What could be added to Christianity to make it palatable for the atheist?

Question

Or is it just that it is too bitter?

Answer 1

Christianity has one thing going for it, and they ruined it with superstitious stories that a third-grader could see through. They blew everything out of proportion, and made people dislike Christianity because its root is judgement. Do you know how many people would just respect who Jesus was and live their lives like he did, if they knew who he really was and nobody was trying to convince them that he rose after death and would come to "judge the living and the dead"? The whole god, heaven and hell thing is a huge turn-off, because it doesn't make any sense and people instinctively know it's a load of crap.

You'd have to go to the original scriptures and translate them properly, and include other disciplines in its recounting of certain events (e.g.: geology's research on the Great Flood). You'd have to reconcile the issue of why the Old Testament is dimissed the way it is ("Oh, that's the Old Testament) and reconcile this contradiction between the two testaments. You'd have to come clean and admit that, if scripture portrays this god in a certain way, that's the way it was meant to be interpreted. You'd have to correct serious errors in the Bible's recounting of history, because it is not accurate. You'd have to undo everything that was done at Nicea. You'd have to bring religion in line with this century and stop holding society back by protesting things like stem cell research. You'd have to get rid of creationist and Intelligent Design theories - they are not valid. You'd have to tax the churches, that would get rid of a lot of the evangelists. You'd have to stop according special privileges to religious organizations - privileges the rest of us do not have. You'd have to enforce anti-discrimination law upon the Roman Catholic church, and child protection laws. And that's just a start.

It would take a complete overhaul, it's never going to happen. The only answer, for someone who wishes the world was like this, is non-belief.

Answer 2

I have no problem with true Christian values (as long as God does the judging), but there are 2 things that make me never want to be a Christian:
1. Other Christians who spend all their time telling athiests, gay people and others they're going to hell, while at the same time not living by their own standards;
2. Believing in Christ as my savior (I just don't, can't and won't).

So to answer your question, I would say give people the option to accept the bible and Jesus symbolically and not literally. There are a lot of people who just can't believe the bible literally because they have common sense. If it were presented and studied as a symbolic text (like some religions do), I would be more inclined to show up. Many of the bible's good messages can still be learned without believing all the world-in-7-days bull.

Oh, and let people have their own idea of what God is or isn't. And allow for evolution (if the bible is symbolic, this is no problem).

Answer 3

some the way it escapes you that hell is a thought and not a certainty. in certainty that the weirdos that created the bible only only utilized loads of the failings from their previous faith into the recent one to get converts and to maintain administration. Jewish Torah hell or heaven isn't mentioned the only point out of such places is in loads of pagan, Roman, Greek, and different non secular components. It additionally escapes you that Jesus isn't regular reason in accordance to historical textual content cloth the Messiah is the Messiah reason he could never be killed and has no supernatural powers which might genuinely disbar Jesus on 3 counts. So, atheist could rejoice it is your delusion no longer an atheists.

Answer 4

I wouldnt say its bitter, but i do think that religions shouldnt be concerned about recruiting as many ppl as possible. While several ppl have made good points, religion requires belief above all else & there will NEVER be proof that something exists or doesnt. i do feel that if christians allowed other religions practice peacefully & respectfully, ppl wouldnt think so harsh about them. they need to face this truth, THERE IS NO ONE TRUE GOD. several religions need to accept this belief. if nothing else, it will allow for peaceful coexistence. how many ppl have lost friends bc a christian couldnt accept their faith or bc they were preaching all the time. a persons soul is that persons concern. as long as they arent harming anything, why cause a fight?

Answer 5

Lets clarify a few things. Since sin, mankind is less than perfect. Perfection is YHVH's standard. YHVH sent the Savior YAHOSHUA so that by receiving Him man could receive the perfection needed to live in a perfect world. If a person chooses not to receive this gift, then he cannot live in the perfect world, and therefore, when the Almighty cleanses this world with fire, and burns up all sin (prior to making this world new, and perfect) then those people attached to their sins will be burned up with the sins they refuse to give up. How could the Almighty be more generous???? If you add anything the the true faith, it becomes another Pagan religion without any salvation value

Answer 6

Hey, i like a good fiction read... but the Bible for one was too long... and im really not into the whole fantasist, serpents talking kinda read. And some of the content put me off sleeping a bit... other than that, a 4 out of 5. Better suited to the mature reader i think.

Answer 7

How about a little humility? How about genuine concern for the welfare of others and not just those who are potential converts? How about judging ones self and ones friends by the same standards one uses to judge non-Christians?

Then again, a lot of atheists I know seem to focus their contempt on believers ... as opposed to the religious institutions. So maybe everyone could use a little more humility.

And yes, that includes me.

Answer 8

Well, it would take an atheist to have an earth-shaking experience that left nowhere else to go except down on one's knees in prayer. Like the death of a loved one, a crushing financial blow like the loss of a job or a serious health condition. I've seen it happen.

Answer 9

There is nothing you can do. I think all Atheists and christians can agree that the idea of adding and subtracting things for the benifit of the other is rediculous.


"Good people will do good things, and bad people will do bad things. But for good people to do bad things -- that takes religion"

Answer 10

How about some love and compassion?
Humility?
A healthy dose of truthfulness and confession.
Perhaps a dash of repentance.
Top that off with a servants heart.
Add in some more love and more compassion.

Mix it all together with some awesome rocking worship, and hey, you got church.