Atheism is a method, Christianity is an end?

Question

I think another difference between atheists and christians is that atheism is (or should be) an ongoing method for examining religious claims. Atheism isn't static. At any time, if contrary evidence is presented, an atheist will become a theist.
However, this is not so for many theists, especially christians.
I can tell you that I've personally had many christians tell me that no matter what evidence is presented, they will not change.
What are your thoughts?

Great answers.
Some of you never fail to teach me something.

Answer 1

While I agree that an Atheist presented with incontrovertible evidence would become a believer, I'm not convinced that Atheism on its own is a method or process, but rather a way station in the process of weighing evidence.

Assuming no convincing evidence comes along, the Atheist remains an Atheist. An Atheist is not ALWAYS searching for evidence (we have to eat and sleep, after all), but is open to examining it.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 2

well said. I think this arises because atheism and theism are fundamentaly different. A theist invests their whole heart and mind into their faith, to admit doubt, to examain evidence that contradicts their beliefs, attacks their very identity.

An atheist is someone who just won't accept "God did it" as an answer for Life's mysteries. An atheist wants to know the truth, the REAL truth. He doesn't pick the truth he wants to believe in and then defend it. He carefully sifts through ideas and arguments and evidence and rejects anything that doesn't hold up to skeptical criticism.

Two very different kinds of minds indeed.

Answer 3

As long as you believe that what you learned was absolute truth, there's no reason to question. As long as that faith is preserved, nothing new can come about. However, if that faith fails, they aren't left with much ground to stand on, often leaving them sad and disheartened.

Atheism doesn't have absolute truth. Nothing is really a given, unlike the situation with dogmatic religion. For that reason, it is encouraged or even necessary to pursue more accurate truths. If a given theory or axiom fails, it may result in difficulties as previous inaccuracies are fixed, but the system itself is preserved. This can even be met with excitement.

Answer 4

I don't really agree. Christianity is a journey - or, in the medieval metaphor, a pilgrimage. We don't know what the destination is, but we go forward in hope. I'm prepared to accept that atheism might be a journey as well - or, as you put it, a method. Perhaps the scientific analogy your term suggests is appropriate, because while atheism is (as you suggest) cerebral, rational, and considered, Christianity is something that we live *in*; the basis of all our experience and "the ground of all being" as a twentieth-century theologian put it.

Answer 5

i'm an athiest and i'm a realist. christians believe in "what if" and let's pretend" so to them there is an actualy "man" in the sky looking over 6 billion people in this world. if people believe god exists, does that make god a pervert? does he watch people take showers? there are so many religions out there and i wonder how many gods? for the believers there is one god who has all these different religious identities. atheism, you say it like it's a religion. it's not a religion it's not a belief, it's not a lets hate on those who "believe" in god. it's a known fact that there are crazy people out there that were brainwashed by a book called the bible to beleive that a god exists. hey buddy, i think people should believe in the sun because WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT. lol

Answer 6

Hmm....well you are asking one thing in your title question and quite another in your details.
For your title question, I disagree. Christianity isn't just an "end" to me, it's a way of life. It completely effects all parts of my life, it's not compartmentalized. I do not think Atheism can claim the same.

As for you details, I agree with you. I believe because of what has happened to me in my life (see my blog for details). No amount of dug up bones and dusty relics is going to change that. Quite unmovable, aren't I? LOL!

Now here is a raspberry filled soft cookie, made it myself, fresh and hot from the oven.

Answer 7

I think you are mixing up atheism with agnosticism. Atheism is a faith and a belief in no higher purpose/existence/deities etc. To be still searching for truth (one way or the other!) is Agnosticism! This is because - even if they lean towards atheism - an agnostic will allow for the possibility...

Answer 8

Atheism is an impersonal method that denies any possibility of God. Christianity isn't static at all--Christ's love should be vibrant and apparent in the lives of all who claim to follow Him. Does that mean everyone who claims to be a Christian is living like Christ? Not at all. But Jesus said that the world will recognize His disciples by their love. And if His love is not present in their lives, then I'd say their claims to be Christians are pretty thin.

What evidence are you claiming to present to rebut Christians?

Answer 9

It's because you can't present me with any evidence that will make me change, because you don't have any. Being a Christian is all about faith, like in something or someone you can't see, like God. People that don't have faith in God and that Jesus is the son of God tend to not have faith in anything else either. If anything only a Christian can make YOU change.

Answer 10

Hm..... well, I hate to be contrary, but I'm one of those atheists that must insist that evidence for a logically impossible god can never and will never be presented.