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So The Other Day I had completely chance event happen. I was sitting on my computer, reading up about who knows what, and I recieved a text message. The Text said something about working with someones dad and how they were a true example of what a Christian is.... blah blah.... Obviously a wrong number. Heres how the exchange went....
THEM: original wrong number message
ME: I think you have the wrong number friend
THEM: Ok, I'm sorry
ME: It's ok, and you really shouldn't waste time worshiping the mythological characte4rs of Christianity, just saying
THEM: So to you, what is the meaning of life?
ME: In the broader sense, I would ask you why life requires an ultimate meaning to begin with, but in a personal sense, I believe we decide what our own meaning in this life is
THEM: I believe everything that was created, was created with a purpose in mind. I believe God created man to worship and glorify him
ME: I respect your right to believe that, but you first have to prove that everything has an objectrive purpose and that it MUST have had a God to set it in motion
{after a long time with no response.... }
ME: I hope that one day your eyes will be opened to reality and that you will be set free from the fallacied of revealed religion as I have been.... good evening to you
THEM: It looks like we aren't going to agree on much tonight, but that is ok. It has been great having this conversation with you, have a good night
ME: likewise.....
And that was the end of it. It was a completely random stranger on the other end. I wou7ld have to say it was a positve experience all-in-all. Have any Atheists ever had a discussion ion why you believe religion to be a farce either with someone you know or not, outside of City-Data or other internet forums? How did it go and what kind of response did you get?
Generally atheist don't proselytize. Personally, challenging a religious person in person would be rather impolite, unnecessarily rude and a violation of the Prime Directive.
I've never had a conversation with a proselytizing theist as an adult except for two instances with missionaries, a Hari Krishna and a Mormon, that I initiated. As such, no, I haven't proselytized, it would have felt very rude to do in person. It's much easier to debate these things in written form, where we can ignore social convention and deal in pure logic without having to worry about politeness in a way that makes us dishonest.
I see no reason to attack people individually for their faith. I have no issue with people thinking there is a god. So I leave them to it. As a founding member of Atheist Ireland however I pick my battles more carefully and work to resist the application of unsubstantiated nonsense in our halls of power, education and science. People are more than welcome to think there is a god. They are not so welcome to apply that idea in public policy, law and education.
That said however I have worked to get as many believers as possible to actually read the bible. I mean really read it. So far the result of that in my personal life is 100% deconversion from Christianity with people essentially saying to me "I was meant to believe THAT stuff????"
I don't discuss religion unless someone comes to the door and tries to sell it to me or accosts me in some way and tries to convince me that I should go to their church or whatever.
For the most part they are worth avoiding if they are too overtly religious. We have a neighbour for example who hisses at us as we pass - and often stands at the end of our garden mumbling latin and flicking holy water into our garden. All because he disagrees with our particular "Life style".
It is clear to me there is no usefulness in even discussing the issue with him - let alone pushing atheist thought on him.
Where people keep religion to themselves I see no need to convert them.
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