Sidhe,
You are four times more hilarious than I thought, and I already thought you were pretty funny!
Oughtist,
You have been doing a fantastic job in my absence. I’m going to make you my VP, but you have to do a better job pushing this DVD.
20% off nothing!! Come on, Pav, I may be atheist, but I still have my dignity!! I insist on paying the full tab!!!
Ok boss! Has the cover been designed yet? It’s all in the packaging, y’know. Content isn’t what I’m going to be relying on, after all.
The cover is ready to roll!
Of course we’re not relying on content, if they know what the content is that means they’ve already bought it which is all I need them for.
Of course it is a matter of belief. And let’s be clear, faith (how you are using it) just is belief. E.g.
Oxford English Dictionary
faith, n.
I. Belief, trust, confidence.
b. Belief proceeding from reliance on testimony or authority. (secondary)
The secondary meaning here is the kind of faith that is used to overcome a lack of evidence. It is a blindness overlooked. You take someone else’s word because you trust that person, not because there is any real evidence. You don’t have that with atheism.
Whatever, I do not believe in extra political benefits for religions.
Sorry. Find another way to make money…if that’s what you really want.
A successful atheist is someone who does not believe in God. An atheist may need to give reasons, but does need to defend herself against religion. You have no positive claims. “But if you’re an atheist you are saying that God did not create man/the world/etc.” Fine, then be agnostic. This is small potatoes. Religion has to defend itself from atheism.
Do you really think “preaching” to the religious is going to make them change their entire belief system? Do you like when theists preach to you? You want to become like them in this respect?
No one likes to be lectured into changing their opinion, much less all their beliefs about the world. Most people will resist. Almost all of us did that with our parents. I am sure this isn’t the way to go.
Preaching is, in the end, just stand-up. People pay good money to listen to Stand-ups. The Atheist preacher is blatantly a Stand-up. Ex-sistence is a Stand-up. People LOVE for their existence to be put into question, so long as it’s done with a light heart and no serious agenda intended. Minds have been changed by laughter. Good can be done through humour!! Ideas, even, can be originated through the cognitive break that is comedy. Religion proper, on the otherhand, is famously tragic, despite its attempts at levity and use of libations. So, no downers allowed! 
This is comedy. Anyone can make money as a comedian if your punch-lines are good enough. You don’t need to be part of a religion to make money doing comedy.
“Minds have been changed by laughter.” Sure, but entire belief systems gone? And with a subject as serious as religion? No…my “money” is against it.
I take faith to mean confidence in a belief in this case, because, Atheists are generally confident that there is not a God. That’s where your whole Pascal’s Wager thing would otherwise come into play again.
Do you believe in them for NPO’s? Because that is pretty much what a Religion is, same tax breaks, different category.
Not really. I don’t know if you read the whole OP, you probably did, but this whole thing was pretty much a joke. Not even pretty much, it just was a joke.
That depends on who the aggressor is, does it not? It seems to me that when you have people coming to your door, taking you aside, giving you pamphlets, putting books in hotel rooms, and AND practically owning the media for a time (not so much now) yeah, you’re the one on the defense.
Who said I am not a Theist? I didn’t.
I didn’t say I am an Atheist either.
Nor did I say I am Agnostic.
It may or may not make them change. Actually, nothing can make them change, an Athiest will impart information and then they decide whether or not to change. In any case, we’ll make our money off of Atheists, but if we can get more people to be Atheists, then that is more money.
Ultimately, the Chruch itself is Secondary in terms of money making, it might even take a small loss. If it does that’s fine, because one of our Merchandise Corporations can make a tax deductible donation to make up for it. We’re going to make most of our money off of Merchandising, but we need the actual Church to lend an air of legitimacy to the Merchandise.
It’ll be Ok. Even if we fail to convert one single Theist, I still think the Market is there for this venture to be profitable.
This sounds like a killer story theme, Pav. Managing the Achurch! You write the first chapter, and, as VP, I’ll write Chapter Two (unless you or someone else beats me to it, of course 
)… Carleas, get thee to a publisher! We should be able to negotiate movie rights on the thought alone, I figure!
And we could build our Chruch with the profits, and start franschising. Then we could start contributing to political parties and begin our reign of hilarity!! 
?
So now we’re talking about belief in a belief?
I think this is irrelevant, really.
For NPOs, sure. Religions are not NPOs, but, if a religious organization legitimately qualifies as an NPO, then fine.
Then I don’t understand the point of the exercise.
Unless you think it’s worth anybody’s time to argue for your beliefs…then shut the door, change the channel, etc. The way you say “preach” doesn’t evoke images of careful, honest, discussion. If the latter is really the goal, then you already have plenty of avenues to get that underway.
We don’t need your money, fuse, just your words! Come on, you could write Ch. 3. Ground floor, fuse, ground floor… goin’up?
I declare a Novel Off! Now get to work, Pav… 
Oh? Ch. 3? Of what, an atheist bible? 
No, we can wait to write the Text in the liesure of our rich and famous lifestyles. I mean about the thought of running such a business. Intrigue. Suspense. Cliffhangers. Whatever ya want! Though there might at some point be some sort of group committee to discuss editing the Script. Given Hume, it may or may not at that point be an Atheist polemic. The future is unwritten, as Strummer put it.
Well, if I had known I was going to be offered a position in something this exclusive I might have been less resistant. Do I get a share of any profits?
On second thought… I dunno though. You might want someone a little more…amenable to your cause.
…hmmm… and where do all our so called “shamans” fit into all this?..
… thinks most churches have way HUGH and very TALL doors… cant understand why…
…hmmm… and where do all our so called “shamans” fit into all this?..
. keeps wondering… If I only believe in “ME”… what is it really that I am believing in?..
I didn’t even think about franchising, yet, you’re way ahead of me on Chapter 2!
Dude, maybe we seriously should turn this into a book, though.
It is irrelevant, but to clarify, faith is a degree of belief. It is a little, “Higher,” than belief. Or, Ahigher in this case.
They’re not NPO’s? The goal is to make profit for the owner or owners? What owners? God?
If so, then God owes the IRS a lot of F***ing money!
It’s not an exercise, it’s a joke.
Shutting the door and changing the channel are defenses. That’s the point. By the way, the latter is not the goal, making money is the goal. We want our target market to think the latter is the goal, though. That’s what Mission Statements are all about, making your cause seem noble when your only real cause is, make money.
Egg-sellen’t!! Since you’re Chapter One, how bout you post the working title in Creative Writing (or an alternate forum?) and start sketching there. I’ll reply right behind you and start on Chaper Two (dibs! Infinity!!). Anyone else (including ourselves again, and of course you, fuse, not to mention MMP, xzc, and all you other oratorical legends out there) can claim subsequent chapters and start knitting this thing together. Can’t think of any strict rules yet, other than sellability; perhaps no verbose philosophical opinings (unless, of course, such can be done in a commercially sensitive way). Perhaps we should also start a side-thread for commentary on the process.
This time next year we’ll be the international darlings of philosophy. People will pay to get into ILP! Fame! Glory! Wealth! Vice galore!!!
…aaah, I love a good dream…
You mean I didn’t have to pay to be here?
Carleas, you lying bastard!!!
Okay, you guys have made me crack a smile. Funny.