Question for theists?

Question

What is your honest opinion of atheists? What if you discovered a close family member or friend was an atheist?

(Just to clear something up, true atheists are not atheists because they hate God. If they really don't believe in Him, they can't really hate him. I'm not saying this is your opinion of atheists, but I have noticed that some theists think this way.)

Answer 1

You can't have an honest opinion of atheists until you meet every single last one of them.

Each one of them is an individual, you have to meet each one, get to know her or him, only then can you have an opinion.

Answer 2

My honest opinion of Atheists is that they not only have every right to not believe in a god but that they are in general some of the coolest, laid back people on Earth.

Atheists don't believe any God exists, so I don't know where you get the idea that Atheists hate God.

Answer 3

i'm agnostic, which means i do believe in a higher being, just not any that have been definined so far. so i guess in a way i'm a theist...

anyway, 1st of all i want to say that you're right--atheists don't hate god, they don't believe in him. that said, i don't really think anything of atheists just as i don't think any differently of christians, buddists, muslims, etc.

everyone has their beliefs and they have a right to those beliefs. what matters to me is how the person acts in their life and whether they do good or bad and how much compassion they show. i don't choose my friends (or abandon them) because they believe differently than i do. to me, that just seems wrong.

Answer 4

I love talking to an atheist! I have the best conversations with them. Their outlook on life is so different from mine. I love getting their opinions on things. Of course I'm praying for them the entire time. I'm still praying for all of the atheists I have met.

Answer 5

I have a cousin that I love like a brother and I found out this week he has been any atheists for quite some time; I still love him. Any christian that shows hatred toward anyone needs to reexamine their walk with GOD.

Answer 6

It is not for us to hate or dislike atheists, ( I recently found out that my Philosophy professor is one). Rather in Islam we believe

[016:093] And had God willed, He could have made you (all) one nation, but He sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. But you shall certainly be called to account for what you used to do.

So rather, I think atheists are smart, because they have been presented with an irrational concept of God (the trinity...), and thus refused to believe in it.

They need guidance, so we should show them what we believe and why,

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

[112:001] Say (O Muhammad [Peace Be Upon Him): "He is God, (the) One.

[112:002] God – the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].

[112:003] He begets not, nor was He begotten.

[112:004] And there is none coequal or comparable to Him."

but never force anyone for God has told us!

[002.256] There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in God, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

V.2:256) The word Tâghût covers a wide range of meanings: It means anything worshipped other than the Real God (Allâh), i.e. all the false deities. It may be satan, devils, idols, stones, sun, stars, angels, human beings, who were falsely worshipped and taken as Tâghût. Likewise saints, graves, rulers and leaders are falsely worshipped and wrongly followed but the one who does not accept to be worshipped, will not be considered as a Tâghût. Sometimes Tâghût means a false judge who gives a false judgement (See V.4:60). [See Tafsir Ibn Kathir; and (V.4:51)].

I always enjoy debating with atheist/agnostic, they are more rational, I don't like stereotyping but Christians are very dogmatic, and irrational. But the good ones are still loving, and they realize that Muslims pray to God All-Mighty as well, except we never pray to Jesus, rather we pray directly to whom they refer to as "The Father".

We don't believe in the original sin.



Peace be with you

Answer 7

I think they are unsaved people...they are the mission field.

I found out my brother is atheist and watched him swear on the Bible in court, then lie. Well, all I did at the start was preach at him...I was very young in the L-rd. Now I just try to show him a lot of love and support, and I think he knows where my strength and peace come from.

And I pray 4 him.

Answer 8

Disobedient people, riding on a cloud of pride. They need help to come to an understanding.

We must be humble, offer our help even though we get rejected time after time.

Soli Deo Gloria
All Glory to God Alone

Answer 9

I i do have friends and family members who are atheist. I love them, and no I don't badger them, if it comes up we discuss if it doesn't it doesn't. Are you saying that you have no Christian family or friends?

Answer 10

I, as a Christian, love atheists just as I love anyone else, but I believe that they need to know Christ to be saved. So I may pray for them, I may talk to them (hopefully not too forcefully) but I will treat them just like anyone else.