Are atheists trying to convert you all by asking questions that make you think and question your reasoning?

Question

Atheists get accused a lot of trying to convert people. I don't think I do. I just ask questions that may lead you down a path of thought that may eventually lead you to convert yourself. Am I wrong on this?

Answer 1

no, i actually quite appreciate when people challenge my assumptions and thinking patterns. it doesn't "convert" me to atheism; it just makes me think a little.

Answer 2

I am a Christian and I think you are correct. An intelligent discussion is great! I enjoy that, and I'm not offended by that. Reason is not anti-Christian. I appreciate the challenges so that I may further research what I believe. A Christian school I was at once had a converted athiest (I mean converted from Christianity) come and tell us his story. It was really good. It actually did cause me to question what I believe much more deeply. I came close to changing my mind, but I struggled through all the ideas and finally came back to Christ being the answer. To accept something without reason is just plain stupid. We must be challenged in our life.

The athiests I have a problem with on here are those who simply insult and make broad stroke assumptions and stereotypes. Those who accuse us of weakness and stupidity. That is just disrespectful, and I believe, ignorant. Why would anyone want to "convert" to be like those people?? Their exposed qualities lead one to believe that they are on the lower end of the intellectual ladder.

Answer 3

I have never felt like an Atheist was trying to convert me. Then again, I have never tried to convert an Atheist or anyone else. So, maybe they feel you are trying to convert them since they are trying to convert everyone else? You know, that mentallity, if you are not for My Religion, you must be against it and doing whatever you can to deter others from it.

Though I do have to wonder why some Atheists use the same tactics as some Christians use. *I have not seen you do this, so do not feel included in this statement* Christians pull the "I'm saved and you're not"... but I also see Atheists saying "I'm intelligent and you are not" or even worse, "I'm more intelligent than you are, moron" (doesn't show much intelligence, IMO) Personally, I don't think we can judge one anothers intelligence based on what little we know of each in here... but I guess that's just me. *shrug*

Answer 4

You're not wrong in asking people questions, as long as you don't AIM at converting people, unless of course they are trying to convert YOU.

The main reason why people try to convert others is so they can either agree on something that shouldn't matter, or they can give themselves props for being "Right."

Keep in mind, the questions you ask may not have any sense behind them (NOT accusing you, I don't know that.) but I've seen plenty atheists trying to "Prove" that there is no god to people.
Something nobody can do.

Answer 5

You post a logical thought that has nothing to do with religion, and get accused of trying to convert people. This actually shows an insecurity in ones religion when you jump to conclusions in that way. It is like me saying "***hole", and someone responding when they had no reason to think I was talking about them. You respond to labels that you associate with yourself. So you must think you are an ***hole to think you are being addressed when the term is said. This is true of theists making accusations, rather than an argument against logical thought, because they do not want to face the absurdity of what they think.

Answer 6

I agree with you. Learning is an interactive affair.

I learn a lot when I talk with theists. They bring up their beliefs, and I compare it to what I know. In some cases, I discover a revelation and re-evaluate what I know (e.g., I just discovered the Hadith, where Mohammed is not portrayed as some madman). In other cases, it only verifies what I already know; it does allow me to learn how other people feel about those cases and how to deal with it the next time I am confronted with them.

And I feel that I'm doing theists a favor by challenging them. How can they be secure in their faith if it isn't shaken? If a theist is uncomfortable with the questions that make him think, then his faith with his god is not that strong. He *needs* to rethink his faith and consider something else.

To answer someone else, atheism is not a "faith." There is no faith associated with a lack of belief. To quote someone else, "Atheism is faith just like not playing golf is a sport."

Now, there are those theists who are discouraged from thinking. When a question is brought before them, they recoil and accuse the asker of trying to belittle their faith and "convert" them. That is a perfectly understandable reaction when you are taught by churches that don't want you to see if the grass is greener on the other side and give your donation to another church.

Answer 7

I know that we Atheists and Agnostics for the most part are not attempting to convert Christians by asking them thought-provoking questions. Usually when we ask questions about the reasoning behind their beliefs we either A) really want to understand the concept and/or reasonings behind their convictions or B) want them to understand our reasoning behind what we believe so they will stop with their Bible Thumping (like that'll ever happen!).

Answer 8

Athiests don't typically try to convert. They generally just challenge someones beliefs. They are generally people with not very much intellegence. There are many factors to consider and they find one thing that they feels makes a strong argument for being an athiest, then they think it's completely right.

Also, to the person who said critical thought and thinking for oneself is an enemy of religion is wrong. Perhaps the person who thinks that should carefully study religion and not make random comments.

Answer 9

what better place to encourage people to question their beleifs than Yahoo! questions? I do the same thing, well, sometimes. Sometimes I'm weak and just make fun of them. But other times I ask questions I hope will cause them to really think about what they believe and why. Even if it doesn't change their minds, that kind of introspeciton has to be a good thing.

Answer 10

No, but don;t go accusing Christians of pushing religion on people, or trying to make others convert, because we are doing the exact same thing,

Answer 11

All faiths try to convert. IMO Atheism is also a faith (you can say anti-faith), so it is no different.

Thought provoking questions are good things. Questions like - is the chance of finding yourself conscious in a dark place after death greater than 0% ?