Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nelson on March 28, 2009 at 6:48pm

tough one...
i would tell him that you believe that our beliefs should be based on evidence and reason and that you just can't get there with religion.
i'm sure that, like with me, there are many reasons for your atheism but that on a fundamental level it's just that there's no evidence at all. explain to him that same thing, that there are many reasons why you arrived at atheism as the most logical conclusion and that you'd be open to answering any questions that he has.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dave G on March 28, 2009 at 8:21pm

I agree with Nelson, it's a tough one, but making it clear that the proposed evidence for a god is insufficient and in many cases self-contradictory should help.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Christy on March 29, 2009 at 12:19am

These are a bit snarky but food for thought.

You define 0.01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in “tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” Christianity.

I found these from this very site.

Stay strong! Nelson is right.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erica on March 29, 2009 at 12:38am

Ok guys, thanks so much for all the advice. As always, I appreciate you and the community we have on here.
Here's what I wrote in response:
"The atheist thing sort of came about over time. I'd always struggled with believing in all of it even when I was a little kid. I wanted to believe but, from what I've found, the existence of God doesn't make sense.
I could go into the whole evidence and science thing but I know the likely response to that will be the argument of faith taking the place of evidence. It's a circular debate.

There was no "if god existed then (insert bad event) would never have happened!" moment. There was no one whispering in my ear telling me god wasn't real. I just began evaluating what I believed and why."

Brief and to the point.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gabriel Garcia on March 29, 2009 at 12:54am

That's good! If he does find this insulting or rude or (dare I say it?) snarky in any way, then I'm sorry, but he's doing it on purpose. Okay, maybe not consciously, but still... yeah....... :D

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nelson on March 29, 2009 at 1:20am

well done. if he finds that snarky or insulting then he's just looking to be insulted from the outset and there was nothing you could have done not to insult him.

let us know how he responds?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James on March 29, 2009 at 11:50am

Very good reply. He should be able to respect that answer. And if not.... well, he was just looking for and argument then. Let us know if he replies. : )

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Morgan Matthew on March 29, 2009 at 12:13pm

I agree let us know :]

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erica on April 3, 2009 at 10:05am

So this whole thing turned out to be pretty anticlimactic. His response was just telling me about how the kids are that he does missions work with in Amsterdam. No attempt to convert me, none of that.
Not what I expected.
Secretly I was sort of looking forward to the challenge.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Misty: Baytheist Living! on April 3, 2009 at 11:59am

Well, I'm glad there were no hard feelings.
...there will be other battles!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nelson on April 5, 2009 at 10:21pm

wow. anticlimactic indeed. well, at least there wasn't acrimony.

• ▶ Reply