Do you believe that atheists are evil?

The Midge · Feb 11, 2005

Svt4Him said:
Actually as a Christian, you are the righteousness of Christ, adopted into God's family, bought with a price, no longer your own. Before you were a Christian you were a self confessed evil person, which is exactly what the op is asking.

I don't know about you, but I'm a work in progress and still do evil from time to time. I didn't realise I was evil at all once.

Garnet2727 · Feb 11, 2005

Wow! Thank you all for the responses. I'm sorry that I posted and then wasn't here for a couple of days, but life intervened. I'll try to make a more cogent post later.

I will say this, y'all have calmed me down quite a bit about this issue. I was upset and worried when I made the OP. But it seems to me from the majority of responses that I shouldn't worry as much about possible harm from a Christian simply because I'm an atheist.

Faith In God · Feb 11, 2005

Garnet2727 said:
I heard it again today in passing. A conversation I overhead as I was walking to my car after work. "Atheists are just evil," said a woman about my age to the nodding agreement of her companions. As I passed by, another younger woman said, "Atheists are the reason there's so much trouble in the world."

This is a sentiment I never actually heard casually until I moved to Montgomery, AL last April. Oh, I'd read it in some forums. Heard it watching some Christian TV. But since I've been here, I've heard similar statements at work, at the grocery store, in a park, in a cafeteria.

And it worries me...scares me in fact. If people really, REALLY believe I am evil because I'm an atheist, what then could they be led to do to me? Do they wish me harm? Do they think that I will, with my lack of belief cause them harm? What is the nature of this evil?

Perhaps I'm over reacting, I am experiencing a great deal of stress and sadness right now.

So tell me, help me to understand.

Do you as a Christian believe that atheists are evil? If you do, why? If you do, what will you do about us?

If you don't, why? What is your reaction when you hear a fellow believer say that atheists are evil?

Well, the usual context of such a statement is to communism. Communism is one of the great evils of the world and the main reason for this is its atheism. Am I saying I hate atheists? No. Or even communists? No. A man who in all reason should have died under communistic persecution, Richard Wurmbrand, stated that he would speak out against communism whenever useful, but held nothing against his torturers. However, all men are evil in God's sight outside of His grace. Get under that grace, please, before you are judged by your own works, by which no one will be justified.

biblebabe003 · Feb 11, 2005

do i think ateists are evil?? NO! of course not. I think satan is evil and often times WE ALL ( not just atheists ) give into his temptations which is definitely wrong, but I would never ever call anyone evil because of what they believe!! Please please know that whoever you heard saying that wasn't acting like Jesus because he would never say that and I don't want you to get a bad impression of the religion.

DJ_Ghost · Feb 12, 2005

Garnet2727 said:
Perhaps I'm over reacting, I am experiencing a great deal of stress and sadness right now.

I do not think you are over reacting at all, this prejudice you encounter worries me also.

Garnet2727 said:
Do you as a Christian believe that atheists are evil?

No

Garnet2727 said:
If you don't, why?

It makes no sense to assume some one is evil just because they do not believe as I believe. I think what is evil is demanding that we all believe the same way and trying to demonise those that do not conform.

Garnet2727 said:
What is your reaction when you hear a fellow believer say that atheists are evil?

Dismay and disgust.

Ghost

xjonx · Feb 12, 2005

I just thought I might attempt to add one more thing, this is how I see humanity to do with sin.

We are spirit, soul and body.

Spirit: The life breathed into us by God
Soul: Our thoughts and emotions
Body: Our physical parts

SPIRIT
Our spirit is dead to the things of God until we turn back to Him. When we repent and give our lives back to God He connects us with His Holy Spirit. Our dead human spirit "comes alive" by His Holy Spirit. Like a globe recieving electricity with the globe being our human spirit and the electricity being the Holy Spirit. Our human spirit will remain with us forever, it has no sin in it after accepting Jesus. It is either dying or living.

SOUL
Our soul is full of sinful habits. Our mind is full of bad motives and weird responses. Our soul (mind and emotions) is being cleaned up by the Holy Spirit which lives inside us. But our soul will never fully be cleansed, it will always have things to be fixed up by the Spirit which lives in us.

BODY
Well our physical body is iredeemable. It is going to perish no matter what. However the point is, we live out the things which our soul tells us too. So the Spirit feeds the soul and the soul causes our body to act. Our human spirit is perfect, filled with the Holy Spirit, in Jesus. Our soul is filled with sin but is being sanctified, cleansed, corrected, conformed.

So I can then say, the Christian is a sinner, though he will live forever. The athiest is a sinner also, but unless he admits his need for the Spirit to bring his spirit alive, he will not live forever. Thus, we are all evil/sinners. But the Christian is being conformed to the image of Christ. The Christian has the Holy Spirit helping their souls to become "better". The athiest attempts to become better in their own strength. Or else cares not.

There may be some conatations you have with soul or spirit which may cause what I've written to seem wrong, and I admit the soul and spirit are very closely linked-- almost so much so that seperating them like I have could be considered wrong

I just find it easier to think about things this way and when I read the Bible it seems to make sense.

May God open our eyes to who He is, and who we are.
And now I pray God's blessing over everyone! Christian and athiest! May God convict all our hearts of our need for Him! May He allow us all to experience real and pure love. Indeed indeed, amen.

Jonathan

Intrepid99 · Feb 12, 2005

Are you a moral person?
Theoritically, absolutely!! I think there are a lot of atheists out there who live a moral life.
But if you were to defend logically that you are a moral person being an atheist, and why that life ought to be lived in that way and not in any other way, the answer to that is in the negative.

The notion with "religious" people about atheists are immoral because they don't care. Obviously they have seen an immoral atheist who has behaved in an undesirable way to them. Hence, they came to that conclusion.

But, why wouldn't they come to the same conclusion if they have seen a "christian" behave in that way? Think about it for a while. Tell me what you think is the answer.

Ilium · Feb 12, 2005

In my eyes, I see it like this, religion is a double-edged blade, one side of the negative, and one side of the positive. The negative side is the past things that the Church, and ultimately the faith, has done to other cultures and people. One thing some Christians (Atheists can too) do is that they try to force their ideology onto you, and if you do not accept, you are labelled as evil and rebellious. Same with a Christian trying to convert an Atheist, and an Atheist trying to do the same with their beliefs on the Christian. It makes the Atheist think the Christian is arrogant and high on themselves when they refuse and force themselves unto them. Also, I do find some religious people to be rather bigots when they want to, just an example..

I go to a Catholic School (I seriously do) We were discussing the Inquisition and the Crusades in a chapter, and when it came time to discuss the Inquisition.. eh. What I was told by our religion teacher is that the Inquisition is positive to the faith because it weeded out "heresy-spreading" Atheists, despite the horrific tortures and burnings. Well it didn't stop there, half the class actually believed what she said, and it made me feel as if they knew that I was Atheist, they would openly harrass me.

My point with this is that alot of Christians don't understand their own faith. Rather, they see it as a way to wield power over others, and a way to openly spread their own "Holy" animosity and bigotry. When the real message of your Christ is that he wants ALL to be equal, and all to love and cherish the lives of those around them. This obviously has been taken and warped in a way to make Holy wars and the like possible. Not that I'm excusing some rather rude behavior from Atheist minds. Alot of the times, it's just that the negatives overflow the giving and loving power of the positive additions to our society. Just like the negative Atheists overflow the positive ones that are willing to learn the faith, and study it, but not partake in it because of belief structure.

traviscatholic12 · Feb 12, 2005

Garnet2727 said:
I heard it again today in passing. A conversation I overhead as I was walking to my car after work. "Atheists are just evil," said a woman about my age to the nodding agreement of her companions. As I passed by, another younger woman said, "Atheists are the reason there's so much trouble in the world."

This is a sentiment I never actually heard casually until I moved to Montgomery, AL last April. Oh, I'd read it in some forums. Heard it watching some Christian TV. But since I've been here, I've heard similar statements at work, at the grocery store, in a park, in a cafeteria.

And it worries me...scares me in fact. If people really, REALLY believe I am evil because I'm an atheist, what then could they be led to do to me? Do they wish me harm? Do they think that I will, with my lack of belief cause them harm? What is the nature of this evil?

Perhaps I'm over reacting, I am experiencing a great deal of stress and sadness right now.

So tell me, help me to understand.

Do you as a Christian believe that atheists are evil? If you do, why? If you do, what will you do about us?

If you don't, why? What is your reaction when you hear a fellow believer say that atheists are evil?

In no way do I believe that atheists are evil. I have many atheist friends. They're normal people. I don't understand how "Christians," can be so judgemental. Judgeing should be left up to God, we're all in the same boat here on earth. " For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." And, " Judge lest you be judged."

TheBear · Feb 12, 2005

Ilium said:
In my eyes, I see it like this, religion is a double-edged blade, one side of the negative, and one side of the positive. The negative side is the past things that the Church, and ultimately the faith, has done to other cultures and people. One thing some Christians (Atheists can too) do is that they try to force their ideology onto you, and if you do not accept, you are labelled as evil and rebellious. Same with a Christian trying to convert an Atheist, and an Atheist trying to do the same with their beliefs on the Christian. It makes the Atheist think the Christian is arrogant and high on themselves when they refuse and force themselves unto them. Also, I do find some religious people to be rather bigots when they want to, just an example..

I go to a Catholic School (I seriously do) We were discussing the Inquisition and the Crusades in a chapter, and when it came time to discuss the Inquisition.. eh. What I was told by our religion teacher is that the Inquisition is positive to the faith because it weeded out "heresy-spreading" Atheists, despite the horrific tortures and burnings. Well it didn't stop there, half the class actually believed what she said, and it made me feel as if they knew that I was Atheist, they would openly harrass me.

My point with this is that alot of Christians don't understand their own faith. Rather, they see it as a way to wield power over others, and a way to openly spread their own "Holy" animosity and bigotry. When the real message of your Christ is that he wants ALL to be equal, and all to love and cherish the lives of those around them. This obviously has been taken and warped in a way to make Holy wars and the like possible. Not that I'm excusing some rather rude behavior from Atheist minds. Alot of the times, it's just that the negatives overflow the giving and loving power of the positive additions to our society. Just like the negative Atheists overflow the positive ones that are willing to learn the faith, and study it, but not partake in it because of belief structure.

That's all fine and dandy.

But in this particular forum, questions are directed to Christians, about Christianity. Only Christians are to reply here.

mycatspice · Feb 12, 2005

Atheists are not evil. All people are naturally prone to do sinful acts (Christians included), it's just that Christians have excepted Christ to save them from being absent from God (both on earth and then later in Hell). Something that Atheists don't have it the Holy Spirit which allows supernatural strength to resist temptation (if we draw upon that power is our choice).
Sin, by definition, is absense from God. The only evil out there is the force that draws one away from God which results in sin (Lucifer and the demonic realm). For Atheists, I pray that you will open your hearts and allow Christ in your hearts! For Christians, I pray that you will continue to battle the temptations of this world and continue to live in the will of God.
Hope that made some sense...

MinDach · Feb 12, 2005

And it worries me...scares me in fact. If people really, REALLY believe I am evil because I'm an atheist, what then could they be led to do to me? Do they wish me harm? Do they think that I will, with my lack of belief cause them harm? What is the nature of this evil

No Atheist are not evil, there are (many) atheist in most Christian familys who are not evil, it"s our brother or sister even mom or dad. How could we say all are evil. There are some people who do evil acts, even when Cain killed his brother, God did not destroy him, he was punished for what he did. Evil & Good are in all mankind, we all have it, some people can not control it. With God's Spirit we have a easier time dealing with evil within our self's.

wardpossy · Feb 12, 2005

The other day I was thinking about the problem some atheists have with evil. They will say they dont believe in God because theres so much evil in the world. But anyone who says theres evil in the world has to wrestle with where the ability to make moral judgments comes from.

In a world where there is no God, there cannot be the way things should be. If everything that exists is merely the result of meaningless chaos and evolution, then there is no good or evil, right or wrong; theres only pain, discomfort, and deathall teasing us with temporary painlessness, ease, and fleeting breath.

Actually, given the power and creativity of people, the great marvel is not that there is evil but that there is goodness. Why isnt life more horrible and joyless than it is? Why doesnt society collapse into violent competition and constant warfare like with predatory animals and their prey? Why dont people all just scratch and claw for every personal advantage? Why do some people sacrifice? Indeed, why dont people tormented by the evil in this world just choose death instead of miserable life?

Well, the truth is that death, pain, and evil compel every one of usconfessing atheist or notto believe that something is horribly wrong with the world. In the depth of our soul something rebels against evil. Professing atheists have to understand that they cant have such a moral view of the way things should be unless they also grant that there is a God.

George MacDonald once commented, If one doesnt believe in the good person he can see, how will he ever believe in a good God he cant see? Thats one reason Christians strive to be loving and good: It gives atheists a healthy doubt about their beliefs. And we pray that it leads them on to embrace the God who built within them a sense of right and wrongand a haunting desire for goodness. Dean Ohlman
Information from RBC

PRMan · Feb 14, 2005

Perhaps they were thinking of these verses:

Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 14:1
[ For the director of music. Of David. ] The fool [ The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient. ] says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Psalm 36:1
[ For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD . ] An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: [ Or heart: / Sin proceeds from the wicked. ] There is no fear of God before his eyes.

The Bible seems quite clear that those who say there is no God are wicked/evil. Sorry, but that IS what I am seeing in these verses. I pray that you will seek God.

Faith In God · Feb 14, 2005

PRMan said:
Perhaps they were thinking of these verses:

Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 14:1
[ For the director of music. Of David. ] The fool [ The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient. ] says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Psalm 36:1
[ For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD . ] An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: [ Or heart: / Sin proceeds from the wicked. ] There is no fear of God before his eyes.

The Bible seems quite clear that those who say there is no God are wicked/evil. Sorry, but that IS what I am seeing in these verses. I pray that you will seek God.

goldenviolet · Feb 15, 2005

Do you believe that atheists are evil?

I heard it again today in passing. A conversation I overhead as I was walking to my car after work. "Atheists are just evil," said a woman about my age to the nodding agreement of her companions. As I passed by, another younger woman said, "Atheists are the reason there's so much trouble in the world."

This is a sentiment I never actually heard casually until I moved to Montgomery, AL last April. Oh, I'd read it in some forums. Heard it watching some Christian TV. But since I've been here, I've heard similar statements at work, at the grocery store, in a park, in a cafeteria.

And it worries me...scares me in fact. If people really, REALLY believe I am evil because I'm an atheist, what then could they be led to do to me? Do they wish me harm? Do they think that I will, with my lack of belief cause them harm? What is the nature of this evil?

Perhaps I'm over reacting, I am experiencing a great deal of stress and sadness right now.

So tell me, help me to understand.

Do you as a Christian believe that atheists are evil? If you do, why? If you do, what will you do about us?

If you don't, why? What is your reaction when you hear a fellow believer say that atheists are evil?

Click to expand...

there is evil in all of us. the bible says that some will claim to know God but He will say to them "i never knew you" ..... only God can know the hearts of man. just because someone does not believe in God... does not mean they won't change their views and except Christ later. likewise a christian who does not commit his life to all of biblical instruction may not be living as a true child of God. we are all children of God. we are suppose to not judge one another, but work toward the edification of one another. so many people with so many views. you will find many answers. but one thing will always be true... God is the same yesterday, today and tomarrow.

Garnet2727 · Feb 15, 2005

My apologies to everyone. Normally, when I start a thread, I'm able to stay on top of it and reply as posts come in. However, I've been going through some upheaval in my life since I wrote the OP and I haven't been able to reply individually. I have read each and every post and I thank you all for contributing to this topic. Each of you has contributed your thoughts, beliefs and well wishes. I am profoundly moved by many of the responses and the sheer number of replies.

I know that some of you have asked me questions and I will try to respond as soon as I can. However, it may be some time yet as...well...right now I'm up to my hind end in alligators while trudging through the swamp.

I wish you all well and thank you again for all the replies.

Celticflower · Feb 15, 2005

Garnet2727 said:
However, it may be some time yet as...well...right now I'm up to my hind end in alligators while trudging through the swamp.

I wish you all well and thank you again for all the replies.

Anybody got a boat and a rifle they can loan Garnet?

Since I don't I will just offer prayers that you emerge from the swamp in one piece.

Celtie

aca_rev55 · Feb 15, 2005

There's nothing wrong with atheists. I'm not saying that because I'm an atheist, in fact, I base nothing I say about myself... just so we got that down.

Anyway, yea there's nothing wrong with atheists. People are people. We're all homosapiens, we are all succeptable to any mental illness which can change how we percieve things. My dog could think I'M a god and it wouldn't be her fault. Dogs are just as smart as people... so they don't talk, or don't "think" like we would think, but they aren't stupid, they can learn things. Several chimpanzees' intelligence has been equal to that of a 4 year old human. People are intelligent beings, but that doesn't mean they are able to control their intelligence. We are only in control of like 8% of our mind and perceptions... the rest is sub-conscious. That's how hypnosis works. A large majority of the world believes Christian beliefs... some because that is honestly what they believe, personally. Some are simply because that's what they have been told to believe. Others, just because everyone else is... popularity. Christian preachers back in the day were popular with a lot of people... it's human nature to follow somebody you like.

To me, there is no such thing as "evil." Just, human.

heavenliejediofthebeach · Feb 15, 2005

Well, I dont think athiests are evil. I do think they are sinners like any of us. I dont think anyone is better then anyone

Do you believe that atheists are evil?

Towel Bearer

Illogical, irrational, reprobate

A little FIG is all we need...

Member

Trad Goth

Regular Member

Senior Member

Active Member

Active Member

NON-WOKED

Love God, love others.

Active Member

Warrior For Christ

Part-Time Bible Scholar

A little FIG is all we need...

Holy is the Lord God Almighty

Illogical, irrational, reprobate

charity crocheter

aca_rev55

Guest

post star wars depression <img src="http://www3.ch

Similar threads