For atheists, agnostics and other "unbelievers"?

Question

Do you find it frustrating when the xtians answer ignorantly about their own faith? Irritating when they twist your words? And completely ridiculous when they state that any non-believer just can't understand the bible since they are not of the faith? As if when you become a believer you get some magical glasses that will let you read it and understand. Jeesh, it is like having a conversation with a 2 year old! Oh and let's not bring up the circular reasoning!

I have spent my life studying religion, primarily the xtian faith and the bible, to be told by some spoonfed idiot that I don't know what I'm talking about. However, I have yet to meet a xtian that has read the bible as many times as I or to have studied the history. ARRRGH. I get so completely frustrated and angry with them! Yes, I'm ranting, but I would also love to hear from others their thoughts, feelings and ideas if you have any. Thanx.

Thanks for the answers. So many good perspectives and points that I had not thought of.

And excuse me, an unknown "companion" of Paul wrote Acts...possibly Luke. In other words a sychophant who wrote what he was told sort of like a ghost writer.

Answer 1

2 year olds? Damn... you are giving them a lot of credit - I actually prefer a 2 year old, because he is capable of learning and will eventually open up to facts, albeit simple ones, like:

'look, Noah, if you put all your bathtub-toy-animals in your little boat, it will sink.... '

Answer 2

It is ridiculous.

I often hear how the bible can be understood by children, and is written for everyone to understand. But apparently if you have a skeptical opinion you must not understand it, which logically would either prove the bible isn't written for everyone to understand, or xtians are too deluded to admit any faults with the bible.

Considering the intelligence level of the majority of xtians, I think the answer is rather self-evident.

Answer 3

What you have to remember in cases like this is that when a Christian tells you that you don't understand the Bible because you aren't reading it through faith what they are really saying is they think they have a better understanding of it than you because they read it without thinking about it.

If any Christian were to seriously read the text and think about the implications of not only the stories, but individual lines of copy with in the stories (granted they had an ounce of critical thinking about them) would most likely see through the BS. Many are unwilling to do this because it scares them... anything that threatens their faith is scary to them.

The history of the bible does not factor into a Christian's understanding of it. To them it is the word of God, a stand alone reference to all of life which needs no outside support... They are wrong, but they will never see that.

It's a sad state of affairs, and no matter how frustrated we get we just have to remember that if they wish to remain ignorant of the truth they are only hurting themselves (usually :/)

Answer 4

I find it frustrating when self-important posters use the term "xtians" as some sort of jab at Christians.

Congratulations on spending your life studying religion. It is a fascinating field of study, and only an idiot would discount its importance in history and culture today, regardless of whether there is a God or not. However, the number of times you have read the Bible is not totally relevant to knowledge of the Bible. Arguably, since the Bible's main importance is telling the faith story of the Jews and early Christians, understanding the history, the "science", the poetry of Bible is only secondary to the books. It would be analagous to attempting to study a forest by studying each individual tree...you get part of it, but you miss the whole.

Answer 5

I'm actually having an e-mail conversation with such a xtian. He's making all the usual claims (buildings have a builder so the universe must have a creator, those aren't contradictions in the bible - you just can't understand it because you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart, the theory of evolution is full of crap because there are still monkeys, etc).

It is frustrating to see how logic and science are so eagerly dismissed for the sole purpose of irrationally clinging to one's beliefs.

Answer 6

I think that you believe what you want to believe. There are very few people in this world, or who have ever lived, who have great truths to impart. When it comes to Christianity however, everyman and his dog is an expert. All manage to justify their lifestyles be they decadent, greedy, murderous etc. etc. I think that the true meaning of Christianity is summed up in the words of Jesus - he was the founder after all - but it seems that even clear words lack meaning to many people.

The only problem you face with your questions is when you say that people answer ignorantly about their faith they can accuse you of being ignorant in your views! I, however, agree with you. Many answers are shallow and self serving. The truth is hard to find. Best of luck on your journey.

Answer 7

Agnosticism is a place on know-how. An agnostic believes that it extremely isn't any longer achieveable to be attentive to something some god for specific. An agnostic atheist is one that would not be attentive to for specific yet inspite of the incontrovertible fact that would not believe a god exists. A gnostic atheist states that no god exists. An agnostic theist says he's uncertain, yet believes that a god exists. A gnostic theist is quite specific that a god exists.

Answer 8

Journey,
how proud you are of your education
and of your passion for what you value (studying)
--can't you allow others the same courtesy?
even if their values and passions ARE different than yours

it's immature people (like 2 yr. olds)
who engage in conversation
without keeping their emotions under control
i.e. your christian conversationalists
and you





"Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear."
Mohandas Gandhi

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance."
Hippocrates

"The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance."
Herodotus

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
Martin Luther King, Jr.



"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Proverbs 15:1

"Eat a third and drink a third and leave the remaining third of your stomach empty. Then, when you get angry, there will be sufficient room for your rage."
Babylonian Talmud, tractate Gittin


"Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom."
Bodhidharma

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."
Confucius

"Ignorance of all things is an evil neither terrible nor excessive, nor yet the greatest of all; but great cleverness and much learning, if they be accompanied by a bad training, are a much greater misfortune."
Plato

Answer 9

I agree. I am currently caught in an argument with some small minded girl over e-mail, and this is verbatim what she wrote me after I asked how she was so sure Christianity was the correct religion:

"Someone has to be right. Are you saying that the people who believe in killing people who don't believe what they believe are the right ones? Are you saying that the people who worship cows are the right ones? You have to be kidding if you think those people have it all figured out. Besides, most of those religions were created after someone took my religion out of context--how could they be right?"

*faceplam* Ok, sweetie, I'll be sure to tell the Hindus that they took a religion founded thousands of years after theirs was out of context...

Answer 10

I used to get frustrated about it, but then I realized, I'm talking to people who are clinically insane, but who are not considered insane simply because it's such a wide spread delusion.

That perspective is helpful. Most of those who will tell you that you don't understand the Bible, have obviously never read it.

Answer 11

It's pretty annoying when anyone claims to be an expert in some field then proves to be an idiot. This goes the same for religion, science, math, etc...

Those who don't know should shut up, learn, and then ask intelligent questions.

Sadly, too many on all sides forget this.