I'm beginning to hate religious people.

[Napoléon]

Try putting yourself in their shoes. It should help you understand them better.

Hahaha this one made me laugh.

Maybe if xtians took the time to understand what atheism actually is then the majority of atheists would not treat them like the assholes they are.
Your advice simply tells us to do one thing whilst you and your xtian buddies do the complete opposite. Get the fuck off your high horse.

[reverendjeremiah]

As a side note, my ex business partner was an extremely devout Christian. The day he pulled me aside and told me that we would never hire a "nigger" in our company is the day I decided to sell my half of the business to him and get the hell out of there.

..but....according to Tiberius all of that doesnt happen anymore, and that we should get rid of all of the anti-racism laws on our books because it hinders peoples freedoms.

What is it about people and religion that they feel the need to point out the error of your ways once you announce that you're an atheist?

Try putting yourself in their shoes. It should help you understand them better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMXD4iwklcI

P.S. - watch that one Christian assaut the host by smacking him in the face with a rake..

We will know them by their Christian love..

[Cinjin]

What is it about people and religion that they feel the need to point out the error of your ways once you announce that you're an atheist?

Haven't you heard???
They have the living word of god himself. God speaks to them, and you too can know the TRUTH if you just listen to every word they say.

It's very simple really. They are right ... and you are wrong. Get your heart right you filthy sinner!

[Faith No More]

---

When a person become a Christian, that person experiments something which we call "salvation". We are all sinners thus in enmity with the God of justice. When one becomes a Christian he receives forgiveness, and is given the privilege of being "born-again" and becoming more like Christ, thus lives a life of righteousness. Thus that person comes from death to life. It is pretty much the greatest tipe of salvation one can acheive.

When one becomes an atheist there isn't such a thing called "salvation". There is no "saving" experience for the atheist like the one the Christian experiences. He just encounters the crude reality. It isn't anything like what the Christian experiences. Now since the Christian received 'salvation' -the most beautiful thing from his point of view, and since he is instructed to love his neighbor as himself- it is only natural for him to want to share it.

Perhaps with an analogy you would understand be better? Imagine that two friends are lost in a desert with no water. They get separated for a while and one of them finds a pool with water, an oasis. He drinks and is satisfied and then he goes on. He meets his friend again. Now, wouldn't it be wrong if this person wouldn't mention the oasis to his thirsting friend? This is how it is from the Christian perspective. The dying one is the unbeliever, who's dying of thirst. The other one would be the Christian. Since the Christian found life, it would be wrong for him not to want to share it and let the others die.

I hope I did not write this in vain.

---

What Christians need to understand is that religious views are a personal choice and nothing more than beliefs. It is up to each individual to make their own decision. And if they actually want to make people more open to the Christian philosophy, they shouldn't be pestering strangers just trying to go about their day as that tends to have the opposite effect.

[Emanuel]

Because the more people that think just like them, the more power they have. That, and they're more comfortable surrounding themselves with like-minded people so they will keep believing that their delusion is real. It's a lot easier being a Christian when everyone around you keeps reaffirming your faith by telling you how right you are. Doesn't make it real, though.

Or perhaps they just care about you and they want you to experience the wonderful thing called "salvation". It's a possibility too, isn't it?

The trouble is that the oasis is a mirage and doesn't really exist.

But, given the scenario I presented to be true, the friend who would want to share the water would be doing a good thing, wouldn't he?

Uh, yeah, pretty much. First, prove that your god & religion is 100% real, and then we'll talk. Otherwise you're just wasting time here.

It is impossible to prove anything 100% true, with a few exceptions like the existence of reality (we exist therefore there is something in which things that exist exist, and this is what we call reality -- sorry if I expressed myself incorrectly; it's hard to explain things that are so obvious) and the existence of the self (cogito ergo sum=Je pense donc je suis=I think therefore I am). The reason I think this is so is because in order to prove anything as absolutely true (100% true) you'd have to prove absolutely false all other statements contrary to your position. For example, I make the claim that the world we live in now is real and isn't an illusion. But what if someone says there is something like the Matrix? Can you prove absolutely false this idea? No you can't. You may prove that it is very unlikely but there is a very remote possibility that it is true. As long as this very remote possibility of it being true remains you cannot prove 100% true that the world we live in is real; that is, prove it without any possible doubt. You may prove it to 99.9% (I'm exaggerating) but never 100%. Given our finite knowledge, with the exception of the two mentioned previously (and perhaps more, but none occur to me right now), it's impossible to prove things 100% true. Not even God. This is just my opinion, but I think it's true. So you're demand for me to prove my religion 100% true is impractical for you are giving me a task impossible to complete.

I'd need a partial lobotomy to reach that mental state.

I don't think insulting is the most effective way to communicate with people.

[Doubting Thomas]

And if they actually want to make people more open to the Christian philosophy, they shouldn't be pestering strangers just trying to go about their day as that tends to have the opposite effect.

I'll never, ever understand why the evangelical types don't get this. I understand that they think they have a mission to save as many souls for God as possible, but they just seem completely oblivious to the fact that they're being completely ineffective at it. I don't know if it feeds into their persecution complex when people rudely brush them off, but you'd think if they really wanted to save people's souls they'd find a different way to do it. Shouting bible verses on a street corner or trying to pass out pamphlets to people who don't want to be bothered is not the way to win converts, let alone knocking on people's doors at 8 AM on a Saturday morning.

[Emanuel]

And if they actually want to make people more open to the Christian philosophy, they shouldn't be pestering strangers just trying to go about their day as that tends to have the opposite effect.

Can you provide an example? Also, I'm not defending a particular form of evangelism, but it as a whole.

[Darth]

To be fair I'm with the "in their shoes guy" on this one.

If i believed everyone (good people even) were going to burn in agony for all eternity i'd make it my lifes mission to save as many people as possible

It's the ones who profess belief, let it influence their decisions (discrimination) and do shit all to help and save people I REALLY have no time for. When you think about it they are the reals jerks, they think you're going to hell and don't give a shit/enjoy the thought.

though of course the most annoying are the evangellalising assholes. The ones who enjoy the prospect of being god's special chosen super best pal, who enjoy the thought of you writhing in eternal agony, and go round showing off how much they enjoy it, mocking and taunting people.

[Napoléon]

To be fair I'm with the "in their shoes guy" on this one.

If i believed everyone (good people even) were going to burn in agony for all eternity i'd make it my lifes mission to save as many people as possible

It's the ones who profess belief, let it influence their decisions (discrimination) and do shit all to help and save people I REALLY have no time for. When you think about it they are the reals jerks, they think you're going to hell and don't give a shit/enjoy the thought.

though of course the most annoying are the evangellalising assholes. The ones who enjoy the prospect of being god's special chosen super best pal, who enjoy the thought of you writhing in eternal agony, and go round showing off how much they enjoy it, mocking and taunting people.

So Stue Denim.
Say I paraded around telling everyone they were going to suffer for eternity because they didn't believe that the invisible pink unicorn who rules the earth existed.
Are you saying you'd give me the time of day? or would you be inclined to tell me to fuck off?

[Doubting Thomas]

The problem is that on the face of it, evangelicals will say they just want to save your soul from eternal damnation. However, give them short shrift and it's easy for them to turn into the "I'll be laughing when I'm sitting at the right hand of God watching you burn for eternity!" types. I know they probably mean it as a warning, but they're unintentionally honest when they show their glee at wanting to watch others suffer.