Can atheists convert theists?

[In This Mind]

Why do some atheists (judging from a couple of the responses) feel the need to say that they aren't interested in converting theists, and then show signs of frustration when theists don't agree with them, in the form of resorting to ridicule? That's not very consistent. You should be honest and just say that you'd really like to convert theists, and that it frustrates you when you don't manage it. People don't just ridicule others merely for fun, they do so for a specific reasons, and in this case I believe it is out of frustration. And that of course begs the question, what do you feel you lose when others don't agree with you?

If a theist NEVER tried to force their beliefs on me, I would never grow frustrated with those beliefs nor would I have anything to lose.

Unfortunately, I have to deal daily with theists forcing their beliefs on me, altering laws to make everyone believe the way they do, rewriting history and science to correspond to their beliefs instead of to the truth, trying to make me pray to their god, trying to force their religion on my child, telling me I am a bad person for not believing, so on, so forth.

What do I have to lose? Specifically, my freedom, my rights, and my life.

Because the simple truth is this: History has shown many times that Christians will kill and enslave in the name of their beliefs. You yourself may not advocate kicking all atheists out of the country. But if your fellow Christians did, I sincerely doubt you'd complain or try to stop them.

I am an atheist. I have never walked up to someone reading the bible and called them a horrible person. I've been accosted in public by Christians for my reading material, abused by Christians for my choice of dress, had Christians lock the doors to prevent people from leaving their sermon, had Christians threaten me with violence and actually get physical with me for not participating in their public prayer, had Christians follow me around campus to tell me what a horrible person I am and how I deserve a horrid fate because I declined their offer of a free bible, so on, so forth.

You claim it's only a small minority that do this. And that's fine, though I would question how 'small' a minority it really is, being that I was raised Christian and told many times it was my responsibility to convert those around me and 'spread the word'. I would like, however, to point out that the majority stood by and watched rather than trying to stop the behavior, and that same majority would be outraged if steps were taken to prevent that 'minority' from abusing people.


I do not try to convert. I try to educate.