Atheists, are you tired of people trying to convert you? Religious people, how do you feel about it?

Question

I also mean in your outside lives.

I also mean in your outside lives.

Please don't thumbs-down the religious answers here.

Answer 1

I never explicitly try to convert anyone in this Forum.

The focus for any of my responses is on what the asker may think of my answer. If the asker doesn’t like my answer I usually hear about it and learn from them. Nevertheless, I try to write cogent responses in hopes they are useful to others who may take the time to read them.

I create my answers from an academic theologian’s perspective, as this is my “day job”. Yes, my answers are often wordy; to honor the questioner with enough details to help them learn more.

I believe that what a person sets into writing is a greater act of consciousness than what a person speaks from their mouths. So, when a non-believer writes some of the vitriol that we see in this Forum, it demonstrates the state of their intellectual maturity. Or if we see vitriolic comments from self-professed believer, this person is demonstrating the real nature of the state of their faith to others; they may know the Word of the Lord, but they do not know the Lord of the Word.

I try to give civil responses and hope that they contain information that is useful to believers and non-believers. How a person responds to the content is a personal matter beyond my control. But this is true only as long as I don't unwittingly reinforce bad behaviors by being rude or vapid in my answers.

To your second question, I find the vitriol and flippancy in this forum quite enervating. So I regularly have to go away and do something else to rejuvenate my mind and spirit. Why so many hide behind anonymity, specious avatars, IDs, etc., so they can act out is bewildering to me.

That said, the occasions I have received private communications that are positive and respectful (from believers and non-believers), encourages me to become a better responder to reasoned questions.

Answer 2

I get mad when people try to convert me because they seem to have complete certainty of their beliefs, when to any free thinking person, it is obvious that nobody knows for sure what happens after you die or how we were all created. Those are some of the few questions that nobody can answer, and it is those unanswerable questions that give us something to strive for and make life worth living. Anybody who claims their faith is absolutely true is a lyer and can't be trusted. These people are completely ignorant and focus their efforts on explaining obvious flaws in their faith (eg. creation). It's like this: Religion explains the existance of everything by saying that there is something out there that can do absolutely anything it wants to and this thing is responsible for creating everything around us. How does that make any sense? I mean sure its possible that something created us, but you still run into the problem of... something had to create god. All i'm saying is that according to logic, something had to come from nothing. Whether it was god or us is a seperate issue. The most important thing is that you live your life the way that gets you the most fulfillment. What happens after you die doesn't matter, it's the time you have on this planet that counts. If you live your life in a way that makes you happy, you will be happy on this earth and if there is an after life, you will get whats coming to you. If not... then atleast you lived happily and that is all you are garunteed.

There are things that people don't know. Accept it and don't worry about it until a proven answer can be found. Spend your efforts trying to find out how we got here and why, not throwing out crazy theories. Then maybe one day we can actually find the real answer instead of making up our own.

agnostic^^ heh

Answer 3

I am not Atheist, but I am not overly religious per se, but rather spiritual, (I am not Christian btw). But about the question, I think it is wrong to try and persuade another to convert to your faith. In doing so you are telling a person that they are flat out wrong. Period. I don't know about most others, but for me it took a good time of soul searching to come to my spirituality. Connection with divine is personal, and not all will do it the same way. I do, on the other hand, love a good religios debate, as long as it stays on good terms of course. I can sit and argue religion till I'm blue in the face, but at the end of the day, I will still be what I am, and hopefully the person I've been arguing with will be as well, if not, maybe said persons faith wasn't so strong after all, lol.

Answer 4

I am an atheist and no-one has ever tried to convert me, or maybe they have and I just don't get it.

I think it is a little silly when christians ask why atheists come to this section R & S. As if an atheist is an atheist because they are lazy about religion. I think most atheists are people who have an interest in philosophy, morals and religions. If atheists didn't come to this site it would be so BORING for the christians.

Answer 5

Religious men and women take a look at to transform you due to the fact that to them there's no different right approach to reside lifestyles. They are required to to train rituals and so forth to arrive God however their makes an attempt are futile due to the fact that an ant can't talk to a human and we're looking to make communications with God? It is God who need to make the communications with us. You decide on to dis-consider in a bigger entity that's a ruling divinity over life, that is you are prerogative. You have a rights to residing your life as you spot have compatibility however to the devout mentality it's essential to right you of your mistakes due to the fact that that's what they've been programed/ conditioned to do. Why hassle asking one of these query to people who could now not understand the cause why?... Only the devout individual can reply that one for you if yourealy are asking tfor the reality and I'm distinct they are going to deliver you thier variation of the reality however it's nonetheless actual for them. I myself am a Follower of The Way that is Jesus Christ however I additionally consider the Bible which states that NO-ONE Has the Power to Convert Anyone or Save Anyone - Only God Can Do That.

Answer 6

Not being an atheist nor a religious person, I answered this question only because you left out persons of "faith.' In my opinion, religion is belief in the ways of an organization, while atheism is non-belief is intelligent design. My beliefs are of the ancient egyptians where "we" are existant and "gods" of our own destiny. It does bother me when you have people who go door to door or "call" you to try to convert you. It also bothers me when "atheists" also "preach" their line of BS. I read from alot of people who don't believe in God on R&S, give their "opinions" and have thought, what the difference between them the religious ones out to try to find someone who will listen to them.......When any person is easily influenced by the opinions of another, that person didn't have firm convictions in what they believe in the first place......

Answer 7

No, I love it!

You see, on the one hand the actual evidence for God is scanty, to say the least. On the other hand the evidence against God is actually overwhelming.

Put it this way - there is a mountain in the distance. I can see it, and walk to it if I want, then I can touch it, taste it, hear it, smell it, etc. I believe in that mountain.

But you Christian guys are telling me about the mountain "next door" to the one I see, you can't touch it, taste it, feel it see it, hear it,or smell it, you just have to "believe" in it, and then you have to have "faith" that it is really there.
Ummm ? Now, once you've got me in, you tell me that this invisible moutain is omnipresent, can hear the thoughts of everyone on Earth at the same time (without static or interference), will send me to an eternal damnation if I don't believe in it, etc, etc.

I just sort of know which mountain I would rather believe in.

But, to each his own.

Answer 8

I don't try to covert anyone that's not my job but that of the Holy Spirit. Maybe something I say may spark an interest...but as far as I'm concerned atheist won't believe not because they can't but because they won't. So whether they become Christians or not doesn't effect what I do here. I'm hear to share with those looking and to help my brothers and sisters in Christ...that's it.

Answer 9

As an atheist...no. It's what keeps this section interesting. They push...we push back. It's all in good fun though...I enjoy it...

Outside of Yahoo Answers, I get the occasional bible thumper (pardon the expression) but I understand they are just doing what they think is right. They feel strongly about something and they want to share it the world. I wish I could say the same...

Answer 10

I think the atheist on here know that we, Christians, will not stop trying to convert them. Besides only God can bring someone to believe in Christ, all Christians do is plant the seed. God bless.