My Atheist friends, I have a curious question for you.?

Question

Is the only reason you object to our belief system because of our desire to share it with you? If it gives us peace, joy, and love and helps us to want a better life for ourselves, why would you object to that? If it helps my children and Grandchildren become more respectful and do well in school, why would you object. Is there anything wrong with teaching the theory of Creation along with the theory of evolution since to the world they are both theories. I believe in respecting people's space and feel absolutely that religion and government must stay separate. You claim sometimes that some Christians are pushy with their religion, which is true because we are all individuals who do things differently, but, you folks also push your belief system on us and act like we are inane if we don't agree. Many of us try to show you respect. Do you show Christian people the same respect? Just curious? Mmm

Answer 1

I see some atheist answers here which are actually incorrect. A theory is only a theory until it can be proven through the scientific method...once it is proven it becomes a scientific law or fact. The theory of evolution cannot be tested because we have no way to test what allegedly happened billions and billions of years ago. Carbon dating is not 100% accurate, and much of the information has been based on assumptions that something x years old would have y amount of carbon...but the scientists even say that where water is present, carbon dating can be skewed by millions of years...guess what, the Great Flood of Noah's time mentions the whole wide world was covered with water....
The story of creation has many credible connections, if the listener is open minded to believing the evidences in nature. Think of the order of when things were made--atmosphere was made before plants, which were made before animals...the atmosphere needed the plants in order to be useful for the animals...sea creatures and flying birds were made before land dwelling animals...so birds came before reptiles and dinosaurs...not the other way around.
I know several atheists and shamanists and animists who believe the flood of Noah must have happened because they found so many fossils of sea animals in the Rocky Mountains. They found the evidence with their own eyes, etc...seeing is often believing. Some people like to go the next step and start asking many questions regarding the history that is in the Bible.
Atheists claim the Bible is fiction, however, there are outside sources which have proven many events in world history. They used to say the City of Ur, which Abraham was from was fictitious...but it was discovered in Iraq a few years ago...imagine that.
When the going gets rough, the weak claim they are being badgered and forced to believe something they refuse to accept. I refuse to accept that there is no God, because my life has been saved many many times...in more ways than physical saving too.
Sorry to put my two bits in here since I am not an atheist, I just can't stand to see the errors that are believed as facts....
If the atheists want to believe in what they believe to be facts, they need to make sure they got their facts straight...otherwise they are no better than those false Churches which teach the traditions of man instead of the Words of God.

Answer 2

I'm a Wiccan and I have been watching and commenting on questions like these.

Honestly, the Atheists have been getting hosed by the Christians. It is well and good that Christians have joy and want to share what they believe. The problem is that the Christians don't really try to understand what the Atheists are saying - the Christians simply assume that the Atheists will either convert eventually or go to hell.

That's the problem. Christians, most of you are too judgemental of the Atheists. Many of you fail to see that the Atheists have real opinions and have studied ALOT before reaching their decission to be Atheist.

Christians, if you really cared about the Atheists, you would stop asking questions like "Why do Atheists come to the R&S board?" and "Atheists worship the devil and are going to hell do you know that?" You would be putting some of your own thoughts aside to try to understand what was being said.

If the call of Christians is to tell others the good news and to win souls to Christ, then how do you plan to do that if you won't be quiet long enough to understand what someone really believes? Or really does not believe? If any of you have ever taked a basic university level evangelism class, you would understand that conversion only happens when the Christian puts his or her own self aside and focuses on the other person.

I am serious about what I am saying and I am sure I will get some pretty nasty emails, but this is the truth as I see it.

Answer 3

I object to all religions that promote themselves as the only one, the true one. It causes unnecessary divisions between people, between cultures, and between countries.

On a more personal level, I do not object to people having a belief in a god as long as they don't tell me that without that god I cannot possibly want a better life for myself or help my children be more respectful and do well in school.

I have a problem with creationism being taught alongside evolution as though they were equal, because they are not. One is a scientific theory (read scientific theory in scientific rather than in layman's terms), while the other is religious dogma. Religion and science are two completely mutually exclusive concepts and should not be compared.

You may show respect to people of other beliefs, but there are MANY who do not.

Answer 4

I do show christians alot of respect, my family are all christians and so are alot of my friends. To me though it has everything to do with fact and the fact is that there is plenty of evidence to back evolution up. Teaching a child about the bible and about creationism is doing more harm than good because not all kids are going to just play along with it and think that is the way. some will question it and when they do they will feel guilty, shutout and not listened to.
This happened to me.
religion as a whole just does so much harm and trying to cram it down peoples throats all the time just gets so annoying.

Answer 5

Keep your beliefs to yourself. Do not insist that the Christian way is the only right way.

Creationism is not a scientific theory. It is not well established or verifiable. It is not a theory with any merit at all. Evolution is a well established, verifiable theory with a good deal of evidence to support it. Do you also object to gravitational theory? Germ theory? How about the theory of relativity? Why is only the theory of evolution Christians have issue with?

I raised to wonderful, talented, and responsible adults. My 19 year old son is the manager of our local movie theater and a very successful music major. My daughter is a manager at a local drug store and also attends school. They are both happy, honest, respectful, and well adjusted people. And they are atheist.

So, while god makes you happy, is it so hard to believe that I am happy without god? Is it so hard to believe that I am good mother, teacher, and neighbor?

Answer 6

I can appreciate that you have good intentions in wanting to share your faith with others because you feel that it's a positive influence in your life. But when you're sharing it with someone who doesn't want it, that's no longer "sharing". It's forcing. That's arrogant and insulting. And people are going to resent it.
And creation isn't a theory because it isn't supported by any empirical evidence. Creation is a faith. And faith belongs in church and home... not in public schools.
And once again, I'm compelled to point out that atheists do not have a belief system, so there's no way it could be pushed on you. Atheism is nothing more than a lack of belief in a god or gods.
But, even though I disagree with you, I appreciate your polite and articulate question. And I do respect your right to believe what you wish -- as long as you don't try to make me live by it.

Answer 7

1. Does it give 'peace, joy, and love' to you all?
Now, truthfully, i don't see more religious people being happy than atheists

2. Does it make you more respectful?
I see many disrespectful Christians, actually. You all cant even respect our views?

3. Does it make us do well in school?
Give me evidence.

4. Who said atheists don't believe in creation and evolution?
We just think that there isn't what you all call 'God' and he wasn't the one who created us.

5. Do all atheists push our belief system on you all?
As you said, all individuals who do things differently. Its just that some atheists do that to spread the message... Don't many Christians do that too?

Answer 8

I appreciate your attempt to compromise however there are some larger issues at work here. To say that religion MAKES people do better in school, be more successful, etc. is a fallacious statement. These outcomes are available through secular means just as well as they are through religious means. It's simply a matter of good parenting, that is all. As far as calling creation and evolution equal theories, well, that is also a fallacious statement. You are using the colloquial definition of theory to compare the two. The difference is that evolution is a scientific theory meaning it is a collection of evidence supporting a common phenomenon. The key word here being *evidence.* When you compare the validity of the two by the evidence that supports them, evolution wins hands down. Knowledge and understanding of what is reality and what is fantasy are precious things. This life is all we get, let's not squander it on fairy tales and magical thinking. Let's improve life for our children and our children's children by building a society based on knowledge and reason... not faith and belief.

Answer 9

I don't object to your beliefs. I only object to someone else's beliefs being forced upon people who don't share those beliefs. Creation, for example, is nothing but religious dogma. Period. It has no scientific value whatsoever, and no evidence to back it up. If someone wished to teach it to their children, then fine, they have the right to do that. They do not, though, have the right to demand that it be taught in my children's SCIENCE classes, along with legitimate scientific theories. And the word "theory" does not have the same meaning in the science community as it does in the average person's daily vocabulary, and that causes confusion when it comes to comparing science "theories" and religious "theories". The scientific definition of "theory" is, when the testing of a hypothesis (through experiments performed or predictions made), REPEATEDLY CONFIRMS the hypothesis-the hypothesis then becomes a "theory".
In "Creationism", the word "theory" is interchangeable with the words "opinion", or "belief". It need not be tested, and there need not be any evidence that this “theory” has any basis in fact.

Answer 10

no, that's not why i reject (not OBject) your belief system.

i reject it because i see no evidence for a god, and plenty of evidence for no god.

though, yes, i do resent it when people try to shove their religion down my throat.

and plenty of kids do fine in school and are respectful withOUT religion (i'm a great example--very respectful and 4.0 gpa in both highschool and college).

and yes, there is certainly something wrong with teaching creationism in school. evolution may be a "theory" but it's a SCIENTIFIC theory (a VERY different type of theory) that is backed up by EVIDENCE. creationism has NO supporing evidence. and if you're going to teach creationism, then you have to teach EVERY version of the creation story just to be fair.

i don't try to push my system on anyone. believe what you want, i dont' care. and yes, i show respect until you demonstrate that you don't deserve it.