Talk:Top 10 atheist conversation killers

Latest revision as of 08:32, 27 April 2009

I don't have ten, but as a liberal Christian I'd like to offer a few comments.

1. Please don't assume that Christians are all the same. A conversation with a Southern Baptist is unlikely to be the same as a conversation with a Roman Catholic or a Presbyterian or a Seventh-Day Adventist. We all have different interpretations and emphasis of scripture - in fact there are even slightly different books in the canon from one denomination to another. This is true of just about every religion in the world. Find out who I am and what I uniquely believe and I will try to do the same with you.

2. Don't ridicule me for my beliefs. In the same way that some Christians might spend an entire conversation with a non-believer trying to convince and convert them, some atheists don't take me seriously as an intelligent person. Instead of smirking or expressing disdain for my beliefs, be open for me to express how I feel and what it does for me.

3. Don't approach any conversation with me as if it is a debate. Don't ask me to "prove" my faith with a logically constructed argument. Maybe some others will try to do this. All I can offer is what works for me, how it makes me feel, and how it makes me live my life.

4. Don't quote the scriptures out of context to show how screwed up my religion is. Do you think I don't know that there are passages in the Bible that contradict one another, or that seem violent or misogynistic or just plain silly? Remember that the Bible I read and study was written over thousands of years by many different authors, intended for a specific audience. It's not helpful to any dialogue we have if you grab one verse out of Leviticus or the Book of Revelation and throw it in my face.

5. Don't define yourself from a negative perspective. If any communication that we have together starts with the idea that you "don't" believe in God and I "do", then I don't know who you are. I only know who you are not. Tell me who you are and what you "do" believe.

6. Don't expect that I'm going to "prove" anything to you. I can't logically explain to you why I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior any more than I can logically explain to you why I love my wife. I can give you thoughts and feelings. I don't think any Christian should try to prove the existence of God. Faith is belief in the absence of proof.

7. Don't continue to engage in conversations for which there is no hope of agreement. If you really don't believe, and I really do, I just don't think there's any point in continuing on that subject. Why waste so much energy on the debate? Let's move on. How can we work together to end hunger on the planet, or educate our children better? My approach is motivated more by scripture, yours by a Humanist perspective, but we can still work together.

8. Don't be offended if I pray for you. I'm not suggesting superiority if I say I'll pray for you. I'm telling you that I care enough about you to take the time to talk to my God about you.

response

 I've posted this to the forum:  http://forum.freethoughtpedia.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=107