How do you feel about atheists?

[estesbob]

I am curious, how did you reach the conclusion that I am here to try and convince people that there is no God? I am here to try to understand why people accept the claim that there is a god.

As for trying to convince myself that there is no god, that is a rather silly statement when you break it down, don’t you think?

It is my experience of people that are comfortable in their beliefs or non beliefs do not feel the need to go out of their way to question others beliefs.

 

[MrEmpiricism]

I could be that is why atheist topic are banned. The rules regarding interfaith dialogs are bases on respect and charity for what each other believe. Atheists have no belief, and confuse charity with tolerance.

lol @ charity go back and read through the threads, you will find it was me that was attacked not the other way about. I have to say the level of tolerance of others on this forum is exceptionally low, of course I am not tarring ever member with the same brush but it is hardly the bastion of morality and acceptance that people try to associate with religion.

 

[Faithdancer]

Are you really trying to compare not accepting an unsupported claim to soldiers slaughtering young women for refusing to have gang sex?

Any such comparison is of your making and is wildly speculative. I made no such comparison.

 

[RebeccaJ]

lol @ charity go back and read through the threads, you will find it was me that was attacked not the other way about. I have to say the level of tolerance of others on this forum is exceptionally low, of course I am not tarring ever member with the same brush but it is hardly the bastion of morality and acceptance that people try to associate with religion.

Charity does not require that we become doormats.

Everyone is at a different place in their journey of discipleship. Even you.

 

[MrEmpiricism]

It is my experience of people that are comfortable in their beliefs or non beliefs do not feel the need to go out of their way to question others beliefs.

Questioning ones beliefs and challenging the beliefs of others if the only path to true knowledge. Where would we be now if no one had challenged Newtonian Mechanics, Creationism, The Static Universe, The Geocentric Model, etc

 

[estesbob]

This is likely my last question of you, but I think it’s a good one.

Why would a committed atheist be here on a Catholic forum? I’ve often wondered that about non-Catholics who come here. Most non-Catholics want to learn about Catholicism for one reason or another (curious about why we do and believe what we do), or to debate us. I am curious as to what we owe the pleasure of your company to?

My opinion is because they are not comfortable in their nonbelief. They feel if they can tear downb others beliefs that somehow validates their nonbelief . I mean really God cant exist because he doesn’t cure amputees ?

 

[Faithdancer]

It is my experience of people that are comfortable in their beliefs or non beliefs do not feel the need to go out of their way to question others beliefs.

Precisely, estesbob. That is why I don’t waste time going on Wicca forums, atheist forums, what-have-you.

 

[estesbob]

Questioning ones beliefs and challenging the beliefs of others if the only path to true knowledge. Where would we be now if no one had challenged Newtonian Mechanics, Creationism, The Static Universe, The Geocentric Model, etc

Then my Assumption was correct. You are trying to convince yourself that there is no God .

 

[MrEmpiricism]

Any such comparison is of your making and is wildly speculative. I made no such comparison.

Then I do not understand your post, you were comparing works to an acceptance of a claim. I do not accept that is a reasonable comparison.

 

[Faithdancer]

Questioning ones beliefs and challenging the beliefs of others if the only path to true knowledge. Where would we be now if no one had challenged Newtonian Mechanics, Creationism, The Static Universe, The Geocentric Model, etc

Yet how many questions have you asked about Christian theology, doctrine or practice? Don’t you want to know about the liturgy? Divine presence? The transfiguration? You make many statements, yet ask few questions. How do you reconcile this with your alleged motivation for being here?

 

[MrEmpiricism]

Then my Assumption was correct. You are trying to convince yourself that there is no God .

Quite clearly not, why would I have to convince myself that I believe the opposite of a claim that I do not accept due to insufficient evidence. The very notion is absurd. I have to conclude that for whatever reason you have not followed the conversation.

 

[Faithdancer]

Then I do not understand your post, you were comparing works to an acceptance of a claim. I do not accept that is a reasonable comparison.

The comparison is all in your head, I assure you.

 

[MrEmpiricism]

Yet how many questions have you asked about Christian theology, doctrine or practice? Don’t you want to know about the liturgy? Divine presence? The transfiguration? You make many statements, yet ask few questions. How do you reconcile this with your alleged motivation for being here?

I was brought up in a Christian nation and though I never accepted any of the claims I have pretty much heard them all. I am more interested in the why people accept claims that they cannot verify that is why I am here.

 

[MrEmpiricism]

The comparison is all in your head, I assure you.

Then what was the point of your post?

 

[Faithdancer]

I find that funny too, when the clear fact is the origin of the universe is unknown. However I doubt any real cosmologist claim to know the origin of the universe, what they do, do, is construct models. However I have yet to hear anyone claim their models reflect reality, in actual fact quite the opposite is true. If you are interested in learning more about the subject here is Sean Carroll destroying Lane Craig while debunking your very misconception.

youtube.com/watch?v=X0qKZqPy9T8&list=PLPIYPyWdOTSkHJgFxYdTA1z4aFOlRDGm2

As with all debates, everyone declares their champion the winner and swears that he or she “destroyed” the opponent.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I was brought up in a Christian nation and though I never accepted any of the claims I have pretty much heard them all. I am more interested in the why people accept claims that they cannot verify that is why I am here.

People have experiences.

 

[josie_L]

I did not mean think for people in that context. I don’t want anyone to stop praying, I just don’t want to be prayed for and I find it offensive when people offer to do so. It implies that I somehow don’t get it, that I need help, that I am missing something. When the truth of the matter is that the subjects of faith, belief, and knowledge are subjects that I have spend a massive amount of time researching and contemplating, in fact I would be willing to bet I have spent as much time studying them, if not more, than most of the people on this forum.

Faith is not something that can be known with the mind alone, in fact, because faith is a gift from God, it would be virtually impossible to achieve or gain answers without God’s interference or help. Thus, when someone is praying for you, they are essentially saying that only God can really help you achieve the results you’re looking for, because in effect, you are missing something, and that something would be faith, the very spirit of God that exists in all living members of the Church.

p.s. You have to understand that our minds are finite, and incapable of grasping truth in it’s entirety, only God’s infinite mind can help us get closer to the truth.

 

[MrEmpiricism]

As with all debates, everyone declares their champion the winner and swears that he or she “destroyed” the opponent.

Not at all I have seen Craig win many debates, heck I even saw “Dr” Ken Hovind beat 3 real PhDs in a debate, clearly he was wrong but he did win the debate. In this video I posted Craig was simply out his League. He took an a published cosmologist on cosmology so he was up against it from the start, and to be fair I was impressed by his background research on what is a very complex subject. Nevertheless, he lost and clearly so.

 

[Faithdancer]

Then what was the point of your post?

The point hasn’t changed. Christ taught us to hate the sin, but love the sinner. As far as Isis, I think most Christians here agree it is very difficult to feel Christian love for the Isis murderer. It certainly is for me.

Although professed atheism is grievously sinful, and sin is revolting, it doesn’t mean that you, personally, are revolting to Christians. And I’m sure that the poster who caused you such indignation wasn’t implying that, either.

 

[MrEmpiricism]

The point hasn’t changed. Christ taught us to hate the sin, but love the sinner. As far as Isis, I think most Christians here agree it is very difficult to feel Christian love for the Isis murderer. It certainly is for me.

Although professed atheism is grievously sinful, and sin is revolting, it doesn’t mean that you, personally, are revolting to Christians. And I’m sure that the poster who caused you such indignation wasn’t implying that way, either.

And the poster did not say he hated the sin of atheism but he found atheists “the sinners” revolting.