Drew

This is a real question. I've never seen the appeal of trolling. It seems incredibly masochistic to get a thrill out of having everyone you meet on the internet think you're a moronic douche. It's like a seagull feeling smug because he got to breakup a nice picnic with squakling and poop.

Is it masochism? Persecution fetish? Dunning-Kruger effect? I'm sure this is something we've all wondered about at one time or another. So please, why do people troll?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FTE4ptg34U

This is a strange, strange man who put sent me a friend request via youtube.

People are strange.

What did you think the first time you read a Chick Tract?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkm8R9FGKs

What do you see?

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/this_is...

Funniest answer gets the 10 points.

Have you ever read Chick Tracts?

What is your opinion of them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkm8R9FGKs

Since at lease 1907, that's when this recording was made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ACaWbRF4fQ

What's the oldest atheist/christian joke you know & when is it from?

Was anyone else aware of this bible verse?

Genesis 30:15-17 (New International Version)

15 But she said to her, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?"

"Very well," Rachel said, "he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me," she said. "I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.

Rachel pimps out her son to Leah, in exchange for some mandrakes. I was pretty surprised when I first saw that in the Bible. What's the typical religious justification for this verse? I can't remember any theist I've spoken to mention it.

*FYI I'm an atheist. I've read the bible (et al) many times & imho there's a lot of really weird stuff in there*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i2kipvfEGM

An American arms dealer was selling rifle scopes to the American military that had Bible verses hidden in the serial numbers.

I'm against this as being unconstitutional (separation of church & state). And feel more than a little worried that the company doesn't seem to see that what it's doing is wrong.

What are your views?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i2kipvfEGM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvlDacrvHtE

If you had $60,000.00 to spend to help the people of Haiti would you send food, water & medical supplies. (I'm an atheist I sent $50 to doctors without borders for stuff like that)

Or would you be like this American church group that spent $60,000.00 on creole language audio bibles.

$60,000.00!!!!!!

There's so many better ways that money could have been spent to actually help people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvlDacrvHtE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79SmIq-fuc

Is: New direction likely to become the next big internet meme?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79SmIq-fuc

Maybe I have a dirty mind but whenever I hear the phrase: new direction

I can't help but think of another phrase...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79SmIq-fuc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79SmIq-fuc

Is this a typical atheist reaction to being asked to go in a new direction?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79SmIq-fuc

(FYI: I'm an atheist & think this is funny)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r0lO5nFEBA

Is there more evidence for aliens (in terms of eyewitness accounts, etc,) then there is for Jesus?

What percentage of people do you think are honestly misinformed about what evolution is, how it works, and what the evidence for it is?

I've seen so many questions on Yahoo Answers that say things like "If we came from monkeys why are there still monkeys?" or "If evolution is true why aren't we evolving any more?"

I've seen these questions (as have most of you) so many times that they've become *facepalm*/*drink* questions. They are both absolutely ridiculous strawman questions, that betray the askers lack of knowledge about what evolution actually is.

Sometimes they link to creationist articles online (from e.g.: Kent Ham, Carl Hovind, Discovery Institute), which made me start to think. Maybe creationists aren't all trolls and Poes.

Maybe most of them really are just misinformed, particularly because creationist sites often warn believers not to examine scientifically sound books/websites because of the an imagined "evil scientific/atheistic conspiracy against Christians"

So, what percentage of creationists do you think are being trolls/Poes and what percentage do you think are honestly misinformed?

http://www.talkorigins.org/

Talkorigins.org is a great site for clearing up a lot of the confusion surrounding evolution and thoroughly explaining evidence that supports it. And also clearing up a lot of creationist misinformation.

http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs.html

Have any creationists ever gone there? How about my fellow atheists?

I'm an atheist and I say that, because no god/goddess/deity that has ever been worshiped in human history has a shred of evidence in it's favor and because most descriptions of most gods are inconsistent in some way with reality. It is therefore reasonable to say that no god(s) exist.

I'm glad I've explained this so there will be no more questions on the subject.

But I'm curious, why did you think that atheists don't believe in god?

Before I was born, before I was conceived, before my parents bodies produced the sperm & egg that made me...I did not exist. For millions of years before I was born, I did not exist.

I did not exist & that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I'm here now & I'm quite glad I am.

But I know that when I die & rot away I will go right back to not existing. I certainly don't look forward to it, but I accept it. It doesn't bother me that I didn't exist before I was born & it doesn't bother me that I won't exist after I'm dead.

Why does that concept make some people so uncomfortable?

Christians say Jesus was born in Bethlehem. So why is he called Jesus of Nazareth and not Jesus of Bethlehem?

As I'm sure you guys know, American money only began including the phrase "In God we trust" on paper money in 1957.

http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/curre...

I've heard that it was placed on American money because of right-wing lobbyists, who thought it would prevent communism. Is there any truth to that?

Did you know that trolls are "stimulated" by seeing the chaos, anger and arguments they cause?

Just a friendly warning. Whenever you respond to a troll you are causing him to enjoy his game of pocket-pool even more.