Do christians/Jews/Muslims/others? merely tolerate Atheists?

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notsmart

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Based on a thread on another part of the forums, It hit me like a sledgehammer, that there is something I have not asked here- possibly out of fear.

Are persons who are atheist, or agnostic, to be loved or merely tolerated?

I am not talking about the “theology” of rejecting God, or Christ now. (If that is even the best way to say it)

I am wondering about the christian view on a non theist, as they are alone- the very person, the individual themselves. not their ideas, or their belief (or as a christian would say, non belief, lack of belief)

It just made me wonder how individuals think about this regardless of denomination.

For my sake, and my pea brain, could you identify your faith/belief/or spiritual identity in your answer. I guess its late, and I should not be thinking how I am now, but I need to know.

Thank you if you can offer something to help me sort through this, and even if not, I am still happy to hear from you.
 
Some Atheists can be nice, some are just plain nasty.

Psychologically speaking, these nasty Atheists are the ones that really need our tolerance and prayer. For all you know, they may have experienced something bad in their life. And they are always the ones who keep the misery to themselves.

Jesus loved EVERYONE. We are called to be like Him, no? 🙂
 
cathopologist said:
Some Atheists can be nice, some are just plain nasty.

Psychologically speaking, these nasty Atheists are the ones that really need our tolerance and prayer. For all you know, they may have experienced something bad in their life. And they are always the ones who keep the misery to themselves.

Jesus loved EVERYONE. We are called to be like Him, no? 🙂
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Jesus did love unloveable people. And even people who were sick, (physically and spiritually)

So we have the hospital, the Church right?

Who can cast a stone?

Step on up.

Thank you for pointing out some atheists can be nice, some not.
(based on what, I am not sure right now, but I will go with that!)

As well as some Christians can be nice, some not.

Correct?
 
Atheists and agnostics should be loved. Believing that each person has their own spiritual journey to take, I cannot begrudge someone who does not have faith in God, or feels that there is a God out there but feels separated or isolated from Him. I trust in the Holy Spirit to touch their lives in ways they’ve never experienced before in the hopes that it does bring them towards faith in God.

In its own little way, I do feel that the Holy Spirit is working. A good friend of mine who has been an atheist for years has started forwarding emails with prayers on them. Her heart is good…but she always tries to find a way to deny God, which in a way manifests itself to denying herself at times. Her arguments against God are either starting to become stale to me, or she’s starting to not believe it herself. It doesn’t have the same zeal that I’ve seen in the past.

All I can do is love her the way she is, and pray in hopes that one day she’ll be lead to God.
 
“Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do to me”.
“Love your enemies”.

Of course if you can agree to disagree with atheists, in friendship, then that’s good too i think.
 
Atheists I’ve encountered are full of hatred and resentment toward life in general. Hating God is just something they do out of boredom. no, seriously. They have nothing else to vent about, so they turn and hate and disgrace our Lord and Savior. Just look at that idiot (God forgive me), Michael Newdow who wants to take the “Under God” out of the pledge of allegience. Now he and other atheists want “In God We Trust” taken out of our money…let him open his wallet first…😃 Personally, I don’t care for them. I give it to God.
 
I an love you without liking you. Love, in the Gospel sense, is a decision on my part to put your needs and best interest ahead of my own. I am called to do this for everyone. It does not mean that I must choose to spend time with you or that I cannot tell you that your actions may be sinful. In fact, NOT to try to teach you the correct path to God would show a lack of love on my part.

I try to love everyone I meet. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I don’t. I have do desire to try to like everyone.

Members of other faiths are to be loved. People of no faith are to be as well.
 
Well, I’m Jewish and, heavens, I even have some friends who are Christians never mind atheists.
 
notsmart said:
Based on a thread on another part of the forums, It hit me like a sledgehammer, that there is something I have not asked here- possibly out of fear.

Are persons who are atheist, or agnostic, to be loved or merely tolerated?

I am not talking about the “theology” of rejecting God, or Christ now. (If that is even the best way to say it)

I am wondering about the christian view on a non theist, as they are alone- the very person, the individual themselves. not their ideas, or their belief (or as a christian would say, non belief, lack of belief)

It just made me wonder how individuals think about this regardless of denomination.

For my sake, and my pea brain, could you identify your faith/belief/or spiritual identity in your answer. I guess its late, and I should not be thinking how I am now, but I need to know.

Thank you if you can offer something to help me sort through this, and even if not, I am still happy to hear from you.
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What it means to love someone is to will their good. It is obvious that there is a hierarchy of goods. We hope that others will have good health, a fulfilling job, a good marriage, a nice time on their vacation, a pay raise or promotion, to pass a class and a thousand other things. Some things are more important that others. For a Christian there is an ultimate good, an eternal good. We must will the good, love, everyone.

If one thinks about the prospect of hell, eternal suffering, this is so terrible that it is impossible to want anyone to suffer this with no hope of relief. Faith also tells us that by loving people, even our enemies we can have an effect on them and their eternal destiny. We must love everyone without exception.
 
**In Islam, we believe that everyone is born upon what is called “Fitra”, its natural state of knowing there is a Creator, the ONE CREATOR of all.

In Islam, those who deny the message of God, are disbelievers.

Push an atheist out of a plane and see what he says…what comes out of his lips, off his tongue.

americanrevert**
 
Americanrevert said:
In Islam, we believe that everyone is born upon what is called “Fitra”, its natural state of knowing there is a Creator, the ONE CREATOR of all.

In Islam, those who deny the message of God, are disbelievers.

Push an atheist out of a plane and see what he says…what comes out of his lips, off his tongue.

americanrevert
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😦

No thanks, I am against advocating terrorist activity on a plane.:mad:

and, I missed the answer to my question in this reply.:confused:
 
I think he meant that as a no atheists in foxholes kind of statement, not an advocacy toward terrorism stance. It’s a real challenge to push someone out of a commercial airplane, without also being sucked out (unless you’re still on the ground!).

I have no problem with atheists. Because I believe the Torah, I must believe in the Divine, but I do not expect others to follow my faith, so they may believe as they will. I love several atheists, some members of my family, some friends, etc.

I think, too, that there is a difference between being an atheist, and being an anti-theist. The atheist does not believe in the Divine. The anti-theist is actively against the Divine.

That being said, I think issues of the Pledge & the motto on the coins etc. are public debates that need to be had every decade or so as our society changes vis a vis the faiths that are practiced within. The tack onto the end of the Pledge was added in the 50’s so it’s not exactly venerable, and while the motto has been on the coins for a bit longer, it only stays there because the Courts have determined it means nothing.

Of course, the Pledge issue could simply be dealt with by not forcing children to say it or hear it everyday (if some want to, let them come to school early to do so, or let the other children who don’t want to come a few minutes later, whatever, surely an accommodation can be worked out). I really haven’t dealt with the Pledge since 3rd grade, so it’s not been a huge problem for me in my lifetime (I sat it out in the hall and was ostracized for a few days till the other children got to know me).
 
a_cermak said:
I think he meant that as a no atheists in foxholes kind of statement, not an advocacy toward terrorism stance. It’s a real challenge to push someone out of a commercial airplane, without also being sucked out (unless you’re still on the ground!).

I have no problem with atheists. Because I believe the Torah, I must believe in the Divine, but I do not expect others to follow my faith, so they may believe as they will. I love several atheists, some members of my family, some friends, etc.

I think, too, that there is a difference between being an atheist, and being an anti-theist. The atheist does not believe in the Divine. The anti-theist is actively against the Divine.

That being said, I think issues of the Pledge & the motto on the coins etc. are public debates that need to be had every decade or so as our society changes vis a vis the faiths that are practiced within. The tack onto the end of the Pledge was added in the 50’s so it’s not exactly venerable, and while the motto has been on the coins for a bit longer, it only stays there because the Courts have determined it means nothing.

Of course, the Pledge issue could simply be dealt with by not forcing children to say it or hear it everyday (if some want to, let them come to school early to do so, or let the other children who don’t want to come a few minutes later, whatever, surely an accommodation can be worked out). I really haven’t dealt with the Pledge since 3rd grade, so it’s not been a huge problem for me in my lifetime (I sat it out in the hall and was ostracized for a few days till the other children got to know me).
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I did not know that Jewish people can not say the pledge.:o

I agree with what you say about the divine, and I got the feeling you mean that in order to really love God we can not hate others who are not on a path. Pray for them, show them a good example, but not hate them or just tolerate them. Love them as a creation of God.
 
**
Are persons who are atheist, or agnostic, to be loved or merely tolerated?**

I am Catholic, baptized last year, and my family are all atheists.
A similar question to this was asked on EWTN: were we called to ‘tolerate’ others or ‘love’ them?

The answer of course is to love them, but loving someone doesn’t mean you turn a blind eye to their sins and pretend that everything is tickity-boo when its not. We are called to speak up as Christians, otherwise we can be accountable as well.

If you know better than someone, and you tell them nothing of what you know, and they continue on in sin, then you will be blamed. If you at least tell them that what they are doing will hurt their eternal soul, then at least you have given them information they might not have had before. Then they have a choice.

My mother always said ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.’ I think that is the worst advice you can give to someone.

Because sin is real and evil is real, then not everything that comes from our lips will be rosey will it?

We will all go to Judgement and have to account for what we SAID and what we DIDNT say.
 
Lisa, I dont think atheists would mind someone saying, hey I am a christian and want to tell you about God or Jesus and how to know him.
Most people already know the routine. Thank you but no thank you, or tell me more is usually the response to this evangelizing.
I have never met a person in my life that who had never heard of the bible or Jesus or Christians, or Jews, or Muslims.
So, no problem with someone evangelizing.
Problem with how the person is viewed.
 
notsmart said:
Lisa, I dont think atheists would mind someone saying, hey I am a christian and want to tell you about God or Jesus and how to know him.
Most people already know the routine. Thank you but no thank you, or tell me more is usually the response to this evangelizing.
I have never met a person in my life that who had never heard of the bible or Jesus or Christians, or Jews, or Muslims.
So, no problem with someone evangelizing.
Problem with how the person is viewed.
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Notsmart - Could you be more direct? I’m not totally following you.

I think you are saying that evangelizing is okay, because everyone is familiar with it. But don’t think badly about the person you are evangelizing?? Is that what you are saying?

If that is what you are saying, then why would a Christian think highly of a pagan or gentile?
 
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