What's with the anti-atheist sentiment in the character creation screen?

[132592]

If you look on the character creation screen when selecting your religion, it spews out a large amount of insults to atheist. I don't know if this is intended to be applied to meatspace, if it's the action of one developer, if it reflects the attitudes of the whole organization, but I kind of don't like their stance. As an atheist I find it offensive, and as a human being I find it unreasonable to bash anybody's beliefs like that.

Here's the text itself: "People who are attracted to this religion: people who have had a bad experience with religion, staunch individualists, the anti-social, and the irrational."

[Koios]

This is written as an IC view from the somewhat medieval values the game has. This should not be taken as an OOC offence against atheists. This is more of a way to say that if your character is an atheist in-game, it will have consequences in the way that no gods will help you in certain situations. So IC atheism isn't the best choice, but a choice nonetheless.

From one OOC atheist to another

[Minks]

Don't be offendend, it is not you (or me) who is being called irrational, it is your ingame character.
Yliakum has many gods and their existance is proven. They even appear now and then and interact directly with the population.
So, not believing in them would be like not believing in trees. 

[LigH]

Furthermore, there already had been a discussion about the meaning of the term "atheistic" in general ("Not believing in gods" vs. "Not believing in the inevitable fate"). That one does not need to be repeated here.

[Geoni]

Don't mix OOC knowledge with IC knowledge. Atheists in game are nutcases since there are actually gods that show themselves, when Atheists in real life are not crazy since no god has actually shown himself/herself/whatever.

There are gods in PS. Being an Atheists means that your character will spend forever in the death realm.

[novacadian]

Furthermore, there already had been a discussion about the meaning of the term "atheistic" in general ("Not believing in gods" vs. "Not believing in the inevitable fate"). That one does not need to be repeated here.

Hopefully if a wipe ever comes the same can be done to most of the forum threads as well.

- Nova

[Under the moon]

Pretty much what the others said.

In the PS Universe, there are gods who are real and do show themselves and have real powers.

In the real Universe, there are no gods that are real, and as such, will never show themselves or have any sort of power. Images on toast do not count.

Fiction is fun. Don't take offense at it.

[miadon]

Allied Atheist Alliance... the true answer to the great question, the most logical choice.

[Suno_Regin]

In the real Universe, there are no gods that are real, and as such, will never show themselves or have any sort of power. Images on toast do not count.

While I agree with you, I love the matter-of-fact stance you just took on that.

[Illysia]

Sorry to bust up the party boys but self declared victory is no more a reality than ya'll perceive God to be. While you are well within your rights to say you think it is a lot of bunk. You can't actually prove it either way.

But consider this, If God doesn't bother answer challenges (note this is different than inquiry) to his existence, that just means he has a better Troll policy.

[BoevenF]

I agree. But at the same time it's  the supreme lurker.

[verden]

As above, so below.

[Earowo]

If you don't like how athiests are treated, then don't be one, in RL i am an athiest, however in game, im all for Xiosia. from my point of view, in-game what you want to call religion, i call point of view, its a point of perspective, since it is proven that all the gods exist, when you select a 'religion' you are actually choosing who you want to worship, if you pick athiest i simply believe that just means you dont want to worship anyone.

[novacadian]

Talad was seen in the Kada-el last week and in the Hydlaa Plaza a few months before that. Don't confuse an in game religious experience from the one(s) that are acted out on the players' world.

My understanding of the settings is that one would have to be crazy to deny the existence of gods in PS.

- Nova

[132592]

I am aware of the fact that in-game it would be silly to deny the existence of gods, but I'm worried (and I think legitimately so) that this reflects the views of the developers and is an expression of such, rather than a purely IC thing.

I also have problems with a choice in gameplay that is objectively worse than the other alternatives (like hat if one race was objectively worse? that would be silly), but that doesn't bother me as much.