Wolfen posted this on another thread:

"Whether or not there are gods is still in doubt, but as their beliefs encompass a stubborn disbelief in anything supernatural, to include sorcerers and magical creatures (though I doubt many Stahlners disbelieve in Gol, or in the northern reaches, Hef). As these things do exist in the setting as written, their particular brand of Atheism is incorrect."

I have to admit, I'd missed that. Um, how does this work? Fae are real, so is magic, sorcerors can be encountered. Surely Stahnish atheism is akin to modern day flat Earthism?

I appreciate one doesn't encounter sorcerors or the fae on a regular basis, but it only takes one fae corpse or a single active sorceror. This seems more delusional than a belief system, something people would laugh at in the same way we laugh at UFO nuts today.

What am I missing here?

I chalk it up to this, you find a fey corpse, so what? the guy looks goofy but theres no horns, no hoofs, nothing really all that different. that guy who shows it to you must be full of crap. How insulting that he would try and get you to think this "man" is one of the mystical fey. besides, fey can shoot lightning from their eyes and shoot fireballs from their asses....

as for gol, how many would really see it? they are damn rare, staY in the mountains away from men, and thats that. if someone killed it, at most the people in the immediate vacinity would be able to see the corpse too and word travels REAL slow in weyrth. and by mouth, are you really gonna believe all the stories those minstrels tell?

and stahlinish ateism in my weyrth is more of a political rejection of religion to keep that out of the political cogs. you had a country ruled by a theocracy and they overthrew it but didfnt want to be like cyrinthmeir who are"independent" but basically run by the church.

Having thought I misplaced my book, I find it sitting near staring right at me...
Whilst the Stahlnish nobility and some of the commoners 'furiously deny' the existance of Gods, superstition, sorcery et al... 'the majority' of Stahlners follow old traditional faiths. This seems to me exactly as has been stated previously, it is a political reason for atheism rather than an actual beleif in it. For those nobles that deny the existance of everything else, it might just be for show.. in order to save face in the public or the rest of Stahl... should something happen like a Gol attack or some Hef running around stealing women... and killing men. If one were to say that these things exist in such a situation, they wouldnt be seated in a position of power for long... probably being carted off as 'mad' or 'insane'.
This is of course, if the person making the claims of the existance of such things has no proof.. or no proof that everyone can agree that it IS proof. And so the comparison to the UFO nuts, John Edwards, Benny Hinn, etc.. is valid. Without the burden of proof, why make the claim? Even WITH it why would a noble say 'hey I'm getting my ass handed to me in my own province by a bunch of magical creatures' This would show weakness, and in a country that is so war-like as Stahl is... I'm sure the noble would be invaded soon after.

Just a thought, or three.
-Ingenious

In my own little Weryth, Stahlnish atheism is the key to Stahlnish power: the nobility refuses to acknowledge the existence of magic or magical creatures, much less gods. As Ingenious said, what noble would say "Hey, I'm getting my ass handed to me by a bunch of magical creatures?" It shows weakness, and undermines the nationalism of Stahl.

My fun twist, however, is that there is a secret Stahlnish army, a small guerilla force that deals with these problems, sort of a medieval Conspiracy X, that wipes away evidence of the supernatural, and eliminates these threats.

I see it exactly the opposite.. All those who point out "proof" of supernatural are the UFO nuts, and the Stahlnish government probably goes through some pains to cover up instances like this.

On the other hand, there are almost certainly some second-generation Stahlners who honestly don't believe.. Imagine their surprise, and internal turmoil, when/if their beliefs are shattered by reality?

So, sure. Politics. But I also see a great deal of story potential in the reality of the belief, too.

That's a lot clearer, thanks folks.