Were do you get this impression from? In my 30 years I've never had an athiest come to my house, work, or bump into me while getting coffee and hand me a pamphlet preaching the glory of a faithless life. Athiests don't have T.V. chanells dedicated to converting others to thier belief. Athiests don't prevent research that could help save hundreds of thousands of lives. Athiests haven't started the magority of all the worlds wars. Athiests don't blow up buildings, or murder people in the name of nothing. I'm just not sure how christianity is a target for athiests. Maybe some athiests go out of thier way to convince others to change what they believe, but it has been my experience that there are far more christians telling people thier going to burn in hell for an eternity then athiests telling them that they will simply decompose in thier coffin. Maybe life isn't the same for other athiests, but for me it becomes a bit annoying. When people in my personal life find out I don't believe in god, it becomes like a crusade for them to convince me of my evil ways. To the point I've been told that I am an evil person and will burn in hell. I'd like to share a story. While standing in a parking lot I watched a girl sprint out of a store waving several purses over her head; she was followed by a few older woman screaming that the girl had thier purses. The girl ran past a half dozen other men and jumped into a car. Me, like a jackass jumped behind the car as it was backing up to make a get away. Because of me those woman got thier belongings back. Just the other day I witnessed a car hit another car in a parking lot. The car left without so much as a note. I got the lic. plate number and waited around for the owner of the car that got hit to come out. I gave them the information and then waited with the lady for the cop to arrive so that I could give the police officer the information as well. Several other people saw it happen and ignored it. Now what are the odds that the people that witnessed these things were all christians. My bet is yes and I'd bet my life on it. But the next time a christian hands me a pamphlet and I respectfully decline, I'll be the one they say is going to burn in hell. My soul is the one in jepordy. So tell me something. Who's really attacking who here?
CONGRATs you your very, very, thought provoking response! I like your story! Can I use it/print it elsewhere?
Were do you get this impression from? In my 30 years I've never had an athiest come to my house, work, or bump into me while getting coffee and hand me a pamphlet preaching the glory of a faithless life. Athiests don't have T.V. chanells dedicated to converting others to thier belief. Athiests don't prevent research that could help save hundreds of thousands of lives. Athiests haven't started the magority of all the worlds wars. Athiests don't blow up buildings, or murder people in the name of nothing. I'm just not sure how christianity is a target for athiests. Maybe some athiests go out of thier way to convince others to change what they believe, but it has been my experience that there are far more christians telling people thier going to burn in hell for an eternity then athiests telling them that they will simply decompose in thier coffin. Maybe life isn't the same for other athiests, but for me it becomes a bit annoying. When people in my personal life find out I don't believe in god, it becomes like a crusade for them to convince me of my evil ways. To the point I've been told that I am an evil person and will burn in hell. I'd like to share a story. While standing in a parking lot I watched a girl sprint out of a store waving several purses over her head; she was followed by a few older woman screaming that the girl had thier purses. The girl ran past a half dozen other men and jumped into a car. Me, like a jackass jumped behind the car as it was backing up to make a get away. Because of me those woman got thier belongings back. Just the other day I witnessed a car hit another car in a parking lot. The car left without so much as a note. I got the lic. plate number and waited around for the owner of the car that got hit to come out. I gave them the information and then waited with the lady for the cop to arrive so that I could give the police officer the information as well. Several other people saw it happen and ignored it. Now what are the odds that the people that witnessed these things were all christians. My bet is yes and I'd bet my life on it. But the next time a christian hands me a pamphlet and I respectfully decline, I'll be the one they say is going to burn in hell. My soul is the one in jepordy. So tell me something. Who's really attacking who here?
CONGRATs you your very, very, thought provoking response! I like your story! Can I use it/print it elsewhere?
Absolutely.
Will I be receiving royalties, It's a true story. I kid. About the royalties of course, it really is a true story.
Thank you to those that complimented the post BTW.
Anybody besides me found the title of the thread "Why is Christianity always the target of Atheists?" slightly ironic? Being an atheist i have seen much more atheist bashing than anything else, just because i dont believe in a god or religion doesnt make me a low moral guy, but that's what most Christian preachers seems to think and even teach it at their church (my mother took me to the church for 4 years when i was a kid).
Just a question for you, or other Ateists:
Do Athiests celebrate X-Mas? Easter? What happens when their families get together for X-mas .... do they invite the Atheist member?
Anybody besides me found the title of the thread "Why is Christianity always the target of Atheists?" slightly ironic? Being an atheist i have seen much more atheist bashing than anything else, just because i dont believe in a god or religion doesnt make me a low moral guy, but that's what most Christian preachers seems to think and even teach it at their church (my mother took me to the church for 4 years when i was a kid).
Just a question for you, or other Ateists:
Do Athiests celebrate X-Mas? Easter? What happens when their families get together for X-mas .... do they invite the Atheist member?
It's been quite some time since Christmas had anything to actually to do with religion.
Incidentally, that time of year has traditionally been a time of 'gathering together' in the UK, since well before christianity began. It was originally a pagan winter celebration, but when organised religion shifted the calendar around 'incredibly' it was also Christs birthday.
Anyone who follows a pagan based religion should sue to get their day back
Easter also has origins in earlier and older religions, the whole egg business has nothing to do with Christ but rather pagan fertility symbolism and celebrating the spring equinox.
"The festival of Easter is a classic example of the early Christian church adapting an existing pagan ritual to suit their own purposes. The Saxon spring festival of Eostre, was named for their goddess of dawn, and when they came to Britain in about the 5th century AD, the festival came with them along with re-birth and fertility rituals involving eggs, chicks and rabbits. When the Saxons converted to Christianity and started to celebrate the death and the resurrection of Christ, it coincided with Eostre, so that's what the early church called the celebration, Eostre or Easter in modern English.
The actual date that Easter falls on every year is governed by a fairly complex calculation related to the Spring Equinox. The actual formula is: The first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox is Easter Sunday or Easter Day. This formula was set by Egyptian astronomers in Alexandra in 235ad, and calculated using the same method as the Jews have traditionally used to calculate the feast of the Passover, which occurred at about the same time as the crucifixion."
Anybody besides me found the title of the thread "Why is Christianity always the target of Atheists?" slightly ironic? Being an atheist i have seen much more atheist bashing than anything else, just because i dont believe in a god or religion doesnt make me a low moral guy, but that's what most Christian preachers seems to think and even teach it at their church (my mother took me to the church for 4 years when i was a kid).
Just a question for you, or other Ateists:
Do Athiests celebrate X-Mas? Easter? What happens when their families get together for X-mas .... do they invite the Atheist member?
I celebrate christmas, but not in any religious way. It's nothing more then a time of sharing.
Easter I don't celebrate. Although my familly does, as well as my girl and her familly, and so I do in the sence that I go to dinner and visit familly.
I am also the only athiest I know in my life, and so I can't really invite other athiests.
Also, what Tamalan said. Edit: Thank you for the information by the way. I didn't know that about easter. Very interesting.
Its the darn Christians we can blame for George Bush being elected twice.
C) Muslims Jews and Christians all have the same roots.
D) Christianity is highly distorted and full of absurd nonsense.
Instead of holding that book up and proclaiming it as the source of truth, why not do some real research from a neutral perspective and learn about its history.
Its creation. The history of the Bible. Its very interesting and got me out of church !
Just my opinion here, so dont get all whiney, i mean after all im the one going to hell right hahahah sure...
From my experiences talking to some such people, my own conclusions are that often they have been hurt at some point by their church (or people in the church), or have blamed God for some major source of pain in their lives. Most outspoken atheists who bash Christianity, used to go to church at some point in their lives.
I think you nailed my reason right there. When I was little I was told how much God loved everyone and wanted the best for us all. I believed that and it sounded really nice to me. But then I grew up and started hearing about the people God didn't like. I started hearing about the scripture that talked about how some people were abominations and deserved nothing short of execution. I felt a sense of betrayal. And honestly, it hurt me that I was lied to.
I still believe in God. I really do. But now I just can't bring myself to believe the Bible anymore. To me it's a twisted convoluted God that can create something he knows is going to burn in hell for eternity. That to me is not a God I feel comfortable worshipping. I could never call myself a "father" and put my child to an eternity of something like hell. If anything is illogical to me it's that.
From what I see, most of your bashing of Christians is on such points, rather than bashing the religion as a whole. My own feeling is that I suspect we might find Jesus bashing some of the same things too if he were around today.
I really appreciate you taking the time to actually read my posts. That is so lacking on this site. I have been accused of some things here that are completely wrong from people who just don't take the time to actually realize the points I'm trying to make.
As a Priest, trust me, Christians are attacked every day. You don't know because you aren't one. Become one and tell your friends and family you're born again.
Then come back to us and tell us what they say.
As a person honestly seeking answers, I am attacked everyday from Christians as well.
Enigma, I promise, I am not saying that out of disrespect or to be contradictory. It is my honest observation. I have noticed that a lot of Christians don't take their religion to heart and instead use it as a political statement and/or a means of belonging.
I read your post about some people thinking Christians are of the same ilk as those that believe in unicorns and fairy tales and stuff too. I can see where some people might say that to a Christian with disrespect and as a means to belittle them. But please understand, there are some of us that say that because that is sincerely the way it looks to us.
Personally, I believe in God. But I don't believe any religion. I find it weird that people of this time can look at old religions like the Greeks use to believe in and see that those are nothing but myths but not have the same perspective on today's religions. I have read some first hand accounts of people from ancient Rome and Greece and they had the same convictions for their God(s) as religious folk do today. They believed their teachings with their hearts. What makes today's religions any different for the people today? Why do they feel they have the answers that someone who believed in Zeus or Horus or astrology didn't have?
And I say that out of respect. Not belittlement. I do look at Christianity as a fairy tale. But at the same time I understand that some people need the replenishment that religion offers them. The same way that the followers of Zeus were replenished with their worship. I need my belief in God. But I don't need a belief in a book of men. Especially one that condemns certain groups in society or sends people to hell for having honest doubts and questions.
From my experiences talking to some such people, my own conclusions are that often they have been hurt at some point by their church (or people in the church), or have blamed God for some major source of pain in their lives. Most outspoken atheists who bash Christianity, used to go to church at some point in their lives.
I think you nailed my reason right there. When I was little I was told how much God loved everyone and wanted the best for us all. I believed that and it sounded really nice to me. But then I grew up and started hearing about the people God didn't like. I started hearing about the scripture that talked about how some people were abominations and deserved nothing short of execution. I felt a sense of betrayal. And honestly, it hurt me that I was lied to.
Why do you think you were lied to?
No lie was spoken to you.
I still believe in God. I really do. But now I just can't bring myself to believe the Bible anymore. To me it's a twisted convoluted God that can create something he knows is going to burn in hell for eternity. That to me is not a God I feel comfortable worshipping. I could never call myself a "father" and put my child to an eternity of something like hell. If anything is illogical to me it's that.
So you stopped believing in the Christian/Judaic God because of others, and your own mis-interpretation of the Bible?
I want to believe those are misinterpretations. But I have posted others interpretations on this site and they were quickly called wrong and from an evil liberal viewpoint by people here.
I also have trouble believing in a book written by men that professes to be the word of God. I find it hard to believe that. I mean that sincerely and from my heart. I just have sincere doubts. Especially when I see that the Bible is a hodge podge of stories from prior movements.
Chrfisitianity is my target because I don't see any laws where I live that prohibit what I can do because what a Muslim believes.
I hope that day never comes!
Could you imagine us trying to save this country and peoples rights from two religions vying for control of people through the use of government power? I quake in fear of the thought.
I could see them seeing Constitutionalist's as a common foe and ganging up on us. Yikees!!!
From my experiences talking to some such people, my own conclusions are that often they have been hurt at some point by their church (or people in the church), or have blamed God for some major source of pain in their lives. Most outspoken atheists who bash Christianity, used to go to church at some point in their lives.
I think you nailed my reason right there. When I was little I was told how much God loved everyone and wanted the best for us all. I believed that and it sounded really nice to me. But then I grew up and started hearing about the people God didn't like. I started hearing about the scripture that talked about how some people were abominations and deserved nothing short of execution. I felt a sense of betrayal. And honestly, it hurt me that I was lied to.
Why do you think you were lied to?
No lie was spoken to you.
I still believe in God. I really do. But now I just can't bring myself to believe the Bible anymore. To me it's a twisted convoluted God that can create something he knows is going to burn in hell for eternity. That to me is not a God I feel comfortable worshipping. I could never call myself a "father" and put my child to an eternity of something like hell. If anything is illogical to me it's that.
So you stopped believing in the Christian/Judaic God because of others, and your own mis-interpretation of the Bible?
I want to believe those are misinterpretations. But I have posted others interpretations on this site and they were quickly called wrong and from an evil liberal viewpoint by people here.
We talking about the same interpretations here?
I was talking about the belief that beings are damned to hell for eternity, which is a mis-interpretation.
Another point you made was the belief that people who are evil were created that way, and in turn, he created creatures only to torture them. Well, firstly, free will. Secondly, hell isn't about torture, it's about purification. It's in a way, similar to what the catholics believe purgatory to be, except a bit worse.
I also have trouble believing in a book written by men that professes to be the word of God.
Why?
Do you discard every book written by man as false?
I find it hard to believe that. I mean that sincerely and from my heart. I just have sincere doubts. Especially when I see that the Bible is a hodge podge of stories from prior movements.
Hrm?
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
From my experiences talking to some such people, my own conclusions are that often they have been hurt at some point by their church (or people in the church), or have blamed God for some major source of pain in their lives. Most outspoken atheists who bash Christianity, used to go to church at some point in their lives.
I think you nailed my reason right there. When I was little I was told how much God loved everyone and wanted the best for us all. I believed that and it sounded really nice to me. But then I grew up and started hearing about the people God didn't like. I started hearing about the scripture that talked about how some people were abominations and deserved nothing short of execution. I felt a sense of betrayal. And honestly, it hurt me that I was lied to.
Why do you think you were lied to?
No lie was spoken to you.
I still believe in God. I really do. But now I just can't bring myself to believe the Bible anymore. To me it's a twisted convoluted God that can create something he knows is going to burn in hell for eternity. That to me is not a God I feel comfortable worshipping. I could never call myself a "father" and put my child to an eternity of something like hell. If anything is illogical to me it's that.
So you stopped believing in the Christian/Judaic God because of others, and your own mis-interpretation of the Bible?
I want to believe those are misinterpretations. But I have posted others interpretations on this site and they were quickly called wrong and from an evil liberal viewpoint by people here.
We talking about the same interpretations here?
I was talking about the belief that beings are damned to hell for eternity, which is a mis-interpretation.
Another point you made was the belief that people who are evil were created that way, and in turn, he created creatures only to torture them. Well, firstly, free will. Secondly, hell isn't about torture, it's about purification. It's in a way, similar to what the catholics believe purgatory to be, except a bit worse.
I also have trouble believing in a book written by men that professes to be the word of God.
Why?
Do you discard every book written by man as false?
I find it hard to believe that. I mean that sincerely and from my heart. I just have sincere doubts. Especially when I see that the Bible is a hodge podge of stories from prior movements.
Hrm?
I didn't say every book written by men I discard as false. I said men saying they are speaking the word of God is too hard for me to believe. I don't know these men. I don't know their intentions, there motivations, their history, their biases, or anything. I've even read that Mark, Matthew, Paul, and Luke didn't even exist, that these are made up names to put validity to those gospels, or if they did exist they were just penned in as the authors when they really weren't. If people can't even agree on who the authors were, then how can they be so sure they are the "word of God"?
I have heard what you said about hell though. But again, others say you are wrong. Who's to believe what? When the followers of the text disagree then it's hard to know who to follow. And I don't think that God would have been so confusing in his words. He is, after all, God. Men, on the other hand, are notorious for writing in confusing and open ways.
It could be that a lot was also lost during interpretation, but ask a Christian in America what their Bible is and they will tell you, the word of God. Even that interpretation, to them at least, is the word of God.
I say, lets get one group of disbelievers and make them believers. Lets take the believers and make them disbelievers!! WOW... many wars have started over this. I can only laugh at such a post as this. This reminds me of taoism. negative and positive forces fighting for eternity over a piece of gray material.
The question would be which is positive and which is negative. I know both types believe they are the positive and the other a negative.
Amusement is both sides of this debate will always have a negative outcome. How Ironic. All because of belief.
I didn't say every book written by men I discard as false. I said men saying they are speaking the word of God is too hard for me to believe. I don't know these men. I don't know their intentions, there motivations, their history, their biases, or anything.
You could say that for just about anyone who has written history, especially in the far past.
If you must be so paranoid about one group of men, then you must about all.
I've even read that Mark, Matthew, Paul, and Luke didn't even exist, that these are made up names to put validity to those gospels, or if they did exist they were just penned in as the authors when they really weren't. If people can't even agree on who the authors were, then how can they be so sure they are the "word of God"?
If people do not believe in the existance of mark, matthew, paul, and luke, then logically, they're not going to believe it's the word of God.
I fail to see your argument.
I have heard what you said about hell though. But again, others say you are wrong. Who's to believe what? When the followers of the text disagree then it's hard to know who to follow.
Then I guess you do your own research and see what the truth is.
The followers of the religion have never agreed. Pauls letter's to the different churches epitomized this. They were already becoming sectarian in nature before the disciples had even died.
And I don't think that God would have been so confusing in his words. He is, after all, God. Men, on the other hand, are notorious for writing in confusing and open ways.
God isn't confusing in His words. It's not His problem if our own stupidity blinds us.
It could be that a lot was also lost during interpretation,
Alot has been. That's why it's always good to look back to the original text, context of the time, etc. to make your judgment. God gave us brains for a reason.
but ask a Christian in America what their Bible is and they will tell you, the word of God. Even that interpretation, to them at least, is the word of God.
Christianity in America, is by all intents and purposes, a tradition. There are alot of people, whom when you know alot about their personal life, and you stumble across their myspace page and it gives their religion, Christian has been put there. And you just scratch your head and think, "Whaaattt? No way."
And that's because alot of them either don't care, and just follow it because it's the convenient thing to do. Or are what I call "loose Christians". Christians that subscribe to the belief of God, and Jesus Christ, but are too insufferable to put a little bit of initiative and willpower into living a Christian based personal life.
So many Christians will think, "King james bible. Ftw! No other translation is correct. Only King James. What is this? Original texts? DIFFERENT THAN KING JAMES? Blasphemer. We'll stone you".
I personally don't care what other Christians believe. Who should?
Being a Christian isn't about believing like someone else tells you to, or what your pastor says to, or this, or that. Being a Christian is believing what God tells you to. Simple enough.
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
Wow, if a catholic says anything about an atheist, its all hell to pay (no pun intended), God, just leave us alone, you dont belive in anything, we do, w/e. Stop with this religion bashing. I like to think that after I die I am going to go to heaven with my family, and there will be no more sadness, I dont want a scientist or anyone to tell me that I am just going to rot where they buried me. Is it so hard to believe that there is life after death, I mean, what could there be. Ask a scientist to answer that question, you wont get an answer, they will say that science is working on finding an answer, ask a priest, you will get a reassured answer.
Wow, if a catholic says anything about an atheist, its all hell to pay (no pun intended), God, just leave us alone, you dont belive in anything, we do, w/e. Stop with this religion bashing. I like to think that after I die I am going to go to heaven with my family, and there will be no more sadness, I dont want a scientist or anyone to tell me that I am just going to rot where they buried me. Is it so hard to believe that there is life after death, I mean, what could there be. Ask a scientist to answer that question, you wont get an answer, they will say that science is working on finding an answer, ask a priest, you will get a reassured answer.
You have obviously spent little time critically thinking about religion. You've mixed up PASCAL’s Wager with a host of other nonsense. Why should I or anyone else respect beliefs that are unfounded and improvable? Carl Sagan said:" It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring". Stephen Henry Roberts (1901-71) once said: “I contend that we are both (all) atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” Atheists don't feel the need to claim all the answers. We are content with things we haven’t explained yet. We don't ascribe magical thinking to the unexplained.
When I asked where the OP got his impression from, what I mean is:
Your perception is mostly related to your relative position in the world, comprised of you experiences as an individual, and we don't share experiences, we have similar ones.
A christian may perceive that athiests are always attacking christianity, but to a muslim or a jew it may seem that athiests are always attacking them.
Since this community is comprised primarilly of christians, and since us athiests have few muslims or jews to talk religion with here, it would stand to reason that the impression one would get, if they were christian, is that athiests are always attacking christians.
Make the primary religion here judia or islam and the perception changes. Everyone can prove me wrong by converting to another religion.
The short of it is. It's just you.
Now the only way to be an athiests to not believe in ANY god. This means that anyone that believes in god is in essence EQUALLY wrong. (wrong because I can't think of a friendlier word to use. I mean no offense basically ), wich makes every religion an equal target to anyone that would attack.
Comments
Not for long.
Boycott EA Games. RIP Sim City.
Not for long.
you mean you think its gonna increase, or decrease?
?
Christianity is decreasing, Islam is increasing.
Boycott EA Games. RIP Sim City.
CONGRATs you your very, very, thought provoking response!
CONGRATs you your very, very, thought provoking response!
Absolutely.
Will I be receiving royalties, It's a true story.
I kid. About the royalties of course, it really is a true story.
Thank you to those that complimented the post BTW.
Wish Darkfall would release.
Just a question for you, or other Ateists:
Do Athiests celebrate X-Mas? Easter? What happens when their families get together for X-mas .... do they invite the Atheist member?
Just a question for you, or other Ateists:
Do Athiests celebrate X-Mas? Easter? What happens when their families get together for X-mas .... do they invite the Atheist member?
It's been quite some time since Christmas had anything to actually to do with religion.
Incidentally, that time of year has traditionally been a time of 'gathering together' in the UK, since well before christianity began. It was originally a pagan winter celebration, but when organised religion shifted the calendar around 'incredibly' it was also Christs birthday.
Anyone who follows a pagan based religion should sue to get their day back
Easter also has origins in earlier and older religions, the whole egg business has nothing to do with Christ but rather pagan fertility symbolism and celebrating the spring equinox.
"The festival of Easter is a classic example of the early Christian church adapting an existing pagan ritual to suit their own purposes. The Saxon spring festival of Eostre, was named for their goddess of dawn, and when they came to Britain in about the 5th century AD, the festival came with them along with re-birth and fertility rituals involving eggs, chicks and rabbits. When the Saxons converted to Christianity and started to celebrate the death and the resurrection of Christ, it coincided with Eostre, so that's what the early church called the celebration, Eostre or Easter in modern English.
The actual date that Easter falls on every year is governed by a fairly complex calculation related to the Spring Equinox. The actual formula is: The first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox is Easter Sunday or Easter Day. This formula was set by Egyptian astronomers in Alexandra in 235ad, and calculated using the same method as the Jews have traditionally used to calculate the feast of the Passover, which occurred at about the same time as the crucifixion."
Just a question for you, or other Ateists:
Do Athiests celebrate X-Mas? Easter? What happens when their families get together for X-mas .... do they invite the Atheist member?
I celebrate christmas, but not in any religious way. It's nothing more then a time of sharing.
Easter I don't celebrate. Although my familly does, as well as my girl and her familly, and so I do in the sence that I go to dinner and visit familly.
I am also the only athiest I know in my life, and so I can't really invite other athiests.
Also, what Tamalan said. Edit: Thank you for the information by the way. I didn't know that about easter. Very interesting.
Wish Darkfall would release.
A) America is mostly a Christian country.
C) Muslims Jews and Christians all have the same roots.
D) Christianity is highly distorted and full of absurd nonsense.
Instead of holding that book up and proclaiming it as the source of truth, why not do some real research from a neutral perspective and learn about its history.
Its creation. The history of the Bible. Its very interesting and got me out of church !
Just my opinion here, so dont get all whiney, i mean after all im the one going to hell right hahahah sure...
I still believe in God. I really do. But now I just can't bring myself to believe the Bible anymore. To me it's a twisted convoluted God that can create something he knows is going to burn in hell for eternity. That to me is not a God I feel comfortable worshipping. I could never call myself a "father" and put my child to an eternity of something like hell. If anything is illogical to me it's that.
From what I see, most of your bashing of Christians is on such points, rather than bashing the religion as a whole. My own feeling is that I suspect we might find Jesus bashing some of the same things too if he were around today.
I really appreciate you taking the time to actually read my posts. That is so lacking on this site. I have been accused of some things here that are completely wrong from people who just don't take the time to actually realize the points I'm trying to make.
Thank you!
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Chrfisitianity is my target because I don't see any laws where I live that prohibit what I can do because what a Muslim believes.
Then come back to us and tell us what they say.
As a person honestly seeking answers, I am attacked everyday from Christians as well.Enigma, I promise, I am not saying that out of disrespect or to be contradictory. It is my honest observation. I have noticed that a lot of Christians don't take their religion to heart and instead use it as a political statement and/or a means of belonging.
I read your post about some people thinking Christians are of the same ilk as those that believe in unicorns and fairy tales and stuff too. I can see where some people might say that to a Christian with disrespect and as a means to belittle them. But please understand, there are some of us that say that because that is sincerely the way it looks to us.
Personally, I believe in God. But I don't believe any religion. I find it weird that people of this time can look at old religions like the Greeks use to believe in and see that those are nothing but myths but not have the same perspective on today's religions. I have read some first hand accounts of people from ancient Rome and Greece and they had the same convictions for their God(s) as religious folk do today. They believed their teachings with their hearts. What makes today's religions any different for the people today? Why do they feel they have the answers that someone who believed in Zeus or Horus or astrology didn't have?
And I say that out of respect. Not belittlement. I do look at Christianity as a fairy tale. But at the same time I understand that some people need the replenishment that religion offers them. The same way that the followers of Zeus were replenished with their worship. I need my belief in God. But I don't need a belief in a book of men. Especially one that condemns certain groups in society or sends people to hell for having honest doubts and questions.
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I want to believe those are misinterpretations. But I have posted others interpretations on this site and they were quickly called wrong and from an evil liberal viewpoint by people here.So you stopped believing in the Christian/Judaic God because of others, and your own mis-interpretation of the Bible?
I also have trouble believing in a book written by men that professes to be the word of God. I find it hard to believe that. I mean that sincerely and from my heart. I just have sincere doubts. Especially when I see that the Bible is a hodge podge of stories from prior movements.
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Could you imagine us trying to save this country and peoples rights from two religions vying for control of people through the use of government power? I quake in fear of the thought.
I could see them seeing Constitutionalist's as a common foe and ganging up on us. Yikees!!!
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Think 911 was the nail in the coffin for any sane converts.
I want to believe those are misinterpretations. But I have posted others interpretations on this site and they were quickly called wrong and from an evil liberal viewpoint by people here.So you stopped believing in the Christian/Judaic God because of others, and your own mis-interpretation of the Bible?
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
"
I also have trouble believing in a book written by men that professes to be the word of God.
Why?
Do you discard every book written by man as false?"
I think the reason for that is quite obvious. Men can lie.
If I were to write a book full of miracles and rules and I present it to you, would you take it as true fact? Ofcourse not.
I want to believe those are misinterpretations. But I have posted others interpretations on this site and they were quickly called wrong and from an evil liberal viewpoint by people here.So you stopped believing in the Christian/Judaic God because of others, and your own mis-interpretation of the Bible?
I didn't say every book written by men I discard as false. I said men saying they are speaking the word of God is too hard for me to believe. I don't know these men. I don't know their intentions, there motivations, their history, their biases, or anything. I've even read that Mark, Matthew, Paul, and Luke didn't even exist, that these are made up names to put validity to those gospels, or if they did exist they were just penned in as the authors when they really weren't. If people can't even agree on who the authors were, then how can they be so sure they are the "word of God"?I have heard what you said about hell though. But again, others say you are wrong. Who's to believe what? When the followers of the text disagree then it's hard to know who to follow. And I don't think that God would have been so confusing in his words. He is, after all, God. Men, on the other hand, are notorious for writing in confusing and open ways.
It could be that a lot was also lost during interpretation, but ask a Christian in America what their Bible is and they will tell you, the word of God. Even that interpretation, to them at least, is the word of God.
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I say, lets get one group of disbelievers and make them believers. Lets take the believers and make them disbelievers!! WOW... many wars have started over this. I can only laugh at such a post as this. This reminds me of taoism. negative and positive forces fighting for eternity over a piece of gray material.
The question would be which is positive and which is negative. I know both types believe they are the positive and the other a negative.
Amusement is both sides of this debate will always have a negative outcome. How Ironic. All because of belief.
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
Because most atheists, at least in the Western World, are either ex-Christians / were raised Christians or whatever.
because christianity is the largest denomination in the world
or
personally i just have a problem with political figures in this country who are slowly doing away with seperation of church and state
Wow, if a catholic says anything about an atheist, its all hell to pay (no pun intended), God, just leave us alone, you dont belive in anything, we do, w/e. Stop with this religion bashing. I like to think that after I die I am going to go to heaven with my family, and there will be no more sadness, I dont want a scientist or anyone to tell me that I am just going to rot where they buried me. Is it so hard to believe that there is life after death, I mean, what could there be. Ask a scientist to answer that question, you wont get an answer, they will say that science is working on finding an answer, ask a priest, you will get a reassured answer.
You have obviously spent little time critically thinking about religion. You've mixed up PASCAL’s Wager with a host of other nonsense. Why should I or anyone else respect beliefs that are unfounded and improvable? Carl Sagan said:" It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring". Stephen Henry Roberts (1901-71) once said: “I contend that we are both (all) atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” Atheists don't feel the need to claim all the answers. We are content with things we haven’t explained yet. We don't ascribe magical thinking to the unexplained.
A good argument for Atheism.
Free will is crap.
The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.
--Arthur C. Clarke
When I asked where the OP got his impression from, what I mean is:
Your perception is mostly related to your relative position in the world, comprised of you experiences as an individual, and we don't share experiences, we have similar ones.
A christian may perceive that athiests are always attacking christianity, but to a muslim or a jew it may seem that athiests are always attacking them.
Since this community is comprised primarilly of christians, and since us athiests have few muslims or jews to talk religion with here, it would stand to reason that the impression one would get, if they were christian, is that athiests are always attacking christians.
Make the primary religion here judia or islam and the perception changes. Everyone can prove me wrong by converting to another religion.
The short of it is. It's just you.
Now the only way to be an athiests to not believe in ANY god. This means that anyone that believes in god is in essence EQUALLY wrong. (wrong because I can't think of a friendlier word to use. I mean no offense basically
), wich makes every religion an equal target to anyone that would attack.
Wish Darkfall would release.