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Although not an atheist, I'll play one for the purpose of answering your question.
Contrary to what many Christians here have posted ad nauseam, atheists neither hate, nor fear God. They simply disbelieve that one exists. They have been offered no evidence that they find compelling enough to believe in a deity.
Because of that lack of belief, many of the not-too-bright Christians consider them to be devoid of morality or a sense of ethics.
Atheists don't care a whit about anyone's belief system, or lack thereof, until and if it begins to infringe on the rights of non, and other-believers.
Sadly, I have to agree with you about singling out homosexuals is totally disgusting. But you see, I was in church 60 years ago when it was the Jews which were the reason America was going to hell in a hand basket. Then it was Negros; then it was women; then it was women, again. I don't know who they hated on next because I was no longer sitting in the church pew. Organized religion (OR) has always needed somebody to hate and to blame. I don't know why, but hate has always been their mantra. You must realize that while OR calls itself Christian, OR really has little to do with Christianity. They are 2 separate things. OR is a totally man-made thing and it hijacked God and the Bible for its own purposes. OR can't blame itself and its own sins for sending the world to hell, so they must have a scapegoat. I don't know why. They just always have. That is the nature of the beast. That is why I keep harping on the fact that OR, Christianity, God, and the Bible are not the same things.
Ella, I like your post. Actually I enjoy almost every one that you make. If all the posters were folks like the OP I certainly would not stay here as can not learn from or debate with those who are only interested in belittling and insulting others. On the other hand you bring up good points, whether I agree with you or not is immaterial, I enjoy reading them and they always make me think, which is a good thing.
Even though they were not religious my parents faced more discrimination than I did and their parents even though they just because they were Jews. The West did little to help the escape from Europe of the Jews there and that is well documented.
Yes, indeed. Normally I wouldn't look in here except for a chuckle, but posts asking for input from atheists like this thread. well, what do you expect from us? Even then, if the OP had just let us explain, there would be no need for a racket. But he couldn't wait to make all manner of ill -founded accusations.
Last i say, The Christian outnumber the Lions by a factor of ten, I believe. The only reason we seem to have the run of the arena is because we have the better case and the other Christians act as the OP should. They let us post and do not bash us. It is only a minority of ill informed and dreadfully biased Christians who are trying to bash us, and of course are getting chewed up.
Arq, I think you should be in this thread. It is pretty much addressed to you.
But see, Arq, you don't realize in this forum, Christianity, you shouldn't be "making a better case". This is not the place for "a better case". I think that is the point. As well, when you guys call us "delusional", "insane", "uneducated" and all the dozens of other things you call us, you aren't making any point at all. You're just bashing the Christians in a Christian forum. This is not the forum for bashing Christians. If you want to bash Christians, go to the A/A, or Judaism, or Muslim forums. If you have legitimate questions or comments about the specifics of Christianity, that is one thing. But many atheists/agnostics/non-believers are down right rude, judgmental, disdainful, and contemptuous. This is not the forum for that. Those opinions don't belong here and are not welcomed.
As I said earlier, whoever designed and runs this forum should add another category to Religion and Spirituality where Atheists and Christians can bash each other all they want to. This is not the forum for that.
Several posted that they come here because we are civil. I had to look twice at that statement. I don't see many of the Atheists on this group being civil at all. In turn, the Christians get irritated and they aren't so civil either. Maybe the Christians are too civil. Maybe they have been too tolerant of the opposing side. Maybe they should stop it. It is a Christianity forum, where the subject is Christianity. Maybe it is time for Atheists to understand that, tolerate it, or get out. Maybe there are some people that you can't be nice to.
What drives us is the particularly powerful presence of Christians in (in my case) America. Christians have a stronghold in US politics and have far too much influence on everyone's daily activities and far too much influence in law.
If Christians were just a blip on the radar, then I wouldn't care about speaking out.
We care about religion because of religious violence and acts in the name of God.
We care about religion because theists attempt to push non-science into science classes.
We care about religion because of bigotry and hatred towards minority groups and the LGBT community.
Can you imagine an Atheist president? Me neither as long as we're the most distrusted group!
Do you honestly believe that this forum has anything to do with any of that? What good does it do to bash Christians? Isn't that just widening the gap? Aren't the militant atheists on this group just making it worse? You think you are accomplishing any thing good or positive?
Although not an atheist, I'll play one for the purpose of answering your question.
Contrary to what many Christians here have posted ad nauseam, atheists neither hate, nor fear God. They simply disbelieve that one exists. They have been offered no evidence that they find compelling enough to believe in a deity.
Because of that lack of belief, many of the not-too-bright Christians consider them to be devoid of morality or a sense of ethics.
Atheists don't care a whit about anyone's belief system, or lack thereof, until and if it begins to infringe on the rights of non, and other-believers.
Ok. Thanks, Trout.
The dictionary says an Atheist is one who does not believe in deities. A Theist is one who does believe in deities.
So what you are telling me is that the fault lies with some of the Christians misunderstanding what "Atheist" means. Is that right? If so, we're good.
The dictionary says an Atheist is one who does not believe in deities. A Theist is one who does believe in deities.
So what you are telling me is that the fault lies with some of the Christians misunderstanding what "Atheist" means. Is that right? If so, we're good.
Thanks
Well, sorta, kinda....
I'd prefer to phrase it along the lines of: Some Christians think of atheists as godless heathens - as something less than human and possibly even among Satan's earthly minions. In other words, they are demonized by some Christians and falsely accused of "hating" God when they simply disbelieve in one.
When they ask for evidence, they are usually proffered biblical quotes, personal testimonies, or pointed towards the awesomeness of everything - none of which they find particularly convincing.
Although I do not share it, I find their viewpoint understandable and I certainly share their disbelief in the Abrahamic God. Because of this shared disbelief, I often get to share in their demonization.
For the most part, I find their company amiable and much preferred to that of judgmental fundamentalists of any and all stripes.
Ella, I like your post. Actually I enjoy almost every one that you make. If all the posters were folks like the OP I certainly would not stay here as can not learn from or debate with those who are only interested in belittling and insulting others. On the other hand you bring up good points, whether I agree with you or not is immaterial, I enjoy reading them and they always make me think, which is a good thing.
Even though they were not religious my parents faced more discrimination than I did and their parents even though they just because they were Jews. The West did little to help the escape from Europe of the Jews there and that is well documented.
Thanks, Badlander. I appreciate that.
We don't have to agree to have a discussion. I do believe that we must show respect for each other and the respective opinions.
I never did understand why anybody had a problem with the Jews. Christians, especially, should have had great regard for the Jews. Jesus was a Jew and God is the God of the Jews. It never made sense to me. Of course, I have never understood hating a whole ethnic group/race of people for any reason.
Church always hated somebody. At least there were no Jews or Negros in our churches when they were hating them. The congregations were half women when they were hating on us. It was ok, though. Many more women held the purse strings at home than did men. When the tithes began to fall off drastically, church found someone else to hate on.
I'd prefer to phrase it along the lines of: Some Christians think of atheists as godless heathens - as something less than human and possibly even among Satan's earthly minions. In other words, they are demonized by some Christians and falsely accused of "hating" God when they simply disbelieve in one.
When they ask for evidence, they are usually proffered biblical quotes, personal testimonies, or pointed towards the awesomeness of everything - none of which they find particularly convincing.
Although I do not share it, I find their viewpoint understandable and I certainly share their disbelief in the Abrahamic God. Because of this shared disbelief, I often get to share in their demonization.
For the most part, I find their company amiable and much preferred to that of judgmental fundamentalists of any and all stripes.
When pinned, as an Animist with Deist leanings. I believe all life has spirit and more things are alive than most people think.
I would like to believe there is a unifying web in which all is connected and that one day I may come to know it from the inside. Right now, I have no real conception of what God might be* and hope that will not always be the case.
* As many First Nations people believe, God/Creator is often referred to as the Great Mystery. I share that view.
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act as the OP should. They let us post and do not bash us. It is only a minority of ill informed and dreadfully biased Christians who are trying to bash us, and of course are getting chewed up. 
