Question for Atheist: What's the one thing you want Christians to know?

Question

I read here all the time and sense an irritation from atheist about Christians and the things that we do...maybe some not all!

So if you could say something to us that you wish that we would just "GET IT" what would that message be?

For some it maybe to leave you alone and never say anything to you, or quit praying for me (I'm guilty of that)...I take names and pray for health and God to reveil himself to non-believers.
Or maybe you want us to realize that you don't accept our beliefs etc..

But what's the message you want us to "GET"

thanks for any serious answers

Answer 1

Wow...that kind of forward thinking is going to get you banned, you know that, right? ;)

Answer 2

What I'd like Christians to get is this:

Between the time of Jesus' death and the beginning of the Christian canon of scripture (the New Testament), about 300 years passed. During that time, there were many different groups that called themselves Christians.

When the Roman emperor Constantine was converted (by a vision in which he saw a cross in the sky and heard the words "Conquer by this"), he held a council of various Christian leaders. Not all leaders were invited.

This was the beginning of the Catholic Church, which decided which writings went into the New Testament, and what the official teachings of the church were. After this, they began destroying the lives and writings of other Christian groups who had different (i.e. "heretical") views.

Some of these groups we now call "Gnostics", from the Greek word for "direct or personal experience", but they didn't have a unified doctrine or name then.

The Church was the only steward of the writings in the New Testament, which many different people changed over many centuries before the people were allowed to study the scriptures on their own.

By this time, many things had been added, removed, or altered, for various reasons having to do with power, control, and doctrine. Many early writings would never be known again.

During all this time, and even before Constantine, Jesus' original message was obscured. We have only glimpses of it in the Bible today, and we have to look between a lot of junk that was added by later church leaders, and even by the authors of some of the books themselves (most notably Matthew and Luke, who both used Mark as a source--and neither of whom saw Jesus in the flesh).

My point is that the Bible isn't what Christians are taught that it is. It contains a lot of stuff that's downright bad for people.

Search for truth on your own. If you find it, you'll find some in the Bible (mostly the New Testament), and a lot in other places.

Jesus wasn't who you're taught he was. It's very sad for some of us to see so many people who are so adamant about something that isn't true.

Many things in the Bible are not true. Using your mind is true. Love is true.

Answer 3

There are so many...I'm going to have to cheat and list a few, though.

Atheists don't believe in God. Seriously, nothing God might do or say or whatever will worry them. Because they don't believe in God. I know it sounds obvious, but some just don't GET that.

Atheists are not atheists because they are afraid to be atheists, meaning they are afraid they are wrong. Atheists are not afraid they are wrong. (If they were, they'd be agnostic.)

Please learn what a theory is. Gravity is "just a theory". In science, theories and facts can coexist. A great quote from ChooseReality "Evolution is a scientific theory, meaning that it is no longer a hypothesis (an educated guess) because it has a body of evidence to support it."

Answer 4

One thing? That's too bad, there are so many.

But the one that may be the most important is that morality and god are not exclusive. Belief in god does NOT ensure morality and a disbelief in god has no bearing on being moral.

I do not believe in god, yet at the same time I believe that murder, theft, adultery, lying, cheating, etc are immoral.

I believe and live by the golden rule. I believe that love, compassion, and a giving nature are the most honorable traits of a good person.

Answer 5

What do I want christians to know?

1)That morals, laws and ethics do not come from any god.
They come from sympathy, and empathy for your fellow man, hence different social mores in different regions of the world.

2)The bible is full of contradictions. In the new testament alone;
Why do Matthew and Luke disagree?
Why are there different genealogies of Joseph, and why is Jesus "earthly father" important at all?
Why do only Matthew and Luke know of the virgin birth?
Why didn't John the baptist become a follower of Jesus?
etc.

3)That the "christ story" is not new and has been around for thousands of years.
There have been plenty of life-death-ascention stories with plenty of deities born of virgins, on or around dec 25th, called the king of kings, crucified, risen again,etc. Figures like Mithras, Attis, Adonis, Osiris, Tammuz, Bacchus, Baal, Orpheus, Krishna, Horus and Dionysis and no one thinks of these guys as anything but mythical

4)That there are no first hand non-biblical references to Jesus.
Flavius Josephus's Antiquities is a favourite source that many Christians quote to prove the historical existance of Jesus because in his Antiquities there are two references to Jesus.
But he was only reporting the second hand myths and legends as told by Christians. There are no original manuscripts of Josepheus' writings remaining. The copies that do remain were made by Christian monks.

5)That the bible is full of nonsense.
Noah's ark is an impossiblity and has been proven numerous times over that it could not have happened, and that there is 0 evidence of a worldwide flood.

6)That evolution is not a tool of the devil.
The biological definition of evolution is 'a change in allele frequencies over time', basically saying that single celled organisms, by definition have to have come before multi-celled ones, proving that humans were not created first, but came after many millions of years

7)That Jesus said little that was new or worthwhile.
He introduced no new concepts to ethics apart from hell. He instituted no social programmes although if, as many of his followers believe, he was the "Son of God" or "God made flesh" and not just an invented character, he would have known much more about science, biology or medicine, but he appeared ignorant of such things.

And finally that that it doesn't take a blue pill or red pill to see that christianity is built upon lies and control.

Answer 6

A few points if I may...

Too often people who are not us try to speak for us and tell us (and others) who we are. Have seen it happen on this site plenty of times. We try to speak for ourselves, but it seems it's always overshadowed by the preachy types that demand what they were told in church or all the negativity they believe we are is true, instead of what they would actually hear right from us.

Yes there are good and bad in ALL groups, including both ours and yours. But most of us are just decent people with good morals and values who just go about our everyday lives just like the rest of you. Only thing different is that we do so without the thought of religious stuff...all the rest it the same as you.


One thing that really aggravates me is this "deny" word. Even some dictionaries use it under the "atheist" entry...so you can tell who printed it. It's just one word, but I find it so rude and intrusive on (non) beliefs that are actually private and none of anyone else's business. If most people and most things in just everyday life, even dictionaries, said that you believers were just those that "deny the non-existence" of a god, you'd get a bit frustrated and tired of it to.

There is no "denying" it if something is not your beliefs. No one is telling you that you "deny" the beliefs of Islam...that you know perfectly well that it's true, you just want to act like a rebellious brat and deny it. That would be the same as we get.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T People should not intrude on personal space, and (non) religious beliefs are very much a part of that personal space. We don't want to be you, please don't try to make us, and if someone wants to pick up your religion then they will seek it out themselves. People putting their religion on us feels rather uncaring on the part of the believer, just such a disrespect of our ways. Even if I feel it sounds cheesy and like a copout to actually helping, if I'm having a problem and a friend says they will pray...ok I can still understand something as a kind gesture. But I we don't need to be put down by people telling us to find THEIR religion, god, or anything else. Us adults are perfectly capable of leading our lives ourselves and choosing what is and is not right for us.



We aren't all nutso over the take the god stuff out of the pledge and off money... Sure, it would be nice if the pledge was returned to it's original form, but money....it's money and I really don't care that much. Although the removal of these would not make you lose your religion and would make our society open for all as it should be. As our world mixes more and more, we need to find just a way to keep society open, void of any specific religion if we are to find a way to keep it open to all. Our civilization will not survive if we can not accommodate all, and that will take just leaving it open...let people believe as they want, and put no ones religion to the forefront of others.

While many non believers may be outspoken online because it's safe, very few would be in real life. You can never know who you are dealing with, some who are prejudiced could be capable bad things, so most of us keep quite about it in person. So is it so bad that we feel free to speak our minds at least here online?

We aren't all a bunch of "liberal wackos," some are actually rather conservative in their views and some do consider themselves republicans.


Thanks for being one of those actually open to asking and listening.

Answer 7

I would really like all Christians to understand that:

Christ is love, not fear.
You should follow him with intelligence not stubbornness (ill called Faith).
Christians should forgive those who offend them, not prosecute those different.
Virtue is a way to live happily, not a form of corporeal punishment.

Christ IS right, but we ALL are wrong At some point. Let me explain for this is deceiving. NO ONE CAN BE RIGHT, only Christ, therefore anyone saying "that's it, this is true and that is not" has at least a little of error. And that includes the Bible. ¿How to tell whats closer to god? Seek for what is right, true, correct. And so far, that is achieved questioning, trying and if possible experimenting, not closing your eyes and believing with all your hart.

Answer 8

I'm an Agnostic, not an Athiest, but I get the same sort of treatment from Christians (some don't even realize there is a differance between the two). I would want Christians to realize that the more they try to convert us, the farther away they push us.

Answer 9

Simply that we have the right not to be like you and not to live by your standards. If the states didn't impose (or if churches didn't impose through states) their principles, and you could do your lives freely and we could do ours freely, I would have nothing to say about religions. But although there is a theoretical freedom to choose your faith, this actually doesn't work so well. Religious hierarchies impose their beliefs on all of us, so banning abortion, banning homosexual marriage (by law, not by church), banning divorce, etc., according to each specific place. So, we have the right NOT to live by your principles, and not to do things, just because the church decides we have to. That's all I wish you understood.

Just in case, I don't mean I want to kill people, because killing is a sin for you. I agree on many things. A Catholic friend of mine says I'm more of a Christian than many self-claimed Christians he knows. So, I'll agree on not killing, not stealing, and many other things. But don't make me do (or ban me from doing) other things, which are not essentially bad, just because YOU don't like it.

Answer 10

Honestly? Look for answers. Don't just smugly say "god did it" and pretend like you know. Don't let your religious beliefs hold you back from scientific progress. Don't let it influence law. Essentially it boils down to; Live a religious *personal* life if you must, but our *social* life belongs to all of us.

Revolutionary: No, I don't. Why should I?

Answer 11

In a secular nation religious people should not feel trampled upon simply because we would like to keep religion out of government. Taking the ten commandments out of court houses or in god we trust off dollar bills is not taking away your religion or faith. Keep religions in your homes and churches and out of government.