Hello guys, I am an atheist for 15 years now. I decided for sure that I am an atheist when I was 10. I live my life rationally, trying to become a scientist (MSc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics). I have always been a secular person. And I have never been passive in this. Always trying to explain people why their religion is not reflecting the reality we live in. But this is unacceptable. Joined your facebook page long ago. And today I realized a photo sent in the page showing aggressive/murderous Quran/Koran verses. I thought they looked different then what I read myself, and checked a few of them using internet. As I suspected, they were deliberately changed to make them look worse than they are. I wrote back to the page about this and this is the response I get back. I mean who would wanna be so hostile to someone that just asking for them to check the translations again. I said I am an atheist that is just against false information. I even said I can provide you the info to show that these are not the actual translations, some verses have obvious changes.
And this was the response I got from the guy responsible for Atheist Republic's facebook page. I added as a photo. Come on. Be better than that. I cant believe from all the people around the world you guys are the ones like that.
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Hi, Secular. If we trust your word, this definitely deserves a good explanation and an apology.
This is the facebook post I criticized:
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/photos/a.199993620087505.50762....
For example check 22:19. The translation in the facebook post. "Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies."
Original translation I got from my internet search on the verses: "These are two adversaries who have disputed over their Lord. But those who disbelieved will have cut out for them garments of fire. Poured upon their heads will be scalding water" (From website: https://quran.com/22/19)
In the actual translations an imaginary god is saying that he will be doing shitty things to people. But in this facebook post's translation an imaginary god is ordering to real people to do the shitty things. The outcomes are totally different. Real people getting deluded and doing horrific stuff is a real threat. Therefore, the amount of danger it presents, the amount of fear and anger it elicits are totally different. I believe this is intentionally changed a little bit to increase phobia. I read 2 different bibles and also read the quran from 2 different translations. I believe this isn't how you convince people to act with reason. You should be objective and give the truth as it is. And nobody should be so hostile to some other human being who is sincerely just trying to talk to you. Even if I am totally wrong, and I have no basis on what I say. I talked with manners. No hostility on my side. It is unacceptable to get such a response.
Does the author of the rude responses represent Atheist Republic in some official capacity?
As far as I know, it is the facebook page of Atheist Republic. Whoever taking care of facebook page, replied like this.
If that messenger screenshot is legit, that is a sad and shameful thing. I'm not talking about the translation, I don't think there is an "original" translation to which you can point. Christians and Muslims fight among themselves over who's translation is right and who has the real interpretation all the time.
But that behavior from the AR rep is deplorable. It might help to remember that this is a volunteer org which probably takes all the help it can and doesn't have the resources to vet everyone or monitor everything. So stuff like this happens.
The reason I left here for so long is because there was a misogynist mod who didn't let anyone know he was a mod and started threads that bash feminists. He deleted people's posts he didn't agree with, claiming they were troll posts. He's still around in the org but I haven't seen him in the forum, so maybe someone reigned him in. My point is, a kid with no idea how to interact with others and no clue about real life or society could end up answering the FB thread. Hopefully someone will school them.
Or maybe I'm wrong and that really is how the AR leadership wants to portray themselves to the public.
It is legit 100%. I can even record my screen while I am opening facebook messenger, and then I can show the text in video.
I mean yea translation stuff is kind of vague, but changing the subject of a sentence is not an issue of translation ambiguity.
To me, it is quite okay to talk on any topic. I, myself, have a lot of criticism on feminism. But argument is not the way, arguments are about winning and losing. We should be talking on the basis of dialectics. We should communicate to converge to the truth/reality as much as possible. But the way I was replied was not even part of a conversation. Plain insult. It isn't normal to answer someone with "stuff them up your ass" kind of a sentence in the first ever reply.
I guess the world is even worse than I believe. Even people who you would expect to be secular, intellectual, kind beings are exact opposit. It is easier to hate and despise instead of communucating, and probably it will always be like that.
Most of us are atheists who joined to post just as we would post on facebook. We do not represent the staff of AR.
This messages, in the screenshot I provided, are sent directly from the facebook page of Atheist Republic to my personal facebook page. It can not be a random guy who is controlling facebook page of Atheist Republic, unless it is an unofficial page. I shared links for the post in my previous replies to other people. You might get it from there if you want to double check.
I think this situation requires an explanation (and probably an apology) here from the administrators of Atheist Republic. I'm sure supporters (especially financial supporters) don't want to be associated with this kind of behavior.
I can't even understand how could such a person ended up leading facebook page of such a huge organization.
Looks like it is a meme that has been making the rounds on the internet.
Does it look like a meme now?
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Attach Image/Video?:
Yes, it looks like a recycled version of this meme.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXQPlLmllzV
Ah sorry, I understood wrong. Yea, the thing they sent looks like the one you gave link to.
The opposite of confirmation bias is motivated skepticism.
There isn't a motivated skepticism in my argument. I am an atheist I dont need to defend any religion. I read the post. Thought some sentences were off from what I read myself. Checked it on internet. I saw that it is different. Told it to the page admin. Got insulted unfairly instead of a talk.