Anonymous

If talking to others about the bible is pushing religion, what do atheist call it when they offer their unsolicited advise about what they believe?

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Didge Doo Profile
Didge Doo answered

I see that you're hiding behind "Anonymous" to ask this question. Why am I not surprised?

There are possibly a few atheists who go around trying to "save" Christians from the folly of their beliefs but I've never met one. We normally only respond when they try to foist their beliefs on us.

So when you knock on my door, or approach me in the street, or post silly comments on a site like this, I will respond. I do NOT start such conversations. Neither do most other atheists.

Ms Anonymous, repent of your folly. Believe in the mighty Flying Spaghetti Monster and partake of his goodness. He is a kind and benevolent god. He loves you and doesn't want 10% of your money.

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Didge Doo
Didge Doo commented
Doesn't surprise me a bit Kay. Christian love is a chameleon. It changes shape and colour relative to its recipient.
Hope This Helps
Hope This Helps commented
I don't know who asked the question, but Didge, I find the commercialization of religion, quite distasteful.

And I do not associate with groups that pass plates or other hand-to-hand collection methods; or are out to pilfer percentages of one's income.

Nor do I approve of salaried religious leaders, either.
That seems a bit...commercialized and compromising.

Good of you to mention the issue.
Didge Doo
Didge Doo commented
It's one of the most successful industries in history, Dash. It's also history's most outrageous Ponzi scheme: ante-up now, collect your reward when you're dead. How could it fail?
sm cl Profile
sm cl answered

I actually receive such advice from atheist and agnostic individuals quite often. Or when I do/say anything that might have some spiritual/religiosity I get attacked with why I'm "stupid" and "illogical." I am religious but am by no means a "bible-thumper," so why can't people let me do my thing while they do theirs?

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sm cl
sm cl commented
And in most cases I'd agree with you, I didn't think atheists just offer their opinions on religion without some type of provocation. But, especially recently, I have been proved very wrong.
sm cl
sm cl commented
If "it's always about religion" means that I am often busy and unavailable to hang out because of congregational duties, then yes it is always about religion. But I have never spoken preached/ministered a single word to these people because I respect their views and, honestly, don't care what they do/do not do. If somebody asks, sure I'll share. But otherwise, I'm okay doing my own thing.
sm cl
sm cl commented
I sure will, thanks.
Hope This Helps Profile
Hope This Helps answered

Actually, we all desire others to believe what we believe, that is natural.

Some may feel they have greater reason to express or encourage adoption or understanding of their view.

Some have ridiculed others for this, when they do it, also, in one way or another.

Some, try to convert people, others simply attempt to convey an understanding, or offer a free choice, based on information.

Both religion and atheism have been 'pushed' on people, in one way or another- through the media- popular educational systems, a number of ways. 

Personally, I think humans want to get along, but 'ideas' often keep them apart.  And attempting to 'enforce' universal, social 'ideas', has already created great suffering, and still not brought humans more closely together.

There are probably atheists that are prideful, in a hurtful way, just as there are religious peoples that are prideful, in a hurtful way.

And not everyone is ready to except new 'ideas', whether the 'idea' is reasonable, possible or not.

...I'd say.

Chandler Howard Profile
Chandler Howard answered

its usually them trying to defend their own beliefs, like hippy said, the bible is often used as a reason to discriminate, but most people use it for good.  But atheists will most likely not release their secularism until asked. Due to discrimination.

Michael Poland Profile
Michael Poland answered

All knowledge is learning there for good.

When humans can come together as one planet,

and one people then you will have learned.

Try to stop the seperation and come back together.

You need each other much much more then you realize.

All roads lead to the same place.

All you need is LOVE.

Cookie Hill Profile
Cookie Hill answered

If some one ask a religious question some will come in with an athesist answer like they always do. It does not matter it will never stop the right persons from learning the truth and becoming a follower of Jesus Christ according to John 10:16 "And I have other sheep,which are not of this fold: Those too I must bring in,and they will listen to my voice,and they will become one flock,one shepherd ."

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Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
@kay - you certainly have the right to answer any question posted. But when you give unsolicited comments to other commentators you are doing the exact thing you accuse theist of doing "pushing their religion". What do you call it when you do it? Or is that something that only applies to theist?
Cookie Hill
Cookie Hill commented
Kaywinnet Fry, why are you sending me comments are you confused., who you should be sending your comments to, is this your form of door knocking .
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan commented
I think the JW elders frown on them engaging people in random internet chat type settings, at least they did at one time. (my ex wife was one)
Deston Elite Profile
Deston Elite answered

Talking about your religion is not pushing religion. It's when you're trying to convince someone that your religion is right (and anybody can tell when this is happening) and they disagree that you're pushing religion. It's when you start talking about your religion even though nobody asked for it to be talked about.

And yes, I will agree that some of us atheists do tend to push "atheism". I mean, you get a religious question on any question and answer website and there will be atheists trying to debate the religion. I've stopped trying to do this. It's pointless because you just end up arguing with yourself. It never has convinced anyone that you're right and it never will.

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Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
You do know that people change their mind about what they believe all the time. It usually comes about when they update what they previously accepted as being true. You never want to stop growing in your thinking process. To do so would be very damaging to any of us.
Deston Elite
Deston Elite commented
Yes that happens but only in very rare cases. Either way, pushing your religion or debating a Christian about Christianity has never proven successful.
Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
I am not sure what you are referring to when you say rarely. But in any event you are entitled to your opinion and that's what really matters to you. Thank you for your non confrontational way of discussing things.
ZombieE Lee Profile
ZombieE Lee answered

These evangelicals are getting out of hand. I'm a Christian and even I can't escape people who want to "save" me even after I told them that I've already been baptized! There is a community at my college that are in a pseudo-church and they go around trying to convert people. If one was to be forced to talk to one of these people at my college, then they would inevitably be force into a conversation about salvation. No matter what I tell them they continue to try and "save me". I told them that I believe in Jesus, they still want to evangelize me. I told them that I already attend a church, they still want to save me. I told them that Jesus is already in my heart but they still want to try and get me into their church just to get a notch on their belt. 

My point is this, Its not atheism or Christianity that's the problem. Its people that want the world to hear their stupid opinions. As mentioned above, I was and am already a Christian but these lazy evangelicals try to win me over to their crowd just to add numbers to their church. Every normal Christian I know can keep their religious opinions to themselves. Every normal atheist I know can keep their opinions to themselves. The few Muslims I met were able to keep their opinions to themselves. Only morons and crazy people go door-to-door trying to convert people to their ways. Only people with a tribal mentality and an "othering" complex would dare to claim that an entire group of people are bad or immoral. 

This question that you so bravely asked anonymously is a bad question for the Christian community. Its these kinds of questions that the radical minority in the atheist community use to make normal Christians look bad. In reality the mainstream atheists and Christians can mind their own darn business. Only the crazy radical minorities in each group continue to fight. Don't put them all in the same box. Atheists don't normally go around openly mocking religion and normal Christians don't go around knocking on secular ideologies. Leave it be.

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ZombieE Lee
ZombieE Lee commented
My problem is that when I was in a hurry to go to work they stopped me and kept trying to get me to join a church even after I told them I was already a member of another church. My problem is that they still keep asking me to join even though they know I'm not interested
Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
Your concerns are valid. That is not what Jesus instructed his followers to do.
ZombieE Lee
ZombieE Lee commented
Glad you agree. Peace
Ancient Hippy Profile
Ancient Hippy answered

Atheists are usually defending themselves rather than offering unsolicited advice. They don't push their "beliefs" because they don't have any. Holier than thou Bible thumpers are THE most annoying people in the world, as far as I'm concerned.

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Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
Cookie won't respond. When a person takes your position the bible says "shake the dust off your feet". You should be allowed to believe what you want after you turn down the bible's message.
Ancient Hippy
Ancient Hippy commented
There is a lot of good info in the Bible. Many people, such as Cookie, just don't believe that some people can guide their lives according to the many great philosophies in the Bible and still not accept Jesus as their savior. It's just narrow minded thinking that provokes dislike for thumpers.
Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
Your reaction is very normal, this was Jesus said about it, John 15:18,19 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you"
Jesus knew that what he asked his followers to do would not be well received by everyone. In fact your reaction is a mild version of the expected response. But the instructions from Jesus remains the same Matt 28:19,20
Medic Sixonefour Profile

I saw a lot of it on the Ask website.  Kids asking in the religious category for clarification about something they read, or didn't understand.  Getting responses about God being like Santa Claus or the Easter bunny, and the Bible being a work of fiction, is not helpful in answering their question.

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Ty Hibb
Ty Hibb commented
Answering the question is not the problem, attacking the comments of those answering the question is the problem. If a theist did that exact thing it would be called pushing his religion.
ZombieE Lee
ZombieE Lee commented
I remember askers like Milk, Jerusalem, and some other similar askers used to push their sadly ignorant beliefs on Ask all the time. Jerusalem adamantly tried to defend his belief that the Earth is 6000 years old. Milk almost daily went on racist rant about how we should "bomb the entire middle East because they kill Christians". Yes some of the secular askers did similar stupid things. But my point is, Every question had stupid answers on that site. No side was better than the other. Nobody was the victim.
ZombieE Lee
ZombieE Lee commented
Yeah people always seem to want to fight. Its funny, if people really wanted to prove how peaceful Christ or God is, you'd think they would avoid....you know....fighting! Its like "I know Jesus is peaceful but surely he'd be ok with me being violent just this once"
Tom  Jackson Profile
Tom Jackson answered

According to discussion recently on askaholics.com, there is an apparently a new phenomenon called "street epistemology" which is the atheist take on the Christian street preacher (my offhand description, not a critical analysis.).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwXgoyyzYM

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