An Atheistic website idea.

[xXyawnXx]

Hello, Happy Atheist Forums.

I've had an idle idea in my head for a little while, and I was wondering for some feedback. This happened to be the top site on a google search for "Atheist forums", so I thought I'd run across the idea with you guys first.

Ok, we've all heard stories about how the bible changed peoples lives for the better, how people had no control of there life and regained control after studying the bible, ect. Being raised as a non-believer in a Jehovah's Witness family, I suffered hearing these a lot.

Now, I do believe that some of the bible rules are valid, but I'd rather them be common sense not to do than sins. I also believe some of the bible's rules don't properly enhance peoples lives for the better.

I'm agnostic, almost atheist, and I don't mean to say the bible's wrong or bad. What I think though, is that the argument that people are better following it is too one sided, and there's never been much of a second side to that argument. I thought, maybe, a website dedicated to stories of people who's lives are better from choosing a different path might be a hit.

I'd imagine it'd be a blog on wordpress or something. With a spot for people to submit their own stories, and the blog would post all the good submitted stories as they came along.

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What do you guys think? Would a site like that work out? Would you have a story to submit?

Thanks for any feedback on this.

Note to mods: I'm new here, I read the rules. I don't think this is preaching, advertising, or even trying to say something anti-christian. I apologize if this is against any rules, all I mean for it to be is an idea for debate on a subject not often enough talked about.

[Asmodean]

If you are asking whether a new site like you are talking about would make it, as in have a constant flow of unique visitors... Probably not. (Plenty well-established fish in that sea) You never know until you try though.

What would a purpose of such a site be..? "Do the 'alternative' shit and turn your life around" is not really a nice and balanced message to send the public.

[xXyawnXx]

Yes, that was what I was asking.

And the point of the site would just be an outlit for cases where people can say that they're lives are right without strictly following the ideas of what the bible says is ok or not.

[spoiler:r9vtrmfp]A brief example, would be the case with my Mother and Step-father. When my mother entered "the truth", she left my father because he wouldn't believe with her. She still says that was a happy relationship back then. Not long later, she found a man she was kind of interested in. Within 2 months she rushed into marrying him because they were a horny new couple who believe premarital sex was a sin. They weren't a good match, and got over each other quick. Now believing that divorce is also wrong, they're still stuck together unhappily.

Not believing Premarital sex is a sin, and not wanting to make the same mistake, I've been in my own sexually active relationship many times longer than they were together, and I feel no rush to marry until I'm 100% certain it'll be right. I'm also prepared to divorce in the future if we unfortunately didn't make it together and would both be happier separate.[/spoiler:r9vtrmfp]
That's just touching one aspect about how I think my life's better following my sense instead of the bible guidelines. I don't mean to say I want a "Fornicate, do drugs, drink, steal, and your life will be better" website, but more one about how people have learned to take better care of themselves rather than following the bible. Simply what I think would be a proper reply to all the stories about how the bible "fixed" other peoples lives.

I agree that it would be hard to get the site to start off. Especially since it'd require unique visitors frequently to share their stories to let the site grow. That's why I was asking if it was a bad idea to try or not.

Thanks for the thought though. If more people think it wouldn't start off, I'll settle with not trying to do it.

[Asmodean]

Oh, the idea is far from the worst I've seen. The problem is, as you seem to understand, in actually making it out there. Not easy when you want something more serious than pictures of lightly clothed celebrities.

Try... Maybe you will succeed with proper promotion.

[xXyawnXx]

I'll see if I get any more feedback from anyone else before I act on it.

Thanks though.

[Matt]

I don't know how well it would turn out.  I can imagine plenty of people would be willing to share their stories, but I don't think many people would actually want to read them.  Would you go to a website about religious conversions?

I dislike the idea on principle.  Anecdotes are not proper reasons to do anything.

[The Magic Pudding]

I prefer the medium of a forum, but other people are probably different.
Perhaps if you found interesting posts you could ask the author for permission to use them.

Good luck.

[terranus]

Well, I imagine if you could get some responses from celebrities or other well-known personas, your website might be moderately successful. But just getting responses from some random Joe Schmuck about how he turned his life around by NOT being born again/turning to God/etc. doesn't really have much appeal to it, know what I mean?

[Whitney]

there are already sites such as http://new.exchristian.net/

[Guardian85]

I suppose you could get a site like that up and running, and get some good stories to post. The problem is that it would come to be a little repetitive and dull reading after a while. Maybe make it more like a forum, where readers can comment and post questions to the people who share their stories.

Though if you do that, expect religiously motivated haters to show up....