How to convert an atheist

[Mudhammam]

The all-knowing WikiHow reveals the three necessary stages for converting unbelievers. It's aimed specifically at xtians, but I suppose any flavour theist can play.

Be advised, however, that some of the steps might take you out of your comfort zone, notably the ones about being open and honest and using reliable counter-evidence. But then small is the gate and narrow the road, and only a few find it.

So much DERP in the first stage I couldn't even force myself to read stage 2.

[Cyberman]

You didn't miss much.

[nintendo048]

The all-knowing WikiHow reveals the three necessary stages for converting unbelievers. It's aimed specifically at xtians, but I suppose any flavour theist can play.

Be advised, however, that some of the steps might take you out of your comfort zone, notably the ones about being open and honest and using reliable counter-evidence. But then small is the gate and narrow the road, and only a few find it.

it is quite simple show the atheist that atheism is unpopular and that Christianity has more social benefits like patriarchy. And the the church can outlaw pollitical correctness ect. All you have to do is show them is that atheism although academically stimulating provides nowhere near the level of monetary benifits that religions does. End of discussions you will have thousand of atheists convert in a few days time

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The all-knowing WikiHow reveals the three necessary stages for converting unbelievers. It's aimed specifically at xtians, but I suppose any flavour theist can play.

Be advised, however, that some of the steps might take you out of your comfort zone, notably the ones about being open and honest and using reliable counter-evidence. But then small is the gate and narrow the road, and only a few find it.

simply show them that Christianity can provide them with something that atheism cannot. Youve seen the way atheists attack the church perhaps if the church were to bring back the old social order, ban feminism, and lgbt. And leftist groups. Then you would get thousands of converts. Most people violate the principles of the bible I mean you dont get something for nothing

[*Deidre*]

I was a Christian all my life. Leaving behind religion has brought me more peace than when I was in it. I'd never "go back."

That said, no one convinces anyone towards or away from faith/religion. (unless you were indoctrinated as a kid, like me) It's a personal choice and while I think religion breeds a lot of bad stuff and it's really little more than fables and folly, I don't begrudge people to live as they wish, free to choose either path.

But, I would never go back. That was a bridge worth burning. lol

[nintendo048]

I was a Christian all my life. Leaving behind religion has brought me more peace than when I was in it. I'd never "go back."

That said, no one convinces anyone towards or away from faith/religion. (unless you were indoctrinated as a kid, like me) It's a personal choice and while I think religion breeds a lot of bad stuff and it's really little more than fables and folly, I don't begrudge people to live as they wish, free to choose either path.

But, I would never go back. That was a bridge worth burning. lol

no is saying that god exists im pretty sure that he dosent but im just saying that organized religion provides those who are able to pull the strings with perks. "religion is regarded by the common people as true the wise as false and the rulers as useful" Seneca the younger

[Mudhammam]

I was a Christian all my life. Leaving behind religion has brought me more peace than when I was in it. I'd never "go back."

That said, no one convinces anyone towards or away from faith/religion. (unless you were indoctrinated as a kid, like me) It's a personal choice and while I think religion breeds a lot of bad stuff and it's really little more than fables and folly, I don't begrudge people to live as they wish, free to choose either path.

But, I would never go back. That was a bridge worth burning. lol

Do you begrudge people who actively lie to children (pretending certainty about such obviously subjective sentiments that comprise religious belief) and instill within them faith, which is pretty much the exact opposite of inquisitive critical thinking? Because I think that's a HUGE problem in the world and it affects us ALL.

[fr0d0]

Both atheist and theist Pickup

[Mudhammam]

Both atheist and theist Pickup

Yes, of course. I contend that projecting faith onto others as opposed to skepticism and critical thinking can also negatively affect those who eventually disavow their religious beliefs. I don't exclude myself from this criticism as I was indoctrinated with Christian fundamentalism my entire life until I was able to move out of my parent's house. It has been a profound set back, no doubt.

[*Deidre*]

I was a Christian all my life. Leaving behind religion has brought me more peace than when I was in it. I'd never "go back."

That said, no one convinces anyone towards or away from faith/religion. (unless you were indoctrinated as a kid, like me) It's a personal choice and while I think religion breeds a lot of bad stuff and it's really little more than fables and folly, I don't begrudge people to live as they wish, free to choose either path.

But, I would never go back. That was a bridge worth burning. lol

Do you begrudge people who actively lie to children (pretending certainty about such obviously subjective sentiments that comprise religious belief) and instill within them faith, which is pretty much the exact opposite of inquisitive critical thinking? Because I think that's a HUGE problem in the world and it affects us ALL.

I agree with you however, I was raised in a Christian home, and I'd like to think my parents at that time, weren't malicious in their indoctrination tactics. lol That sounds so wrong.

But, honestly. They grew up with it, their parents grew up with it, so on and so forth. The indoctrination of me as a kid, was something that had probably been passed down for generations. As a kid, you don't know any better, you don't know you have a choice in the matter.

I don't regret growing up that way, btw. Nor experiencing a life as a Christian adult. It wasn't until I started unraveling the Bible for myself, and looking at Church history, and realizing that what I believed really was just based on hearsay and at worst, lies...I decided to start making some changes. That process was painful, yes. But, do I blame my parents for their choice to raise me as a Christian? No. They didn't do it out of malice.

Hard to explain. When you've been deep into the faith all of your life, you think that you're coming from a place of love when you try to get others to convert. Perhaps, that is why I cringe when I see it trying to happen on here. For I remember that being a main tenet of the faith--'go make disciples of all nations.' Christians are CALLED TO witness their faith in the hopes of assisting people into converting.

Have you always been an atheist?

[Mudhammam]

Do you begrudge people who actively lie to children (pretending certainty about such obviously subjective sentiments that comprise religious belief) and instill within them faith, which is pretty much the exact opposite of inquisitive critical thinking? Because I think that's a HUGE problem in the world and it affects us ALL.

I agree with you however, I was raised in a Christian home, and I'd like to think my parents at that time, weren't malicious in their indoctrination tactics. lol That sounds so wrong.

But, honestly. They grew up with it, their parents grew up with it, so on and so forth. The indoctrination of me as a kid, was something that had probably been passed down for generations. As a kid, you don't know any better, you don't know you have a choice in the matter.

I don't regret growing up that way, btw. Nor experiencing a life as a Christian adult. It wasn't until I started unraveling the Bible for myself, and looking at Church history, and realizing that what I believed really was just based on hearsay and at worst, lies...I decided to start making some changes. That process was painful, yes. But, do I blame my parents for their choice to raise me as a Christian? No. They didn't do it out of malice.

Hard to explain. When you've been deep into the faith all of your life, you think that you're coming from a place of love when you try to get others to convert. Perhaps, that is why I cringe when I see it trying to happen on here. For I remember that being a main tenet of the faith--'go make disciples of all nations.' Christians are CALLED TO witness their faith in the hopes of assisting people into converting.

Have you always been an atheist?

I agree for the most part and I don't think malice was involved in my parent's decision to insulate me from opposing worldviews as a child/teenager either. I think it probably came down to fear--fear for my soul. I was not always an atheist. I was turned on to philosophy as a young teenager around the time I became devoutly Christian. I even hosted a weekly gathering at my house in which my youth pastor taught us why evolution was wrong and the Bible was literal truth. I first began to lose enthusiasm when my parents saw my skepticism begin to develop and banned me from reading any material that wasn't Christian. This trend of growing suspicion regarding the validity of religion continued in the subsequent years as I vacillated back and forth between Christianity, agnosticism, theism, and atheism, until I eventually came to see clearly (only a few years ago) that faith is utterly lacking any rational/evidential basis.

While I can appreciate the fact that I've genuinely experienced both sides of this debate, I somewhat regret that my youth was wasted memorizing Bible verses instead of actual facts about the world or acquiring an earlier love for science. Perhaps I could have used that as a springboard into some career path. At this point, it feels like language--it's not impossible for me to master some entirely new subject but it will never come by so easily and second nature as those scriptures and doctrines I was ingrained with as a child are. I don't hold the sheep more responsible than the shepherds--and my parents are definitely sheep--but they're still partly responsible for not being more curious or skeptical about the claims they accepted on authority alone, and further demanding that I agree, even before I developed thinking skills of my own. This is immoral in my view, well-intended or not.

Also, my mother is far more the sheep than my father. My mother lost her father to a terrible truck accident when she was only 17 and had to pretty much raise her three younger brothers. My father lost his dad unexpectedly to a heart attack just after I was born. They both have implicitly expressed that their faith is deeply tied to an emotional response to death. I assume that like so many they cannot bear the thought that death is the end or that the Universe was not specifically created or caused with each of us in mind.