Why do some Atheists say Christianity is harmful?

[Jayhawker Soule]

Really? I've been with my partner for 30 years. Exclusively. And sex is not even close to the reason we remain together.

I've always suspected that it had much more to do with the jointly owned moonshine still out back.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Nor do i want to directly force people, however i obviously want society be influenced by my values and my people i want to control the government.

Doesnt that make sense to you?

What does not make sense to me is that you spent several previous posts excusing genocide for religious reasons.

Our religious values do of course impact our politics, as they should. But it is a whole other ballgame to want to establish a theocracy where one's own religion will be forced upon the culture. Do you not see the difference?

 

[Eddi]

You know, in a way if people like you think theyre super evil, this for me makes them even more right. Because if secularists etc. think theyre evil (they dont even believe in objective morals so why would they say this?) Think my institution is pure evil, if they hate and seethe, then obviously theyre doing something right, because if the World hates us, then were right.

I didn't call them evil

Humans are rarely evil

They are however human, all too human

And they have succumbed to the temptations of wealth and power and are a load of raging hypocrits

It is the institution that is dodgy as ****

The huge majority of Catholics are decent people, I'd say this is in spite of the influence of their church, not because of it

 

[Subduction Zone]

Wel lyou arent so squeamish about it when hollywood elites do it right? Or the children who go missing everyday. Well they dont get abused by catholics, no they get abused by rich satanist perverts. Why the selective outrage?

This not only a Tu Quoque fallacy, but you will find that the same people advocating for criminal punishment of Catholic priests also supported criminal punishment of the Hollywood elites that abused their power.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I was hoping you would show up, my friend. How are you? I hope you and your partner are doing well.

We are indeed. We've been invited to my new-found family's Christmas celebration, and looking forward to it. I wish that @Melchizedek99 could see that I lived for 70 years as an orphan, and have now discovered a new family numbering in the hundreds who all accept my partner and I as full-fledged members of the clan.

Tragically, I suspect that @Melchizedek99 won't find life so comfortable -- he first has to come to grips with who he is, and not only accept but cherish it. It is never wrong to care about yourself. It is never wrong to be authentically you. The sin is trying to be something you are not -- and thus fooling other people into accepting you because you lied to them.

 

[danieldemol]

You know, in a way if people like you think theyre super evil, this for me makes them even more right. Because if secularists etc. think theyre evil (they dont even believe in objective morals so why would they say this?) Think my institution is pure evil, if they hate and seethe, then obviously theyre doing something right, because if the World hates us, then were right.

If persecution proved people correct why haven't you converted to Falun Gong or Uighur Islam?

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I was thinking more of these guys:

View attachment 85570
"Obey us or you'll be tortured for all eternity!"

This brings to mind a street preacher that I used to know. I first met him when he was heckling me while I was street preaching. He and I conversed back and forth for a few minutes, and I learned that he was attending a Catholic seminary to become a priest. He was raised Catholic, and his whole family was Catholic. He tried to dispute my evangelistic message, but he failed miserably, and he knew it. He left abruptly rather than admit defeat, but he came back the next night and tried it again. This time I invited him to speak with me after I was finished preaching, and he accepted. He and I conversed for a couple of hours, and then he left. I didn't see him again for several weeks. I thought that perhaps he had concluded that I wasn't worth his time anymore because he couldn't convert me to Catholicism. Well, I saw him again after I had finished preaching in another town. As it turns out, a few days after our discussion, he left the seminary and the Catholic Church. He converted to Protestantism and was attending a Bapist church. He said that what I had said in our last discussion had convinced him to convert. He also told me that he felt called to be a street preacher like me, so I sponsored him in the evangelism training program that I went through. The last time I saw him was during his first attempt to street preach. It wasn't bad for his first attempt. Sadly, he and his wife and young son moved away because of the conflict with his family after he left the Catholic Church and converted to Protestantism. He was a nice man.

 

[Eddi]

This brings to mind a street preacher that I used to know. I first met him when he was heckling me while I was street preaching. He and I conversed back and forth for a few minutes, and I learned that he was attending a Catholic seminary to become a priest. He was raised Catholic, and his whole family was Catholic. He tried to dispute my evangelistic message, but he failed miserably, and he knew it. He left abruptly rather than admit defeat, but he came back the next night and tried it again. This time I invited him to speak with me after I was finished preaching, and he accepted. He and I conversed for a couple of hours, and then he left. I didn't see him again for several weeks. I thought that perhaps he had concluded that I wasn't worth his time anymore because he couldn't convert me to Catholicism. Well, I saw him again after I had finished preaching in another town. As it turns out, a few days after our discussion, he left the seminary and the Catholic Church. He converted to Protestantism and was attending a Bapist church. He said that what I had said in our last discussion had convinced him to convert. He also told me that he felt called to be a street preacher like me, so I sponsored him in the evangelism training program that I went through. The last time I saw him was during his first attempt to street preach. It wasn't bad for his first attempt. Sadly, he and his wife and young son moved away because of the conflict with his family after he left the Catholic Church and converted to Protestantism. He was a nice man.

You must have been really good at it!

 

[Melchizedek99]

We are indeed. We've been invited to my new-found family's Christmas celebration, and looking forward to it. I wish that @Melchizedek99 could see that I lived for 70 years as an orphan, and have now discovered a new family numbering in the hundreds who all accept my partner and I as full-fledged members of the clan.

Tragically, I suspect that @Melchizedek99 won't find life so comfortable -- he first has to come to grips with who he is, and not only accept but cherish it. It is never wrong to care about yourself. It is never wrong to be authentically you. The sin is trying to be something you are not -- and thus fooling other people into accepting you because you lied to them.

My life will never be comfortable indeed, i suffer from chronic healt hissues, chronic pain, if theres no miracle cure, i will suffer all my life. And im ok with that, thanks to faith.

If i had no faith i would have roped by now.

 

[Melchizedek99]

This brings to mind a street preacher that I used to know. I first met him when he was heckling me while I was street preaching. He and I conversed back and forth for a few minutes, and I learned that he was attending a Catholic seminary to become a priest. He was raised Catholic, and his whole family was Catholic. He tried to dispute my evangelistic message, but he failed miserably, and he knew it. He left abruptly rather than admit defeat, but he came back the next night and tried it again. This time I invited him to speak with me after I was finished preaching, and he accepted. He and I conversed for a couple of hours, and then he left. I didn't see him again for several weeks. I thought that perhaps he had concluded that I wasn't worth his time anymore because he couldn't convert me to Catholicism. Well, I saw him again after I had finished preaching in another town. As it turns out, a few days after our discussion, he left the seminary and the Catholic Church. He converted to Protestantism and was attending a Bapist church. He said that what I had said in our last discussion had convinced him to convert. He also told me that he felt called to be a street preacher like me, so I sponsored him in the evangelism training program that I went through. The last time I saw him was during his first attempt to street preach. It wasn't bad for his first attempt. Sadly, he and his wife and young son moved away because of the conflict with his family after he left the Catholic Church and converted to Protestantism. He was a nice man.

God will held you accountable for not only your deconversion but also leading other souls astray.

 

[Melchizedek99]

I didn't call them evil

Humans are rarely evil

They are however human, all too human

And they have succumbed to the temptations of wealth and power and are a load of raging hypocrits

It is the institution that is dodgy as ****

The huge majority of Catholics are decent people, I'd say this is in spite of the influence of their church, not because of it

What are you talking about? Priests are not wealthy.

 

[McBell]

God will held you accountable for not only your deconversion but also leading other souls astray.

OK then.
So nothing to worry about.

 

[Melchizedek99]

OK then.
So nothing to worry about.

But lets assume for one second atheism is true. Life has no meaning.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

You must have been really good at it!

I was, and I'm sure I still am, but it would be dishonest of me to do that now since I no longer believe and am not a Christian anymore. I worked hard at it and crafted my style of preaching and evangelism into an art form. It also helped that I had spent several years studying the Bible and Christian theology.

 

[Melchizedek99]

I was, and I'm sure I still am, but it would be dishonest of me to do that now since I no longer believe and am not a Christian anymore. I worked hard at it and crafted my style of street preaching and evangelism into an art form. I also studied the Bible and Christian theology extensively for several years.

SO WHY Would you deconvert, just why? How can you just say i dont believe anymore? You dont even fear hell or what?

 

[Orbit]

But lets assume for one second atheism is true. Life has no meaning.

I don't understand why you say this. I'm an atheist, and I feel that my life has meaning. Who taught you this absurdity that life would have no meaning?

 

[IndigoChild5559]

God will held you accountable for not only your deconversion but also leading other souls astray.

I think God knows humans are profoundly stupid and don't usually think straight. I really don't think God considers making an intellectual mistake a sin.

 

[The Hammer]

But lets assume for one second atheism is true. Life has no meaning.

Bull****.

Gods don't give your life meaning. You give your life meaning, through your Gods.

 

[Melchizedek99]

I don't understand why you say this. I'm an atheist, and I feel that my life has meaning. Who taught you this absurdity that life would have no meaning?

Well lets put it this way, religion and faith is the only thing keeping me alive. Without it i would have roped long ago. God appeared to me in my darkest hour, and saved me from death (yes i nearly died via suicide, near death experience etc.)

 

[IndigoChild5559]

But lets assume for one second atheism is true. Life has no meaning.

You can't argue that something is true or false simply based on you desire for it to be true or false.