You know, the only time I ever feel "atheist rage" is when someone keeps telling me that I'm angry because I'm an atheist.
Otherwise, I'm just fine.
I am a former member of your religious club, of a highly-literalist/fundamentalist stripe, and only gave up my faith after much research and reflection. I enjoyed my time in the church; they were wonderful people, and wonderful to me. I have many fond memories, especially of the summer evangelism retreats (camps) and the All-State Baptist Youth Choir trips I got to make as a teenager.
When I got involved with a local atheism group, in my mid-20s, I had such fond memories of our covered-dish suppers (most people say "pot-luck dinners") that I reinstituted the practice for our group explicitly because I thought it was a great way to socialize and to "multiply food" at our events, the way I had done in my church. Those in my church used to joke that covered-dish suppers were "The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, every Sunday afternoon!"
I considered the issues of core belief and doctrine, particularly that of literalism (in light of conflicts I had noticed between what was being taught from the pulpit as "Biblical Truth" and what I already knew about the natural world) and the inerrancy of scripture. You may not consider those to be core doctrines, but I assure you the evangelicals do! I have read volumes of works in apologetics and counter-apologetics, in addition to my own degree in biology (minors in chemistry and history), which of course I attained long after doing the initial research on theology. For you to sit here and arrogantly suggest that we are only non-Christian because we either don't understand Christianity or because we are angry at God/Christians/religion-in-general, even while we sit here telling you that you are mistaken, is to declare to us that you will never respect us, and are not worth the time and effort to treat seriously on matters which would be high-intensity in thought-process and research necessary to have an exchange on that level.
So enough hiding behind your rhetoric. List YOUR ideas about what constitutes "core doctrine", and the proofs of Christianity that you think we cannot escape logically, and let's get to it.
We all know it's the reason you're here, and the reason you're insulting our intelligence and integrity. We know bait when we see it. Well, you got it, our full attention.
Present your case or STFU.
Otherwise, I'm just fine.
I am a former member of your religious club, of a highly-literalist/fundamentalist stripe, and only gave up my faith after much research and reflection. I enjoyed my time in the church; they were wonderful people, and wonderful to me. I have many fond memories, especially of the summer evangelism retreats (camps) and the All-State Baptist Youth Choir trips I got to make as a teenager.
When I got involved with a local atheism group, in my mid-20s, I had such fond memories of our covered-dish suppers (most people say "pot-luck dinners") that I reinstituted the practice for our group explicitly because I thought it was a great way to socialize and to "multiply food" at our events, the way I had done in my church. Those in my church used to joke that covered-dish suppers were "The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, every Sunday afternoon!"
I considered the issues of core belief and doctrine, particularly that of literalism (in light of conflicts I had noticed between what was being taught from the pulpit as "Biblical Truth" and what I already knew about the natural world) and the inerrancy of scripture. You may not consider those to be core doctrines, but I assure you the evangelicals do! I have read volumes of works in apologetics and counter-apologetics, in addition to my own degree in biology (minors in chemistry and history), which of course I attained long after doing the initial research on theology. For you to sit here and arrogantly suggest that we are only non-Christian because we either don't understand Christianity or because we are angry at God/Christians/religion-in-general, even while we sit here telling you that you are mistaken, is to declare to us that you will never respect us, and are not worth the time and effort to treat seriously on matters which would be high-intensity in thought-process and research necessary to have an exchange on that level.
So enough hiding behind your rhetoric. List YOUR ideas about what constitutes "core doctrine", and the proofs of Christianity that you think we cannot escape logically, and let's get to it.
We all know it's the reason you're here, and the reason you're insulting our intelligence and integrity. We know bait when we see it. Well, you got it, our full attention.
Present your case or STFU.
A Christian told me: if you were saved you cant lose your salvation. you're sealed with the Holy Ghost
I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
