On this particular issue, whether it's here or not makes no difference, so my question remains: why would anyone be bothered by Christians believing Christianity to be beautiful?
There's nothing wrong with you believing it. Going on and on about it to someone else is just annoying. Like any other salesman. All of them think their product is the greatest thing ever.
And in a debate about christianity, it doesn't matter how beautiful you think it is. You have to show it actually exists first. Fantasia was beautiful too, but it is nothing more than sights and sounds in a movie theater. When the projector is not running, it doesn't exist.
I see. Would you remove his freedom to do so? I hold free speech dear, and am relieved that he has the freedom to approach you, just as am relieved you have the freedom to tell him to shut up.
I have never said anything about prohibiting christians from evangelizing. I merely implore them to
police themselves by understanding that not everyone is interested, and some of us have
bad experiences with christianity. I personally consider it to have destroyed my childhood. Let the other person
ask, and
then babble about it.
But the picture am building is you're angry about how Christianity is perpetuated/"forced" upon you in real life, and you vent your anger about it here; if you have an impact on people's faith as by product, so much the better. Is that about right?
Changing the behavior is the goal. Full deconversion is not necessary for that. On the other hand, I do not consider deconversion to be a bad thing. If it happens, I think the person is better off.
If so, I understand to an extent. I wouldn't want to live in a world where I perceived atheism or another faith were being forced upon me. If there are multiple members who use it similarly, it goes some way to explaining why GA is quite as angry and hi-octane as it is. Factor in the Christians who respond with the flesh as opposed to temperance and love, and GA is a big ole mess, and it's not doing any good to anyone - either Christian or non-.
Perhaps. It should be noted that any anger from atheists is in reaction. If not for the things I listed, I would not pay any attention to christianity at all. I didn't for about 40 years, not until the political activism started.
The logic doesn't fly, really.
What is wrong with it? I don't want to get rid of christianity, just its power over me. How can decreasing that power by removing votes not help?
But, am really grateful that you're so open about wishing to see deconversions. I don't think many people would be so honest about it.
I didn't quite say that. I said they are of benefit to me. If people will learn to stop dominating society just because they can, deconversion is not necessary.
Besides, it seems to me that conversion/deconversion attempts are inherent in arguments about the validity of christianity. Why get into a debate unless you are trying to get your viewpoint across? Outside of debate class, do people present viewpoints they don't actually believe? So if you get your viewpoint across successfully, how does that not result in conversion/deconversion?
Am not the boss of you n all that. If that's how you roll, it's your choice
But at some point it'd be worthwhile acknowledging that by attempting to deconvert people, you've become as the people you're so angry at; the people who think Christianity is so wonderful and try to convert
you.
It's not quite that equal. They do more than try to convert me. They try to restrict my behavior with legislation. In contrast, I don't want to restrict them from practicing their religion or anything else they want to do. Just the things that have a detrimental effect on me.
So GA is a mire of people trying to convert and deconvert people, getting increasingly embroiled in the ugliness, becoming increasingly desensitized to it and eventually adding to it.
Ultimately, if you have a desire to see people deconverted, that's your right. But CF isn't obliged to provide a place for you to work it. Looking at it objectively, that's fair enough, isn't it?
Again, apologetics is a christian thing. It is supposed to have a benefit for christians, otherwise why would it exist? It is actually the christians who are using it incorrectly when they preach and try to convert, because it is intended for testing their own faith. What I do falls perfectly well into the realm of apologetics, no matter what my motivation.
You either have a apologetics forum or you don't. That's up to you.