Why The Pretense?

[gomtuu77]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

[SGOS]

I doubt that theism or Christianity is the problem.  It's more like whether the person in question has anything worthwhile to offer.  If his interest is only in explaining or defending his faith, I would quickly get bored because the topic is so silly and irrelevant.  But then I never claimed that I want to have contact with theists.  I do have contact with them of course.  You can't swing a dead cat and not hit a theist, but any contact I might desire with them will have something to do with other interests they might have.

[stromboli]

I don't actively go looking for interaction with theists. But I do try to be prepared when encountering them.

[aitm]

er....because if you only deal with non-believers you will find it real hard to purchase the things you need to live on.

[Mermaid]

We (meaning everyone, atheist or not) interact with all types of people. Some by choice, some by necessity. I don't know about you, but I do not make decisions about whether I like or dislike a person based on their religious beliefs. Therefore I believe your opening statement has false assumptions in it.

[Agramon]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

[youtube:19q46vz8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Y1z68-zno[/youtube:19q46vz8]

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

You say those like they're separate terms.

[Icarus]

When people expect you to believe something just because they're saying it, that puts a very bad taste in the rational thinkers mouth.

[FrankDK]

> Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

Your conclusion is not only unwarranted based on logic, it is contrary to empirical evidence.

I interact with people in my environment, and most of them are (or pretend to be) Christian.  The people at work, in the band I play in, in my barbershop quartet group, shop keepers, etc.  I like interacting with many of them.  Unfortunately, many of them believe (or pretend to believe) in some ancient myths.  This affects their thinking on related topics.

They only pretend to believe, and pretense is not very genuine.  Matthew 21:22 quotes Jesus as saying, "If you believe, you will receive whatsoever you ask for in prayer."  The only people who really believe are those for whom all their prayers come true.  I don't know anybody like that (except atheists, who don't ask for anything in prayer).

Luke 12:33 quotes Jesus as saying, "Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor."  I don't know anybody who has done that.  So there are no real Christians.

Frank

[the_antithesis]

I fucking don't.

I hate christians.

Don't feel special.

I hate everybody.

[Mermaid]

How to antagonize people in one simple sentence:

-Make sweeping statement telling a group of people how they think and behave. Be sure this statement is not factual.
-Ask them why they think and behave this way.

[stromboli]

Let's inject some big picture perspective in here. Atheist represent something like 10-15% of the U.S. populace. Xtians about 75-80%. We are in the minority virtually everywhere in this country, in some places like the Bible Belt, vastly so.

This is our forum. Says "atheist" up there at the top. Yet it never fails that over time we get visited by theists wearing their hurt shirt because we dare (gasp!) to not believe in their god. We tend to cop attitudes. There is a reason. Likewise in the real world, we tend to cop attitudes. If you think we are hypocritical because of how we deal with that, I doubt that anybody on here or in the real world is going to be sympathetic to your thinking. So if you want to stand or sit there and shake your metaphorical finger at us for not agreeing with your viewpoint or your world view,

(insert appropriate parting comment here)

[Solitary]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

First of all I'm married to a Christian and everyone of my friends have been Christians. I deal with Christians because they are human beings like I am. However, when I have had a shot gun pulled on me and fired in the past because I didn't pray at a meal with a friend, I definitely don't want to deal with religious gun nuts, and I sure as hell am not being pretentious with them. You are assuming atheist hate Christians which is not true of all atheists. We hate the superstitious nonsense and ignorance they have thinking they have knowledge and always trying to shove it down our throats.  :roll:  Solitary

[Hydra009]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

I don't take kindly to godspammers.  Christians themselves are fine.

[Solitary]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

I don't take kindly to godspammers.  Christians themselves are fine.

[ Image ]

I've had more than one proselytizer tell me that doesn't apply to them. Apparently they don't understand what it means.  :roll:  Solitary