"Chicago buses get ads reading 'In the beginning, man created God'"

[PsychMJC]

This is the sort of offensive posting that gives athiests a bad name. Whether meant with humour or not, its purpose is simply to aggravate the believer.

Throughout the ages millions have died for their faith in this God that we believe in - not because of delusion - but because of a real faith in a real God. If you want to debate God, then fine debate God, but make a serious effort without malice and without being offensive.

It is my belief that you would find ANYTHING offensive if it contradicts your beliefs in YOUR god. But don't feel bad, its pretty common.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

The obvious answer is that my response only related to Church-going believers. Note that I did not say that one would go to hell for not loving G_d. I said that hell is used as a scare tactic.

How do you know it's just a scare tactic,It's in the bible?If someone hasn't open their eye, No church is going to convinces them of anything.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Who cares? Atheists have every right in the world to put this out to the public as Christians have to put up billboards next to freeways.

I feel like "Christians" tend to get more up in arms about this sort of thing when atheist do it then vice versa. This comes across just as pretentious and condescending as all the Christian billboards do.

Of course Christians get upset if someones claiming there no God.I would have a problem if I was walking one of nieces or nephew and they seen that,But It wouldn't surprise me.

 

[SOAD]

How do you know it's just a scare tactic,Isn't in the bible?If someone hasn't open their eye, No church is going to convinces them of anything.

You are rambling like CRAZYWOMAN and I have no idea what you are saying.

 

[British One]

As opposed to the christian who claims that atheists are being used by god/devil, are spawns of satan, demons, going to hell, are bringing down society.. etc etc.

So it's ok for christians to make offensive comments about christians but it's not ok for atheists to do the same..

No its not okay for Christians to make offensive comments either. I haven't read every post on this thread but if someone has been offensive instead of moving the debate forwards then they should be embarrassed about their posting as well.

It is my belief that you would find ANYTHING offensive if it contradicts your beliefs in YOUR god. But don't feel bad, its pretty common.

Not at all. I am lucky to have a circle of friends, some of whom are athiests - some agnostic - with whom I debate these sorts of issues all the time. But neither side lower ourselves to childish comments like some of the ones about.

At this moment in time there are thousands of Christians across the world in places being imprisoned, tortured, having their houses burned down, children kidnapped, and other forms of persecution for their faith. Any comment that is posted declaring this is an imaginary faith is below the belt, hurtful and disrespectful to those who are fearing for their lives.

Basically, grow up.

 

[PsychMJC]

At this moment in time there are thousands of Christians across the world in places being imprisoned, tortured, having their houses burned down, children kidnapped, and other forms of persecution for their faith. Any comment that is posted declaring this is an imaginary faith is below the belt, hurtful and disrespectful to those who are fearing for their lives.

Basically, grow up.

At this moment homosexuals across the country are being denied their equal rights because of your faith.

Those of us that find your faith to be, in general, hurtful and disrespectful, are going to say so. Unless you would like to keep your faith to yourself. No chance of that happening I gather..

 

[PreachersWife2004]

At this moment homosexuals across the country are being denied their equal rights because of your faith.

We can't help that the majority of voters in the country don't want homosexual marriage. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's not just Christians that are voting against it. Also, I'm sure that there are Christians who ARE voting for it.

Those of us that find your faith to be, in general, hurtful and disrespectful, are going to say so. Unless you would like to keep your faith to yourself. No chance of that happening I gather..

Um, this is a CHRISTIAN site...your statement above "keep your faith to yourself", seems a bit odd considering the fact that you are on atheist on a Christian site telling us to keep our faith to ourselves.

That's kinda like me joining a homosexual board and telling them to keep their sex lives to themselves.

IF you find our faith to be hurtful and disrespectful, then I would have to wonder why you would purposefully join a board where you're going to hear it proclaimed on pretty much a daily basis.

Now, this isn't me saying that y'all can't be here, it is me professing an honest confusion as to why you'd want to be members here.

 

[British One]

At this moment homosexuals across the country are being denied their equal rights because of your faith.

Those of us that find your faith to be, in general, hurtful and disrespectful, are going to say so. Unless you would like to keep your faith to yourself. No chance of that happening I gather..

You may find that Christian actions or viewpoints are hurtful or disrespectful and I would defend your right to say so, and debate this heartily!

I'm not trying to quash debate over these issues - I'm saying let's have the debate and be open and honest with each other, but let's not reduce our comments to childish and meaningless remarks, that are simply written to hurt or disrespect others. Don't you agree?

(Incidently, I think you are right about how homosexuals are dealth with by the Christian community (especially in America) and I think we as Christians are far from the position that I think Jesus would take if he were here on earth today. Our number one commandment is to love God, and then secondly to show this love of God by loving others. I think many Christians fail over this commandment on the subject of homosexuals.)

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

You are rambling like CRAZYWOMAN and I have no idea what you are saying.

How do you know it's just a scare tactic,It's in the bible?,If someone hasn't open their eye, No church is going to convinces them of anything.Is this better?

 

[Washington]

Um, this is a CHRISTIAN site...your statement above "keep your faith to yourself", seems a bit odd considering the fact that you are on atheist on a Christian site telling us to keep our faith to ourselves.
That's kinda like me joining a homosexual board and telling them to keep their sex lives to themselves.

I believe you misread his remark. Although it's not entirely clear, it wasn't wasn't a threat or order as your quote suggests, but rather an option: "Unless you would like to keep your faith to yourself." In other words; unless Christians refrain from enunciating the hurtful and disrespectful aspects of their faith, non-Christians are going to call them on it.



(If I've misinterpreted you, PsychMJC, please correct me.)

 

[SOAD]

How do you know it's just a scare tactic,It's in the bible?,If someone hasn't open their eye, No church is going to convinces them of anything.Is this better?

Lets see.

How do you know it's just a scare tactic,It's in the bible?If someone hasn't open their eye, No church is going to convinces them of anything.

Considering your second try is identical to your first except with the addition of one comma, the answer is no.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Lets see.



Considering your second try is identical to your first except with the addition of one comma, the answer is no.

I screwed up on the word (It's) and fixed it.I'm just saying how could it be a scare tactic if it's Gods word,Since the bible is Gods word.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I believe you misread his remark. Although it's not entirely clear, it wasn't wasn't a threat or order as your quote suggests, but rather an option: "Unless you would like to keep your faith to yourself." In other words; unless Christians refrain from enunciating the hurtful and disrespectful aspects of their faith, non-Christians are going to call them on it.



(If I've misinterpreted you, PsychMJC, please correct me.)

Well, I didn't think it was a threat or anything, but to be on a Christian website telling Christians they should keep their faith to themselves if they don't want any reaction to it just seems, I dunno, ironic. As I pointed out, if I joined a forum for homosexuals and started telling them that I totally disagreed with their lifestyle and that they should just stay in the closet, that would be ironic as well. If I found it so offensive or disrespectful, I'd probably not join a website where that message is going to be spoken.

That's where I was coming from. And again, I don't want people taking it as a "you're an atheist, you don't belong here" type of comment, because I think everyone with a brain here knows that's not my attitude.

 

[SOAD]

I screwed up on the word It's and fixed it.I'm just saying how could it be a scare tactic if it's Gods word,Since the bible is Gods word.

A scare tactic is a method utilized by one party (group) to control another. It does not matter if G_d's word regarding hell is true or not.

scare tactic
Part of Speech: n
Definition: a strategy using fear to influence the public's reaction

scare tactics [plural]
methods of persuading people to do something by frightening them:

Scare Tactics – coercing a favorable response by preying upon the audience’s fears.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

So if we say "if you don't believe in God, you'll go to hell", you just automatically chalk that up to a scare tactic?

I've used the train tracks analogy before. If I see you on the tracks and I know a train is coming, and I tell you "if you don't get off the tracks you're going to die" - are you saying that's a scare tactic?

 

[tulc]

So if we say "if you don't believe in God, you'll go to hell", you just automatically chalk that up to a scare tactic?

I've used the train tracks analogy before. If I see you on the tracks and I know a train is coming, and I tell you "if you don't get off the tracks you're going to die" - are you saying that's a scare tactic?

in the analogy you use you wouldn't be the one using the scare tactic, but you do kind of make God into a runaway train that doesn't care if He runs over people who happen to get in His way.
tulc(just sayn')

 

[SiderealExalt]

in the analogy you use you wouldn't be the one using the scare tactic, but you do kind of make God into a runaway train that doesn't care if He runs over people who happen to get in His way.
tulc(just sayn')

Taken further it doesn't work out so well because if you take Christian theology. A more accurate analogy would be. Walk the train tracks like I want you to for my pleasure...or else I'm going to run you over....for eternity.

 

[SOAD]

So if we say "if you don't believe in God, you'll go to hell", you just automatically chalk that up to a scare tactic?

I've used the train tracks analogy before. If I see you on the tracks and I know a train is coming, and I tell you "if you don't get off the tracks you're going to die" - are you saying that's a scare tactic?

You are comparing apples to oranges. God, and the afterlife are spiritual thoughts while a train is physical. Other than believing in the word of the Bible, there is no proof that not believing in G_d will land one in hell. Whereas if one is standing on a track and gets hit by a speeding locomotive, death is almost a certainty.

So, I would say your train analogy is not a scare tactic but rather a reality.

 

[mpok1519]

isnt it kinda mocking and disrespectful to tell someone they're going to burn for eternity in a lake of fire?

Everyone hates the fact that people say "God is not real" or "Man made God up" And they chalk that up to blasphemy, or mocking the religin itself. When someone says "Genesis is a fairy tale" its mocking, and disrespectful. If someone says "when you die, the evidence points towards no afterlife", its mocking Christianity, and mocking people.

BUT

I can sit here all day and give all the evidence and opinions I want about how atheism leads to death destruction and suffering, and how atheists are all going to burn forever in a pit of dark bale-fire less they turn to God.

anyone notice this?

 

[Morcova]

At this moment in time there are thousands of Christians across the world in places being imprisoned, tortured, having their houses burned down, children kidnapped, and other forms of persecution for their faith. Any comment that is posted declaring this is an imaginary faith is below the belt, hurtful and disrespectful to those who are fearing for their lives.

Basically, grow up.

There are muslims dying right now all over the world for their faith, using your logic to speak badly of their beliefs is an insult.

I'm sorry but I don't want to play your emotional games. Your objective is to shutup your opponent using emotions and it's not going to work.