(September 25, 2015 at 1:07 am)Nestor Wrote: I think it's understandable that atheists would be inclined to insult Christians, or any other believer of a sect that says atheists are either obstinate or blind fools…You, Nestor, are neither obstinate or a blind fool. I see you as a generally thoughtful and reflective thinker with a sincere desire to pursue the truth wherever it may lead you. People, regardless of faith or lack thereof, can be stubborn and/or stupid.
I do however believe that the worst representatives of each side make entirely different claims about the worst representatives of the other. The worst atheists call believers irrational deluded and self-righteous sheep. The worst believers call atheists angry embittered libertines. I think there is some truth to those accusations when applied to the right people.
(September 25, 2015 at 1:07 am)Nestor Wrote: …[Christians claim that people]…have been conditioned with a disease since birth that demands their so-called souls to be eternally tormented by the Creator of the universe if they don't believe what Christians sayI guess it depends on whether you believe that Man has innate limitations that lead inevitably toward errors of judgment or whether Man is in his natural state perfect but his abilities get compromised by external forces. Christian doctrine rests on the former belief. Even if I were still an atheist I would still consider human beings less than perfect. At the same time, I recognize that social structures can mitigate those errors.
As for your follow-up statement, I do not think there is a clear consensus about the degree to which Christianity is an exclusionary religion. All Christians believe that Christ Jesus is the sole means by which people overcome and achieve victory over sin and death, that much is true, but subsequent (non-essential) doctrines expressing how the Lord administers His saving Grace vary greatly.
