How to talk to an atheist (and you must)

Townhall.com ^ | January 24, 2005 | Mike S. Adams

[7thson]

When I pulled into the parking lot this morning, I saw a car covered with sacrilegious bumper stickers. It seemed obvious to me that the owner was craving attention. I’m sure he was also seeking to elicit anger from people of faith. The anger helps the atheist to justify his atheism. And, all too often, the atheist gets exactly what he is looking for.

[Selkie]

What does bother me is the zealot attitude that America is a Christian country founded by Christians and if you're not a Christian you're not a real American. Only 17% of Americans were Christian in 1776>>>> On my Mother's side of the family, her ancestors had all arrived in America by 1705. I follow my family's geneaology very closely and have impeccable records. All but 10 of 240 known family members and extended family were Christian. 9 were Deists, 1 undecided. Im related to 3 Signers.

One, Witherspoon was an ordained minister and started Princeton Univ. Another Thomas Lynch Jr. and his father Thomas Lynch Sr. [who was originally was supposed to sign but became ill) were both devout men. They and I share the same common ancestor going back to Ireland. That relation wrote about many issues of the Catholic faith.

Another relation of mine Washington Allston, a painter, was deeply devout too.

To say that only 17% of Americans in 1776 were Christian is grossly misconstruing facts. 1776 population statistics: * Ninety-eight percent of the people in America profess themselves to be Protestant Christians; * 1.8 percent profess themselves to be Roman Catholic Christians; * .2 of 1 percent profess themselves to be Jewish. Note: That means that 99.8 percent of the people in America in 1776 professed themselves to be Christians.

[FreedomHasACost]

You posted "'Because we will be separated from him forever. That matters to me, and him.'

So, you see, you decide what matters to you. That's good. You get to decide those things. You are an active participant in deciding what matters, what has value, what morality means to you; it isn't a spectator sport.

Tell me, why should it matter to me?"



I said "It will matter to you because ultimately you will be where you wish you weren't and it will be too late to change it.
If it does not matter now, I am sorry, FRiend."



You posted "It will matter to you because ultimately you will be where you wish you weren't ....

Your decision to find actions to be moral based upon whether or not you will feel pain or pleasure from them is common...it's called hedonism."



I was responding to your comment about why would it matter to you where you will be eternally. My comment was based on eternity not temporal pain or pleasure. My decision to make that important was not based on anything but God's love. Sorry if I did not make sense.

[Selkie]

An example of a REAL atheist living according to his beliefs would be the main character in the movie "Natural Born Killers."

As the apostle Paul said, and I paraphrase, "if there is no God, then we of all men are most acursed. We should eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die."

That is the creed of the TRUE atheist. For without God, life truly has no meaning whatsoever. Even the extermination of all mankind - or it's proliferation, would be totally irrelevant>>>

I wouldnt go so far as to pigeonhole a Real atheist as being the characters in Natural Born Killers.
Saying such a thing is offbase and causes strife, not communication with non-theists.
My grandmother is a double Phd and spent half
her life as a non believer. (Non belief based on childhood events such as witnessing the Flu Epidemic of 1918 in Philadelphia and her next door neighbors who were 14
and 15 having sex with young Catholic priests)
She is
very closed off to discussing spiritual matters but came to believe very deeply against her own wishes.
She says I didnt want to believe in God but he exists anyway.
My grandmother has been a very good person as both a non believer and a believer.
"1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

[RobRoy]

I was quoting that same verse yesterday on another thread.

I do not consider your grandmother an atheist. I met a man one time who hated God. His wife left him and he blamed God for it. Maybe your grandmother is a Deist or an agnostic, but based on the limited information in your post, I would suspect she is an agnostic.

I make my comments about atheists for "shock value" to some professing atheists. It is not to convince them of anything. It is to make them think after they leave my presence. As Brian Tracy said, "The Teaching is in the words. The LEARNING is in the silence."

[Selkie]

Thanks for clarifying.

I understand trying to illustrate a point in a dramatic way.


PAX

[AppyPappy]

God doesn't kill them. They either kill themselves or others kill them.

Complaining about God killing people is like a child complaining about an innoculation for polio.

[annalex]

The point is that Christianity teaches what is good and atheism teaches that a certain thing does not exist.

[Stone Mountain]

Yup - I am claiming not to understand the intent of your first post. An explanation would be helpful...

[Stone Mountain]

I just know it holds true for Atheists that beleive and deny there is GOD.

Why do you know this is true of athiests, but not for those of different religions?

[MineralMan]

"I was not trying to turn you from atheism. I was just curious to know what convinced you that there is no God. Nothing more, nothing less. "

I understand. It's just that posting a lot of personal information doesn't seem appropriate for the thread, so I won't. This is not about me. It is about attitudes toward atheism. How I came to disbelieve is beside the point.

[Renderofveils]

I must have missed that lesson at Atheist school...
;)

[missyme]

Because documented cases of people that have expereinced temporary death have seen the great white light, the only ones who were in darkness, pain and torture were Atheists who had no belief in GOD> And it is alos documented Atheists who died temporarily always came back as believers.

[Stone Mountain]

Just wondering if you noticed the monument to atheism pictured above - still think they can't exist?

[Stone Mountain]

And it is alos documented Atheists who died temporarily always came back as believers.

Really? Always? I'd be interested in seeing this documenation you reference...

[malakhi]

the only ones who were in darkness, pain and torture were Atheists who had no belief in GOD

That's not true. I've read descriptions of NDE's by 'believers' who reported negative experiences.

[MineralMan]

"And it is alos documented Atheists who died temporarily always came back as believers."

Really? I died clinically once. I had contracted viral encephalitis and my heart and breathing stopped. I was revived within a couple of minutes. There were no bright lights. There was no darkness or pain, either. There was simply nothing.

After I was revived by the doctors, I was not even aware that anything had happened, except that there were a bunch of people around me looking concerned.

I made a full recovery, obviously.

I wouldn't put too much credence on reports from near-death experiences. You're either dead or you're alive. While I was clinically dead, it's obvious that I was not really dead, since I'm writing this post.

[MineralMan]

"That's not true. I've read descriptions of NDE's by 'believers' who reported negative experiences."

Well, someone is bound to say that they weren't "true" believers. The accounts of NDEs generally appear on Christian-based websites, so I have to wonder whether they are speaking just of the ones that agree with their position. See above for a description of my own NDE.

[missyme]

Yes you are correct Malakhi, I guess what I meant to say is that from what I have read the nicest Atheist who lived a noble life upon a temporary NDE it was always negative a horrible experience.

I took that to mean that no matter what type of great life you lived on earth, if you deny the exsistence of GOD you will proably experience the same fate as the worst criminals death maybe worse?