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After making many posts in this forum and having some interesting exchanges of ideas I've got to admit that I don't think I've persuaded anyone to consider the positive aspects of atheism and I know that no one has persuaded me to take another look at religion. In fact, I don't think I've actually converted any single person to my way of thinking in my entire life. How many of you religious people or atheists have actually convinced another human being that you're actually right? I have the feeling that religion or the lack of religion is such a strong belief that it's actually very rare for this conversion to take place. Sometimes certain beliefs are so deeply held that it's going to last for the lifetime of the individual and nothing is going to change that fact. Even really negative beliefs such as racism just don't seem to go away even though society has become more enlightened. I'm beginning to think that the basic outlook on religion is going to become a generational thing and I'm hopeful that young people will look at this debate and conclude that rational thought is the most hopeful approach for mankind. Any thoughts?
Well I've convinced my husband to believe as I do on most things except religion,...but that's usually after hours of nagging...LOL He did join the Catholic church but the only influence I had there was getting him to go to the classes to learn about what the boys were learning...he made that decision on his own.
I haven't had the joy of seeing anyone I've witness to become a Christian, but some of us sow seeds and some reap them. I just hope I am at least planting seeds in my life.
I've never tried to convince anyone to drop their religion or persuade them out of it. I feel like I have probably ticked more people off by being honest about my beliefs than I have made people look at it in a different way. Heck, I even broke up with a girlfriend once because she wanted me to go to a Southern Baptist Church. She wouldn't shut up about it so I dropped her like a bad habit.
Anyway, I don't really care what people believe. Just don't force it on me and I'll be perfectly fine to get along with.
Hey MontanaGuy...I don't know if this fits what you are looking for, but I felt led to share this.
The one person that I would have to probably consider as my best friend, I managed to bring him to Christ. We have known each other for about 12 years but have come and gone from each other's lives over the years. On a side note...he is a HE and I am a SHE but there has NEVER been ANYTHING more than a wonderful friendship between us! There has never been any kind of sexual or lustful attraction, we just totally hit it off when we met.
We were into drugs back on the days when we met (my husband included). He moved away, got married to an even WORSE drug addict than he was and he, his health and everything about him went completely down hill. He had a bout with cancer on his face, which he SURGICALLY removed HIMSELF while on drugs. I can give you a long list of things this man has done.
In the meantime, my husband and I both cleaned up and moved to a new house next door to the pastro of what would become our church...and our salvation.
Anyway...Occasionally I would see him on and off on the messenger on the computer. We would chat for a couple of minutes, but he never spoke long.
I hadn't heard from him in about 4 years, then one day he called me up out of the clear blue sky. He told me about the problems he was having with his new wife and how he had wanted to quit drugs and such, but she wasn't willing to give it up and their life had become impossible together. So, he stayed on the drugs (METH) and started drinking (heavily) just so he could stand living with her. I told him about my new drug free Godly life and how wonderful things could be for him. He kind of listened but things really were not sinking in. Finally, one day about 6 months later, he called me up again, CRYING! He had kicked her out, but missed her terribly. He was not one to be "alone". He cannot stand NOT having a woman in his life. I talked with him for a couple of hours. I told him again about Jesus...THIS TIME, he humbled himself and said the Sinner's Prayer with me...Immediately, he told me how much better he felt. We talked for a while longer and he had such PEACE in his voice.
After we hung up, I didn't hear from him again for about 6 months. Then he finally called me up again one day and told me that he had been drug free for that entire time and was now in truck driving school and going to get away from EVERYTHING. It's been about 2 years now, he is still DRUG free (although he does have an occasional drink , but hey, I'm not complaining) and he calls me a couple of times a month and tells me that I saved his life and that he owes it all to me. However, I always tell him...he owes me NOTHING, he owes it all to GOD!
I feel we are all a product of our environment, my feelings and thoughts on life and how I should live it are based on where I came from and therefore are probably not THE right choice for others.
I find it supremely arrogant for anyone to assume they know me and my life well enough to tell me how to live it...
I have never "converted" anyone from religious to atheism, but I have greatly affected the way one thinks in two people I know. I think both would be religious folks today if I hadn't been a significant part of their adult lives.
I was instrumental in pulling them back from the cliff of irrational belief, and firmly anchored them back into a rational, critically-thoughtful, skeptical form of agnosticism. I think the key to my success in both cases was they both were "seeking" late in life, I had already known both for many years prior to their crisis in faith, and both had a high level of trust and admiration for me (and me for them) at the time of their spiritual explorations. Do these kinds of cases count?
My lack of belief in religion is not something I discuss with my 10 year old, I don't want to program her to believe what I believe, she used to attend church with a good friend when we lived in Texas and for a time she attended a religious daycare so she has an idea of whats out there at least as much as a 10 year old...
My Mother the only person I know who can beat a dead horse until you want to slit your own throat to make it all stop...has also said things to my daughter...
One day not that long ago, my daughter came home and told me she just didn't believe there was a god, I was a little taken aback...at times she sounds so much like her Mother its a little startling...
Evidently some of the kids had been telling her she was going to burn in hell and god would never love her and so forth...this was the thing that pushed her over the edge, she had heard them talk about god at her daycare but this incident really capped it off for her.
I told her that some people do believe and that the kids had no idea what they were talking about and were just being nasty...I told her that someday she might feel differently...so far the people in her life that call themselves christian have done nothing to make her believe what they say.
Hey MontanaGuy...I don't know if this fits what you are looking for, but I felt led to share this.
The one person that I would have to probably consider as my best friend, I managed to bring him to Christ. We have known each other for about 12 years but have come and gone from each other's lives over the years. On a side note...he is a HE and I am a SHE but there has NEVER been ANYTHING more than a wonderful friendship between us! There has never been any kind of sexual or lustful attraction, we just totally hit it off when we met.
We were into drugs back on the days when we met (my husband included). He moved away, got married to an even WORSE drug addict than he was and he, his health and everything about him went completely down hill. He had a bout with cancer on his face, which he SURGICALLY removed HIMSELF while on drugs. I can give you a long list of things this man has done.
In the meantime, my husband and I both cleaned up and moved to a new house next door to the pastro of what would become our church...and our salvation.
Anyway...Occasionally I would see him on and off on the messenger on the computer. We would chat for a couple of minutes, but he never spoke long.
I hadn't heard from him in about 4 years, then one day he called me up out of the clear blue sky. He told me about the problems he was having with his new wife and how he had wanted to quit drugs and such, but she wasn't willing to give it up and their life had become impossible together. So, he stayed on the drugs (METH) and started drinking (heavily) just so he could stand living with her. I told him about my new drug free Godly life and how wonderful things could be for him. He kind of listened but things really were not sinking in. Finally, one day about 6 months later, he called me up again, CRYING! He had kicked her out, but missed her terribly. He was not one to be "alone". He cannot stand NOT having a woman in his life. I talked with him for a couple of hours. I told him again about Jesus...THIS TIME, he humbled himself and said the Sinner's Prayer with me...Immediately, he told me how much better he felt. We talked for a while longer and he had such PEACE in his voice.
After we hung up, I didn't hear from him again for about 6 months. Then he finally called me up again one day and told me that he had been drug free for that entire time and was now in truck driving school and going to get away from EVERYTHING. It's been about 2 years now, he is still DRUG free (although he does have an occasional drink , but hey, I'm not complaining) and he calls me a couple of times a month and tells me that I saved his life and that he owes it all to me. However, I always tell him...he owes me NOTHING, he owes it all to GOD!
Kawg, although a lot of my posts have a negative aura about religion in general I do feel that it can be good for certain people. The example of your friend is a good one. From an atheists standpoint I believe that what your friend was looking for was the belief that someone believes in him. He knew his life was in shambles and knew that he needed someone to believe in him. I guess for a lot of people it's nice to believe in God because you feel that no matter what you do he will not turn his back on you. As a result of his drug usage and drinking he probably turned his family and friends away from him and felt he had nowhere else to go. You were a true friend for helping him out and that speaks volumes for your own personal character. His conversion to believe in God was probably because he needed a "positive" in his life to get back on track. I'm sure he rests assured that because he believes in God he will not revert back to his prior lifestyle. What he is doing is substituting God for his own desire to do drugs.
Once again, you were a great friend to this person and I hope you maintain contact with him to reassure him that other people, not just God, believe in him. That will help him more than anything. Good luck to the both of you!
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He did join the Catholic church but the only influence I had there was getting him to go to the classes to learn about what the boys were learning...he made that decision on his own.
, but hey, I'm not complaining) and he calls me a couple of times a month and tells me that I saved his life and that he owes it all to me. However, I always tell him...he owes me NOTHING, he owes it all to GOD! 
