Discussion with an Atheist - Explaining Faith with Reason

[Ledifni]

the discussion is whether or not we can all have a tolerance for people's beliefs, whether or not they meet our litmus test for what we measure to be true is inconsequential.

What I still can't understand (and what you still haven't explained for me) is what in the world made you think in the first place that we can't have tolerance for people's beliefs. Oh, I'll grant you that many people don't tolerate differing opinions, and if you ever happen to meet one of those individuals, then argue the point with them to your heart's content.

But it doesn't seem to me that you bothered to find out whether anybody here fits that criterion. It seems to me that you thought, "Some people don't tolerate others' beliefs, therefore everybody here must refuse to tolerate my beliefs and I should yell and scream at them until they cower in fear and agree to tolerate my beliefs." In other words, you're railing at us for crimes we didn't even commit, just because some people exist who do commit those crimes.

 

[Ledifni]

Tolerance: The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.

Since you people are sucking me dry to the bone, I’ll leave you with this. Keep it to yourself if you’re capable. Your only answer seems to be that you don’t have one. Why then take that away from someone who does especially if you believe you have the power to do so? Honestly view what atheism is about. Lets consider you were right and that the whole of human existence up to this point has been lying to itself concerning a creator. Is it not a beautiful lie? Does it not fuel so much virtue and love in this world?

Nope. People who are virtuous and loving, religious or not, fuel virtue and love. People who are immoral and hateful fuel immorality and hatred. Whatever you think you know about religious people, I can tell you that my observations have quite thoroughly convinced me that neither theists nor atheists have a monopoly on virtue and love. Virtuous and loving theists pick virtuous and loving religions -- but there are many evil and hateful beliefs and sects, and many people are members of them. Finally, it is quite clear that virtue and love are not universal to Christianity, as evidenced by the vicious and hateful rhetoric and politics in which certain American Christians have been indulging for the past several years and beyond.