Let them join they have no argument!...

I don't think the faithful should be admitted. If they still consider themselves so, then chances are they just want to spread what they believe and convert people, just as they've been programmed to.

However, there should be a "questioning" or "investigating" option for those who are dipping their toes in the water to see if it's safe.
Some people are only "religious" because of peer pressure and the expectations of their community.

But definitely don't admit the faithful. Their tiny egos will not be able to endure here.

I don't mind occasionally engaging with a believer who is respectful, thoughtful, and who is willing to acknowledge when the value of what's being exchanged has been exhausted. This describes a minority of my interactions online in most places, but the number of such exchanged I've had is greater than zero.

There are already plenty of other places where that sort of thing can happen.

My understanding of this forum is it's a place for non-believers to meet one another to form friendships or possibly romantic relationships with one another.

Put another way, you won't find my profile at ChristianMingle.com.

why would they come here, except to proselytize?

I don’t own the site. So why quibble over something I have zero control of. So I didn’t take the bait in real life nor will I start having my spirit manipulated by MAN made ideas of something higher than oneself to describe everyone and everything’s existence. Non factors the believers believe in whatever they believe. I believe in myself, my efforts and the capacity to overcome.

Oh MY!! Well this should be fun. First, if they come to understand the reality of religion, god or higher being and ask serious questions I welcome them. There are no dumb questions. If they come to try and convince people on this site of their view or they come to condemn and damn then they are in the wrong forum and need to be block from the site. Pretty simple. IMO

I enjoy a robust debate (so robust it scared MVSS-O) BUT this is a space where we can debate a multitude of things from a purely non-religious PoV. The religious have the whole world in which to play, they can let us have this bit to ourselves.

They can join but they will never convince me to believe a book that some uneducated man wrote.

I think this would no longer be a safe place for us non believers as the believers would use this platform to push their beliefs on us and attack our positions. there are enough forums out there now that allow this and this one is one of the few where we as non believers can talk freely and not worry someone will try to engage us in nasty confrontations.

I tend to agree with you Draco. It is rare to have an intelligent conversation with a "theist"(not that they are unintelligent). It's similar to politics which often times is just another belief system. In my experience more often than not, a simple thread of thought, can escalate and become a verbal war.
I don't know about the rest of you, but blood my pressure doesn't need that kind of stimulation. Someone mentioned "echo chamber" which, by the way is a valid point, and I don't want that either. I think it is like oil and water; they just don't mix well.

I can't think of a single good reason for a Christian or any other religionist to want to belong to a club for atheists and agnostics, etc. A comparison could be a nudist wanting to join a burka group.

As the little lady, new to me on YouTube, says, "I ain't doin it." (If you haven't seen this site, just go to your browser and type in, I ain't doin it. It's a hoot!)

We need our own place.

Not altogether that great. Beliefs, by their very nature, create defenses that prevent them from being challenged. That's why they exist. We "believe" in the absence of data and facts. For example, I don't "believe" that the earth is round, I don't "believe' that the earth orbits the sun, I don't "believe" that the sun rises and sets every day. I don't have to. These things happen regardless of my belief.

We "believe" in things that we cannot prove or that there is no evidence for... which is why we "believe" in God. Which is why I find having discussions with "believers" difficult. How do you prove the "absence" of Santa? How do you "prove he absence of 'god'?"

Believers will come, but only because they NEED us to believe too, or their beliefs will be challenged. There can be no conversation with that.

I guess poke at.them until they go away or see how silly they are. Only if they're trying to "save" me though....if they are at a point were they're trying to figure things out and want to open their eyes I say come on in!

Why can't we have our free space for us to just be? They have their own sites fair is fair!

It depends on if the person in question is rational or not. It's a good thing to help others through their cognitive dissonance. Like John Lennon said - Imagine.

For this site to be exclusive based on belief is simply not practical. For example, anybody Could sign up as an agnostic and then slowly reveal themselves to be a believer.

This is a very valuable site (which was was so badly needed) and I would like it to remain open to ALL -- okay, okay, I admit to hoping that some believers will learn something -- even if it is just that non-believers are normal people.

I am a big fan of the block button and will use it for anybody who is annoying, overly argumentative, proselytizing, or being intentionally rude and mean-spirited. Easy peazy lemon squeezy.

I see a lot of people mentioning simply not wanting to engage with, argue with, or debate with believers.

We learned in parenting class to ignore unwanted behaviors and they will go away. I assume it works for people to, right?

Don't mind, it's fun to mock them with facts/truths...

I don't think they'll be joining for the conversation. It's more likely they'll be coming so that they can convert us. Personally I have better ways to spend my time.

I SERIOUSLY don't want believers here although they may lie and slip through the cracks, simply because I'm sick and tired of debating with them. They'll do ANYTHING to drag us back to Jesus. I guess they get points for that from their churches like we get points from the community. I simply vote NO. There are precious few places atheists can get together peacefully. Let's keep this one 'sacrosanct.'

I don't think this is the site for them. They have so many other sites they can go to. This is not a debating site for believers. Well not from what the admin has expressed other than we need to be respectful of all views. I honestly think there could be maybe one category for believers and if non theists want to go there, they can. I think believers should be limited on here for what they can and can't do. This is a good site and we want to keep that way.

Good idea, an open forum. They will add some gutz to a very entertaining subject.

I'm here because its hard to find non-believers in my area.

In general I have no issue with any religious person.
I do take exception to the hubris and dishonesty of anyone that joins a group under false pretenses. I am not interested in debating things that are academic for most who would be here. I find the assumptions of too many of the "questions" offensive in the context of this site. I would prefer to engage in a dialog about what to do and make of Atheism/Agnosticism than any debate with someone's explicit, subjective ideas about gods and the morals they exceed in delivering to the credulous.