What do christians think of atheists?

[undoing]

Hi, I would watch all of it if my internet connection wasn't painfully slow. I watched it up to around about where she mentions morality (a minute or so). At the start she says she is a secular humanist and an atheist so most of what follows probably reflects this. Secular humanism isn't very well known in Australia, it has some good ideas you might like to hear.
Cheers.

 

[jcnwog]

Hi, I would watch all of it if my internet connection wasn't painfully slow. I watched it up to around about where she mentions morality (a minute or so). At the start she says she is a secular humanist and an atheist so most of what follows probably reflects this. Secular humanism isn't very well known in Australia, it has some good ideas you might like to hear.
Cheers.

that's neat then. i did read about secular humanism and it is an attempt to function as a civilized human being with the exclusion of God and his moral principles!

and i can see where you came with australia not being well known for secular humanism because its really well known for a high percentage in christianity surprisingly!

and its nice to know you live in australia dude! i live in the united states!

 

[undoing]

that's neat then. i did read about secular humanism and it is an attempt to function as a civilized human being with the exclusion of God and his moral principles!

and i can see where you came with australia not being well known for secular humanism because its really well known for a high percentage in christianity surprisingly!

and its nice to know you live in australia dude! i live in the united states!

The nets good like that.
Between secular humanism and Christianity, I think many of the moral priciples and values would be shared. The main differences would be around faith in God, and of acceptance of different views - beliefs.
Secular humanism have large not for profit organisations which take on serious world issues such as providing voluteers to help rebuild townships in broken economys and assisting in places concerning natural disaster.

 

[I-can-see]

Hey undoing...do you WANT to believe what christians say? That's what it seems like to me, like you are looking for a reason to believe...right? If so, then JUST BELIEVE! What harm WILL it do to just put your faith in it? It's not like you are saying to the world that you believe in the boogy man...Christianity is well founded, and you will not be considered crazy. Lol.

Why not just believe without current proof? Think of it THIS way. What if Christians are RIGHT...then when you die, you gotta find out the hard way? But, if we are WRONG and there IS no God...then you have lost nothing by believing. Just a thought.

 

[undoing]

Hey undoing...do you WANT to believe what christians say? That's what it seems like to me, like you are looking for a reason to believe...right? If so, then JUST BELIEVE! What harm WILL it do to just put your faith in it? It's not like you are saying to the world that you believe in the boogy man...Christianity is well founded, and you will not be considered crazy. Lol.

Partly I would feel crazy if I did that for the sake of it, partly I wouldn't like the social ramifications of accepting it either. I could simply say that I believe in it, I don't think this is actually going to affect my beliefs or not though. So in a way to say I believe is in my opinion would really just be a statement, a sort of way of telling everyone - " I want to be identified as a Christian ". Whereas I do think the possibility of one is there, I don't necessarily think any version of God should be better than any other, even down to the individual interpretation.

Why not just believe without current proof? Think of it THIS way. What if Christians are RIGHT...then when you die, you gotta find out the hard way? But, if we are WRONG and there IS no God...then you have lost nothing by believing. Just a thought.

I'm amused by this. In a way I think you're absolutely correct, although for me this also raises the next question of which one to follow.
My reasoning / ideas go like this: If I don't know whether there is a God for sure, why spend my life searching through the potential millions for the correct version. Whereas, I can live according to my best ability and knowledge of what I know and just be hopeful that if there is a God he wont condemn me for it.

 

[I-can-see]

My reasoning / ideas go like this: If I don't know whether there is a God for sure, why spend my life searching through the potential millions for the correct version. Whereas, I can live according to my best ability and knowledge of what I know and just be hopeful that if there is a God he wont condemn me for it.

Well, the way we Christians believe kinda goes along the same lines...only we must accept Jesus in order to be accepted by God. Basically, nothing we alone will save us from Gods wrath.(I am sure you know the stories, of how Adam fell...Satan, all that...). Now, I know that by now you must be sick and tired of how Christians always harp on Satan and Hell...I know I am...But think about it this way. What would YOU do if you created something, and it did the OPPOSITE of what you wanted?

You create a new machine that is supposed to help plants grow, but instead it kills all plants, and poisions the ground. I don't know about you...but I would be pretty freakin mad. I would probably destroy the machine. That's kinda the position human kind is in right know...we are the defective machine that has already destroyed the plants and poisioned the ground.

The only difference is that, instead of scrapping us, our creator has decided to give us another shot. To get our shot, all we have to do is accept what he wants to teach us. His Son.

So, since we have already made him SO angry by poisioning the ground and killing the plants...there is nothing that we can EVER do to make up for what we have done. No act of kindness alone will save us, nor will any good deed. The only thing we can do is accept His Son, and allow Him to work on us.

Noooow, alot of people would ask a pretty good question. It was not ME who poisoned the ground...so why am I being punished? Well, check it out. When the original "machine" was created, it was also "programed" to remake itself a billion times over, and to download it's programing into its "copies"...so what you got is a billion plant killing, ground poisioning machines running around...

Yup, I would want to get rid of them myself lol. So, basically...living out your life to the best of your ability is not good enough in itself. We believe that you must accept Jesus, and His offer in order to be redeemed and saved. THEN you can live your life to the best of your abilities.

So many Christians think that it all ends upon believing in Jesus...but that is just the begining. We have to continue to improve, and stop "killing the plants and poisioning the ground". That's why you got so many people who have given Christians a bad rep to some people. =/

Oh ya, I am pretty sure that you have understood what I ment by "machines" and "poisioning the ground" by now. It is in reference to Adam...the original sin..and procreation.

But, ya...that's the difference between Christianity and just about every other religion in the world. What ya think?!

 

[undoing]

Well, the way we Christians believe kinda goes along the same lines...only we must accept Jesus in order to be accepted by God. Basically, nothing we alone will save us from Gods wrath.(I am sure you know the stories, of how Adam fell...Satan, all that...). Now, I know that by now you must be sick and tired of how Christians always harp on Satan and Hell...I know I am...But think about it this way. What would YOU do if you created something, and it did the OPPOSITE of what you wanted?

My take on this is that he hasn't made it clear to me personally. If God personally told me (somehow, but in a real way) to do something and then I didn't; I can imagine God feeling as though he were denied something, possibly that he should expect from me.

You create a new machine that is supposed to help plants grow, but instead it kills all plants, and poisions the ground. I don't know about you...but I would be pretty freakin mad. I would probably destroy the machine. That's kinda the position human kind is in right know...we are the defective machine that has already destroyed the plants and poisioned the ground.

This sounds like you're saying God created something which is basically inferior. I've heard of human error, etc, never God error.
If I were so upset with my machine and I had unlimited ability to do what ever I wanted, then I wouldn't have a problem.

The only difference is that, instead of scrapping us, our creator has decided to give us another shot. To get our shot, all we have to do is accept what he wants to teach us. His Son.

If God drops out of the clouds and explains it HIMSELF, I will take him on his word.

So, since we have already made him SO angry by poisioning the ground and killing the plants...there is nothing that we can EVER do to make up for what we have done. No act of kindness alone will save us, nor will any good deed. The only thing we can do is accept His Son, and allow Him to work on us.

To me I'm not angering any God(s), because I don't know if there really is one, I might imagine there to be one but there's no way for me to really know what he thinks about this or that.

Noooow, alot of people would ask a pretty good question. It was not ME who poisoned the ground...so why am I being punished? Well, check it out. When the original "machine" was created, it was also "programed" to remake itself a billion times over, and to download it's programing into its "copies"...so what you got is a billion plant killing, ground poisioning machines running around...

And all the while God's there going when the hell are they all going to be perfect according to my written word that was written ages ago by several different writers whom I had explain in it that I was directing them to write my words exactly!

Yup, I would want to get rid of them myself lol. So, basically...living out your life to the best of your ability is not good enough in itself. We believe that you must accept Jesus, and His offer in order to be redeemed and saved. THEN you can live your life to the best of your abilities.

You mean live my life in the way of the bible to the best of my abilities.

So many Christians think that it all ends upon believing in Jesus...but that is just the begining. We have to continue to improve, and stop "killing the plants and poisioning the ground". That's why you got so many people who have given Christians a bad rep to some people. =/

hmm, I like that belief doesn't end the development of knowledge and understanding. What if I were to adhere to this well enough but do not believe?

Oh ya, I am pretty sure that you have understood what I ment by "machines" and "poisioning the ground" by now. It is in reference to Adam...the original sin..and procreation.

In light of evolution I think the worse aspects of the machines have been lost through natural selection.

But, ya...that's the difference between Christianity and just about every other religion in the world. What ya think?!

I think you've given me a better understanding of what cardinal sin is about than I've ever obtained before. I did think the forbidden fruit sin was meant to be the reason for all current human suffering, etc, but I still believe there are more terrible deeds being committed in society than simply disobeying God's orders, according to the bible.
Why not focus on sins which are relevant to today? War, famine vs. wealth, domestic violence, etc. I think it's difficult to relate to the eating of a forbidden fruit in an otherwise mythical time as being some sort of horrendous act which I have to pay for - rather than something I can relate to like needing hundreds of thousands of dollars to own a house, or having a stuffed shoulder joint because I can't afford the operation.

 

[I-can-see]

You mean live my life in the way of the bible to the best of my abilities.

Nope, I say what I mean and mean what I say. I said live it to the best of your abilities. Period.

I think you've given me a better understanding of what cardinal sin is about than I've ever obtained before. I did think the forbidden fruit sin was meant to be the reason for all current human suffering, etc, but I still believe there are more terrible deeds being committed in society than simply disobeying God's orders, according to the bible.
Why not focus on sins which are relevant to today? War, famine vs. wealth, domestic violence, etc. I think it's difficult to relate to the eating of a forbidden fruit in an otherwise mythical time as being some sort of horrendous act which I have to pay for - rather than something I can relate to like needing hundreds of thousands of dollars to own a house, or having a stuffed shoulder joint because I can't afford the operation

Weeeell...it is too late to "save the world" from war and such...War, Famine, and all the other stuff that you mentioned falls under what I ment when I said "poisioned the ground". The original sin was "killing the plant"...the sins after that are "poisioning the ground". Yup, to late to save humanity from the fate of which we have chosen...Evil is now as part of this world as the air you breath. There is no getting rid of it under our own power.

 

[I-can-see]

This sounds like you're saying God created something which is basically inferior. I've heard of human error, etc, never God error.
If I were so upset with my machine and I had unlimited ability to do what ever I wanted, then I wouldn't have a problem.

God error? Not so, maybe I was not clear in what the machine was capable of...thinking, free will...ect.

If God were to use His infinate power to correct us by force, then that would take away our ability to chose Him. God is a very personal being. He wants to us to KNOW and love Him. That is why he doesn't just zap us and MAKE us do anything.

If God drops out of the clouds and explains it HIMSELF, I will take him on his word.

God has "dropped out if the clouds" several time already...His next trip to earth will be when he comes to kick some but...by then it will be too late. =/

 

[I-can-see]

Yup...the next time He comes to Earth, He will be knocking some heads! xD
Not a good thing to wait for in terms of making your decision if you ask me. Lol...I can see it.

You: Ok I believe you! Pleeeeeease don't hit me upside my head!!! Im beggin ya!!

God: Hmmmm...I gave you several chances to listen, without me having to come to knock you upside your head...Lemme think...*knock! Pow! Smash!"

Christians: *Flinch* *Gasp*

Lol, It will not happen like that. But the principal of what IS going to happen is the same. When He comes again...times up. Game Over. You Lose...or You Win. Depending on the choice you make BEFORE He "drops out the clouds." Unfortunatly you must make your choice to except Jesus BEFORE He "drops out of the clouds."
But, If you will allow yourself to see it, you will notice that His hand is in SO MANY events it is not even funny. With that you can gather the proof you want.

 

[undoing]

Nope, I say what I mean and mean what I say. I said live it to the best of your abilities. Period.

That's what I'm doing already.

Weeeell...it is too late to "save the world" from war and such...War, Famine, and all the other stuff that you mentioned falls under what I ment when I said "poisioned the ground". The original sin was "killing the plant"...the sins after that are "poisioning the ground". Yup, to late to save humanity from the fate of which we have chosen...Evil is now as part of this world as the air you breath. There is no getting rid of it under our own power.

You sound very defeatest here. As though it's all over and no effort will improve the situation.

God error? Not so, maybe I was not clear in what the machine was capable of...thinking, free will...ect.

If God were to use His infinate power to correct us by force, then that would take away our ability to chose Him. God is a very personal being. He wants to us to KNOW and love Him. That is why he doesn't just zap us and MAKE us do anything.

If as you say that God wants me to KNOW him and to let me choose to do so, why with all the power he's meant to possess can't he let me know he's there himself?

God has "dropped out if the clouds" several time already...His next trip to earth will be when he comes to kick some but...by then it will be too late. =/

I can the accounts of others heresay.
Apparently the laws of the land are of the laws of God, therefore, in comparing these I ask you: "What law would allow heresay as proof"?