A question for atheists....?

Question

If you choose not to believe in God (Allah) or a Creator, that is of course your business. But why do you care if other people do? I mean if someone (like me) believes in God (Allah), then why does it bother YOU? If you're right, & there IS no God, then surely in your opinion I have nothing to worry about. But if I'M right, then you might be in a bit of trouble come judgement day. My point is, Believers in God (Allah) aren't hurting you by their beliefs & worship in God, so why crticize & try to "convert" them to atheism?

John S - Just for your information. I was BORN a protestant & converted to Islam. So I don't believe blindly in something because someone told me to.

Answer 1

You're absolutely right. What you believe is none of my business, just as what I believe is none of yours. As Thomas Jefferson once phrased it, "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

But, when one person or group tries to legislate their beliefs, then they are dictating how everyone else should live. That affects me directly, so I have a right to oppose them. Would that people would simply believe what they will, without insisting that everyone else follow their same chosen path.

Answer 2

>> why does it bother YOU?

Ah, it doesn't. It bothers me when you try and influence government policy based on your beliefs, which I don't believe in. For instance, should gays be allowed to marry? Marriage is a governmental arrangement that gives a person legal power. I believe in it - those who oppose it, give religious reasons for doing so. It'd be even worse if I WAS gay and wanted to marry. That's when *your* belief restricts *my* life.

>> If you're right, & there IS no God, then surely in your opinion I have nothing to worry about. But if I'M right, then you might be in a bit of trouble come judgement day.

Yadda, yadda - Pacal's Wager, etc., etc. Yeah, I've heard that a million times. Now, what if you're wrong about god (Allah), and believing in that god makes the REAL god angry and sends you to hell? There is no good reason to believe that line of reasoning. At all. The chance of a particular god existing is 0% (based on the possiblity that there could be an infinite amount of possible gods out there, so picking the right one is = lim x->oo 1/x, which if you know calculus... is 0).

So, your final question:

>> why crticize & try to "convert" them to atheism?

I don't try to convert. Converting would mean there's something to "convert" them "to" - atheism isn't a religion. It's a religious philosophy, sure. But not a religion in itself. So I'm not trying to convert anyone - if people question themselves enough, they'll be atheists. My goal is to get them to question - the rest happens by itself.

Why criticize? If I said the sky was red, would you correct me? Of course you would. If I said the holocaust didn't happen, would you argue with me? Of course you would. Same deal. Religion is not immune to criticism - it's a human idea, and is subject to scrutiny just like every other human idea.

Answer 3

Personally, I have no problem at all with someone having a spiritual relationship with a deity or higher power - whatever they choose to call it - God, Allah, Odin, Mother Earth.

It's the closeminded, hypocritical, narrow viewed Christians that I have a problem with. "I believe XYZ because the bible said so and that's it and if you don't believe it, you're going to HELL! .. because the bible said so... so neener."

-That's- what I have a problem with. I've had conversations before with Christians and when the questions turned to something they couldn't explain or had problems answering, they shut down and refused to answer anything more. "Don't attack my religion!!" .. Never once did I attack their religion. If anything, I'm curious .. WHY do they believe like they do.. what makes them compelled to follow in something they can't see, feel, touch or taste? How can they blindly believe something? Have they even read their own bible? Do they know the atrocities that have been committed in the name of the Lord?

I know that most will argue "Oh, but that's the OLD testament.. we don't follow that anymore."... how can you take something that was supposedly given to you by the ultimate highest dude in the religion of your choice and then interpret what YOU think he means. Shouldn't they go by the letter of what is said? Why aren't ALL Christians shunning shell fish? Why doesn't every Christian woman have long hair and wear nothing but simple fibres? Why don't Christian parents stone their unruly sons to death? ... It says so in the bible...

Matthew 19:12 (King James Version)
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Luke 12:33
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luke 16:18
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

RO 13:1-4, PE 2:13-14 Be subject to every human institution. All authorities (laws and governments) are from God. (Note: This would include those of a Nazi Germany, yet believers seldom follow this injunction. Even Jesus and his Disciples violated this principle.)

1CO 6:1-8 Christians should never go to court against each other, but should, instead, let the church settle their differences.

1CO 11:3-10 A woman is to keep her head covered while praying or prophesying.

1CO 11:14 It is a shame for a man to have long hair. (Note: Why is it, then, that most portrayals of Jesus show him with long hair?)

1CO 14:34-35 Women are to be silent in church. If they have any questions, they are to ask their husbands at home. It is a shame for women to speak in church.

2CO 13:12 Greet each other with a holy kiss. (How many people do you actually see doing this these days, especially out on the streets?)

2TH 3:10 Anyone who doesn't work should not be allowed to eat.

I pulled these specifically from the New Testament, so that the "Well, since Jesus died, you can't follow the Old Testament" line can't be used.

Why is it that hardly any Christians follow any of these tenants?

Again, it's not a personal and spiritual relationship with Jesus or Allah that I have a problem with. It's the blatant "pick and choose, but believe like me or yer goin' to HELL!" that I have issues with.

Answer 4

I don't care. I'm just sick of every other sentence out of believers being something along the lines of, "You know you're going to Hell, don't you?" Now, a few times I can handle, but not repeatedly - IT GOT OLD FAST. Find a new mantra, already, just give that one a rest. We can be as bad as believers in the preaching arena, true, so I won't say that its only believers all the time that are like this, but in my own defense I will say that I usually only give back what I've been given. As long as believers keep attacking us, we'll keep attacking them, and vice versa. It's a neverending cycle that will always be beyond our control. All we can do it try to slow it down a little. As for the whole "what if Judgement Day comes around and you find out that there IS a God?" thing, I'm secure enough in own convictions to take my chances with that. Oh, well. And, for those of you who can't seem to understand where nonbelievers get their "MORAL CODE" or "ETHICS" if we don't believe in God, here's our answer: The "MORAL CODES" and "ETHICS" we live by are our own that we have come to by way of our own accord after watching, listening to, and studying everything around and within us. And those of you who want to know who woke me up this morning - my cat did, by opening my bedroom door, hopping noisily onto the bed, walking up my body (stepping quite hard on my full bladder in the process), sitting on my chest, and licking my nose. That's how I wake up most mornings. So, unless God comes in the form of a cuddly, claw-ridden furball with pointy, devil's horn-like ears... well, you get the picture.

Answer 5

I'm not an athiest myself, but I think I can explain this.

First of all, millions - yes millions - of lives have been lost due to religion. Look at the extremists of any religion. The anti abortionists. The 9/11 attacks. The "Spanish" Inquisition. The crusades. Etc.

Secondly, many athiests feel that it's not fair to drill the idea of God into people's heads. The prime targets, let's admit it, would be easily impressionable children, or weak-minded drug addicts, or people who have generally hard and desperate lives and need a crutch to lean on.

I don't think people should try to get others to stop believing in God, but I do think that if you believe in God so strongly, you should keep an open mind and hear their opinions - providing they're well-thought out and clearly stated.

Answer 6

I can't speak for others but I don't want to convert you or anyone else. If you are happy where you are that is fine with me so long as you can allow me to live as I wish in peace. The problem for me only occurs when some religious people try to influence society with laws that infringe on those that believe differently. I think it is okay for atheists to share their viewpoints because everyone else does and people seem to have some very wrong ideas about atheists. Also, some religious groups are promoting some very bad, misinformed scientific information. I would actually love it if we could all just get along.

Answer 7

It´s in the nature of human beings to win the opposing party over to your side. That´s how life works, at least in this country. Criticism from either side is healthy, it wakes us up to see another viewpoint. So when one is trying to "convert" another, he´s doesn´t really mean to harm or change by force. Inquisition is over, and will never come back. Tolerance and freedom of expression is now the thing. Thank God or Allah or Buda or yourself for this hard-won ability to debate with our fellowmen over any issue. And if you don´t feel like debating, just shut the door on the Jehova´s Witnesses, or kindly decline the invitation to join Madelynn Murray´s party. Really, the only thing the worry about is "fanaticism", something which will always be maintained in check by this society.

Answer 8

1) Because they are trying to "save" you from your religious delusion
2) Trying to reduce the cult mentality which creates conflict
3) Tired of being screamed at and attacked by the people "filled with the spirit"
4) If God does exist then atheists will go which ever way God wants so why constantly harass and persecute them since that would be God's job?
5) Every positive step in civilization has been to make religion less and less powerful so atheists are doing the world a favor by converting people to reason and logic in order to bring peace..so they are doing God's work.
6) They like the mental exercise of a debate
7) Your claim that you are not hurting anyone is flawed. If there is no God and you preach and convert others you are making a society of lies which says you must convert or going to hell...hence better to kill the unbeliever...so that means you are CREATING evil and war all in the name of your God.


Basically what is good for the goose is good for the gander..if religious can kill, torture, and harrass they why can atheists?

Answer 9

Religion is a very powerful force and the vast majority of religious people are good so I have no problem with their beliefs. If I religious person wishes to engage me in a debate I will jump at the chance. Parity because he or she may give me something new to think about and partly debating about the core beliefs of humans is important for me to understand the world around me. At times I may not be polite or showing the respect I should (this is a serious danger when engaging in a passionate debate) and is something I have to work on but at the center is a true drive to understand how the world around me works.

Now to people who do not want to engage in a debate, I try to leave them alone. I can't speak for atheists as a group but this is the way I think.
Peace

Answer 10

Atheists don't try to convert anyboby its Christians/catholics that do everything has to be thier way or no way at all and how is that fair? now i never say oh your wrong for beliving in god but everywhere i go i get the same thing oh my lord your going to hell and your so horrible and i even get the reall really stupid ppl that tell me i'm a devil worrishiper Uh hello if there is no god there isn't a devil but anyway isn't the last statement you made kinda critizing? besides your god forgives everybody right? oh and yeah they are hurting us by thier beliefs there are so many things ppl can not do cuz of that like gay ppl getting married now how does that hurt you ppl at all? that is thier business not yours and right now whether you see it or not we are in war cuz of belifes! innocient ppl are dying cuz of it just look back in history and you'll see how almost every war was cuz of religion. so please don't even try and say YOUR religion dosn't hurt anybody that is just bull sh1t actually think before you put things like that in your question