Hey theists! I am an atheist. But I am not your enemy.

I know a few of you maybe wondering, "How could that be? All atheists want to destroy religion. They are our antithesis".
But this could not be farther than the truth.
There are more than a few of us that have absolutely no ill feeling towards belief in a higher power.
We just cannot see any real reasons to believe there is one.
And I will just say, I am real hesitant to speak for anyone else.
But.

The problem you see, is that what a lot of you do not understand.
And, annoyingly enough a large number of atheists themselves do not understand or ignore.

Atheism is a unbrella term.
Just like it's mirror opposite, theism.
More or less, no one, especially not people like Dawkins or the other "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism speaks for all of us.

Personally, this atheist believes in freedom.
The right to speak and act in accordance with your own views so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others.
Or physically harms another.
Which means:
It's fine with me if you wish me Merry Christmas/Happy Easter/etc/etc/etc/etc.
I'll take it in the spirit I hope it was meant.
Simply, that you are hoping I have a good day.
I will say it's sad however that such well wishing is only reserved for certain days.

If you want to completely cover your yard in religious iconography to the point you cannot get into your yard.
It will not bother me in the slightest.
Sure, I'll probably think it's a gaudy mess.
But that is just my opinion and it's your yard.
I will even go farther and say that religious icons on government buildings and land are ok with me.
So long as it's all inclusive.
Otherwords, if others of other religions want to put something up as well.
They should be allowed to in my opinion.

And just a small note, those antitheists/atheists that speak about religion as the one barrier to a Utopia.
Scare me just as much as they scare you.
Maybe perhaps more so.
I see attrocity in those words.
Maybe not now, but all it takes is for someone to take it into their mind they're going to "do something about it".

That's without mentioning how incredibly short sighted and wantonly ignorant I think those sentiments are.

But anyway, I just wanted to put this out there.
I am extending the courtsey, someone has to.
But if you want respect.
Give me some.

No, you are not my enemy. You too, will be saved, in your own order, and enter the Kingdom of God. I say this as an ex-athiest.

a reply to: Lazarus Short

Well, you're far more certain of that then I will ever be probably.
But, so long as you don't force the issue.
All is well.

Nice post/thread. Pretty much how I feel from the other side of the issue. Thanks for sharing that. s&f.

a reply to: The GUT

Thank you for reading.
I think someone needed to start a dialogue that wasn't the usual adversarial BS.

As in any other religion from Christianity to Islam, if you Do Not Submit you are evil.

BS...IMO.

Peace

a reply to: jude11

Which is based on a common human trend of "Us! YAY!" "Them! BOOOO!".
Which infects more than just religion.

Seems to me encouraging people to break out of that is a good thing.
As opposed to whatever personal benefit there is to condemning them for it.

originally posted by: HarbingerOfShadows
a reply to: jude11

Which is based on a common human trend of "Us! YAY!" "Them! BOOOO!".
Which infects more than just religion.

Seems to me encouraging people to break out of that is a good thing.
As opposed to whatever personal benefit there is to condemning them for it.

If you adhere to a belief and it makes you whole...I'm all for it as we all need something.

BUT...

Peace

a reply to: HarbingerOfShadows

I agree with many of your sentiments but could no more call myself an atheist than a theist. Honestly I just don't have enough valid data to make a decision. That's after decades of pretty heavy study (specifically on Christianity.) So that put's me in the agnostic camp.

FWIW though I've never been an enemy of theists except I'm beginning to really wonder about the Muslims.

a reply to: Bassago

Speaking purely in technical terms and not trying to tell you who you are.
I would say you're an agnostic atheist, like myself.
Atheism is simply, by definition, a lack of belief.

But, assume whatever labels you may.
I am by no means an authority of anything but myself.

As for Islam, remember, there are a great many of them and a lot of them are living in an highly unstable region.
Then there is the a bygone administration that seems to have tried to use them to replace the Soviet Union as the United State's boogeyman.

a reply to: HarbingerOfShadows

We will get along just fine. What a lovely post.

And between you and me, (I'm a Christian) some of my fellow believers scare me, ha, ha.

Everyone should be treated with respect and kindness no matter who you are.

a reply to: HarbingerOfShadows

Now this is interesting, You know, in China I was always taught I was an Agnostic.
Not an atheists, as a matter of fact, we have different religions in China, as I was growing up, they were in the Closet mostly, but they where there.
So, because I don't believe in a GOD, I'm an atheists not an Agnostic in America.
I don't really care, Just keep your religion to yourself Please and I'll Keep my Ancestors Belief to myself.

I must add, in a thread I had started a poster was saying things about my thoughts / beliefs on a certain Hot Topic where not the same as his because his were of the Judeo-Christian Beliefs and mine where of course not so I was Wrong and I guess and heathen in his view.

Now that is being Pushy and Uncalled for, don't you think?

a reply to: HarbingerOfShadows
To quote the late Mr. Hitchins
"Religion poisons everything"

To be an Atheist (as I am) requires one to walk the white road.
To believers you are anathema.
By your very existence.
All I do is harm none and enjoy each changing diminishing minute here, it'll all change soon.
" Be a rock, and not a roll" (TortElvis)

Your answer in Thread: Why your need to listen...

a reply to: HarbingerOfShadows

I would say you're an agnostic atheist, like myself.
Atheism is simply, by definition, a lack of belief.

Hmm, no that wouldn't define me according to what I understand those words to mean.

Atheist - Doesn't believe in a (any) god(s)
Theist - Believes in (a) supernatural god(s)
Agnostic - Does not know whether there Is/are god(s)

At least that's how I understand the definition of the words. I simply don't know and have no validating data either way. Actually I wish there was a god who loved and cared for us. Looking around at the world though that doesn't seem to be the case. Too bad for us.

a reply to: HumansEh

Thus perpetuating the "Us! YAY!" "Them..... BOOO!" paradigmn....
And he would be one of the "Four Horsemen" I was speaking about.

The last part is good advice though.

a reply to: Bassago

Oh like I said, I am most definitely not trying to tell you what you are.
Or at least I don't want to.

But, I view it as a spectrum with agnostic or gnostic denoting levels of certainty.

That's on the basis of my viewpoint that certainty is a artificial construct of a creature that cannot stand what it percieves as the unknown.

a reply to: AlephBet

If you believe the bible is written by man of course it would say such things.
Like I know I do believe.
And as for someone calling me foolish.
Stick and stones, sticks and stones.
Besides, there are plenty that I think are foolish.
So it stands to reason that there are people who will think I am foolish.
And I can live with that.

Please don't advertise in my thread.
I consider it rude.

a reply to: HarbingerOfShadows
That's the whole problem, the Bible is / was put in it's current form by Man or Men and the worst part, Edited By Religious Men.
These Men kept books of the Bible out that did not fit into their way of thinking.

Now even if all things where equal with the sex's and all Books of the Bible where added and it was a Complete Tell of the Tale of Creation and Christ, that still does not confirm in my eyes that there is a GOD!
Sorry, it just confirms my belief that men / women need to believe in something.
Even my wife at times Mrs. G.

Mr. G. here, those are my thought and I'm stinking to Them!

a reply to: guohua

Thank you for participating Mr. G.
I completely agree with you.

It is intrisinic to the over all question, I think, that you cannot truly prove your stance one way or the other.
Which is why I find the endless back and forth about the existence or not of a diety to be utterly pointless.