What have atheists to save me from?

Question

My greatest desire is the betterment of my soul and that of those around me, to be good to my fellow person. Feed the sick, shelter the homeless, care for the orphan and widow, feed the imprisioned and most of all give hope to those who need and want it. I dont sound that scary but all my friends that are atheist seem to be so afraid of my faith. In an appendix to the question it should be known that as most of the responses are invariably to be what they are it would be great if they were thoughtfull and honest and not just a knee-jerk response I have no agenda here just unabashidly inquizative. Best of Luck to all.

Answer 1

We don't have to save anybody. However, it would be nice if laws weren't based on superstition. If we're afraid of anything from Christians it would be being treated like they treated the Jews.

Nobody is afraid of your faith. At most, we're disappointed that blind faith has replaced your reasoning. That's not meant to be insulting to you, but it is our view of people who keep pushing how they have "faith", as if wishful thinking is a good thing.

And, believe it or not, atheists are just as generous as other people. Statistics have shown that atheists are a very generous group. It's just that they don't tend to paste their religion on buildings to show off their charity.

In fact, from a moral point of view, most people have more in common than not. Instead of focusing on your differences with your atheist friends, try focusing on what you can do to work together.

Answer 2

I know this is not what most people want to hear (including me) but the truth is that the vast majority of us are not aware of our 'self'/ego or, more practically, our self concept). This is always the problem, whether we're christian or atheist or whatever. It's the 'self' that thinks it's separate from others and compares and judges instead of loves. The most difficult 'self' to unmask is the one that wants to help others and do good -- who thinks they have something special to share with others. It's VERY VERY difficult to grasp this but the best good is done when the striving to do good, to give hope, to help is gone - when the 'self concept' of someone doing this goes away (it's easier to see this when someone does good to get heaven but it's harder to see it when the reward is a satisfied self concept). When that goes away, there are no more concepts of doing good or not doing good, of those who are helpful and those who are hurtful -- you just do good because the Love of God is completely there and all are included without judgement and without comparison (atheist, catholic, muslim, whatever). So, the best way to address the question you pose is to take a look at it and see what it's saying about oneself -- does it strive for inclusion and love and extreme ordinary-ness and non-specialness or does it look to compare and see that its judgments are valid given that the 'other side' has attacked first?

Answer 3

Why are you asking us. Ask your friends. If they are friends, they will tell you. THEN LISTEN!!!

And when they tell you that you preach too much, LISTEN!!, or don't, if you don't want those friends.

My guess: Your statement "I don't sound that scary but . . afraid of my faith" tells me that you are probably preaching at times that are innapropriate for your friends. You aren't the judge about whether you "sound scary", by definition your friends are. Your friends aren't turning you away because you have personal faith, they're turning you away because you refuse to keep your faith personal. You want to keep them - SHUT UP! This won't diminish you, and you'll keep your friends.

And if you're doing all those humanitarian things, keep the reasons to yourself. The greatest act of charity is one that no-one knows you did. From your text, you probably go to great pains to advertise how you are doing these things in the name of your faith. Again, keeping your mouth shut as to your motives will not diminish you, and the example you set will reach much farther than the words you feel so compelled to preach.

Answer 4

Trying to convert the unwilling through coercion (only feeding the converted or giving medicine to the converted in third world countries and calling it Gods work), stopping the advancement of science and our civilization, blindly following what others tell you is the Truth without understanding it for yourself, making laws that are unneeded that enforce false and restrictive morals on people your church leaders decide are sub-human and condemned to damnation (Gays and whatever else your church decides the flavor of the month should be), killing in the name of a faith that others don’t subscribe to (Bush DID say this was a new crusade). I can list more but you get the idea. It is not those things you listed but these that they wish to save you from.

Please understand, I am NOT attacking you, I am answering your question as honesty as I can.

Answer 5

I have always loved my fellow man, I have aways attempted to do what's right and share kindness and peace, when I found Christianity I finally had a name for it all. but when I was atheist I was a do good-er(not perfect mind you I am after all only human) when I became "religious" it seemed everyone was afraid of me. I changed nothing about myself, though I walked with an assurance that I was going to go some place nice when I died. I think those who do not know the peace we find in our faith can't understand it and we all fear what we don't understand. It's easier for them to dismiss it and say we are all just sheep then to take a minute and ask themselves if perhaps they are missing something.
For those whose answers reflect hostility I pray for you, the question was a simple one meant to provoke a thoughtful answer not a hostile vomit of anger.

Answer 6

Your faith defines you as does different qualities and beliefs other people have. However, when these penetrate every conversation, every idota of a person's ideation or aspect of social life, it's, well, it can be a little unnerving to some. People, regardless of their religion or other beliefs, feel most comfortable relating to others with commonality. Athesists may not feel that commonality in relations with people who allow their faith to filter into every social opportunity. Athesists have nothing to filter in this respect and have made up their minds in terms of their beliefs about religion. So, if this irrecoverable difference is always present in your social interactions with athesists, they are bound to feel uncomfortable.

Answer 7

People are often intimidated by things that we unknowingly say or do. It is human nature to try and persuade someone to our way of thinking.
Doesn't matter if we are atheist or christian. We believe the other is wrong. Doesn't matter if we are Baptist or methodist., we believe our way is the right way.

I have often heard it said that it is not that we are doing anything wrong. The person knows how we feel and they feel convicted that what they are doing is wrong and therefore get defensive.

Let me give you an example... Drinking in my family is not a toaboo thing to do. I have a sister who is very health conscious and spiritual. She doesn't touch the stuff... One of my brothers (there are 3) told her one day that he wished she wouldn't come outside when he was sitting on the porch. the long and short of it was that according to him "I feel guilty everytime you see be take a drink of beer. I know you have never said or done anything, but I know how you feel about it, and it jsut makes me feel guilty."

When a person feels conviction they usually get defensive.

Just my thoughts about it. I don't know you and your friends, but I am wondering if that may be some of what is going on.

Answer 8

Oh my.

Okay, here's the deal. I seriously doubt your friends have any problem with you and your charity work. However, if you preach to them then they may feel flustered and afraid to share their religious views. If they have a problem with your charity work, its not because they're atheist, it's because they are weird.

In response to your original question, Atheists usually feel that they need to share their religious views with friends and family in attempt to show them the truth. Really, I can say that I feel your religious views are wrong and mine are right. However, I am in no way afraid of your faith, I just feel like you are putting your faith in the wrong place. I feel like your heart is in the right place, but not so much when it comes down to your beliefs.

Answer 9

Sounds like your life goals and mine are nearly identical.

Atheists, and Humanists like myself, aren't afraid of you. We're not afraid of going to hell any more than you're afraid of being reincarnated as a banana. And we're not afraid of your faith. Your faith is your business until you try to make it our business. What you're probably experiencing from your atheist friends isn't fear but a wariness born from experiences they've had with the kind of Christians who think it's their right and duty to try to force their views on others. There are too many of those, and we're just not having it. We're happy for you to be who you are; just don't try to make us what you want us to be--whatever your reasons.

Answer 10

Are you saying that your atheist friends are trying to convert you? If that's the case, ask them why, since I have no idea.

No atheists I know try to convert people, although we eagerly await the day humans will be moved by reason rather than religion. Atheists don't think in terms of "saving" people. That's a religious concept.

Could it be that you try to convert them, and this makes them edgy? Of course they don't want you "saving" them.

Atheists, since we live among religious people who are always bugging us about not believing, tend to be sensitive to yet more attempts to convert us to beliefs we find absurd.