Christians re: atheists answers/questions?

Question

do you enjoy and welcome questions/answers from atheists if they are well written (not just rude posts)... if so, do you let them know?

atheists: please reverse question wording if you are inclined to answer

(9 answers) what i mean is... do YOU tell them... this was not hypothetical... lol

Answer 1

I appreciate a well-written, thought-provoking and/or amusing question from anybody.

Answer 2

Yes, I welcome any and all questions, eaven the rude posts. As long as the atheist is asking questions, it tells me that he/she is interested. In fact, the rude ones tell me that he/she is not only interested, but, somehow, someone has touched a nerve. At least they are thinking now, and that can only be a good thing.
Also, answering well-thought out questions from atheists and others has helped me to define and strengthen my faith, and for that, yes, I am grateful.
This is not the first time this question has been asked, by the way, nor is it the first time I have expressed my gratitude to those who have made me think, whether they be atheists or not.

Answer 3

Yes, I let atheists know if their questions are well-worded and not just mean-spirited attacks. I also appreciate it if their question is sincere, even if it's not necessarily valid. That shows me a person's sincere in receiving a thought-out and hopefully thought-provoking answer, not just a validation of their own formed opinions.

For instance, I just replied to a message from another questioner who'd asked why human beings have faith beyond what they see in nature. The way the question was worded could have made Christians see red, but I tried to approach it more carefully, sharing some Gospel basics as well as accounting for how nature can be a gauge for the growth and development of life but ultimately can't account for the creation of it.

Her answer to my answer seemed to turn the question on its ear, but it showed me a new way of looking at it. Although I'm not convinced she's right about being motivated entirely by one's conscience rather than somewhat by a personal God, I respect the way she constructed her answer; it showed me she took time to write what she meant, even if it wasn't necessarily what she wanted to say. (e.g. The gap between what you think and what you say.)

Our effort on Yahoo! Answers and in all areas of life needs to be to respect the person who's asking the question and not just dismiss them as "dumb" or "stupid" or "wrong" for asking it. We all come to the table with different life experiences and different perceptions. While they can't all possibly be right, people will only be convinced to change their notions if they're approached with what we have in common first, not what divides us.

I'm sorry for this answer being so long, but I'm concerned that Christians and atheists and people of every other persuasion need to stop shouting at each other and start listening. In the histories of our own traditions, we can all cite examples of conversions being done at swordpoint -- but we can also cite many who died martyrs instead. LASTING change in our lives, in our families, in our world never occurs because it's forced. Instead, it's the still small voice that prevails. The sun prevails over the rain.

Have a great day, and I pray this helps!

Answer 4

I enjoy any kind of question. Stupid, intelligent, bring it on!

If its a stupid question, sometimes I get sarcastic. If it's deliberately inflammatory, I try to ignore it, but sometimes I just go for it as well, just for that shakey feeling I get on the inside. Some questions are way over my head and I still make a little reponse of some sort. I know that if I ask a question, I like a lot of answers, even though they might not be relevant,

Answer 5

I think any question if that is how it is posted is worthy of answer. I even welceme debate. I think that questions only make us delve further into our beliefs and find answers to the world at large. If you never question your faith, then how can you grow in it? I think to grow you must answer questions by looking for the answers that may be hidden in the text somewhere and should therefore be answered in your text as well. If you cannot answer the questions posed to you then perhaps you are just following blindly instead of being informed.

Answer 6

I'm not an Atheist- but I'm not a Theist either. Yes, certainly I would reply to anybody who wrote me an interesting and respectful message, regardless of what they call themselves or if I disagree.

Words can be deceptive. An Atheist or a Christian may not be who you think they are, the fact that they call themselves this is no guarentee that you would actually like or dislike them. Try reading this, there's more in it than you might think: ; )

http://www.sabian.org/Alice/lgchap06.htm

Answer 7

Quite a few atheists have posted some really intelligent questions that have taxed my ability when it comes to answering them. I am a Christian, and I can safely say that I have not forced my views on any atheist questioner, or condemned them. Go well, and God Bless!

Answer 8

I enjoy discussion & debate about many things, including religion. If we all agreed, the world would be a very boring place.

I communicate by email with more than one Christian and we discuss issues in a civilized manner.

I am an atheist.

Answer 9

I enjoy all answers that aren't rude. this is what makes America so great freedom of speech and the right to practice any religion. and also it lets the christians know just how many people are lost. we must do more soul winning.

Answer 10

Absolutely. I'm not atheist, I'm agnostic. But if a Christian wants to talk to me in a reasonable and calm manner, then I'm cool with it. However, I don't like it when people feel the need to ram their own ideals and beliefs on me. But if they do it kindly, I'll respond the same.

Thank you

Peace!

Answer 11

I'm not an atheist; I'm inclined toward Deism.

I enjoy hearing from a Christian who can think for herself / himself, who have their own take on things. Messages with bible verses I skip over -- I've read the bible on my own several times, thanks, and studied it for years, and I find a great deal of fault with it. The problem I find with many Christians is that they repeat what they've been told most of the time and rarely seem capable of thinking for themselves.