if they obey the rules of course they should be allowed ... otherwise we are cut from the same cloth

It’s called Agnostic.com, not AtheistsOnly.com.

I’m so fucking tired of this conversation (this is not the first time in the last year and a half).
We have kicked rude nonbelievers out, and we have polite believers as members.

How about we quit being so prejudice?

I think there is common ground. MY own reading of existentialist philosophy well as The Bible has lead me to want to throw in with the Gnostics. The Gnostics hold to a an Early Christian amalgamation Juadic, Christian, Buddhist and Zoroastrian philosophies that were products of the first era of multiculturalism in ancient times. The existentialists share many views with these precept, most particularly Karl Jung who held that we have to align our beliefs (Freud's "id" with our rational minds to maintain our integrity. As a retired scientist I agree that the scientific method of using evidence and reason is the only way to communicate and connect with others. All I cn do is capitulate to someone else's beliefs. We have to accept that we all have beliefs even though we cannot compel others to hold the same beliefs. My reading of history is that organized religions have disconnected from their original beliefs by way of the IMperial Model (Catholicism) o the the BUsines Model(Protestants). I have come to the conlclusion that my own disconnection form organized religion is sourced in these disconnections. There are movement afoot, mostly in Catholicism, to reconnect with the original teachings. Reform Judaism seeks to do the same by reconnecting to the original Old Testament. The Gnostics seem to cruise in this spiritual borderland.
I have happend upin the Nag Hammadi scriptures, that were banned as heretical in ancient imes. These are the translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls. As these translations wer e published, scholars in Africa, Germany and France recognized the ideas. As irturns out, rather than being destroyed, they were squirreld awya in multiple locations to preserve them. Theie views are iconoclastic and tightly focussed on personal enlightment. They are antitheticl to organizing a powerful church, and so were condemnd as heresy. It is notable that the research and preservation oft this material has fallen mostly on thr Jung INstitute and some theological programs such as Princeton University. As this group's name includes Agnostics, there is room here. Personally, based on my own experiences, it is impossible for me to throw into Atheism, though I am interested in Atheistic constructs.

Given that a big premise of this site seems to be dialog, if they are open to the ideas of others, if they engage in an open and respectful exchange, sure we should welcome them. As an ex-Christian (fundamentalist cult) I've had amazing conversations with genuine folks who are still in it, maybe for reasons similar to the ones that made it difficult for me to transition. There are Christians (albeit too few) who actually get Christ's teachings and are trying to change their religion rather than leave it. It's to everyones benefit to know and encourage these people. There should be a way to censure those who's only agenda is to convert. In my experience it's pretty easy to tell the difference. I'm new here so perhaps such a mechanism exists.

Come on......they're worth a laugh surely

I just blocked a believer as he couldn't take a polite no. My answer has changed from no to HELL NO.

I'm a sensitive guy. I know that about myself. I can't take being berated for my beliefs for very long unless there's logic involved, and I too came here to avoid the usual mindless blather. I need a place where I can talk about this kind of thing without being surrounded by hateful people who convince themselves they're superior through faith.

I was 'followed' on this site by a woman who, hey, "100% believes there's a god" etc. etc. Now if I just stumble across someone like that, I'm not going to block them, but if they're going to follow me out of the blue, I'm going to go with my experience and say she's a troll. Immediately blocked.

I feel that Catholic priests should be put to death. Anyone else think they deserve this?

I really don’t mind if they are here to simple meet Atheists and ask about Atheism. If they start preaching or trying to convert, we can simple block them.

I either ignore them , either I let them have it when they start preaching . And they always do . I have said this b4. Religion is not a matter of philosophy for me . Either u accept that religion harms humanity , either u understand that silence = approval , either not . I will never be ok w people who see nothing wrong w the crimes that are daily in the game Bcz of religion . Ask any boy who was raped by a catholic priest to tell u if he wants to talk w religious people on a internet site . Ask any young girl who was given as bride to fulfill religion traditions if she wants to talk w religious humans on a web site .
I stand w the victims and I stand w humanity . Humanity and religions are night and day in my book .
I am not here to teach anyone either how to escape religion or y I am an atheist . There are libraries , and book stores and internet . I am here to enjoy the company of other like minded humans . I don't visit the religious web sites .
This place is not my home . I am a guest . Like all of u . It's very clear to me that trolling , religious trolling is not permitted on the name of any hospitality . If I am wrong and rules have changed , I ll be glad to leave . If I am right , and religious people join to preach or praise their gods , they won't find a friend in me .

I think it depends on their intentions. If they are honestly looking to learn what we think, or they themselves are questioning their particular faith then that’s fine. If they are here to proselytize and are looking to “convert” us then block them.

If people who believe in a god or gods come HERE, you have to wonder why. Are they just looking for conversation, or to try to convert? Depends on intentions, but I don't mind talking with them.

OK as long as they don't go crazy with their preaching from some "holy" book and end up sounding like trolls.

My question would be, why would they want too?

Shit this blew up.

You already lock access to certain shit behind gates, right? (the leveling system) Just lock believers to certain topics or forum groups. Those that come here to get away from them can, and everyone else can share opinions or whatever.

No, this is a site for evidence based scientific fact not religious nutters trying to convert anyone they can into the nonsense.

Obviously anyone can join. Any of those believers who would join in hope to ensure their place in heaven and be spared the eternal fire of hell would have any better luck than those who would preach for Zeus to be spared from Hades. It's just mythology. Ancient peoples making up stories.

I don't like it. I came here to get the hell away from the profusion of religious wingnuts I was forced to endure growing up in Kentucky. The believers have plenty of other forums...FauxNews, Brietbart, etc.

This is a place to enjoy, not to get annoyed and angry like the Senate or Congress. I don't want to un-convert any religious people and I don't want to be bothered by their arguments..

Doesn’t matter to me

The issue gets brought up quite frequently, although it has been a minute since the last time.

The believers who have joined tend not to last long on the site.
The scammers get weeded out fairly quickly, and those who join just to troll,
don't last very long either.

That said, I will not support any effort to prevent believers from joining the community. They could be questioning. They could be in the beginning stages
of coming to rational and logical thought. This could be the place they need to come to in order to find out that atheists are NOT baby-eating, satan worshipers.

I've been on this site for over a year, and I have yet to engage with any believer who came to argue or convert anyone.
Even if I had, that's not reason enough to bar the inclusion of anyone.
Seriously, if we can't support our own positions, we're pretty lame.
If you don't want to argue with someone, keep scrolling. If someone contacts
you and starts shit with you, block them. It's not that hard.

If you can't bring yourself to keep on scrolling, and can't handle engaging with some of them, maybe the problem lies with you.
I don't like the whole concept of being an "exclusive club".
I think that's bullshit. Just like religion.

Censorship sucks. No matter who is doing it, or why.
Being exclusionary is basically the same as censorship.

I’m fine with it so long as they don’t start trouble.

Believers are welcome. I doubt they will stay very long. The truth can be offensive to them.

Not bothered

They are usually scammers like these dudes. Even if they weren't I see ZERO reasons for them to join anyway. I have never crossed paths with a believer that in any way benefited this site, have you?