Alt.atheism
In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of Alt.atheism and everything that this concept can encompass. From its origins to its impact on today's society, Alt.atheism has been the subject of debate, study and reflection throughout history. Throughout the pages of this article, we will delve into the many facets of Alt.atheism, analyzing its relevance in different contexts and its influence on our lives. With a critical and reflective eye, we will examine the role that Alt.atheism plays in our modern society and how it has evolved over time. Get ready to embark on a fascinating journey through Alt.atheism and discover everything this concept has to offer.
alt.atheism is a Usenet newsgroup within the alt.* hierarchy that discusses atheism. The group was originally created on February 6, 1990 by a member of the alt.pagan newsgroup, to provide an alternative forum for the numerous discussions on atheism that were overwhelming the pagan group. A survey of usenet groups in 1994–1995 found that, among 70 groups discussing "consciousness, spirituality, and religion (broadly defined)", it was the group with the highest traffic volume. Nash (2002) writes that "atheist and freethought newsgroups" including alt.atheism have "done much to remove the sense of isolation felt by many with antireligious opinions".
Discussion matter
According to the alt.atheism FAQ, the purpose of the group is to discuss atheism and atheist topics such as the following:
- Whether it is reasonable to pretend to be religious in order to avoid upsetting your family
- Prayer in schools
- Discrimination against atheists
- Sunday trading laws
- The Satanic Child Abuse myth
- Whether you should be an overt atheist or 'stay in the closet'
- How religious societies prey on new college students
- How to get rid of unwanted proselytizers
- Whether religion is a danger to society and/or the individual
- Why people become atheists
Ricker (2006) calls out another common discussion topic, the proper definition of atheism, as being "the thread that never dies on alt.atheism". The popularization of the "weak and strong atheism" terminology for different definitions of atheism has been credited to discussions on the alt.atheism newsgroup.
References
- ^ Holbrook, N. (October 25, 1998), "Atheism Online", The Lantern, archived from the original on 2007-06-16, retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ Brian R. Holt's alt.pagan post announcing his creation of alt.atheism as sourced from Google Groups on January 15, 2016.
- ^ Kinney, Jay (1995), "Net worth? : Religion, cyberspace and the future", Futures, 27 (7): 763–776, doi:10.1016/0016-3287(95)80007-V.
- ^ Nash, David (2002), "Religious sensibilities in the age of the internet: freethought culture and the historical context of communication media", in Hoover, Stewart M.; Clark, Lynn Schofield (eds.), Practicing religion in the age of the media: explorations in media, religion, and culture, Columbia University Press, p. 281, ISBN 978-0-231-12089-0.
- ^ alt.atheism FAQ as sourced by the Internet Archive on February 11, 2005.
- ^ Ricker, George A. (2006), Godless in America: Conversations With an Atheist, iUniverse, p. 131, ISBN 978-0-595-39101-1.
External links
- Alt.atheism USENET group
- alt.atheism on google groups
- alt-atheism Newsgroup FAQ
- The Atheist Frontier
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