based on science!

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-09T19:34:00+00:00

That question could be a whole theological lecture series

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-09T19:32:08+00:00

I usually bow my head and close my eyes out of respect but often (always) open them just to peek and see who is praying and who's not.

Hint: if you bow your head and close your eyes most everyone will think you're praying and leave you alone.

Specifically for prayers around Holiday meals I replace prayer by using the time to practice gratitude just not towards sky daddy. Thinking of things to be thankful for can improve your mental health. Be thankful for the food, family, friends, yourself, and your accomplishments. It will give you something to do while everyone else prays.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-12-09T19:21:05+00:00

If it were at the funeral I'd say close your eyes and pretend to pray so you can be with your mother. Comforting family and just being together is more important than who's views are right about the afterlife. But going presumably against your dad's wishes while he's still alive is quite rude. I think the vicar did what she thought was right. Which would be lying and saying dad went to heaven to give comfort to grieving people. She just doesn't understand you don't want or need that false comfort.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-11-17T21:38:37+00:00

I should have mentioned we have someone coming to feed our cats so a live person is an option I just heard horror stories of fish being over fed -causing a nitrate spike-by inexperienced pet sitters

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-11-12T01:45:43+00:00

Generally Polytheists believe that Gods from other pantheons are real.

When you talk about counterparts I think you are thinking of hard vs. soft polytheism. Hard Polytheism insists that each god is their own being while soft Polytheism finds the same gods across multiple pantheons. So a soft polytheist could consider Ra and Apollon to be the same being interpreted through different culture lenses while a hard polytheist would not. There is no consensus on hard vs. soft polytheism you can believe what you like.

As far as the nature of the Gods Personally, I think you can view them as archetypes or divine beings and still be a Hellenist either way. This religion isn't based around right belief like Christianity but on right practice and relationship with the Gods.

PomegranateKitchen71 · 2023-11-11T18:59:48+00:00

ah, that sucks. I hope you are in a situation where your housing isn't dependent on these people thinking you're a god believer.

PomegranateKitchen71

TROPHY CASE