I remember viewing atheists as antagonistic and depraved
By fjell
Luckily most of us here are veterans of Christianity. As former Christians, we know exactly how we once viewed atheism. This small but explosive fact is regularly ignored by scores of the Christians who post here in hopes of "witnessing" to us. They often wonder why we're "angry". Amongst countless other affronts, could it be because they often post as though we've never heard the "Gospel", and not as though we used to be the ones trying to preach it?
We used to be on their side. They simply can't grasp this. They have to explain it away, marginalize it. Cap it. Shut it up. Pretend it isn't true. Overlook it at least.
I myself can remember viewing atheists as horribly antagonistic and depraved. I wonder if the Christians who post here can conceive of the fact that I used to view atheism as the greatest of all crimes! Completely void of anything redeemable. I can remember hearing the criticisms atheists would hurl at religion and instead of actually listening to the details of their claims, simply responding with Bible verses, quotes from apologists, and stories of my “relationship” with Christ. I can remember hearing atheists talk of morality and scoffing as I knew beyond a doubt that morality without God was impossible. As a Christian, I was certain that atheists had an agenda. I was certain that they were dishonest, at least with themselves. I never once stopped to consider that it was I, the Christian, who desperately needed certain things in the universe to be true, so that my world view could continue to survive. I never realized that an atheist is not so much a person who denies God as they are simply someone who has no requirements for what reality must be.
Christians. If you're out there. Let me tell you something from someone who spent a long time proclaiming "Jesus is Lord": There is truly no more reason to believe Christianity is an accurate representation of the universe than any of the other multitude of religions past or present. Had you been born elsewhere or elsewhen, you would probably be a believer or elsewhat. Do you know that twinge of fear you get when you imagine what it might be like to read the Qur’an? That’s the part of you which knows that it is your ignorance of certain things which helps guard your faith.
And that is a ridiculous thing to know.
fjell
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Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
--George Bernard Shaw
Luckily most of us here are veterans of Christianity. As former Christians, we know exactly how we once viewed atheism. This small but explosive fact is regularly ignored by scores of the Christians who post here in hopes of "witnessing" to us. They often wonder why we're "angry". Amongst countless other affronts, could it be because they often post as though we've never heard the "Gospel", and not as though we used to be the ones trying to preach it?
We used to be on their side. They simply can't grasp this. They have to explain it away, marginalize it. Cap it. Shut it up. Pretend it isn't true. Overlook it at least.
I myself can remember viewing atheists as horribly antagonistic and depraved. I wonder if the Christians who post here can conceive of the fact that I used to view atheism as the greatest of all crimes! Completely void of anything redeemable. I can remember hearing the criticisms atheists would hurl at religion and instead of actually listening to the details of their claims, simply responding with Bible verses, quotes from apologists, and stories of my “relationship” with Christ. I can remember hearing atheists talk of morality and scoffing as I knew beyond a doubt that morality without God was impossible. As a Christian, I was certain that atheists had an agenda. I was certain that they were dishonest, at least with themselves. I never once stopped to consider that it was I, the Christian, who desperately needed certain things in the universe to be true, so that my world view could continue to survive. I never realized that an atheist is not so much a person who denies God as they are simply someone who has no requirements for what reality must be.
Christians. If you're out there. Let me tell you something from someone who spent a long time proclaiming "Jesus is Lord": There is truly no more reason to believe Christianity is an accurate representation of the universe than any of the other multitude of religions past or present. Had you been born elsewhere or elsewhen, you would probably be a believer or elsewhat. Do you know that twinge of fear you get when you imagine what it might be like to read the Qur’an? That’s the part of you which knows that it is your ignorance of certain things which helps guard your faith.
And that is a ridiculous thing to know.
fjell
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Comments
Good post!
Monk (MG)
Not only do the vast majority of ex-believers on this site know their "bible", i have noticed that they were not your average "run of the mill" lukewarm christians either, but at one time in their "walk" they were gung-ho, on-fire, sincere honest, truth seeking people! Like me & my wife, we were not just pew-sitters. We took our "walk" seriously & it bothered & puzzled us to see those who didn't, however; what "saved" us was the same thing all these ex's here on this site and the same thing that will hopefully deliver the world one day from this madness & folly of superstition and Gods and thats TRUTH.
if you're honestly seeking truth, eventually you'll wake up & see things as they really are. you'll see just how beautiful things can really be w/out the religious restrictions & trappings. you'll also finally see just how fragile life is & how time sensitive it is. live it & love to the fullest!
i'm so thankful for the "Bible"; w/out it, i never would have seen the TRUTH, & i never would have gotten the chance to NOT believe!
i'm especially thankful for this web-site. it has been such a comfort & learning experience for me in my quest for the truth & life.
And as much as I do agree I also believe that it has something to do with individual arrogance than with oversight. Back in my days of insanity I was constantly aggravated by arrogant assholes who always considered themselves much more knowledgeable in gawds word than everyone else. I suspect it’s these very same arrogant pricks who troll non-christian websites looking for opportunities to commit verbal diarrhea. They never consider anyone their equal and we are certainly below their superior divinely inspired intellect.
"There is truly no more reason to believe Christianity is an accurate representation of the universe than any of the other multitude of religions past or present."
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Hi fjell,
When I was in my 20''s I was still sure that Christianity (of some form) was surely the 'right' religion for all humans to believe in, all while wondering why folks of other religions couldn't see this simple 'truth'.
Then a coworker planted a seed of thought in me....A really HUGE seed as it turned out to be.
He asked me what made me so sure that Christianity had it right and every other religion was mistaken about who the real god was etc..
At the time I just dismissed this question as someone just trying to get a 'rise out of me'.
As the next few years went by though, this question kept eating at me and I kept trying to justify my original feelings on the matter, but mostly to myself.
From the day this question was asked, I spent the next several years studying bible scripture and looking at several Christian 'sects' and how their beliefs differed from one another. I boldly thought that if I studied enough, that I could figure out which sect had more of what the bible really meant to say, over the others.
Once I came to the realization that it was totally impossible to prove that one christian sect had all the correct truths and the many others were just sadly misguided, that is when that old question came back to haunt me in a very big way.
Why was I so sure that some form of Christianity (alone) was blessed by god and that every other religion couldn't possibly be the real truth.
I then asked myself, why would this great god allow so many humans to remain ignorant of his true intentions and desires and rules etc..
Around a decade ago, I was having a discussion about god with a fundie type friend, who was determined to pull me into their way of religious thinking.
I suddenly heard myself exclaim that same old haunting question, asking what makes you so darn sure that of all the religions in the world, all the denominations of your own Christianity, that your niche of understanding god is absolutely the right one.
Care to guess the answer I got back?
If you said, "Well, you just have to have FAITH and god will show you the right path", then you guessed right.
Of course I replied along the lines; that many people from many religions have this faith thing you say I must have, and yet they continue to disagree and have for thousands of years, and it shows no signs of ever being resolved.
Needless to say, I was written off as a hopeless case and I'm sure, it was assumed I would naturally go straight to hell, "without passing GO or collecting $200".
Besides all the science I learned over the years, besides seeing all the basic problems with having any hidden creator god exists that ignores mankind to this degree; the first nail in the coffin of my religious beliefs was this very problem of trying reconcile all the many beliefs across the planet that folks have for their supernatural faith.
It just becomes so OBVIOUS that if there is a real god out there, one who made us and cares even a tiny bit about us, that he wouldn't leave us in the dark about himself.
He also would not provide so many versions of these 'truths' across the globe.
It only makes sense if there is a god out there, if everyone on the whole planet is taught the same things about this god, and there is no question that this god actually provided that information, by whatever means.
If the reverse of these things is true, that there is just one tiny sect of some religion that is in direct contact with this great god, then we have to assume that most of us humans are well, DOOMED.
Can anyone here really believe that god made billions of humans over all this time, just to hand pick a tiny few who happened to get it right, to be with him for all eternity?
I guess for those that feel they are amongst that chosen FEW, they must really be heartless beings to not care about the fate of the rest of their kind.
No, and converting us to their sect, really doesn't solve this problem either, for surely god isn't providing this small sect with any more proof of his wishes, than he is any other sect.
It's not as if any one sect can show us a new book that was written and signed by the finger of god and they have film and a hundred witnesses, of him doing so etc..
So to all your Christians out there reading this, what kind of proof can you offer us that shows not only that your god exists, but that the specific teachings you abide by, are indeed the only correct teachings?
AtheistToothFairy
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