Poll: Christians, what is your opinion on Atheists?

[Heatios]

I have a feeling I missed a lot of them, so feel free to specify below!

 

[Man on Fire]

The primary focus of this forum is Christian evangelism and discipleship, not to debate Christian Theology or challenge, attack, or argue against, Christianity.

Despite this not belonging here, I will indulge. I find there are three types of Atheists.

The first is the atheist who was brought up that way and doesn't know better. This could be atheist in China brought up into an Atheistic State. In this category I also include any atheist who adopts some sort of ideology such as Communism or secular humanism where atheism is a requirement.

The second type of atheist is the one who legitimately has some doubts based on experiences, and looks for answers. This type of atheist is the most able to be saved in my experience.

The third type of atheist is actually a Satanist. He may know of God, and knows a lot about the Bible, but he wants to believe he is his own god. He may have this obsession with God, and talking about God or God things in some sort of mocking way. This is what Satanist believe. That was Aleister Crowley. Aleister Crowley who engaged in gross sex parties, worked to summon demons, engaged in inappropriate behavior with animals, and other horrible things that most people really wouldn't believe happened. Crowley has followers in the celebrity world including the Beatles. Just imagine a world without God?

God Almighty is a judge. He is legalistic, and has his own law and legal system. As it stands, you seem to be a false teacher trying to evangelize for Atheism. Better to have a millstone put around your neck.

 

[oi_antz]

Case by case, IMO. Why is the person atheist?

 

[ViaCrucis]

I voted Other: My opinion on atheists is that they are people who don't believe in g/God(s).

That's it really.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[DanSeeker1]

They exist. They are also playing a fine game.

I say this because I used to be an atheist but changed after having some nasty spiritual experiences.
Evil literally exists, and without a relationship to God, a person lacks his protection from such dark forces. If a person desires to be a victim, go ahead and be my guest.

I mean if you work with the most powerful being and perfect being in existence, I'm sure nothing can touch you.

 

[DLR]

My opinion is similar to that of Man on Fire. Most Atheists I meet in real life are generally respectful. Often they are intelligent and sometimes even knowledgeable in the biblical scriptures, but usually not. Some of them will convert to a religion someday. A good Christian will treat them respectfully and help them spiritually if they are open to it.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are what I call Militant Atheists. They convince themselves they understand the universe in full detail in spite of the gaps in their story. The fact they don't believe isn't good enough. They herd up like jackals in anonymity on the internet on various forums. Aggressively looking for Christians to slay and mocking God continuously. It's a game to them. The Bible is pretty clear on cursing God. Read up on hell and eternal torment before you choose this style of non-religion, just in case you are wrong. I avoid these people as I see nothing worth the trouble.

I couldn't find anything in your poll that matches well enough due to my comments above, but yes, it requires faith to be an Atheist IMO.

 

[Heatios]

The primary focus of this forum is Christian evangelism and discipleship, not to debate Christian Theology or challenge, attack, or argue against, Christianity.

On the contrary, if it's a forum for professing the validity of Christianity, am I not well within my right to question this claim?

As well, this is not so I can convince you out of your beliefs, I have responded to a few threads that are specifically asking questions on behalf of christianity, one where someone asked about the holy spirit, did I respond telling him I don't believe the holy spirit exists? No, I did what I thought was best, and linked him the site-accessible bible resource, so that he could make up his own mind.

I am here to better understand others, and my own beliefs, if I come here and feel I have been adequately disproven, that helps me tremendously in figuring out what I personally believe to be true. I have done this as well, look at my posts, I am not just blindly saying I am correct, I follow the order of the argument, someone responds to my argument, I respond to that one, I don't respond with a completely unrelated one, in attemps of distracting that one, this is shows you if I were simply pushing my own agenda, I would use distraction arguments, whenever I can't find anything adequate to reply back, in order to say "I don't know what I should say, but i'm right anyways", that's what would be the case if I were pushing my own agenda, which I am not.

 

[DLR]

Here is the purpose of forum copied from the top of it. You are probably stretching the definition a touch as your question is about atheism.


Exploring Christianity
A Forum for non-Christian Seekers and new believers to ask questions about Christianity.

 

[Heatios]

Here is the purpose of forum copied from the top of it. You are probably stretching the definition a touch as your question is about atheism.


Exploring Christianity
A Forum for non-Christian Seekers and new believers to ask questions about Christianity.

I thought it was in reference to my posts in general. Maybe i am stretching it, however there are probably plenty of other threads about it as well, and im not wildly stretching it. Anyways, i dont think it should warrant any action, as its not really a touchy post, or like, edgy in that regard, more just an innocent poll asking for opinions.

I understand where youre coming from, and cant see how this post may be in violation, however, i dont think its doing any harm, and if anything is not in my favor either, the options are not like "Deserves hell because im a stupid christian"[not saying that opinion shows stupidity], but that would be an example of i guess, crossing the edge.

Get where im coming from? Ive conceded that it may be partially in violation.

 

[DLR]

I don't have a huge problem with it or I wouldn't have posted your thread in some detail. Your poll choices need an edit perhaps. They have emotional descriptive words in them. Hard to pick one. As you can tell we have different views of different atheists depending on how they treat others. I've been a Christian for 40 years so I have met many. You can respectfully tell somebody you don't believe and they will probably listen to you explain why you believe what you do, including the the science of your non-belief. Or you can call me a mindless moron incapable of independent thought that believes in fairytales and Santa Claus. Does it make sense I might have a different opinion of those two people?

 

[Heatios]

I don't have a huge problem with it or I wouldn't have posted your thread in some detail. Your poll choices need an edit perhaps. They have emotional descriptive words in them. Hard to pick one. As you can tell we have different views of different atheists depending on how they treat others. I've been a Christian for 40 years so I have met many. You can respectfully tell somebody you don't believe and they will probably listen to you explain why you believe what you do, including the the science of your non-belief. Or you can call me a mindless moron incapable of independent thought that believes in fairytales and Santa Claus. Does it make sense I might have a different opinion of those two people?

Yes i understand this, it's ironically the person claiming ignorance who is ignorant in that scenario, meaning, making the assumption that just because of the knowledge they possess that any opinion that differs, like yours, was not formed from critically thought, or was made based on bad judgement or bad reasoning.

I appreciate the honest feedback. Thats the reason, i stand by the quote in my signature.

"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly." - Matt Walsh

 

[DanSeeker1]

In regards to your quote. Truth concerning things spiritual are visceral in nature. You may think I am crazy or a kook for what I said about why I believe, yet if you going a seeking, you will find.

You won't go to hell for being an atheist (far as my experiences go) but you sure won't live the life you're meant to live without God.

 

[Heatios]

In regards to your quote. Truth concerning things spiritual are visceral in nature. You may think I am crazy or a kook for what I said about why I believe, yet if you going a seeking, you will find.

You won't go to hell for being an atheist (far as my experiences go) but you sure won't live the life you're meant to live without God.

Thanks for the response. I appreciate thinking i wont go to hell, i dont know why i do, but thanks.

Ill share my story with you. I was a christian for almost all my life[im 16 as of october], up until last year or so. I was born and raised christian, went to mass, prayed, etc. When I was 12 I started to go in to depression, i struggled with this for two years, suicide attempts, etc, but im not looking for pitty, this isnt a sob story. At 14 or so when it was really bad, i would often convince myself there was no god. I would say things like "no god would be this cruel" etc. I based this on my emotions. Later that year, i ended up going back to christianity, devoutly, since i also joined a christian school that very same year. I talked to god regularly, and read the bible front to back a few times or so. Then i just, i dont know if it was maturity, out of the blue started asking myself "wait why do i believe this", not to mock, but because i seriously didnt know. I started researching my beliefs, funnily enough when i looked for evidence to support my claims i found evidence refuting them instead. This made me very angry, i thought "life without god would be life not worth living". However, i committed myself, it wasnt easy, but i committed to searching for the truth, no matter how hard it would be to accept. Low and behold, i found what i felt was enough evidence to disprove my beliefs, and reluctantly out of intellectual honesty decided i no longer believed. Now, this is key, i made sure, and i remade sure that this was not an emotional response, that this was not just hating god or whatever, because i knew that was not a viable reason. I made sure this was well thought out, and because of reason. After about a few weeks of sulking about god not existing, i felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, i felt more in control, i finally had a desire to make an impact in the world that i never had before. I am now happier than ever a year later, much more stable. I obviously didnt just take what i thought was sufficient for rjeecting the claim of god, and then forget about it. I developed a mew mindset, i have been asking questions ever since, searching for arguments, refuting them.

Thats my story. Take it as you will. I wish i could correct my grammar and write more fluidly but it is what it is since im on a phone.

 

[DanSeeker1]

I m not sure how people will see this, but here it goes.

The whole point of any religion is to deal with the spiritual aspect of reality in a prescribed manner. The unseen, subtle and hidden. A side of reality that refuses to be measured or be easily defined.

You are looking for evidence to proceed faith. The problem with the spiritual side of reality is that faith produces the evidence.
If you believe God is in the room, He will be in the room. If you do not believe he is in the room, He shall not be in the room.

 

[graceandpeace]

I didn't vote, but my stance is the same as ViaCrucis: an atheist is a person who doesn't believe in God/gods. I don't have any further thoughts. I'm not interested in stereotyping atheists.

 

[grasping the after wind]

I voted Other: My opinion on atheists is that they are people who don't believe in g/God(s).

That's it really.

-CryptoLutheran

This.

 

[Hospes]

I voted Other: My opinion on atheists is that they are people who don't believe in g/God(s).

That's it really.

-CryptoLutheran

Agreed, but I'd add "irrationally" right before the "don't".

 

[grasping the after wind]

Agreed, but I'd add "irrationally" right before the "don't".

No, irrationality might enter into it but does not have to and some believe in a god irrationally. IMO The biggest factor is what a person subjectively decides encompasses the boundaries of reality. Any conclusions reached after that could well be rationally arrived at but differ entirely. If two groups start from radically different subjectively arrived at assumptions, they can both be reasoning in a rational manner and arrive at contradictory conclusions.

 

[thehehe]

What is my opinion about atheists? Again, I can't see the point of ranking people according to their personal beliefs or anything. It should only depend if the person is nice, funny and friendly or at the contrary as smiling as Hulk... Their atheism won't affect my opinion of them, as long as they accept my own identity and beliefs. Moreover I strongly think that nothing is more unpleasant and boring than basic stereotypes... And I also don't think you would go to Hell! A good man stays a good man, Christian or not.

 

[orangeness365]

I have relatives that used to be Christian but are now atheists or humanists. It makes me really sad, because I worry about their afterlife. I don't really know where anyone is going to end up. I do believe a hell exists, but I'm not really certain what it's going to be like. I hope it's not too bad, because I'm not so certain that I won't end up there. I know that only God knows who is going where.