Homeless because iam a atheist

[Natachan]

Are you trying to say there should be state-run shelters?

I would assume people who really wanted to help others wouldn't really care if they went to church or not. I don't know if the vast majority of shelters are like that, but I'm not sure why they would be. Why would you offer food, shelter, and clothing to one group and not others unless your main goal is to convert instead of actually help people?

Because they genuinely believe that by making people go to Church they are helping those people. They genuinely believe that getting these people to know god is just as important if not more important than feeding and clothing them.

[Anomalocaris]

They genuinely believe that getting these people to know god is just as important if not more important than feeding and clothing them.

THAT is the truly dangerous part of religion. That justifies why it would be okay for them to kill you to prevent you from straying from their god.

Without that, religion can be seen as the equivalent of a destructive hobby. With that religion has the justificational foundations for coercive aggrandizement that could, and often did, culminate in mass murder.

[Chad32]

That's what happens when you glorify the next life over this one. Even if you can't prove that another one exists.

[Elskidor]

I've been taken back to Highlander: the series nostalgia. I wish there were generally awesome priests like Darius that helped others without having a secret motive, but sadly spiritual leaders aren't even half the person they pretend to be.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

'Property is the guardian of principle.' Puddn'head Wilson

Boru

[StuW]

Wow, even homeless people in the states have internet access?

[fr0d0]

Public libraries in the UK have free web access too

[Sejanus]

If you think about it, by accepting the shelter you're really getting one up on them; you can just lie about being a Christian and secretly (if that is a condition of the shelter) laugh at them for being deluded.

[Anomalocaris]

Wow, even homeless people in the states have internet access?

Internet access to homeless shelters is not an adequate substitute for physical access.

[SteelCurtain]

The great thing about being a freethinker is that you get to use your brain. If this shelter requires you to take an oath of belief, get baptized, swear allegiance to the holy babble, I agree---too far. But if they require you to sit in a nice warm (or cool) church, learn about their beliefs a couple times a week in exchange for food and shelter, consider that a transaction. I don't enjoy paying money for things, but I make that exchange for the things I want or need. You are not giving up your beliefs, you are not being a hypocrite, and neither are they. Maybe you can learn some new things about the religion. These people are offering to do something nice for you. And you need it. They aren't to be vilified. Their 'ulterior' motive is not something they are being duplicitous about or trying to hide, they are super clear about it---they are trying to win converts.