Christians: In your honest, non-antagonistic opinion, why do you think that atheists are atheist?
I encourage Christians to answer honestly and Atheists if they wish to respond with correction or affirmation to do so without either party taking things personally or becoming combative.
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It's going to depend on who you ask. Some Christians will blame the churches for presenting a horrendous view of Christianity that is repulsive to any decent person. The Christian subreddit is full of Christians who say this. Others will blame "secular culture" or "materialism" or even just "Satan."
The reality is that there have always been atheists regardless of the dominant religion. I think today, it's mainly due to the number of secular institutions that provide a worthwhile substitute for many of the things religion used to provide, and the serious failure of religious institutions to meet the challenge. To be fair, that may be impossible. The old style fire-and-brimstone approach is repellent, and a feel-good, new age approach will lead many people to question why they should get that from religion when it's available elsewhere.
I have noticed that some of the loudest religion pushers on here see it more as a personal philosophy, as they don't center their lives around church or even attend one regularly. The Republican party has taken the place of religious participation in their lives.
@Mathers How would you know? When was the last time you went to church? I thought you people hated "religion" because "it's not a religion, it's a relationship."
That's a good point. Not only do we increasingly have more explanations available to us than "god done it" but there are so many more places where people can get the community without the attached religious baggage. Because depending on where you live, that's still a huge problem for people who don't share the faith of the people around them. Not to mention all the people who self identify as Christian but don't really observe it or have much to do with it in their day to day lives. Maybe as secularism expands there are fewer people who feel the need to seek identity through that label.
You and dear old bloom are experts in missing the point. No-one is saying ‘God done it’. But don’t you know how isolated people are in the world today? I think you in America must have a deal of peopke who identify as Christian because we don’t over here. @Pikachu
lol ok well now we're just getting vague to the point of meaninglessness.
My point was simply that it makes sense that religiosity is decreasing as there are more substitutes for the explanations it provides and for the community it offers.
The thing is man will always worship something because he is a creature which is designed to worship. As I say if he doesn’t believe in God you believe in anything.
We see people worshipping the latest fashion or worshipping a pop idol or football or whatever. But the richness we can have him worshipping the living God is something to be invited envied. That’s why people hate Christianity because they envy it so much@Pikachu
[quote]We see people worshipping the latest fashion or worshipping a pop idol or football or whatever[/quote]
To the extent that, that is true, Christians are no more immune to it than anyone else. If you ask them they'll tell you god above all but if you see where they spend their time, attention and money....well they're no different than the atheist.
My best friend of 20 years is Christian, most of my co-workers and my boss are Christian, my in-laws are Christian, my brother's family is Christian. I might know more than you if you think i'm wrong lol. Maybe you spend most of your time giving glory to god but the average Christian is just as invested as the average atheist in what the Kardashians are doing or how their football team is performing or how boss their truck is or how nice their house is and so on.
@Mathers Got it, Christianity is the most popular religion in the world with billions of followers, but only you and a handful of others are doing it correctly.
The reason people are abandoning Christianity is because fake Christians like you are driving them away with your hypocrisy. Your "Christianity" is nothing but a degenerate hatefest.
@Mathers Let's see who has more hate. I think Christians, even fascist monsters like you, should have the same civil rights I have. Would you allow atheists the same civil rights as Christians if you had the power to limit them? What about gay people? You can't claim to "love" people if you want to take their rights away.
