Atheist say that christians try and push their beliefs on them, but if you think about it.....?

Question

don't atheist kind of do the same by calling christians small minded among other things? I'm just basing this theory from what I've read here on yahoo answers, so nobody get offended please because that is not the point of this question.

Answer 1

I personally see both sides. I see people who ask a valid hypothetical question and watch the Christians jump all over it. I see Christians ask a valid question and the atheists/agnostics/non-christians jump all over it. It's the whole point of Y!Answers, isn't it? To ask a question and get views from every type of person out there? If Christians want to ask questions and have only other Christians answer, this is not the place for it. Likewise, if a non-christian doesn't want to hear christian's spreading God's word when they ask a question that questions christianinty, they shouldn't ask the questions here. It's human nature and people on both sides tend to take it to far. We should all be able to voice our opinions and leave it at that, not have to be saved, converted, swayed, taken away from the light, turned to the dark side, born again, etc. etc. etc.

Answer 2

I think that any group, when faced with insults will feel the need to defend themselves. So when you see posts from those who call themselves atheist that may be mean in tone, realize that 1) these people are human no different then the Christians and that they can get angry and frustrated over people calling what they believe '****' too, and 2) you have closed minded people across the board in every belief. So, just like the Christians hate being called closed minded and wrong - the atheists are right there with them. No one wants to be in that boat.

Also, the approach a lot of the Christians on this site take follows the lines of "if you're not Christian then you're a hell-damn-***-sinner who is going to HELL!!!". Not very friendly. Kind of forceful. Kind of..rude, don't you think? What a lot of people tend to miss is that it is happening on both ends. Both sides are capable of being rude to each other. Equally.

I will have to say, though, that forums like this are breeding grounds for closed minded people. Also, a lot of people post stupid rude questions just to stir people up. It works. Heh.


(As an aside to the fellow who posted about evolution being forced on school children: The theory of evolution is a scientific theory. Scientific. The creationism theory is still based more in religion and doesn't have a place in science class. Perhaps in a humanities class. Evolution is not forced on the kids. It's just an alternative to the church's teachings. We could also teach the native American origin story of the Sky Woman).

Answer 3

It is not the fact that atheists think most religious people are small minded or the like, but the the paradigm that must be achieved is hard to accept and attain if you have had religion presented to you as real and factual by not only respected people in the community, but your very relatives and parents. A need for alot of people for times to be simple, and not make the effort to see that all carbon based life forms are united, is frustrating and down right silly to our point of view. Think of a world where all people are considered equals and we all want to lift each other up. When a Christian, Muslim etc... classifies and condemns people to an eternity of hell or heaven, what choice do i have but to think they haven't taken a look at all the facts, or have, and are afraid of the answers. Simple minded? no. Lack of inner strength and the ability to see things as they really are? yes.

Answer 4

well, youre right....in my personal experiences ive found that everyone pushes what they believe on those around them even if its not meant...i chose to believe different from christians and completely accept those who believe nothing is up there because bassically as long as your a good person and do no harm to others i think that if god does exist he cares a lot more about the person you were on earth than whether or not you always completely belived in him..the one thing that i think gets most people about christians who "push their beliefs" upon others is that its not a healthy debate because for 1 the christian religion is commonly being thought of by nonchristians as hypocritical and most try to make people believe that if you dont believe in god and accept jesus into your heart you WILL go to hell.well technically how can that be true when christianity teaches that jesus died for EVERY sin EVERY person will EVER commit..therefore if not believing is a sin then your already forgiven and everyone automatically goes to heaven...i absolutely hate being criticized about how i chose to believe because i knowthat i am a good person and if there is a heaven i have full confidence that i would probably get in......the basics of all(well most) religions are the same"do what you will as long as you harm none"meaning pretty much the same as the 10 commandments...do not make a choice or decision without first concidering if it will hurt ANYONE in ANY way....so aside from how i chose to SEE god we believe in the same things.........................p.s. i hope that i have not made it appear as though ive been offended and also that ive not offended anyone else...i think that this is a great question as think that there will probably be some really great answers

Answer 5

I'm not a deeply religious person, but I do know that there is nothing more annoying than an atheist. They just say they're atheists for attention. Otherwise, they would just be atheists and wouldn't feel the need to yell it at everyone 24 hours a day. They're more annoying then Jehovah's Witnesses. No offense to their religion, but I don't like people coming to my door all the time wanting to give me the Watchtower and have a conversation about their beliefs. To each his own, and that includes me.

Answer 6

Some atheists do/some don't try to "enlighten" Christians. But Christianity has as one of its basic tenets that Christians are supposed to proselytize. You don't see too many atheists paired up on bicycles knocking on peoples doors to bring them the "bad news", do you?

And when did you last get a phone call from the atheists asking you to give them tax-free money to help them build a big new church to bring the word of the truth of meaninglessness to the Non-secular? The thing that ticks most atheists off, I think, is that Christianity is mostly about business. And they don't pay have to pay taxes like the rest of us do!

Answer 7

The most pitiable thing about atheists is that almost none of them realize that theirs is also a faith. They can no more disprove the existence of God than a believer can prove it. Both stances are a matter of faith.

Pity the poor atheist, caught between a rock and a hard place. He does not believe in God, he decries God's very exiatence, but must rely on an act of faith to live his disbelief in faith.

As the epitaph of the atheist read:

Here lies John Smith, atheist. Poor man, all dressed up and no place to go.

True of them in life as well. They take their faith in the non-existence of God, gussy it up with all kinds of arguments and for what? What's it gonna get them in the end? Sad.

Answer 8

Calling someone small minded is an insult, not a belief.

Atheists do not go door to door saying, "Let me tell you, right here and now, that God does not exist" and then hand you a pamphlet giving you a more details and such.

Christians do it all the time. And to make them go away do you know what I tell them. I am wiccan. And do you know what they say? What is that, like satan worship? They just don't do the research.

Answer 9

Christianity is a universal religion. This means it is part of its dogma to convert all people to its religion. Judaism is not, and they make no extra effort to include outsiders in their religion. In fact, it is generally very difficult to become a jew if you were not born one. As an atheist I am honest about my attitudes toward God, and answer any questions about it. I enjoy honest, open debate. But I would say the guy on the soapbox telling anyone who disagrees with his beliefs is going to hell is pushing his beliefs on others.

Answer 10

I think atheists push their beliefs on christians more than christians do on them. they are always posting questions on here with the motive of changing christians into non-believers. it's a truly terrible thing in my opinion, bcuz if someone is having their doubts and then they see something like that, it can really bring them down. christians love God and the athiests are trying to take something they love away from them. christians just want to show others that love.