How do you deal with atheist abuse?

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punisherthunder

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Recently I found myself in an uncomfortable setting (long story). Before long, a theological discussion broke out, and I tried my hardest to remain out of it, but my opinion was offered. Immediately I was confronted by a flurry of atheists and their arguments. Screaming about logic, reason, science, etc.

Normally I am very cool/level headed, but during this moment I got heated by the name calling and it eventually got to a point where I felt I was just ganged up on.

How are we to deal with them? Reason with them? Abandon them? Smack them? What?
 
punisherthunder said:
Recently I found myself in an uncomfortable setting (long story). Before long, a theological discussion broke out, and I tried my hardest to remain out of it, but my opinion was offered. Immediately I was confronted by a flurry of atheists and their arguments. Screaming about logic, reason, science, etc.

Normally I am very cool/level headed, but during this moment I got heated by the name calling and it eventually got to a point where I felt I was just ganged up on.

How are we to deal with them? Reason with them? Abandon them? Smack them? What?
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At the point that name calling is occurring it sounds like the discussion is one that probably won’t be productive. Choose your battles; every Battle isn’t worth your time.
 
punisherthunder said:
Recently I found myself in an uncomfortable setting (long story). Before long, a theological discussion broke out, and I tried my hardest to remain out of it, but my opinion was offered. Immediately I was confronted by a flurry of atheists and their arguments. Screaming about logic, reason, science, etc.

Normally I am very cool/level headed, but during this moment I got heated by the name calling and it eventually got to a point where I felt I was just ganged up on.

How are we to deal with them? Reason with them? Abandon them? Smack them? What?
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I think the answer depends on who these atheists are or where this happened. Work? Friends? Family?

Personally, if I know someone is an atheist, I am not going to waste my time “debating” them. But once the namecalling or disrespect starts, I would say, okay, I am not discussing this anymore. If they keep talking, I would just say it is time for me to go. And I would leave.
 
It’s also important to differentiate between “atheist” and “anti-theist”.

An atheist is neutral on the subject of faith. They do not believe because they have observed no evidence. They do not begrudge faith to others. An anti-theist is hostile to the idea that faith exists and believes that it must be destroyed (good luck with THAT:D).

Most people who identify themselves as atheist are actually anti-theist.
 
The discussion doesn’t have to be between an atheist and a Christian. It could be between two people if different faiths or even denominations. Or even two people of the same denomination arguing about their particla understanding or faith.

Or the discussion could be about sport, politics, science, literature, phîlosophy…anything at all.

Put forward your best arguments, give as good as you get, but if it gets too heated, then change the subject or walk away.

It’s not rocket surgery…
 
punisherthunder said:
Recently I found myself in an uncomfortable setting (long story). Before long, a theological discussion broke out, and I tried my hardest to remain out of it, but my opinion was offered. Immediately I was confronted by a flurry of atheists and their arguments. Screaming about logic, reason, science, etc.

Normally I am very cool/level headed, but during this moment I got heated by the name calling and it eventually got to a point where I felt I was just ganged up on.

How are we to deal with them? Reason with them? Abandon them? Smack them? What?
Click to expand...
Walk away. Reason will have no appeal to the unreasonable. If someone has essentially made up their mind and is not interested in what you think, and just wants to discredit what you say no matter what it is and put you down, discussing anything is a waste if time and energy. This applies to anything - not just the question of the existence of God.

I was once given two very good pieces of advice. State your faith, don’t argue about it. Don’t talk to people, bud rather leave your words between you and them and let them decide if they want to pick it up.
 
My Priest says tell them you will pray for them , and just move on. Don’t argue God. Imitate Jesus.
 
ANV said:
How is a debate, “atheist abuse”.
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A debate isn’t abuse. The vitriol and ad hominem attacks are.

To the poster, when a discussion devolves into name calling and what you describe, you can do or say nothing further. Then again you don’t have to because the attackers realize the emptiness and stupidity of their arguments - or they are incapable of civil discourse. Either way, just walk away. Literally.

:whistle:
 
  • I tried my best to stay quiet in the setting I was in, but this was beyond just “God does not exist” stuff. This was as profane and blasphemous as it gets.
  • It’s a difficult setting to describe, but it was along the lines of mutual acquaintances.
  • I call it abuse, because I’m slowly discovering the trend of atheists “overreaching” with their vitriol. But then, that’s common for the End Time I suppose…
 
punisherthunder said:
  • I tried my best to stay quiet in the setting I was in, but this was beyond just “God does not exist” stuff. This was as profane and blasphemous as it gets.
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At most I think I’m such a situation you could tell someone how you feel about what they said. If that has no influence on how their conversation continues then I doubt further engagement will improve anything.
 
My Priests are wise and smart👌

Punisherthunder have you heard about the devotion to the Holy Face? Its against blasphemy.

So you say, when hearing a blasphemy, quietly or speaking.

’ Blessed be the Name of God. Begone satan’.

www.holyfacedevotion.com Has info and will send out crosses and chaplet. Even internationally. Be patient though. They are quite in demand. I think St Veronica is wonderful. And this devotion is about the Holy Face on her veil, held in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
 
punisherthunder said:
  • I tried my best to stay quiet in the setting I was in, but this was beyond just “God does not exist” stuff. This was as profane and blasphemous as it gets.
  • It’s a difficult setting to describe, but it was along the lines of mutual acquaintances.
  • I call it abuse, because I’m slowly discovering the trend of atheists “overreaching” with their vitriol. But then, that’s common for the End Time I suppose…
Click to expand...
Remember that atheists reject God. In my experience of atheists this indicates not indifference to God so much as an underlying anger toward God. That anger will be spread to those who are on God’s side, on the principle that “The friend of God (my enemy) is my enemy.”

As soon as the abuse begins, follow the advice of Jesus. Shake the dust of that town from your feet and move on. 😉
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Remember that atheists reject God. In my experience of atheists this indicates not indifference to God so much as an underlying anger toward God.
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The ones that you know sound psychotic – being angry at something they believe to be imaginary.
 
Bradski said:
The ones that you know sound psychotic – being angry at something they believe to be imaginary.
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This is so true.

I can get the atheist who says sorry but I just don’t buy it all. I would be someone who has a deep belief but there have been many occasions on which I ask myself why I buy it. I ask myself as because when I think about my beliefs rationally they do seem pretty bizarre. I often question my beliefs but I just can’t accept we are just here to reproduce, pass on our DNA and in between eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die. But to be angry at something you believe is imaginary? That is even more bizarre.

There are plenty of psychotic religious people out there but being an atheist dies not render one immmune. I was out in my local one night and we were having a discussion about the Spanish civil war. I mentioned For Whom The Bell Tolls but couldn’t remember who wrote it. I thought it was Ernest Hemingway and a guy who is an atheist joined the conversation. I asked him who wrote the book and if he had read it and he immediately said, ‘well it all comes down to evidence’ and launched into there is no God. I no longer speak to him. Not because he is an atheist but because he can’t talk about anything other than there is no God, and anyone who can only talk about one thing and tries to gear conversations that way is socially inept and boring.
 
I was at a bbq the other day with a bunch of Trump supporters. Eventually politics came up. I did my best to stay out of it, but eventually I put my anti-trump opinion out there. It devolved into them calling me names. What should I have done?
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I was at a church pot-luck the other day with the church congregation. Eventually theology came up. I did my best to stay out of it, but eventually I put an anti-religion opinion out there. It devolved into them calling me names. What should I have done?
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What should I have done? = read the atmosphere.
 
punisherthunder said:
Recently I found myself in an uncomfortable setting (long story). Before long, a theological discussion broke out, and I tried my hardest to remain out of it, but my opinion was offered. Immediately I was confronted by a flurry of atheists and their arguments. Screaming about logic, reason, science, etc.

Normally I am very cool/level headed, but during this moment I got heated by the name calling and it eventually got to a point where I felt I was just ganged up on.

How are we to deal with them? Reason with them? Abandon them? Smack them? What?
Click to expand...
I’d try to reason with them. Being a non-believer myself I can say that citing biblical passages or theology does not work to convince me. I’ve read and studied the Bible, and I used to practice it as a Christian. I don’t close the door to the idea that a God can supernaturally intervene to change my mind. However, I believe that philosophy is the best place to start to convincing a non-believer, and I mean a philosophy or arguments that deal with more concrete real-world matters, like logic and philosophy of science, epistemology, origin of the Universe, nature of consciousness, etc. For instance, if you can give me an argument that involves refuting or showing the limitations of metaphysical and methodological naturalism and offer an epistemology to replace or supplement it, then I think you can make some headway. Philosophy involving pure metaphysics, like the ontological arguments are hardly convincing IMO.
 
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