Atheists are actually Christians....

This is just a theory....

Someone was talking about atheists. It got me thinking, and realistically many of them are just backsliden Christians. (sort of on the extreme end of it)

Based on the fact that they know the bible far better than a lot of Christians. They obviously spend a lot of time thinking about creationism, God, Satan, heaven, hell etc...it actually would indicate to me that they're actually believers. They believe in God, but they have a heavy level of pride and ego at work. Based on most of there arguments they to come across as if they believe strong enough somehow it will erase the notion of God. So obviously they believe there is a God, but they're just in denial. Sort of a psychological state where you know the facts are there but you want to do everything within your power to try and deny or avoid them.

They know God is real but they just want to be denying, defiant, prideful and egotistical for various reasons. But I think the atheist is not at all like an actual non believer. Not even close. A real athiest knows what the truth is but is caught up in a state of denial.

Unlike just an unbeliever who "never" or rarely thinks about God, creation, the bible, or anything to do with our origins. Those people are far different. Why? Because when you bring up the topic around those people they either are interested in learning more, or they get very scared and want to avoid the topic all together. Because for them to even think about the topic of God or creationism is rather foreign to them, rather uncharted territory in there minds. Unlike the atheist who practically could write a thesis on the topic.

There's one other fact to this theory. Is the idea that most atheists, like about at least 90+% are Christian atheists. They don't seem to care about facts about any other religion, or spiritual practice that has to do with creationism. They're 100% focused on solely denying the bible. All other religions don't matter. Why is that you have to ask yourself? Could it be cause deep down they know that the only true path is Christianity so that's why they only raise there guard against Christ? Because if deep down you know something is fake, lets say such as some man made religion, then there's no need for denial at all. Because there's nothing to deny. There's no threat to you. So again most are Christian atheists which is a clue into the denial they're exhibiting in what they want to call their atheism.

Again it's all just a theory but they know so much that I think all it boils down to is "denial". It's an actual psychological condition that happens to a lot of people in all kinds of scenarios. Like for example a woman who got raped but wants to try and pretend it didn't happen. Or whatever.

If you dont' believe me watch this....

Again this is just a theory I came up with today. Atheists are actually Christians caught up in a heavy state of denial.

tell me what you think?

reply to post by spartacus699


...do not call me NAMES, please!

reply to post by spartacus699


Mmm, not so much. I agree that -some- people may identify with that description, but the majority of atheists just came to realize that they didn't mesh with a religion or religions.

I myself was raised in a Christian household and when I was 13 came to the realization that I didn't hold to the beliefs of the church at all.

Different strokes I guess. :p

I don't like it when people try to paint Christians into one box, why?

Because there are far to many sects and variations as well as human nature and such that generalizations are just bad and a disservice to all.

Same being said about atheist, I'm unsure where you are pulling your statistics but I myself have known a good deal of atheist, was one myself in my college days.

And where as I may have fit some of your mold many of my friends of the time did not.

It is easy to spread generalizations it's hard to take the time to actually understand.

reply to post by benrl


just the same as there's many types of everything. But we still catagorize.

I have to disagree as such would apply personally, however, I don't dispute how this might apply to others, but also I don't agree.

Something you may wish to consider is the size and cultural heritage of your sample group.

In what cultures are Atheists allowed and even accepted?
Additionally, what cultures are you most frequently in contact with to derive this sampling from which this idea of yours comes from?

I'm going to take a stab in the dark here, but, I'm going to guess that the answer to both of those questions is WESTERN culture.
Given that Western culture is primarily dominated by Christian Mythology, the majority demographic of any sample group you take is going to have an entire cultural institution of exposure to the mythology, if not familial ties and even upbringing in and around it.

Thus, culturally, and even in family background you may be technically correct in labelling people Christian Atheists.

I propose, however, were you to take your survey on the road for a larger demographic sampling, if you can even find people that will admit to Atheism in some certain areas, you'll then find what might could be considered Muslim Atheists in Islam dominated regions, Hindu Atheists in India, and so on according regional domination of specific mythologies.

None of this, however means that these Atheists born to or coming from such cultural influences are Christian, Muslim, etc, except through cultural heritage. They are Atheists.

How hard is it to accept that some people simply turn the TV off instead of picking a channel?

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


what you say is a possibility. But you rarely hear of a muslim atheist.

reply to post by spartacus699


And that makes it right how?

I can tell you the biggest reason I was an atheist.

The average Christians in ability to answer hard theological questions. I got a theology degree simply to point out the idiocy and hypocrisy of religion.

You have these Christians who theologically speaking are still on milk, not even close to the meat of it biblically speaking. Running around judging and making proclamations.

The average Christian can't even tell you the basis and root of the theology they follow.

If it had been up to Christians to save me from my atheist days it would of never happened.

It took direct personal experience to alter my views. I had to see it with my own eyes, experience grace for myself.

reply to post by spartacus699


Well you are entitled to your opinion.

I just dont understand why you feel the need to categorize atheists ? In my opinion I think you have put quite a lot of thought into this, maybe to make yourself more comfortable with the fact that many people are atheist these days?

Plenty of people from various faiths/religions have become atheist, to say otherwise is nonsense.

Im a Christian

spartacus699
reply to post by AliceBleachWhite

 

what you say is a possibility. But you rarely hear of a muslim atheist.

edit on 23-10-2013 by spartacus699 because: (no reason given)

True, but, consider the consequences of such in Islam dominated landscapes.
However, were you to visit some of the more moderate states, live there for a time, culture friendships, and connect to the social networks, you'd then have greater exposure, and thus opportunity to meet such.

As such now, in Westernized culture, those you identify as Muslim are outwardly and visibly Muslim because they ARE. Your only exposure is with those pledged to and practicing.
Get yourself to Egypt, Dubai, or some other similar for a year or two. Make some friends. Learn the language. Come back and tell us again your feelings on the subject.

Take a sabbatical to Jerusalem for a year or two and you'll find some Jewish Atheists.

Cultural context and immersion is important.

benrl
reply to post by spartacus699

 

And that makes it right how?

I can tell you the biggest reason I was an atheist.

The average Christians in ability to answer hard theological questions. I got a theology degree simply to point out the idiocy and hypocrisy of religion.

You have these Christians who theologically speaking are still on milk, not even close to the meat of it biblically speaking. Running around judging and making proclamations.

The average Christian can't even tell you the basis and root of the theology they follow.

If it had been up to Christians to save me from my atheist days it would of never happened.

It took direct personal experience to alter my views. I had to see it with my own eyes, experience grace for myself.

another sign of denial is exhibited in a feeling of bitterness, resentment and even anger, as there's this unaddressed conflict in motion. ....I'm just saying

reply to post by spartacus699

As a Christian who used to be an atheist, I'm very well placed to consider this theory.

It is certainly true that the atheists who post on ATS tend to identify themselves over against Christianity, and it is probably the case that many of them had a nominally Christian upbringing.
That is inevitable for an English-speaking forum based largely in the formerly Christian western world.
It was my own experience, not only going to the village church in childhood but having "religious education" as part of the school curriculum, and turning to atheism was part of my adolescent rebellion stage.
However, I'm always bemused by the aggressive evangelism of ATS non-believers.
In my atheist days, I was content to leave Christians alone, except to argue back when they tried to convert me.

However, I'm a little dubious about the jump from those observations to the statement in your title.
It strikes me as another version of the "atheists are really believers" line of argument which often turns up on ATS.
I've never been convinced that challenging the self-identification of atheists really gets us anywhere.
When I was an atheist, arguing with my self-labelling would have done nothing to change my basic opinion.

Nevertheless, there may be something in the idea that some of the more aggressive ones, at least, are "in denial", just as Paul, in his persecuting days, was trying to ignore the fact that the final speech of Stephen had already won him over.
I certainly thought that about the people who posted on my "How an atheist became a Christian" thread telling me that I could not possibly have been "a real atheist".

reply to post by spartacus699


I get what the OP is saying. You never hear them trying to dismiss any other religion except Judeo/Christianity, then the "Abrahamic" religion, but have a problem mentioning the word "Islam" as though they don't want to offend Muslims. But it's so easy to do it to Jews and Christians, because we aren't likely to do any more than just argue back.

I don't hear them saying anything against Norse, Mayan, Polynesian, or even Hinduism, even though everyone of those religions have a creation, flood and end time, and each of of them have a teaching of heaven and hell. They try to spout different Hindu thought processes by calling it "Eastern mysticism" and don't even know that Hinduism relies heavily on gods and goddesses. But they never dismiss the creation story in the Rig Vedas, of which all of Hinduism derives. No, it's the Christian creation they have a problem with.

I have heard atheists quote the Mahabarat as though it is some esoteric teaching about mysticism and how to create your own world because you are a god. Yet they never create a new world around themselves. They believe power comes from inward. So atheism is against Christianity, but never against anything else.

You know, it's like this...God created people and dogs, but some people take dog poop to put it on God's doorstep and then laugh if they think He comes out to step on it. That's all they do, they laugh at a God they say don't exist. How can you laugh at nothing?

They point to God, say they don't like God, don't want to be a part of God, don't want to be like God...but want to be gods themselves? Without God there would be no gods. That's giving credence to God, and if God never existed you can't give yourself attributes of godlikeness of godlikeness does not exist.

What it gets down to is the issue with the presumed power and authority of the church. They don't study the truth about Constantine and blame Constantine for what Constantine didn't even do in the first place. Then they read all the boloney about Hermetic teachings that have nothing to do with Jesus, they read all the boloney about "lost writings" that are not really lost, they are out there to read. And what is so funny, they quote Richard Dawkins word for word, it's like they could not even process the argument themselves, they have to think like Dawkins told them to. Otherwise, they wouldn't quote word for word.

Now it's one thing to say you never believed in God or the Judeo/Christian teaching, that's an important thing to understand, some people just never believed it. Christianity even teaches there are those who would not believe, but why is it so hard for some people just to say "I just never believed" instead of finding six thousand ways to attack, belittle, diminish, discredit and attempt to humiliate Christians? And that's the thing, they single out Christians to bully. Then they get really upset when Christians don't allow themselves to be bullied.

But think about it, why make such an effort to single out and attack Christians? If you single us out, that means you are intolerant and prejudiced. But the whole issue gets down to this, why do you think Jesus was such a cool guy then attack Him? What did Jesus ever do to you?

reply to post by spartacus699


So what's the excuse for atheist with none religion backgrounds?

Ranging from none at all to growing up in "Xmas and Easter Christian" homes?

To simplify it to denial is down right insulting, to dismiss valid theological questions, logical arguments to the level of essentially calling them a petulant child is an exact example of what I just said.

It's holding your nose up and saying I know your argument and disregard it because I know what's really going on...

It doesn't help you, nor does it help your cause.

reply to post by WarminIndy


Again if you feel that christians are being singled out and attacked it's because like a poster above stated, you are in a largely christian society, the majority of atheists you meet are going to have a christian background therefore they would have some knowledge of the subject, that is not the same for say a Muslim who became an atheist, im sure the other muslims they talk to would think they were trying to single muslims out.

"This is just a theory"

Have fun with that.

reply to post by spartacus699


Does this mean that on the flip side Christians are actually Atheists?

Or could it be that you're unable to grasp the fact that some folk have no reason whatsoever to believe the claims Christians (or any other religion/cult) make about Gods?

Some would describe this outlook as being typical of someone institutionalised in their belief of a god.

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


Well when I watch some of the videos on youtube about atheists, most are very bitter, angry, resentful, and spiteful. This in my opinion is a state that one could get into when they're in a state of unresolved conflict which is the denial they're trying to rationalize and justify. It's perhaps like the ego in a person trying to stand up for itself.