A question for pagans, wiccan, and atheists...?

Question

I am a Christian who loves God and is so thankful that he sent Jesus down to die for my sins. I have never been one to push my views down anyone's throat, but having just read several responses to Christian questions, I have to wonder why all of these people who call themselves pagans, atheists, and wiccans sound so angry, bitter, and negative? I would never bash anyone because of their beliefs, not that I agree with them, but why the deep hatred towards Christians? And for the atheists...aren't you just a teeny bit worried about what will happen when you die if you're wrong and the is a God?

anoldmick - The BIBLE says there is no afterlife? I don't know what version of The Bible you read, but mine says otherwise.

Thank you for all of the calm, rational, intellegent responses. I didn't want to start yet another post for people to rant and rave, just posing a serious question, not looking to start an arguement.

magicman - I'm not afraid at all of death, when it's my time to go. I don't think any faithful Christian is because of all of the wonderful things promised to believers in heaven.

Answer 1

A TRUE atheist, pagan, or wiccan (especially) would not write angry, bitter, or negative responses. These people who claim to be such should instead be having intelligent discussions about their own beliefs or lack of. Bashing another person's choice of worship does not promote respect....it only promotes more intolerance and hate. I can only surmise that these posters are trying to get a rise out of those posing questions. The atheists that I know could care less about what people believe since they believe in nothing. It does nothing for them to get angry or bitter towards believers....only takes up more energy that they could be using to do other things. And the Pagans and Wiccans......well, who knows.

Answer 2

I am glad to hear that you do not push your views down anyone's throat. That is a step in the right direction. :)

I will try not to repeat what many other people have said in their answers. I just wanted to add that I have become an athiest in part because my entire family and circle of 'friends' completely disowned me when I decided I no longer wanted to be a member of the religious sect I was raised in. Regardless of the fact that I am a fantastic mother, I am doing well in college, and I try to be a very honest, law abiding, helpful person.

After leaving, I began to realize even more how the gods of today, are no different than the gods of yesterday - fairytales and stories. I have several new, true, friends who aren't athiest like me, who are very good people and we've learned to agree to disagree. And I think that the world would be a better place if more people could do that.

My feelings on when I die is: sure, I don't want to die. Who does? (except for maybe someone who is severely depresses or mentally unstable) But I am certainly not willing to give up my free will or the short amount of time I have on this earth, in order to worship an imaginary being. Or to be pressured by other people who can't accept opposing viewpoints. I agree with one of the previous responders that the bible in particular, goes against my morals, and against humankind's natural morals.

I hope that whatever your faith, that you truly make the most of your life and yourself. And don't be afraid to question, learn and grow. Why would a loving god want you to do otherwise? And if he is not a loving or just or merciful god, then why would you waste your energy obeying him?

Answer 3

I do not call myself anything, but others call me various things. There are many Christians who do shove their beliefs down people's throats. My oldest sister and my father are just two of them. Anyone is bound to be angry about such hateful behavior. I do not worry about being wrong, because I am a genius with a good education. I see that the Bible is filled with flaws. Science has disproven the two creation myths, Noah's Deluge, etc, etc. The wisest Greeks knew more science than the writers of the Bible. The Bible says pi is 3, but it's 3.14159... so I cannot use the Bible in engineering work or even to buy a hat. I took Bible in college, and the textbook listed contradictions in the Bible. So does a book Billy Graham gave me. The latter glibly tries to explain them, but that is not convincing. The logical way is to accept what the evidence supports, not to try to manipulate evidence to conform to preconceptons. Some deny that there are contradictions in the Bible. Their arguments are too silly for me. I worry as much about Yahweh the Hebrew God as I do about Zeus, Brahma, Allah, Tien Ti, Odin and all other fictional deities. In other words, I don't concern myself with obvious nonsense.

Answer 4

"And for the atheists...aren't you just a teeny bit worried about what will happen when you die if you're wrong and the is a God?"

No, that argument is called Pascal's wager and it doesn't work. It basically says that it's better to be safe than sorry. If someone were to follow Pascal's wager, they would have to study every religion (and there are thousands of them) and find the one with the worst hell in order to avoid it. Would anyone really do that? You would waste half of your life preparing for an afterlife that might not even exist! What if we reversed it: What if god is only going to let the people into heaven that are brave enough not to believe in him? I think this demonstrates why Pascal's wager doesn't work. (There is much more too it than that and many more problems why it doesn't work, if you're interested just google it.)

If I were to die and find out that god really does exist, and I was to go to to hell for not believing in him, then I would accept that a god does exist, just not a good one. An all good god would not send me to hell for not believing in him and I would not want to worship an evil god while I lived. To answer your question, no, I am not the even the tiniest bit worried about what will happen if I am wrong about god.

Answer 5

The issue you're facing is a matter of exposure. The people most likely to be noticed are those who are extreme for some reason, and that includes the angry whoever. I personally have no hatred toward Christians, per se, having been raised one, but I am often angered by those certain Christians (or any other group who does it) preaching that I am wrong or a sinner because I don't agree with them. Actions like, say, handing someone a bible and telling them you will pray for them until they realize the "true path," can cause dislike of individuals to extend to the group they claim to represent. It's unfortunate, but it's human nature to generalize.

Answer 6

"I have never been one to push my views down anyone's throat"
"when you die if you're wrong and the is a God?"

I bash on you people because you are liars,
and no, I am NOT worried about it. That is why I'm athiest. I KNOW UNEQUIVOCALLY THERE IS NO GOD. I'm not worried about it when I die. I have confidence that there is no God. Why would I worry about it? I wouldn't be much of an athiest then now would I? Infact worring there is a God is the definition of a Catholic last time I checked. Why am I bitter? The fact remains that there are way more of you people then there ought to be by now. God has died, and died a long time ago.

Answer 7

I read the questions you are referring to and the answers, and yes I did find some angry answers from non believers, but i also found quite a few angry answers from christians.

Religion and belief has always been a delicate subject, wars have been fought over it and thousands of people have been killed, either in sacrifice to a particular god or burnt at the stake for not believing in a certain god,church or way of life.

I find atheists and agnostics to be a very passive group, at least when it comes to their beliefs. But I can imagine how they can be specially sensitive nowadays, because I, as a non believer in any of the mainstream faiths, get angry and frutrated too, of how fundamentalism, either in Christianity, Islam or Judaism, etc. is tearing our societies once more.

And in that anger and frustration, atheist, agnostics and most likely wiccans, new age folk and all those groups which don't follow mainstream religion and who are more liberal in thought and action, and hold peace and kindness as a priceless good, are blinded, like all imperfect humans that we are, and label all christians as Bush followers, enemies of freedom and of life.

We tend to forget momentarily that there are lots of good christians and every pro-christian comment we hear or read, even if meant in good faith, we asociate with oil wars, lies, fundamentalism, patriot acts, whatever.

Answer 8

Don't you ever worry about what will happen if YOU'RE wrong and there is NO god? The reason so many unbelievers are so hostile towards Christians is simple: Christians call us fools, and worse, actively discriminate against us in the workplace, in school, and in the neighborhood. Further, the actions of Christians towards people of other faiths/nations puts our security at much greater risk. Your own response gives substance to our disgust with you. Wake up! Get real! There is no afterlife - your own Bible tells you so; you just haven't bothered to look up that particular passage...

Answer 9

Christians have not been kind to them in the past when the Christian Church was staring to form. In a bid to become the top religion they used very heavy handed measures to try and get people of other religions to convert to theirs.
The Pagans and Wiccans tried to incorporate the two into one as except for some name changes the ideas were not to far from theirs.
I should say it was the Catholic Church that started the bashing first.
Declaring that the pagans and wiccans worshiped the devil. because when the Church came up with a image of the devil from several sources it was similar to one of the images of the nature God that these people worshiped as the Protector of the forest and all things that lived in it.
As for Atheist one of us is in for a nasty shock when we pass over into another life.

Answer 10

If God is real, then I honestly have to say I would feel no remorse for not worshipping him. Christians say the Bible is true. OK, I'll assume this is correct for a minute. So this means the verses and stories about God ordering people killed would be true, since it is the word of God and God doesn't lie, right? (I'll give specific chapters and verses if you want them, let me know) I'm sorry, but after reading the Bible I believe your God is not worty of my worship and goes against my morals. As for your first question, like your Bible says, "Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1) Don't confuse the majority with the minority.