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Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:21 pm
(This post was last modified: June 23, 2015 at 6:31 pm by piterski123.)
So I was at this WW1 ceremony with my school. I didn't really know wether the ceremony was going to be religious. I said to my friend "I hope we're not forced to pray". To which (suprisingly, as this guy is quite intelligent usually) he said, "Atheists pray anyway so what's wrong". This really annoyed me. I started to explain to him how Atheism is a lack of belief in a God and how praying is apparently talking to God, then Atheists can't talk to something that they don't believe in. Then obviously he started to attack me (verbally) with stuff like "praying isn't religious" or "atheists pray out of respect". I mean I just got so fucking pissed at this guy. He held onto his claim ever since even after telling him the dictionary definition of Atheism.
I might be wrong on this which I don't think I am but please write your response to this anyway.
Thanks.
Humanity's downfall is a trust in a God that isn't there.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:27 pm
(This post was last modified: June 23, 2015 at 6:27 pm by Simon Moon.)
Ask your friend what his definition of 'prayer' is.
He might have his own, nonstandard, definition.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:33 pm
Pray (from Merriam Webster):
Quote:1 to make a request in a humble manner
In my broke state, I find myself doing this with my sister when I'm asking for her to help me with money.
Quote:2 to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving
I definitely don't do this, as I don't even know who "God" is.
If your friend was referring to #1, sure, but I doubt that's what he was getting at.
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:36 pm
(This post was last modified: June 23, 2015 at 6:36 pm by piterski123.)
(June 23, 2015 at 6:33 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: Pray (from Merriam Webster):
Quote:1 to make a request in a humble manner
In my broke state, I find myself doing this with my sister when I'm asking for her to help me with money.
Quote:2 to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving
I definitely don't do this, as I don't even know who "God" is.
If your friend was referring to #1, sure, but I doubt that's what he was getting at.
He definately wasn't referring to #1. If he was then I wouldn't really care.
Humanity's downfall is a trust in a God that isn't there.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:38 pm
I'd feed his delusion personally, tell him how you offer praise and the blood of aborted foetuses to the Dread Lord Barbie or something.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:39 pm
(June 23, 2015 at 6:38 pm)Metis Wrote: I'd feed his delusion personally, tell him how you offer praise and the blood of aborted foetuses to the Dread Lord Barbie or something.
This. SO much this.
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Tell him he's full of shit.
Atheists don't pray. Atheists will tell anyone that and, guess what, we're the ones likely to know.
Playing Cluedo with my mum while I was at Uni:
"You did WHAT? With WHO? WHERE???"
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Stick this up his ass.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 6:54 pm
I would assume that "forced to pray" is the key phrase. It's like when people say they took prayer out of school. They didn't, because they can't, because you can pray silently to yourself at any time. It's taking time out of everyone's day to sit in a room and recite something, or listen to someone, or whatever that is the problem. Non christians paying tax dollars for their kids to pray to a god they don't believe in, because I just know that most people who want prayer in school aren't talking about hindus praying to Vishnu.
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RE: Atheists Pray! (According to Christians)
June 23, 2015 at 7:23 pm
(This post was last modified: June 23, 2015 at 7:34 pm by Simon Moon.)
There's Ambrose Bierce's definition from 'The Devils Dictionary' -
To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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