Am I wrong?

[Falvlun]

You and I could make a deal. I promise not to try and convince you that there is a God and you can promise you won't try and convince me that there isn't a God. :angel2:

Bo-ring!

 

[ChristineES]

Bo-ring!

Being peaceful means boring. :sleep:At least sometimes.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Adam-a,

Am I wrong?

No, you are 101% right.
Am with you.
Personally do not know any god.
Frankly speaking do not who am *I*
can you help me locate that *i* for me?
Will be grateful, promise lots of frubals.
Love & rgds

 

[Quagmire]

I dont tell anybody about my beleifs unless they ask.

Nobody ever does.

 

[whereismynotecard]

An atheist who always bothers believers about their beliefs being wrong is just as annoying as a religious person who always tells an atheist that they are wrong. Any religious person who constantly tries to push their beliefs on me is annoying, and I don't like talking to them. Religious people might feel the same way about you pushing your beliefs on them.

Most people already have their minds made up about religion, and aren't going to be persuaded to the other side easily. I think it's just wise for everyone of any faith or non-faith to question their beliefs and think hard about why they believe what they do. That way, everyone will believe whatever they believe for a good reason instead of just following those around them. You need to believe/not believe in something because it makes sense, not because someone bullied you into believing it. If Judaism makes sense to you, then that's fine by me. If atheism sounds really reasonable, then that's fine too. Just find your own beliefs based on your own logic, and leave everyone else alone. Believing in God isn't harmful in many cases, so there is no need to try to convert everyone.

 

[Jackytar]

Read this last night -


I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being.
​

- Albert Einstein, letter to Guy H. Raner Jr., Sept. 28, 1949, quoted by Michael R. Gilmore in Skeptic, Vol. 5, No. 2

Jackytar
​

 

[Azakel]

Why do atheists make so much noise? Are they proud of themselves? Are they preaching their religion to us? Are they just making whimpers for help? Atheists are people who don't go to the party, but like to criticize those who do as being hypocritical party goers.

-I'm sure it's been said-
You paint Atheism with a broad brush just like the OPer paints Religions the same way.

 

[lunamoth]

I dont tell anybody about my beleifs unless they ask.

Nobody ever does.

I thought you worshiped pancakes.

 

[lunamoth]

I dont tell anybody about my beleifs unless they ask.

Nobody ever does.

OK, even if you don't worship pancakes I'll still think you are a good person.

What are your beliefs?

 

[Quagmire]

I thought you worshiped pancakes.

(Hi Luna!) Of course I worship Pancakes. But I fully realize that the Creator could just as easily manifest himself as, say, waffles.

OK, even if you don't worship pancakes I'll still think you are a good person.

What are your beliefs?

I believe we're here to change oxygen into CO2 for the plants. Anything above that is just our ego talking.

 

[lunamoth]

(Hi Luna!) Of course I worship Pancakes. But I fully realize that the Creator could just as easily manifest himself as, say, waffles.

Blasphemy!

I believe we're here to change oxygen into CO2 for the plants. Anything above that is just our ego talking.

Being a rather big fan of plants, that gets my thumbs up!

: hamster :: hamster :: hamster :

 

[methylatedghosts]

As an Atheist I am constantly in a position to confront people about their beliefs; and I usually do. I constantly hear the complaint that I am as fundemental as the religious that I am trying to inform (disprove.) I can understand this point of view but find it hard to hold my tongue when I am constantly reminded of the religion-inspired hate, war, and pain caused by people of faith.

I feel that as an atheist it is my duty to speak my mind and try to convince those with beliefs in the supernatural that God does not exist, but more importantly encourage them to question their advisors and texts.

What do you think about people who relentlessly try to point out the fallacy of your beliefs. Is it anyone's place to do so? Is there a difference between an atheist trying to convince a believer of the absence of God and a believer trying to recruit an atheist?

Ok, so I'm a little late to this thread, but here's a reply anyway.

Duty to speak ones mind: Not just the duty of an athiest, but I feel it's the duty of everyone. I know people that do, and I know people that don't, and I really must say, that those who don't speak their minds more often feel that they aren't heard (funny that). So I'd suggest that everyone should speak their minds, not just atheists.

However, trying to convince someone of something such as a non-existence of god is rather pointless. Either they were going to make up their mind about it anyway, or their mind is already made, and no amount of convincing will make them change it.

The thing is - trying to point out fallacy in peoples beliefs often feels like an attack, because beliefs are held so personally. Thus - feels like an attack upon the person themselves, and fallacies within the person - not the belief. Although this is not the intention necessarily, it's often perceived to be. So it really won't get you too far at all.

An atheist trying to convince a believer and a believer trying to convince an atheist has about the same kind of effect. i.e. both will likely be so convinced of their own position, that not alot of listening will happen.

 

[Tiapan]

I was affected by the brutal strangling of my aunt at the hands of a religious zealot, I do not blame him, he was the deluded product of his parents and their closed fundamentalist religious sect culture. The Brethren.
I challenge believers with every second I have. I am doing them a favor and it may save lives. Fortunately for 90% of people religion is nothing more than a social etiquette, just watch out for that other 10% who take it seriously.

So go for it. You are not preaching another religion, you are challenging them to consider their own beliefs, with facts instead of myths. The two are not equatable.

Education and knowledge is empowerment. Ignorance and dogmatism spawns poor decisions leading to more harm than good.

Cheers

 

[Kenect2]

I guess this zeal is a product of my newfound lack of belief.

You've got it backwards. Earlier you said:

I feel that as an atheist it is my duty to speak my mind and try to convince those with beliefs in the supernatural that God does not exist, but more importantly encourage them to question their advisors and texts.

No duties derive from atheism. Atheism is merely an absence of belief in a god. That sense of duty is not from your new beliefs. It seems more likely that it is an artifact from your old beliefs. Christians are taught to convert others to Christianity, so that could be the source.

 

[TheKnight]

As an Atheist I am constantly in a position to confront people about their beliefs; and I usually do. I constantly hear the complaint that I am as fundemental as the religious that I am trying to inform (disprove.) I can understand this point of view but find it hard to hold my tongue when I am constantly reminded of the religion-inspired hate, war, and pain caused by people of faith.

I feel that as an atheist it is my duty to speak my mind and try to convince those with beliefs in the supernatural that God does not exist, but more importantly encourage them to question their advisors and texts.

What do you think about people who relentlessly try to point out the fallacy of your beliefs. Is it anyone's place to do so? Is there a difference between an atheist trying to convince a believer of the absence of God and a believer trying to recruit an atheist?

Actively trying to recruit people doesn't work. It only works on the feeble minded and the simple. If you truly believe that we're wrong. Then live your life as you would live it and I'll live mine as I'll live it. Let your actions and words be the example.


Sure, sometimes it is appropriate to confront ridiculously ignorant teachings. But the fact is that not all religions have super-ignorant teachings. And attacking a person's belief in said religion is a reflection of your own lack of knowledge.

I mean, nothing makes me laugh harder than some idiot who doesn't know an iota about my religion and tries to disprove it to me. It's insulting actually. It's almost like a lot of Anti-Theists believe that we Theists are just blind idiots that woke up one morning and decided to believe in God.

There are some out there like that. But a lot of us, like myself, have put lots of thought into it. To attack us (when you don't know much about what we believe) is unbecoming.