Why The Pretense?

[mykcob4]

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?

WHAAAAAAT!!!! It's obvious that YOU don't deal with Atheist very often. I would bet that your opinion about how Atheist act is corrupted by the way YOU treat Atheist. The fact is that Atheist don't have any choice but to deal with christians, and they do so not only on a daily basis but knowing full well that their own view will be disrespected by those christians.
"Attitudes & behavior" The attitudes and behavior of MOST if not all christians is to disrespect everyone else's beliefs or non-beliefs and demand reverence to their myth. Christians regularly tramp all over everyone else's civil rights in the name of their myth. RESPECT is a two way street. Christians don't respect others so why in the world do they expect respect?!
BTW C.S.LEWIS was a hack, a bad writer, as corrupt as they come, a propagandist, a dishonest businessman, a liar, a cheat, a womanizer, a NAZI and a criminal. If he is your ideal of an upstanding person than you have far more problems than how Atheist may or may not treat you.

[JonathanG]

I'll echo most of the sentiments presented here:  I don't care what anyone's religious beliefs are, but I maintain my right to explain myself if confronted with questions about why I think the way I think.

[Hydra009]

BTW C.S.LEWIS was a hack, a bad writer, as corrupt as they come, a propagandist, a dishonest businessman, a liar, a cheat, a womanizer, a NAZI and a criminal.

And The Horse and His Boy was terrible.

[GurrenLagann]

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 could flip the question and ask "Why do many Christians maintain a pretense of honesty and openness to ideological differences when they don't?" Both questions are assumptive, with perhaps some truth to them, but overall meaningless.

[Solitary]

[youtube:8j5xfij5]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNNUPN3-WeM[/youtube:8j5xfij5]        Solitary

[the_antithesis]

And The Horse and His Boy was terrible.

[youtube:2u1vxdym]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm4BrZjY_Sg[/youtube:2u1vxdym]

[Plu]

I know a very few christians in real life. I have no problems with them as long as they keep it to themselves. Fortunately I live in a country where most do just that.

[Colanth]

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?

How about this as an answer?  "Because we want to convert all Christians to atheism."  You wouldn't accept that, right?  I mean, maybe as an answer, but not as something you'd want us to do to YOU.

Because your god actually exists, right?  And because Christianity - your form of it - is actually the best way to live, right?

Let me ask you something.  Did that previous paragraph sound a lot like you?

[gomtuu77]

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.

That would only be true if I used the word "all".  If you're not included in the "many", then I would simply say, congratulations!

[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?

[youtube:18zqdgi6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Y1z68-zno[/youtube:18zqdgi6]

And some respond by making my point for me.  Thanks!

[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?

You say those like they're separate terms.

Um, that's because they are actually separate terms.  Just because one is a theist, doesn't mean that they are a Christian.  On term is very broad, and the other is much more narrow and precise.  I could also include terms of higher precision by naming particular denominational sects within Islam or Christianity.  Those would also be separate terms cotained within the broader framework of theism.  But they are actually separate terms.

[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.

Um, that's because they are actually separate terms.

You seemed to be implying that Christians were in some way separate from theists. They are not.

[gomtuu77]

You seemed to be implying that Christians were in some way separate from theists. They are not.

No I didn't.  I moved from the general to the specific because I'm talking about atheists.  Atheism's affirmation of the non-existance of God doesn't only refer to the Christian God, and my question doesn't pertain to atheists who somehow only concern themselves with one particular deity amongst many.  I'm curious in both general terms, because atheists presumably don't be in ANY God, and I'm curious in particular, as a Christian.  There's nothing implied about a Christian not being a theist in any sense at all.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Atheism's affirmation of the non-existance of God doesn't only refer to the Christian God

You can call it an affirmation all you like, it will be as incorrect today as it was yesterday, and it will continue to be incorrect tomorrow. Atheists lack belief in deities. That is not an assertion, it is a lack of belief. How many more times do you need to be told this before it finally penetrates that abnormally thick cranium of yours?

[gomtuu77]

Atheism's affirmation of the non-existance of God doesn't only refer to the Christian God

You can call it an affirmation all you like, it will be as incorrect today as it was yesterday, and it will continue to be incorrect tomorrow. Atheists lack belief in deities. That is not an assertion, it is a lack of belief. How many more times do you need to be told this before it finally penetrates that abnormally thick cranium of yours?

What does that have to do with the original issue?  Whether or not I was saying Christians were not theists or not?  If you'd rather me say atheism's lack of belief that's fine, but that still has nothing to do with what we were talking about.  Was that an attempt to change the subject?

INCASE YOU FORGOT

You seemed to be implying that Christians were in some way separate from theists. They are not.

No I didn't.  I moved from the general to the specific because I'm talking about atheists.  Atheism's lack of affirming beliefs in the existance of God doesn't only refer to the Christian God, and my question doesn't pertain to atheists who somehow only concern themselves with one particular deity amongst many.  I'm curious in both general terms, because atheists presumably don't be in ANY God, and I'm curious in particular, as a Christian.  There's nothing implied about a Christian not being a theist in any sense at all.