# It is implausible that pchaos is a lawyer and he should stop claiming to be one **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 14, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316 "2013-02-14T20:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 30
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/581 "2013-02-19T16:27:13Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > OK, let’s play pretend. I know you can do that since you’ve been doing it in every post you’ve made so far. > > Let’s say all atheists, all across the world, organize into one, single, monolithic church-like organization. Since _Atheist_, as a title for a church, doesn’t seem to have a lot of panache, how about calling it [Gahantian](http://frumheretic.blogspot.com/2008/11/is-nothing-sacred.html)? ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/582 "2013-02-19T16:27:48Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > What do you think of the fact that “non-religious” is the fastest growing belief group in the world? It can’t be THAT hard if us unorganized atheists can do it, right? It’s too early to tell if it’s a trend. But surely, I’ve noticed that couples in the late 20s to early 40s are becoming scarce in my church. It might be a combination of the child molestation claims and the economy. Church can take a lot of time, if families aren’t able to set aside the time, sometimes they just stop coming. And even if there hasn’t been a single incidence of child molestation charge at your particular church, cautious parents simply aren’t going to take a chance. ---
**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/583 "2013-02-19T16:37:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Do you mean he’s nowhere close to as ignorant as us? 😃 Me lawyer, me write words good. ☹ 'Twas a compliment. As for pchaos who knows if he’s a lawyer. I made some guesses, but I hope he’s not the lawyer he puts forth as his internet persona. I hope we’re getting trolled like a mf’er. Otherwise it’s just rather sad. But if pchaos isn’t that attorney he’d probably ought to run now as Simple Linctus’ call will likely cause the game to end quickly and litigiously. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/584 "2013-02-19T16:39:21Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > It’s hard to get people to make changes to the Bible. In fact it’s very easy: go away for a couple of days, say you had some kind of revelation and god either dictated a bunch of new rules or gave you some stone tablets, and say you’re the new prophet. Tell people to give you all their money and say you have permission to have as many women as you want and you’re good to go. (The hard part is getting other people to buy all of this, but some people have been astonishingly successful with it.) > [@pchaos](#): > > It’s too early to tell if it’s a trend. No, it’s a definite trend. The number of religiously unaffiliated people - which isn’t just atheists, but includes them - has more than doubled over the last 40 years. Your lack of awareness and refusal to acknowledge it is not a surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/585 "2013-02-19T16:43:34Z")
Well, how long would you consider it takes before it’s a trend? Here are the [US Census data](http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0075.pdf) for religious identification in the US since 1990. “No religion” as a group rose from 14,331,000 in 1990 to 29,481,000 in 2000 to 34,169,000 in 2010. That’s well over 100% growth in 20 years. And since you’ve suggested that people don’t change their beliefs after their 20s or so, that number - according to your own opinion, mind - is not likely to go down. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/586 "2013-02-19T16:48:30Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > That “church” would be, by far, the largest single church in the entire world. Approximately one in four people in the entire world would belong to it. All other major religions are divided into denominations, many fighting amongst themselves as to which is the true Islam or the true Christianity etc. Atheists, as part of such a huge organization, would wield unstoppable political and socioeconomic power to push forth any legislation in any country they want. We would absolutely rule the world. > > As a God-believing person, is that what you want to see? No, however, at least if atheists were organized they could tell potential adherents we have a real alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/587 "2013-02-19T16:51:37Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > No, however, at least if atheists were organized they could tell potential adherents we have a real alternative. Alternative to what? I’m pretty sure most people know that the alternative to believing in a god is not believing in a god. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/588 "2013-02-19T16:52:08Z")
Atheists are smart enough to figure out an alternative without being told. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/589 "2013-02-19T16:54:21Z")
True. Apparently this is not true of some theists who shall go unnamed. Seeing as how the non-religious group is growing, some are obviously able to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/590 "2013-02-19T16:54:52Z")
What was the point of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16022489#post16022489), **pchaos**? You are already arguing this matter in this thread, so what was the need to start another one in GD? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/591 "2013-02-19T17:02:04Z")
I’m pretty sure atheism is the default position and we go on from there. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/592 "2013-02-19T17:03:56Z")
And since atheism isn’t a religion, you understanding of “adherents” remains flawed. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/593 "2013-02-19T17:22:49Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > What was the point of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16022489#post16022489), **pchaos**? You are already arguing this matter in this thread, so what was the need to start another one in GD? I’m an optimist, so I will assume that being pitted is an honor. Thank you, thank you,…how do I get unpitted? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/594 "2013-02-19T17:26:00Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > I’m an optimist, so I will assume that being pitted is an honor. Rite of passage, maybe. Not an honor. > [@](#): > > Thank you, thank you,…how do I get unpitted? You could stop doing everything you have been doing in your first few months on the board and become an open-minded, thoughtful poster who asks probing questions, thinks carefully about the answers, and tries to learn without presumptions and who doesn’t whine when people don’t accept his arguments. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/595 "2013-02-19T17:27:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You could stop doing everything you have been doing in your first few months on the board and become an open-minded, thoughtful poster who asks probing questions, thinks carefully about the answers, and tries to learn without presumptions and who doesn’t whine when people don’t accept his arguments. And I’d like a pony. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/596 "2013-02-19T17:28:17Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > No, however, at least if atheists were organized they could tell potential adherents we have a real alternative. Lotta questions regarding this answer: So, if you don’t want atheists to rule the world, why are you advocating for an organization that would have the political pull to do just that? There are fifty million squillion Christian, Islamic, Jewish and other religious denominations out there; who exactly is is lacking for an “alternative”? And why do we need one more? Why are you so adamant, I mean pages and pages worth of adamant, that atheists provide an alternative that you wouldn’t believe in anyway? And one last thing. [List of atheist organizations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_secularist_organizations) > [@](#): > > United States > > American Atheists > American Humanist Association > The Atheist Agenda > Atheist Community of Austin (TX) > Atheists for Humanity > Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty > Camp Inquiry > Camp Quest > City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism > Council for Secular Humanism > Fellowship of Freethought > Fellowship of Humanity > First Humanist Society of New York > Free Congregation of Sauk County > Freedom From Religion Foundation > Hispanic American Freethinkers > The Humanist Institute > The Humanist Association of San Diego > The Humanist Fellowship of San Diego > The Humanist Institute > The Secularity, Home of The Piedmont Triad Freethought Association (North Carolina) > Institute for Humanist Studies > Internet Infidels > Kahal Am, Society for Humanistic Judaism, linked with the Humanist Fellowship of San Diego in San Diego Coalition of Reason > Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers > Metroplex Atheists > North Texas Church of Freethought > Rational Response Squad > The Reason Project > Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science > The San Diego New Atheists and Agnostics > Secular Coalition for America > Secular Student Alliance > Secular Woman > United Coalition of Reason > National Atheist Party > Practice What You Preach Foundation ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/597 "2013-02-19T17:29:16Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > That’s irrelevant so far as Simple Linctus is concerned. Regardless of whether Pchaos acted wisely, Simple Linctus should not have taken this dispute off-board into the real world. No argument there. I’m just pointing out that lawyers in particular should take care to guard their identities since information about them is a matter of public record. > [@pchaos](#): > > I’m an optimist, so I will assume that being pitted is an honor. Thank you, thank you,…how do I get unpitted? Stop being a jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/598 "2013-02-19T18:03:08Z")
Reposting this from ATMB: > [@The real life of posters: Private or public?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/26): > > My apologies for reversing myself and for perhaps underreacting to the phone call incident. **Simple Linctus** has been suspended indefinitely while the staff decides what to do about his attempt to contact **pchaos** ’ office. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/599 "2013-02-19T18:21:36Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > It’s too early to tell if it’s a trend. But surely, I’ve noticed that couples in the late 20s to early 40s are becoming scarce in my church. It might be a combination of the child molestation claims and the economy. Church can take a lot of time, if families aren’t able to set aside the time, sometimes they just stop coming. And even if there hasn’t been a single incidence of child molestation charge at your particular church, cautious parents simply aren’t going to take a chance. And it might be that ex-parishioners have thought about whatever variaton of Christianity they have been exposed to and feel that they just do not believe in the underlying concepts any more. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316/600 "2013-02-19T18:25:03Z")
> [@pchaos](#): > > It’s a good thing the atheists don’t offer anything, they can’t even decide on a restaurant to go to. Did an atheist dump you at some point? Step on your toe? Not pick you for stickball? In a multi-page thread filled with non-arguments and blatant unsubstantiated-- and, indeed, unsubstantiatable-- statements about a subset of people to whom you do not belong, this is by far the most ludicrous thing you’ve posted in a couple of days. Are you drunk? What the ever-loving hell do you mean by that? You know, I graduated from a well-known Christian university, and while most of us were pretty intelligent and open-minded, we ran across your type often enough: passively aggressive solopsistic assholes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-implausible-that-pchaos-is-a-lawyer-and-he-should-stop-claiming-to-be-one/650316.md?page=31)