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Atheist helping christians find God.

CMPancake said:
I didn't imply it was a needed service, rather people who struggle with faith that would need counseling on whether or not they should believe/not believe turning to strangers on the phone is just a bad idea.
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I'm an atheist (I prefer the term irreligious because Atheism has been taken over my Idiocy) . . . but I respect the right for people to have a faith and pursue that faith. Of course, i'm not giving help-line advice (just the entire idea of a help-line is silly) but I do talk to my kids about religion in order to ease their stress. They struggle with wanting be religious - when their mother is not religious. I'm not setting up barriers . . . I encourage them to make the choices that are right for them *without* having to feel pressured by their grandfather (a Christian minister) or their uncle (Jewish).

Turning to religious-minded people often puts pressure to adhere to THOSE beliefs and views . . . and I think that's the exact opposite of helpful.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
Lots of places are like that nowadays. But some aren't.

My situation was interesting. We moved there because there was a really good district. It had recently expanded, which was great for my father, because like most good districts, a lot of it was expensive to live in. The expansion gave him more options...

...But it also brought in some of the people from the district of Minnesota that is famous for having a record-setting rate of gay teen suicide and abusive conversion therapy practices. And they brought that into the schools.

I've recounted some of the things I saw and experienced before on DP. I felt unsafe even around some of my teachers. One time, in a choir I was in when we were having lunch after an event, the director and the other students were talking about what they'd do if an atheist ever started trying to tell them about evolution and that creationism was incorrect. Let's just say it wasn't "give them a cuddle."

Jews, gays, atheists, pagans, and Muslims were all targets. There were several violent incidents while I was there, one of which was near-fatal, a couple of which I actually saw, and one of which was aimed at me (along with a number of threats).
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I know a couple of people who were on the receiving end of beatings and threats because of they did not conform to the religious expectations. One was beaten by the ministers sons. Another had her skull cracked open because she was gay. and the people who assaulted her said they were just doing the Lord's work at their trial. Needless to say that both had highly negative views of religion in general, and Christianity in specific because of those experiences. It took exposure to some more liberal theology for them to realize not all religion is like that.
 
Peter Grimm said:
Yawn. There you go, overdramatizing things. Provide some statistics please of all these "unsafe" atheists who are being assaulted by Christians in this backward country.
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I posted (just after this), experiences two people i know when through. As for statistics?? Well, no idea. I just know individual accounts.
 
RAMOSS said:
I know a couple of people who were on the receiving end of beatings and threats because of they did not conform to the religious expectations. One was beaten by the ministers sons. Another had her skull cracked open because she was gay. and the people who assaulted her said they were just doing the Lord's work at their trial. Needless to say that both had highly negative views of religion in general, and Christianity in specific because of those experiences. It took exposure to some more liberal theology for them to realize not all religion is like that.
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Don't blame 'em. When that's what you know, it's understandable to have such a negative opinion. Mine was more negative than it is now too. The religious people in my family weren't much better than the people in my district. Less sociopathically violent, but they still threw my cousin on the street for being gay after one of my aunts maliciously outed him.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
Don't blame 'em. When that's what you know, it's understandable to have such a negative opinion. Mine was more negative than it is now too. The religious people in my family weren't much better than the people in my district. Less sociopathically violent, but they still threw my cousin on the street for being gay after one of my aunts maliciously outed him.
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I have a relative that came out as bi, and her parents just totally accepted it, and accepted her girlfriend too. One of my friend's has a gay son, and her daughter was pretty neutral for a while. She thought her daughter was gay, which she would have accepted, but she said "I hope she likes ****, because I want to be a grandmother"
 
Peter Grimm said:
Amusement.

Hilarity.

The sad, sweet irony of making an atheist who thought he was going to talk a good Christian out of his faith shrivel up in a corner and cry. I don't know, there's a lot of reasons.

I'm sure these guys are going to love to hear from a loud, proud Texas conservative like me. I'll tell them all about Jesus.

I bet I get at least 10 of them to quit this little job by the end of the week.
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I hope you're only joking.

If you aren't, I hope you'll reconsider because what you're talking about is ugly and nothing to be proud of. Maybe you should ask yourself WWJD.
 
RAMOSS said:
I have a relative that came out as bi, and her parents just totally accepted it, and accepted her girlfriend too. One of my friend's has a gay son, and her daughter was pretty neutral for a while. She thought her daughter was gay, which she would have accepted, but she said "I hope she likes ****, because I want to be a grandmother"
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Oh, the assumptions of parents who don't realize their kid's life doesn't belong to them.

I'm straight and won't be having kids -- me and 20% of the female population. So what if her kid is one of the childfree?

Or one of the gays who uses donor cells, for that matter?

I really wish parents would realize it's not about them.
 
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SmokeAndMirrors said:
Oh, the assumptions of parents who don't realize their kid's life doesn't belong to them.

I'm straight and won't be having kids -- me and 20% of the female population. So what if her kid is one of the childfree?

Or one of the gays who uses donor cells, for that matter?

I really wish parents would realize it's not about them.
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There is that. Of course, she said 'I am just being selfish that way'. Her son is gay, and she is very proud of him, and his accomplishments.
 
X Factor said:
To be fair, I absolutely do believe there are atheists who can and do support other's religious beliefs. In fact, I remember one atheist totally standing up for me in RL when he thought another atheist was belittling my faith (he actually wasn't, but it appeared that way to those who didn't know that that's just how we related to each other).
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I am an atheist that can and does support others religious beliefs. I see a lot of value to religious belief. My beef with religion has nothing to do with religion itself, but those within religions that perverse it for political and social agenda's. There are many times I wish I could be religious, and I in fact do still go to Church and involve myself with Church activities and charities. I just don't believe in God. I know a lot of people, especially atheists but probably most Christians as well don't understand why an atheist would have any interest in any of it, but I believe humans are social animals and that we thrive on meditation. And God is another form of meditation. We thrive on socializing with each other.

Just don't try telling me the Earth is 6,000 years old lol, and we'll be good.
 
I also want to add, I would definitely help anyone find whatever it is that gives them peace of mind and meaning to their lives. I've seen personally three of my best friends, all three alcoholics, change their lives around because of God. And I would do nothing but encourage that. Most atheists aren't out there to belittle faith, it just seems like that because of a minority of atheists in the media who get attention for stupid lawsuits over nativity scenes and prayer in school. Most atheists don't give a ****. I accept and embrace the culture of a Christian society, and participate in Christmas, Easter, etc. I bow my head and pray with my family (out of respect). I go to Church with them with a smile on my face because I enjoy spending time with my family.
 
This is an interesting concept. Especially steering the religious to the religious. Personally I would be leery of that. There are dozens of denominations and even churches vary within a community (the baptist church comes to mind as an example, but even Presbyterian churches vary church to church).

But I still like the idea. People who have no faith need someone to listen to as much as anyone else.

The pot luck comment bothers me though. Seems ignorant of many churches. Not all churches are unwelcoming. Especially more liberal churches like the Unitarians.
 
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