Round and round we go. Have you ever tried to have a conversation...?

Question

Have you ever tried to have a conversation (by way of e-mail) with someone from R&S, and by the end of it, you just want to bash your head against a wall or chuck your computer out the window?

I recently had what had the potential of being a productive conversation; yet in the end it turned out to be little more than:

Me: why do you think atheists' only purpose in life is self-gratification?
Him: well, what is it then?
Me: I explain what I feel my purpose is, beyond mere existence
Him: why do consider it hateful to say atheists have no purpose? Oh and atheists call Christians stupid and ignorant.
Me: I explain how I feel about judging an entire group over the actions of a few, that I understand how frustrating it must be to be called stupid and ignorant, just as it is to be told one's only purpose in life is self-gratification.
Him: well, atheists are arrogant, self-centered. "May the God that you do not acknowledge bring grace and peace to you."
Me:*bashes head against the wall*

Malik, I said nothing about trying to convert anyone :) When I said productive, I simply meant listening to and and gaining an understanding from each other and our perspectives.

Malik, I've been here a long time too so I understand what you mean completely and figured that's what happened :p

I'mForJesus, thanks for your answer. Trust me, I am not at all upset. My "bashing head against the wall" thing was just a bit of humor. My wall is perfectly intact, as is my head. :p

And, once again for clarification, I do have a purpose... that was my point all along. I am very clear in my understanding of my life's purpose; the fact that I am an atheist does not mean I have no purpose, or that my purpose is merely self-gratification.

Sorry if what I wrote did not make that clear enough :)

BrotherMichael, thanks for your answer. I appreciate it.

Anytime you want a non-bashing atheist's point of view on morality, e-mail me :) I promise you'll get a more literate, thought-out answer from me (minus the expletives, of course).

Now I'm off to try one of Lupis_Noctum's Orange Julius and Gatorade concoctions....

Answer 1

Looks like you got one of the R&S people that think God has endowed them with the priviledge of being self-righteous. Sorry you had a run in with the quasi-christian. While I am a chruch-going christian, I try not to throw my faith into peoples faces....especially when the conversation turns to science. As a Christian, I HATE when other Christians whip out the Bible to answer matters of science. Makes me want to have my feet de-boned!!!! So I hear ya loud and clear on this one!

Answer 2

I've entered in to conversation with a few of the rationality challeged I've encountered on Y!A. For entertainment purposes only, you understand. All of them went much as your experience went.

When challenged, they do what they do in real life, falling back on a collection of stock phrases and arguments from circular logic.

While in the real world there ARE many people who are on the edge between rationality and religion, honest seekers that truly do need and want help overcoming the delusion, you probably won't find any of those types on Y!A. The Yahoo xians are the same ones that clog up non-theist web sites and think reporting anti-theist videos on YouTube is great fun.

My advice? If they seem to want to converse, let them offer some tidbit that might show they actually want to have a conversation, not just a chance at prosthelizing. Otherwise, ignore 'em, it's not your fault that they're running on a very lean mixture...

Answer 3

I feel your pain baby. I think it is odd that anyone would assume an Atheist is only out for self gratification. Most of the Atheists I know are dedicated to using this life to make the world a better place. One I know never takes any personal time. She feels this life is all she has and she's making it count! She's the most active humanitarian I've ever met. To see each life as beautiful, fragile and unique, like a snowflake, is hardly empty or drab. But you have to understand, they've been taught to fear anything that isn't their religion. Not all Christians, but some, are taught that they will turn into evil monsters without the threat of hell. They are conditioned to think they are nothing without the approval of "God". Its sad.

Answer 4

I did in the past. Now, I generally refuse to discuss religion or spirituality with most people, because matters of belief or faith are not rational. Attempting to have rational conversations with people who are stuck in an irrational state is useless--very much like arguing with a drunk, or trying to teach something to someone who is being deliberately obtuse. I don't care what the specific beliefs are, the behavior remains the same in anyone who values faith over reason.

Talking about what you believe is just words, anyway. I put a lot more emphasis on how people live, and don't pay attention to the words unless they match the behavior. Those who spend a lot of time and energy on talk don't have that much left for actually doing anything worthwhile.

I don't care what label a person wears. I want to know if she is honest, reliable, and sincere. Is he a good parent, husband, son, neighbor, employee, employer? Is she improving the world through her existence? Does he think about the effects his words and actions have, or is he one of the majority content to live life in a haze? Does she care more about what gets done, or who gets the credit for doing it? Does he say the same things in front of me that he says behind my back? What do they do when they don't think anyone is watching? What company do they choose to keep? What kind of material do they choose to take in to their minds--books, news, movies, music, etc.--knowing that such things shape our thoughts? Do they create, or just consume?

That's the important stuff. It can only be demonstrated, never spoken.

Answer 5

I usually find that I keep running into the wall imposed by the character limit on replies to Yahoo!Answers contacts, and have to edit my explanations down, and then can't remember what I actually sent when I get a reply, because it doesn't save sent messages.

So I usually try to get them to send me real e-mail to my actual e-mail address, but few of them ever do.

I did get involved in a very interesting conversation recently with a Creationist who is actually becoming more open-minded about some of the evidence I've given him.

Unfortunately, at the same time, I was involved in another conversation with a very closed minded Creationist, and it was hard to remember what message I had sent to each one of them, and what I might be repeating.

Answer 6

Why get so upset? If you are so firm in your beliefs you shouldn't let these words bother you. Shrug it off and discontinue the conversation. When I was living life as my own God, I wasn't very happy. I needed drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and antidepressents. "Where do you go to get away from yourself, where ya gonna go?" Great lyrics by christian rock band, "Pillar". I recommend you check this group out. It's not your ordinary christian music. Give it a chance. Anyway, it gets tough and overwhelming to live life with no purpose. Believe me I know. Think about it, theres just got to be a purpose for us. And I've found it through Jesus Christ. He set me free from the drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, antidepressents, and even saved my marriage. This is real to me. When treatment centers, A.A., N.A., self help, and counseling didn't work, God did. He is awesome! And he is more real than you think. Try asking him to give you signs that will lead you to believe he's real. I dare you. He proved it to me. Don't miss the signs!! Try having just a bit of faith, that's all it takes.

Answer 7

Yes. Occasionally a theist will write to me and I'll explain a point about evolution and they'll come up with some reasonable points which I'll explain. You start to think 'my god, this person is amenable to rational debate and can be helped!' and it goes on for a few more emails then they start saying things like 'logic and reason aren't as important as faith because I know god made everything' and you think 'why did i bother?'

One thing I find most irritating is a creationist or ID proponents need to deliberately confuse evolution, abiongenesis and the big bang, or cosmological origins. I don't mind talking about any of those but when they leap from one to the other just to escape conceding a point? They're slippery snakes.

Answer 8

I am an Atheist, and the LAST thing I would ever want to do is try to convert someone

I have WAAAAY too much respect for another person's beliefs to try to "talk" them out of it.


As a result, most of my Christian Friends have extended that same respect to me


ADD: OK, I have been here WAY too long, I could have sworn that your question had to do with conducting a "conversion" not "conversation"


Unfortunately, I have a tendancy to want to challenge any argument that I feel is flawed in some way. Sometimes I end up supporting a stance that I don't actually agree with because the other guy is attacking it from a questionable direction. So there were times that I argued AGAINST another Atheist because I disagreed with their particular argument.

Now THAT is frustrating.

Answer 9

Just set the table and let people serve themselves. Yes, every single person has a purpose and everyone is on different planes of understanding.

Answer 10

You have to always make a judgement, whether your time will be well spent, in continuing the dialogue with someone. If they appear totally closed to your viewpoint, unless you think you can learn something useful to you about them, it is best not to respond. Your time does have value.