OK, now I HAVE to ask...?

Question

Yesterday I asked two questions...one concerned evolution in school, and involved teachers who tell their kids that God doesn't exist, or is an outdated concept. From the answers I got, it became quite clear that, of course, atheist parents aren't being told about this by their kids, but Christian parents are...
Anyhow, it seems that someone took offense, and Y!A deleted it...
The other question asked whether there have ever been any discoveries that might tend to support atheism...you know, like maybe some ancient civilization that didn't have any form of worship, or something. Predictably, I was told that it is not possible to prove a negative (I wish someone would tell my bank that!) and that the burden of proof is on the people who claim that there is a God...
So, now I have to ask...is Y!A showing preferential treatment to atheists??

Yeah...I've heard a lot of atheists complain about this...sometimes I understood the problem, other times not.
I've had stuff deleted that I understood the reason for...I had been....believe it or not....rude and intolerant.
(Yeah, I know it's hard to believe...I'm such a sweet, lovable old lady...)
However, these questions were neither rude, nor intolerant. Not that I've never been deleted for no obvious reason before...but it does tend to be a bit...uh...irritating, yes??

I made my Q&A private...
I've only blocked people who have really been offensive.
There are some atheists on here who have been reasonable and even kind.

OH...and the remark about atheists getting preferential treatment was intended as a bit of sarcasm...since so many of them seem to think that Y!A is "out to get them"...which, when you think about it, is kind of amusing...especially when the same atheist complains about Christians having a "persecution complex"...
Sorry if it went over a few heads!!

Answer 1

Y!A does not report questions, Y!A users do. I have asked many questions to atheists and gotten many replies and relatively few of my questions were deleted. But if I ask the same question to Christians, my question is often deleted.

Like:

"Atheists, would you rather have a very religious society or a society where religion was banned" and it was not deleted. To my surprise many chose religious society over a banned one. I asked Christians if they would rather have an Islamic society or a society where Islam was banned and many said banned and my question was deleted. I don't know if those people who said ban it were just imposters or whatever, but still.

As to the evolution thing, I largely see where you are coming from and try to discuss that often. To me the issue isn't whether or not evolution or Creationism is true, instead I think, regardless of what is true, religious views should not be attacked or openly endorsed in public schools. If a Muslim teacher said Christianity was wrong they would probably be fired, but if an atheistic biology teacher said that, often nothing happens, and my biology teacher was openly atheist and did say the Bible was wrong in class. I think that is wrong. If evolution is right or wrong doesn't matter to me, religious views should not be challenged in public schools.

As to early civilizations, the very oldest we can trace to is the neanderthals who believed in some sort of an afterlife. When one of their brethren died they would bury them with personal possesions, things that could have been used by the tribe, which indicated that they thought material possesions went with us into a next life. Most early civilizations had several gods. The oldest name for God, older than the name "God" itself was logos, which was from the oldest known language of the Sumerian civilization. So you may say that the divine is built into human instincts.

And I love the "can't prove a negative" argument. In algebra class I proved it every day. 1 - 2 = a negative, I just proved a negative. Jupiter is not between earth and the moon, I can look up and see that and prove that negative.

You know whats funny though, try saying, "There is no evolution" and they will scream, "Prove it!". How? I can't prove a negative according to them. I think they caught wind of this so they changed it to say, "The burden of proof is on those making a claim". Thats everyone though. Atheists make just as much of a claim as theists.

I asked someone once who used that "can't prove a negative" argument, I said, "I saw a film of people saying the moon landing was a hoax. Do they have burden of proof?" and they said yes, most people accepted the moon landing so they had the burden of disproving it. Well according to most statistics only about 2% of the world are atheists, so they should surely have burden of proof. Of course they spin this to say only 1/3 of the world is Christian, but Christianity is still the largest religion.

In an election, if there are 33% Republican voters, 27% Democrat, 25% communist, and 15% green party, the 33% Republicans would still win because they make up the majority. You do not say, "ah but 2/3rds of the people are non-Republican so the Republicans cannot be elected because most people are not Republican so they are the minority". No, they make up the largest denomination so they would win.

Have a great day. Sorry I wrote so much, I just like you.

Answer 2

Yahoo doesn't look at the questions that people report. People click the delete button and the question gets deleted. Yahoo is not a democracy, no matter how hard they try to make it seem that way.

I don't understand your atheists parent comment. What aren't they being told? Well if atheists parents knew that their kids were being taught creationism in school and that God is real, then I am sure you have a few heads rolling. For the most part plenty of public schools are secular so it is usually the christian parents in a twist.

Atheism isn't a group it is just an opinion. Now I believe that some people who share that opinion have unwittingly become a group. They feel some connection with other who have that opinion. But that has nothing to do with the over all basic definition of what an atheism is.

Don't pay much attention to cookie cutter replies given by people, atheists and theists alike. Some people dish out the same old comments as if they get them from an atheist's gumball machine or a theist's gumball machine.

Preferential treatment? Who knows?

Answer 3

To be perfectly honest I've never had a science teacher or professor talk negativly about any religion especially during evolution lessons. I would go so far as an atheist to request punishment for such an educator if I ever heard about such behavior taking place. It's counter-productive and has nothing to do with the lesson.

As far as your second issue. You can't prove a negative. You can't prove that something doesn't exist be it a god, an orbiing teapot or garden gnomes.

Think of it this way. Should you have to prove to anyone that Zeus doesn't exist? the same rule applies in courts of law. It's the prosecutor that has to make his/her case, not the defense attourney.

Answer 4

I disagreed with your premise and conclusion in the schools question but, from memory, there was no legitimate reason for it to be deleted. I suggest appealing to Y!A if for no other reason than if they realise it was reported unfairly, they will automatically reduce the power of the people who reported it to (unfairly) report other questions.

The person a few above me has taken a lot of time but doesn't understand what the phrase "prove a negative" is a short hand for in strict logic and science, and is attacking it outside its limits. Anyway, it cuts both ways. Both of these are logically false: "God(s) exist because there is no proof that they don't exist" and "God(s) don't exist, because there is no proof that they do exist". Although it seems that your question wasn't about "proving" anyway but "tending to support" which are totally different logically.

Answer 5

Your answer is not very appropriate for an "atheist," for souch perople are polite in their questions about life and God. I know you want to deviate from Society and seek the Lord on your own, but the truth is that your questi to know God your way is neopagan. It is dangerous. Yes, I do know that some teachers would disgrace their own beliefs in front of others so as to teach their students, but such is because of the schedule, and once time is lost it can never be regained. Please have faith, for I sense anger in your words. Sometimes the Forum would delete questins that generate negative answers, some of them being outright offensive or rebellious. Evolution is a part of Life and God; never dismiss the two concepts as irrelevant, for to be of the irrational is neopagan. Please be forgiven of your sins, for you have lost touch with the one and only God Almighty. I pray that you will com to your senses. God is a part of our lives and He is our father in Heaven. Trust me, my friend, for there is no such thing as an atheist, for they are invented by the minds of Christians who perfer to be non-Christian. So as to confirm your statement, there is no way any company would discriminate against anyone of religious faith. I would not be here if that was true, for I am a Unitarian, and Unitarians are of Wicca. Please do not suggest my faith is Witchcraft, for I am a devout believer in God. May God be there for you in the depths of allyour woes. I pray for you.

Answer 6

i was reported omce cause i called someones idea of tongue being pierced foolish and idiotic.. it was deleted too. i since learned to season what i say with grace . it sure works wonders ,, i dont agree with christians reporting anyone unless its of a sexual nature . they themselves often utter false concepts dealing with GODS CHARACTER THEMSELVES..
YES U DO, its being intolerable and intrusive to tell someone GOD hates them and they going to hell where they burn for all eternity,, this for one tells non believers GODis overly cruel for a human dictator will at least let u die , .. , i am not here bashing christians either just some who think and tell others lies about GODS character,
NOONE ,, DO U HEAR?? NOONE will go to heaven because they are scared of hell.. FEAR IS NOT AN EMOTION thata isacceptable to AN ALL MIGHTY AND LOVING CREATOR. LOVEalone will change someones behavior that is all. bro mj , and u can BELIEVE IT - OR NOT

Answer 7

I answered that question and didn't think it violated any of the guidelines. My advice is to appeal and explain why it did not merit a violation. You may get it restored. I had one question restored recently which was unjustly removed.

I have had reasonable questions and answers removed too, so I don't think from my experience that atheists have any preferential treatment.

Answer 8

I've heard a lot of people complaining today about stuff being unnecessarily deleted, both theists and atheists. I think somebody just went report-button-happy yesterday, and as we all know that Y!A staff doesn't check everything.

Sorry your stuff got deleted without cause, though :-(

Answer 9

Oh - this isn't that persecution complex again - is it? I've seen just as many Atheists (if not more) get booted from here and just as many of their questions removed. No one at Y!A is picking on Christians exclusively.

Answer 10

No, Yahoo is not showing preferential treatment to atheists. But even if it were, why would that bother you? After all, don't you have something more powerful than Yahoo showing preferential treatment to you?