Why do Atheists/Agnostics come to CAF?

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Nebogipfel said:
Tragic as that story is, what does it prove, exactly? Grist for the “athiests have no morals” mill, perhaps? Good grief! :rolleyes:

I was talking about the average poster, Josie. The average poster on an athiest website is not a pusher of drugs to children.

You know, I think I’m beginning to agree with you. Maybe there just can’t be any dialogue between religious folk and non-believers. Oh well.
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Nebogifel, I wasn’t trying to imply that Atheists are drug pushers, but the atheists of which I encountered on that forum seemed “hard”.
 
estesbob said:
Actually he has great faith in his his own intellect.
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Estesbob, did you hear any controversy about Penn and Teller’s new show on CBS, apparently they castigated the Catholic Church, here’s an excerpt I got on Life Site News:

Donohue said on Fox News that, “Penn & Teller’s Nazi-like assault on Catholicism that took place on August 27 will go down in history as one of the most vile, obscene programs ever aired in any nation. That CBS, which owns Showtime, allows this to go on is positively unbelievable.”

Donohue has requested a meeting with CBS officials to discuss the matter. He spoke to one official by phone Monday, but the Catholic League told LifeSiteNews.com that no official meeting has yet been held.

The League has also posted the complete program on its website here. (WARNING- HIGHLY OFFENSIVE AND FOUL LANGUAGE)

lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09090211.html

p.s. For any of you wanting to see the actual show please go on the website I posted. I just watched the opening act and I was dumbfounded (you have to watch to understand).
 
Wow, just saw more of that video on Penn and Teller (atheists by the way), and they called the Pope an a.s.shole. So much for dialoguing.
 
josie_L said:
But why is it necessary to know these things through dialoguing on forums rather than diligent study of the subject in question? This is not the most academic approach, you’ve taken.

No, I’m saying that visiting this forum may not be the best approach for the reasons mentioned above.

Missionary work does not entail criticizing other faiths (not in Catholicism it does), it’s more about living out your faith so others may see the truth of what you believe. Putting your faith into action is the most compelling argument we have as Christians.

**I have ventured (but never responded) onto an atheist forum and the things I heard being said were quite frankly appalling so I don’t think I’ll be visiting an atheist forum again. I’ll give you an example, there used to be a poster by the name of annabea (she was 12) she came here from an atheist website, I just happened to be on the same atheist forum that she was participating in. She was mentioning how she and her friends were taking drugs (she showed pictures) and how her 13 year old friend went missing for some hours with the dealer who was much older, do you know what the response of the other posters were? They laughed it off and said that their annabea was growing up, not even one of them said she was wrong or that she should stop using drugs. **

But we’re not solely talking about investigating religious claims we’re talking about the existence of a God of which if you are wrong puts me at least closer to the truth then you ever were.

But that’s my point we’re just discussing religion and how you believe it to be wrong when you should be trying to convince me that there is no God.

Yes and no, but again I wouldn’t argue with them unless I have to.

But those comments were made generally speaking without actually condemning you per se. It is far different to state to individual atheists that they are going to hell as this is impossible to know, in fact, some atheists may be saved but it really depends on the motive and understanding of the person in question.

Have you not heard of near death experiences (in the hundreds of thousands) and the intensive research and study that they are now committed to understanding this phenomena. Furthermore, from my understanding of experimental research “consciousness” can survive outside of the body.

There are not challenging the faith by criticizing Islam but by living out their faith in Christ as a means of bringing them the truth. Missionary work does not just entail having a bible and speaking the words of God.

I never said I want to talk to atheists about my views otherwise why wouldn’t I just go to an atheist forum where I could get a greater audience. No, I am simply protecting my view point from some who wish to deconstruct it. This thread was created because I felt I needed to get my point across about what I feel when speaking to some atheists.
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Dear god, I never thought I’d come back to this site. I was searching my name “Annabea” on google for kicks, and I came across this and was like “oh thats me!” but what i found was not! What are you talking about? I would like to see that post! None of my friends have ever done drugs and I have never posted that on a forum. Unless of course it was a sarcastic post, which you could probably see the sarcasm in, that is off the top of your head! I do not have pictures of me or myself on the net other than facebook, I have no idea where you are getting this from, to me you are simply a lying fool. I do not do drugs, I’m in a little private montessori middle school consisting on 18 students! Please, if you believe this I am truly disgusted that someone who seemed respectable would post such a thing.
 
josie_L said:
Wow, just saw more of that video on Penn and Teller (atheists by the way), and they called the Pope an a.s.shole. So much for dialoguing.
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Why should an atheist (which I’m not btw, I’m just saying) want to dialog with the CC? They believe that the entire premise churches operate under is foolishness and purely mythological (although I believe its mythology, I don’t think it’s foolish or necessarily unreasonable for man to invent a god for himself … the bigger problem I have is when religious people and institutions try to shape the lives and deny rights to those who don’t ascribe to their point of view).

Their goal isn’t to dialog with you, it’s to win hearts and minds over to their side (and it’s perfectly within their right to do so). Whether or not CBS capitulates to the CC is another story. Perhaps they will, but the fact is the vast majority of American Catholics don’t take instruction from their church (so I’m not sure how much leverage the CC really has these days over TV stations … but I imagine it has at least some).
 
reen12 said:
Neither can I. The complexity of the human eye, for instance, cannot possibly be a phenomenon that emerged over time.
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In fact, it’s very likely we (with all our complexity) emerged over time through a random process of selection; rather than any sort of intelligent design or even guided design hypothesis.

Evolutionary algorithms, a subfield of machine learning (itself a subfield of artificial intelligence), have been used to mathematically demonstrate that randomness and selection can be used to “evolve” complex, highly adapted structures that are not explicitly designed by a programmer. Evolutionary algorithms use the Darwinian metaphor of random mutation, selection and the survival of the fittest to solve diverse mathematical and scientific problems that are usually not solvable using conventional methods. Intelligence derived from randomness is essentially indistinguishable from the “innate” intelligence associated with biological organisms, and poses a challenge to the intelligent design conception that intelligence itself necessarily requires a designer.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design
 
Annabea said:
Dear god, I never thought I’d come back to this site. I was searching my name “Annabea” on google for kicks, and I came across this and was like “oh thats me!” but what i found was not! What are you talking about? I would like to see that post! None of my friends have ever done drugs and I have never posted that on a forum. Unless of course it was a sarcastic post, which you could probably see the sarcasm in, that is off the top of your head! I do not have pictures of me or myself on the net other than facebook, I have no idea where you are getting this from, to me you are simply a lying fool. I do not do drugs, I’m in a little private montessori middle school consisting on 18 students! Please, if you believe this I am truly disgusted that someone who seemed respectable would post such a thing.
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Well I assumed it was the same Annabea because of the age and name, I’m truly sorry, I believe you.
 
yankee_doodle said:
Why should an atheist (which I’m not btw, I’m just saying) want to dialog with the CC? They believe that the entire premise churches operate under is foolishness and purely mythological (although I believe its mythology, I don’t think it’s foolish or necessarily unreasonable for man to invent a god for himself … the bigger problem I have is when religious people and institutions try to shape the lives and deny rights to those who don’t ascribe to their point of view).

Their goal isn’t to dialog with you, it’s to win hearts and minds over to their side (and it’s perfectly within their right to do so). Whether or not CBS capitulates to the CC is another story. Perhaps they will, but the fact is the vast majority of American Catholics don’t take instruction from their church (so I’m not sure how much leverage the CC really has these days over TV stations … but I imagine it has at least some).
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I live in Chicago, and I see no leverage the CC has on anything. Some members claim they evangelize by living their lives out in faith.

All I can say to that very bold claim, is to observe and sit back.

Watch what you are being told carefully.
 
josie_L said:
Well I assumed it was the same Annabea because of the age and name, I’m truly sorry, I believe you.
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Well josie L, how about a link to the atheist forum post in question.

To put it bluntly, pics or didn’t happen.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Forgiveness and doing good is not unique to christianity reen12.

But, I agree many christians sure are a turn off.🙂
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Of course Christians don’t have the corner on the market on being a ‘turn off’ ---- but I agree if we espouse a belief that calls us to speak and act in charity - and we don’t - we can certainly appear to be talking out of both sides of our both sides of our mouth! 😊 But — we are only human, we fall short of our ideal, as I am sure secular humanists do from time to time.
 
yankee_doodle said:
Why should an atheist (which I’m not btw, I’m just saying) want to dialog with the CC? They believe that the entire premise churches operate under is foolishness and purely mythological (although I believe its mythology, I don’t think it’s foolish or necessarily unreasonable for man to invent a god for himself … the bigger problem I have is when religious people and institutions try to shape the lives and deny rights to those who don’t ascribe to their point of view).

Their goal isn’t to dialog with you, it’s to win hearts and minds over to their side (and it’s perfectly within their right to do so). Whether or not CBS capitulates to the CC is another story. Perhaps they will, but the fact is the vast majority of American Catholics don’t take instruction from their church (so I’m not sure how much leverage the CC really has these days over TV stations … but I imagine it has at least some).
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Did you watch the video?
 
4elise said:
Of course Christians don’t have the corner on the market on being a ‘turn off’ ---- but I agree if we espouse a belief that calls us to speak and act in charity - and we don’t - we can certainly appear to be talking out of both sides of our both sides of our mouth! 😊 But — we are only human, we fall short of our ideal, as I am sure secular humanists do from time to time.
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So, do secular humanists make the same claims as your Church does? If so, that would be a fair comparison. Or more fair.

But, as it stands- no
 
To all you who have never gone to Mass. Warning.

Most do not go daily. In fact, I have never seen a child at Mass in the last two months.

It is truly an “obligation” to go on Sat vigil or Sunday.

I actually like going to mass. But, I am loosing interest rapidly.
 
josie_L said:
AnotherAtheist, it must not be the same person.
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I find it improbable that there are two separate 12-year old Annabeas posting on 2 different atheist forums. Of course, I also find it improbable that the god of Bronze Age goat headers created the universe. In any case, I wonder why you won’t provide a link to post in question.
 
AnotherAtheist said:
I find it improbable that there are two separate 12-year old Annabeas posting on 2 different atheist forums. Of course, I also find it improbable that the god of Bronze Age goat headers created the universe. In any case, I wonder why you won’t provide a link to post in question.
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Believe what you will AnotherAtheist, but if she said she’s not that person than I’ll take her word for it.
 
josie_L said:
Believe what you will AnotherAtheist, but if she said she’s not that person than I’ll take her word for it.
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That’s just it josie L, I too believe Annabea. It’s your story that I question. However you could clear all that up by providing a link to the post you were originally talking about.
 
AnotherAtheist said:
That’s just it josie L, I too believe Annabea. It’s your story that I question. However you could clear all that up by providing a link to the post you were originally talking about.
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I’m not lying about what I read, so if you don’t believe then don’t. You can pm if you wish to discuss this.
 
josie_L said:
I’m not lying about what I read, so if you don’t believe then don’t. Can you please pm me?
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“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster. For when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” -Friedrich Nieztsche
 
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