For those of you who strive to free us Theists of our faith: Why? How does our faith affect you?

Question

In what way does my freedom to practice my Catholic faith deny you or infringe upon your rights to not believe? How does my faith take away your freedom? Why do you feel you are called to be our savior?
Peace Be With You,
Debra

I am not stating that ALL atheists are trying this and you do have every right to have your beliefs respected.

Now I cannot say I do not hope for someone to come to the faith but I do not spend my time trying to convince someone either. If a person is curious then they will ask.

And as awful as those question are I can also point our simmilar ones directed against Christians and theists.

No I as a Catholic do not feel the desire to make atheism illegal or to force the practice of any faith. Force negates faith.

Not ALL Christians feel threatened by Athesism or their beliefs. Not ALL of us have a desire to make Religion mandatory or to rid the world of anybody.

Answer 1

Debra, how long did it take homosexuals to get the right to marriage in Canada, and who argued against it? How long will it take in America, and who argues against it?

How long did it take black slaves to obtain their freedom from the institution of slavery, and how was the concept of slavery defended? What issue split the Baptist church and created the Southern Baptist church?

Who burned heretics in the Middle Ages? Who burned 'witches'? Who called for the Crusades to 'free' the Holy Land? Who conducted pogroms against Jews, or threw them out of the country, or simply persecuted them for being the 'killers of Christ'? Who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Who votes for co-religionists in elections? What is the religion of the vast majority of Western politicians? What principles do they apply when passing laws, like persecution of gays, or Jews, or Blacks?

The question of why convince Christians to take another look at what they believe is a matter of justice and equal treatment for minority groups who do not subscribe to Christianity. Too many christians do not judge a person by what he or she does, but whether he or she labels him/herself as a "Christian".

Consider a politician who claims he/she is an atheist. What chances does he/she have to be elected in America? What chances would the same person have if he/she claimed to be a "Christian" with a track record of attending church? The label is like a secret handshake, permitting entrance into the class of privilege and power.

So why shouldn't minorities call for secularization? When religion is no longer a factor in elections or legislation, there will no longer be a need to challenge Christians.

But that's not going to happen. Christianity has held the whip since the Holy Roman Empire. Like all powerful, privileged groups, Christianity is not going to let go of its power or privilege voluntarily.

Rather than as revolutionaries, we're more like Socratic "gnats" who sting your conscience and remind you of the humility your bible calls for. Christianity justifies being whipped (in the name of Christ). It does not justify whipping others (in the name of Christ).

Too few Christians realize this simple truth.

Answer 2

I can't speak for others..... I've never tried to force my way of thinking on anyone. On the contrary. I keep my thoughts to myself unless and until someone pushes my buttons and accuses me of something I didn't say or do.

Nobody knows for sure what "the end" will bring. Not atheists, christians, or anybody else. We are all a product of our personal beliefs (or lack thereof.) That is called faith. You have faith in a god and an afterlife. I have faith that I will become food for earthworms. End of story.

Seems strange that you would even ask these kinds of questions. If memory serves correctly, you converted from one religion to another. As a convert, you of all people should know that religious beliefs are predicated on personal fulfillment. If one religion doesn't provide that fulfillment, people are free to look for something that does.

Does that make you a bad person because you turned your back on your religion? Are you now damned and going to hell because you changed your beliefs? How do your former religious leaders view your defection and traitorous "jumping ship"? If it's OK to turn TO another religion, isn't it also OK to turn completely away FROM religion?

Answer 3

1. How does it not infringe on my rights if you shove it down my throat?

2. Why do right-wing religious nuts sit in the White House right now making policy?

3. Why do you feel like you need to judge everyone and everything?

4. Why do you preach one thing and do another?

5. Why do you treat your religion like its a special at Burger King where you can "Have it your way?"

6. Why when confronted with a question do you blow the question off as the ramblings of an atheist? Why not just answer the question?

Answer 4

Atheists don't evangelize. Ever. Some theists do. Defending one's position as an atheist, possibly by stating that one finds the tenets of theism incredible or preposterous, is not to strive to free anyone else of their faith. I think you'll find on balance that atheists are a lot happier for people to practise their faith in peace, provided they don't interfere with atheists' freedom NOT to believe, than most theists are to let atheists get on with their lives. You do not have to be so defensive about your wish to have a faith, as most of us are perfectly happy for you to do so.

Answer 5

Just take a look at what's happening in the Middle East right now -- you'll see just how dangerous humans can be once they decide they no longer have to justify their actions with logic and reason.

I'm not looking to be a savior. You have to save yourself. All I'm asking you to do is THINK. See your church through the eyes of history, and understand that Christianity is nothing more than a mystery cult that got lucky (kinda in the same way that the Beatles were just a "boy band" that won the lottery...)

Answer 6

It affects us because of the laws you promote that limit my freedom. For example, right now the Religious Right has a lot of power in Bush's government. They use this power to try to teach religion to kids in public school, make abortions illegal, thwart stem cell research, and make non-believers second-class citizens by putting "In God We Trust" on money and having kids recite "Under God" in the Pledge instead of the original one that was more inclusive. They are giving my tax payer money to fund Christian proselytizing with Bush's "Faith based initiative" and trying to give my tax money to religious schools through vouchers. They are also using religion to promote the wars in the Middle East.

Sure. You have complete freedom to have your faith in your religious beliefs. However, I would like to convince you that religion is not all honey and sugar like its proponents would have you believe. It is superstition, and a dangerous one. That is why we value freedom of expression in this country. It allows for a free market of ideas where the pros and cons of various beliefs can be tested.

Answer 7

You know, Debra, the question I answered _immediately before this_ (check my profile if you want) was, 'How can we Christians save the world from damnation'?

Remember what this question really means: 'How can we Christians eliminate all other religions'?

This person is also striving to free me, and 4.5 billion non-Christins in the world, of our faiths.

Just remember that it can go both ways.

Answer 8

Because Atheists are perhaps, self conscious, know that if they are wrong, that lose everything, but if we are right, we gain everything.If Atheists are right, they gain nothing.

If we are wrong, we lose nothing.

But yet they don't want to come to The LORD, and admit there's a more impotent being out there...

Just my idea...I don't know truly, as I've been a Christian all my life.

The previous answer, was brought to you, by your friends at D-Generation-X, Reminding you, that The LORD is real, and if you're not down with that....We got TWO..WORDS..FOR YA'!........SUCK IT!

Edit:Okay, yeah, I'm really bored, so pardon the WWE comments....

Answer 9

Probably for the same reason theists try to convert atheists or people or a differing religion.

Answer 10

I do not try and free peopel of faith I am hoping that those that have no faith or are believing somethings wrong may be guided in the rght direction. God does ask us to spread His word and leave the judging to Him.