Atheists come up with ideal god

[robvalue]

The only argument I'm seeing for why we should become Christian is because of what God will do to us to punish us if we don't. In other words, it's a mugging.

Is that the best you got?

The problem is, you're pointing a non-existent gun at our head. The fact that you think it's real says an awful lot more about you than us. Take ownership at least; you are threatening us. And not just with harm, not just with death, but with everlasting torture. I can't take such nonsense seriously so I don't give a shit, but this is really about the most heinous way you could possibly talk to another human being.

[ignoramus]

Well said Rob...
He really does insult our intelligence by saying crazy shit like that to us over and over. I suppose repetition is how indoctrination works so what else to do?

[robvalue]

Right! If I threatened him in much lesser ways, ironically I'd get banned from this forum.

That doesn't seem quite right, does it? I mean, if I said I have a brother who is a sniper and he's going to shoot someone in the head if they don't do what I say, that would be considered outrageous and I'd be banned. Rightly so, of course. But if I say do what I tell you or my invisible friend God is going to torture you forever, that's allowed.

I'm not criticising the forum rules at all, just showing how society has come to let some really dumb shit be acceptable.

I do wonder though if such indirect threats should be against the rules, by the logic above. Not that they bother me personally, they just make the person using the threat look like a complete idiot and it shows these religions up for the death cults that they are.

[Cyberman]

It's to do with freedom of speech, mainly. You'll notice that when fundies do say these things, they hide behind their magic book: "Oh, it's not me threatening you - I'm only passing on the warning. Why are you persecuting me? Waah waah!"

When threats become explicit, such as "My god told me to show up at your house with a gun", then get clear because the Rules are going to come down so fast you're likely to get hit by the shrapnel.

[abaris]

When threats become explicit, such as "My god told me to show up at your house with a gun", then get clear because the Rules are going to come down so fast you're likely to get hit by the shrapnel.

And nevermind that it takes a sad loser of a god to tell a sad loser to do his dirty work.

[Cyberman]

Yeah. Some god they have, the least powerful entity in the Universe.

[sinnerdaniel94]

God has loved you before He formed you in your mother's womb. He has known you before the world was created. He gave you life and when you were dead spiritually, He came to the rescue. He then makes you His child and loves you for eternity.

So, in your version of free will, god created me, knowing all along that I would not be convinced that he existed. 

And he did this, knowing that I will be punished for eternity for the finite crime of disbelief.

Why would he create atheists knowing that we will be punished?

there's a chance they might be saved

[robvalue]

Hmm, sure.

But isn't hiding behind my brother the same kind of thing? I'm not threatening them, I'm delivering messages from my brother, who will take them out if they don't comply. That's over the limits of free speech, right? They are doing the same thing, my God will do this to you if you don't do what he wants.

Is the fact that the threat is so obviously imaginary that it's not taken seriously, as it could never actually manifest? In that case, if I don't actually have a sister, can I "believe" that I still do, and issue threats on her behalf?

(Obviously this last scenario is not a serious rules discussion, just hypothetical out of interest.)

[sinnerdaniel94]

The only argument I'm seeing for why we should become Christian is because of what God will do to us to punish us if we don't. In other words, it's a mugging.

Is that the best you got?

The problem is, you're pointing a non-existent gun at our head. The fact that you think it's real says an awful lot more about you than us. Take ownership at least; you are threatening us. And not just with harm, not just with death, but with everlasting torture. I can't take such nonsense seriously so I don't give a shit, but this is really about the most heinous way you could possibly talk to another human being.

that's strange how you are threatened or offended. If a person believed in the spaghetti monster and said I would burn for eternity, I wouldn't even frown for a millisecond. yet its the same situation with you. You think my God is fake, yet you're thoroughly offended and threatened. A real atheist wouldn't care at all. Like I don't care about your thoughts. Its meaningless to me. why are you so angry? it makes me question your beliefs.

[Cyberman]

Why would he create atheists knowing that we will be punished?

there's a chance they might be saved

Saved from what? And why, if as you say it makes no difference if we care or not?