As I ask questions, I find time & again Christians simply don't see the folly of their ways.
It takes patience and understanding to help them see reality. It takes time, and until they understand we should do our best to guide them with a gentle hand... If we don't, they'll interpret our frustration and outlashing as evil from their devil, only reinforcing their mysticism.
2007-09-14 08:02:38 · 7 answers · asked by vérité 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's true. As a former Christian, I know that being malevolent is only going to either make them feel persecuted, and therefore justified in their faith, or they're going to feel that we are messengers of Satan which will only serve to renew their vigilance. Nice, intelligent words can be perceived similarly (instead of MEAN messengers of Satan, we'd be perceived as the sly, insidious types), but that is nonetheless far more persuasive than calling them stupid.
It would be nice to be able to be more friendly with Christians. At least maybe they wouldn't be so defensive all the time. I see atheists doing the same thing that Christians do. Somebody poses a hypothetical question, and instead of thinking about it and responding (which is the best way to open up another person's mind; i.e. you have to broaden their scope of imagination), be it atheist or Christian, the immediate reply is, "That's not possible because there IS a God and he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins," or, "Well, there is no God, so what you're saying is completely impossible c**p."
Basically what I'm saying is, everybody's so defensive these days that there are few intelligent, thoughtful conversations. Most of the people on either side of the fence are so afraid to say anything that could, by any stretch of the imagination, be perceived as contrary to their ACTUAL beliefs that when anybody says ANYTHING that isn't immediately indicative of their religious standing (i.e. me hypothesizing what Hell could be like despite my disbelief in it) they are immediately flamed or given multiple thumbs down (depending on what happens to be the religious orientation of the group viewing the question).
Things have really got to change if anybody is going to make any progress.
2007-09-14 09:07:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes - leave them alone, only attack when they threaten the minds of innocent children and vulnerable adults. Even then a little myth is OK - its the creation stuff that threatens any sane persons understanding of science that needs to be stopped.
2007-09-14 08:11:31 · answer #2 · answered by Freethinking Liberal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know I'm an atheist too but your attitude is really kind of holier than thou towards Christians which is pretty ironic.
2007-09-14 08:06:46 · answer #3 · answered by Smee 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ah, yes. The "holier-than-thou" atheist. What religion are you, really?
2007-09-14 08:09:42 · answer #4 · answered by RIFF 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
True atheist ridicule your response. Shame on you.
2007-09-14 08:10:27 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything - only represent my point of view.
2007-09-14 08:09:34 · answer #6 · answered by TLH 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Atheists, we're going about this all wrong?"
There is no "right " way to do what you try to do.
Repent and turn to God.
He loves you, is there for you and always will be!
2007-09-14 08:10:29 · answer #7 · answered by StretfordEnder 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋