Why am I so disliked?

renewed21 said:

quote=cburden;60893242]
People who were once kind and friendly toward me began disassociating themselves with me and avoiding contact as if atheism means that I am an immoral heathen or some such thing. But I'm the same sweet, compassionate person that I have always been.



Most people dont have an understanding of what modern atheist philosophy is. Atheism still carries the connotation of deviance, subversiveness and being the devils pawn, espescially in the Bible belt. What people don't understand the move away from, both emotionally and personally (humans associate with other humans of similar race, creed , mindset, personality, etc.) Therefore they will distance themselves from you and you will certainly not be embraced.



There were many articles and blogs that I found when I researched this issue but the studies and polls that I was referring to were published through reputable universities.



Well reputable university is a relative term. Higher education is assuredly biased against Christianity. There is an element of agenda.



I think it's sad that being an atheist, though it is technically illegal, can hinder you from getting a job or running for political office.



Try and get a job as a professing Christian in a university. As for politicians they have no beliefs beyond egocentric beliefs and will follow whatever societal whim will get them elected.

Society is moving toward atheism (IMO it is already there) and culture is definately there already.

No one should shun you or mistreat you. I am very sorry if that has happened. You deserve to be loved like any person deserves to be loved. Might I suggest that you pose the same questions to your former colleages as you did in your OP. I am sorry for your troubles.

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I think they treat us like anti-Christ or something to some denominations out there which is completely untrue. You are not alone.

Rusticus said:

It is not. Did I say it was wrong to have faith in Capitalism? It is a personal choice.
However: There is nothing in the teachings of Jesus that would discourage us from working for social justice.

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Real "Social justice" is actually us going to Hell for our sin. Not a single one of us deserves an easy life. In fact we don't deserve life at all! We have all done very bad things and occasionally still do. God says that even hating our brother is equal to murder. So basically all of us are murderers. Jesus said 'give to the poor' because that is the Godly thing to do. Not once did he try to convince Roman soldiers to tie a rich man to a post and seize his wealth and then convince Caesar to redistribute it to lower income people who want it. If he could do this then he might as well also kill the brutal imperialistic Romans and be the warrior savior that the Jews were waiting for.

Of course he was not into any of that but instead he demonstrated the path that we are all supposed to take. Give everything take nothing. When Jesus gave to the poor it was an extension of the gift of eternal life. He did it so that they would witness the grace of God. If Jesus promoted modern-style "social justice" there would be a few problems. 1. The poor would develop a sense of entitlement and ignore all the other teachings of Christ and the old testament 2. Everyone would hate each other instead of love each other. Jesus came to show that God is love, not to make the poor hate the rich and the rich hate the poor. Yes that is what will happen!

Rusticus said:

Therefore, if you believe it is wrong to struggle for social justice, it's because of Capitalist ideology, not because of the teachings of Jesus.

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I do not believe in capitalism either. I do not believe in any human system. People are too corrupt for any system to ever work. If human beings were fundamentally good, even a 100% tax system would work flawlessly. As we stand right not, even the somewhat decent types will refuse to work extra hard to pay taxes to benefit those who hate them unconditionally. It is an utterly pointless endeavor because it doesn't bring any happiness to anyone. The hard workers suffer the tax and the 'poor' still feel entitled to more.

A great leader once said "socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and Hell where they already have it"

Rusticus said:

And just before you get upset again: It's obviously your right to say that one should not struggle for social justice; but I do object when you claim this is what Jesus teaches us!

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I wasn't upset but the comment was hard to address. Can we please move this discussion to the political thread? This doesn't seem to be an appropriate place for this. I have plenty more arguments but it's not fair to the poster of this thread to waste her time any more.

Soothfish said:

Can we please move this discussion to the political thread? This doesn't seem to be an appropriate place for this. I have plenty more arguments but it's not fair to the poster of this thread to waste her time any more.

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Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll refrain:
I think we have had our wires crossed - because I do not view the discussion we've had as political, whereas you seem to.
I myself am neither communist nor socialist, so what would we talk about?
It is just that I had known some (a few) Communists and some (many) Socialists personally who also were Christians, so I could not let you get away with saying it was not possible...
Be well.

cburden said:

I consider myself an atheist and while I am not particular public about it, when it does come up there is a very quick and obvious change in the way a person treats/converses/approaches me. I have even lost close relationships with people whom I had a long standing friendship with until they found out that I wasn't a Christian. I am a kind, generous, honest, and loving person and yet I find that I am often disliked and/or feared simply because I am an atheist.
I did some looking around and even found a research study showing that Atheists are the most hated and distrusted minority in America. I'm just not sure how to handle this. Like I said before I am good person. I have moral standards, a warm heart, and am friendly with any and all. So what is the problem?
Any comments, advice, etc?

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You may find it somewhat inspiring that it was Agnostics and Atheists in Israel who were the strongest supporters of Operation Moses and Operation Solomon where thousands of Ethiopian Falashas were airlifted to become citizens of Israel!

I consider this one of the most ethical acts of modern history....but it was supported most fervently by people who were not religious at all!!!!!

I believe you will get an inspiring picture of how differently our Creator may view atheists than the approach taken by His followers!!!


Beverly Brodsky - near-death experiences

Beverly Brodsky was raised in a conservative Jewish family in a mostly Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia. She went through her teens as an atheist. Since learning of the Holocaust at age eight, she had turned angrily against any early belief in God. How could God exist and permit such a thing to occur? In July 1970, her questions were answered when a motorcycle accident led to her near-death experience.

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.............

There was neither form nor sex to this perfect being. It, which I shall in the future call he, in keeping without our commonly accepted syntax, contained everything, as white light contains all the colors of a rainbow when penetrating a prism. And deep within me came an instant and wondrous recognition: I, even I, was facing God.

I immediately lashed out at him with all the questions I had ever wondered about; all the injustices I had seen in the physical world. I don't know if I did this deliberately, but I discovered that God knows all your thoughts immediately and responds telepathically. My mind was naked; in fact, I became pure mind. The ethereal body which I had traveled in through the tunnel seemed to be no more; it was just my personal intelligence confronting that Universal Mind, which clothed itself in a glorious, living light that was more felt that seen, since no eye could absorb its splendor.

I don't recall the exact content of our discussion; in the process of return, the insights that came so clearly and fully in Heaven were not brought back with me to Earth. I'm sure that I asked the question that had been plaguing me since childhood about the sufferings of my people. I do remember this: There was a reason for everything that happened, no matter how awful it appeared in the physical realm. And within myself, as I was given the answer, my own awakening mind now responded in the same manner:

"Of course," I would think, "I already know that. How could I ever have forgotten!"

Indeed, it appears that all that happens is for a purpose, and that purpose is already known to our eternal self.

In time the questions ceased, because I suddenly was filled with all the Being's wisdom. I was given more than just the answers to my questions; all knowledge unfolded to me, like the instant blossoming of an infinite number of flowers all at once. I was filled with God's knowledge, and in that precious aspect of his Beingness, I was one with him. But my journey of discovery was just beginning.

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For the record, I also was an atheist for quite a few years but once the implications of the Law of Probability, The Anthropic Principle, String Theory and the Cyclic Model of the Universe sank through....I considered my utter disbelief to be illogical!!!!


Dogmatic Atheists Lack Mathematical Aptitude.: Did God Evolve?

You say you are an atheist, and also that you are an agnostic. The difference matters.

The Christians in the South seem to have learnt to lean on their faith through difficult times, and it would make them more aware of the vast spiritual war that is going on all around us, and in which we are involved whether we want to be or not. It is a war however in which we demonstrate our strength by our attitude to the cross, and our preparedness to suffer under its banner, so to speak.

Yes, it's tribal, but that's the nature of wars. Many agnostics are true seekers and may have extraordinary integrity in God's eyes, but may be caught in so-called "friendly fire", or "blue on blue".

About atheists, Christ said that, if they were not for him, they were against him. If they were not gathering with him, they were scattering. This, I imagine, would be the feelings of those former friends and relatives who have cooled to you.

I wonder if Marcus Aurelius had any inkling of the spiritual war we are caught up in. I doubt it. You see, it's not just about keeping your nose clean and being "nice". Atheists have been wreaking havoc in our societies, and the impression you give is that you haven't noticed it. So even discussing it in greater depth would seem to be futile.