(September 18, 2021 at 9:05 am)Spongebob Wrote: I've had scores of conversations, discussions, debates and such with Christians on the subject of what constitutes and supports their belief. I maintain that it is largely emotional in most people and largely due to years of indoctrination and family/community pressure, making most people emotionally reluctant to veer far from the religion of their youth. But in almost every case, people reject this notion and argue that their belief is based on rational decision making, even critical thinking. If this were the case, there should be no reason for Christians to be wary of atheists in their midst, asking challenging questions. Such discussions should only result in strengthening their faith. But of course the true reason such strengthening occurs is because of the defensiveness that is ignited when someone challenges your beliefs.
If an atheist needs this sort of community... and it may boil down to a basic psychological needs, so there's no shame in it... I recommend looking online for where Quakers meet in your area. You can be an atheist Quaker, no problem. Nobody will judge you... and many atheists have become full fledged members of the Religious Society of Friends. Some "unprogrammed" meetings involve sitting for an hour in silence every Sunday. And that might not be everybody's jam. But it's actually less boring than it sounds. And the people there are often educated, enlightened, and interesting.
My meetings were a mix of mostly Christians, a Buddhist, and a couple agnostics. The conversations we had were fascinating. And me and this old lady would sometimes watch Joseph Campbell lectures afterwards. It was dope. I mean, way better than going to some Baptist Church for the "community" there.
If you say you are an atheist in a Baptist church then half of them are gonna hate/mistrust you, and the other half are gonna try to convert you. Waste of time. Unless the music is good.
Anyway, long story short... try a Quaker meeting.
