Atheists can spot unbiblical teaching better than Christians

[M30USA]

Before I go any further, I understand that I am using generalities, and that generalities have many exceptions. When I use the term "atheist" I am referring to a typical atheist that you would "pick up on the street"; and for the term "Christian", likewise.

 

I was speaking to my sister yesterday. She is an atheist. She made a comment to me that she hears so many teachings by famous pastors which, even in her limited atheist understanding of Christisnity, even she knows are directly contradictory to what Jesus taught.

 

It's not just my sister. I've heard several atheist posters on LS make similar comments. They've said it's not really Scripture which is their main issue, but rather what they hear pastors and professed Christians teach. And even if they entirely disagree with Scripture, it still irks them greatly how Christians distort the teachings of Jesus.

 

Why do you think this is?

[sillyanswer]

Why do you think this is?

 

Accepting that you're generalising, and supposing that it's true (I'm not sure)... I propose that Atheists spotting unbiblical teachings better than Christians might be because when you're a member of a community you have a pre-disposition to accept what your community leaders say about your shared community values and beliefs. (I doubt that this is a phenomenon restricted to Christianity, or even to religious groups.)

 

That isn't necessarily a bad thing as it enhances community cohesion, although having bad leaders could be a problem.

[amaysngrace]

Why do you think this is?

 

They lack basic reading comprehension skills?

 

In my opinion the message is a pretty simple one yet it gets lost on so many.

 

In this country we have many proclaimed Christians who complain constantly that it's unfair to help those who are less fortunate.

 

I don't understand that at all.

[M30USA]

These are all great posts. Keep them coming.

 

My opinion is that the modern church is a CHURCH OF THE FLESH and not a CHURCH OF THE SPIRIT. It's tied in with all the things of the world that corrupt: money, power, and herd mentality. Jesus clearly said that we worship God "in spirit and in truth". The religious people of Jesus' day were all about worship in the temple, etc, yet Jesus said his BODY is the temple. Clearly he taught a spiritual Christianity which is apart from the worlds system. Yet Christians are so eager to make church worldly, fleshly, and based on human conventions rather than the Word of God.

Edited May 22, 2013 by M30USA

[thatone]

Because atheists take 'holy' texts at face value, and don't need to twist them to fit what they have already decided they believe before reading them.

 

I don't care who interprets the bible or koran or whatever else in what way. I can look at parts of them and say "That's BS" and that's the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

 

A believer on the other hand has a knee jerk tendency to want to 'believe' what one of his or her fellow believers is saying. Even if that person is doing the complete opposite of what the basic premise of that scripture teaches, such as trying to oppress some group of people by bigotry, or teach teenagers to blow themselves up to kill those from other religions in terrorist attacks, etc.

 

I don't have any tendency defend anyone, quite the opposite, actually. Nor do I have any desire to belong to the religion in question so I don't feel any pressure to agree with the majority, either. If the majority is professing hate/bigotry, I simply call them all bigots and go about my business.

 

Atheism by default is the proclamation that you don't need someone to tell you what to think, being an atheist demands that you consider something on its merits and make up your own mind about it.

 

Belief in a religion demands the opposite, it requires 'believing' something simply because you've been told to believe it. People who are willing to do that are, by nature, willing to violate any principle of even their religion if the argument is convincing enough from whoever is telling them to violate that principle.

[M30USA]

Because atheists take 'holy' texts at face value, and don't need to twist them to fit what they have already decided they believe before reading them.

 

I don't care who interprets the bible or koran or whatever else in what way. I can look at parts of them and say "That's BS" and that's the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

 

A believer on the other hand has a knee jerk tendency to want to 'believe' what one of his or her fellow believers is saying. Even if that person is doing the complete opposite of what the basic premise of that scripture teaches, such as trying to oppress some group of people by bigotry, or teach teenagers to blow themselves up to kill those from other religions in terrorist attacks, etc.

 

I don't have any tendency defend anyone, quite the opposite, actually. Nor do I have any desire to belong to the religion in question so I don't feel any pressure to agree with the majority, either. If the majority is professing hate/bigotry, I simply call them all bigots and go about my business.

 

Atheism by default is the proclamation that you don't need someone to tell you what to think, being an atheist demands that you consider something on its merits and make up your own mind about it.

 

Belief in a religion demands the opposite, it requires 'believing' something simply because you've been told to believe it. People who are willing to do that are, by nature, willing to violate any principle of even their religion if the argument is convincing enough from whoever is telling them to violate that principle.

 

Your post misses the point. We are talking about the discrepancy between Scripture and what is actually taught and accepted by Christian culture. You are talking about objectivity of what is "BS" versus what is true. That, while important, is a separate issue.

[TaraMaiden]

Christians are more gullible and WANT to believe what they're told.

They're in with a cohesive group.

They may be metaphorically known as 'sheep' but some are a little too ovine for their own good....

Atheists are more sceptical and apt to take a step back, and think 'hang on..... That doesn't make sense....!'

[Emilia]

It's not just my sister. I've heard several atheist posters on LS make similar comments. They've said it's not really Scripture which is their main issue, but rather what they hear pastors and professed Christians teach. And even if they entirely disagree with Scripture, it still irks them greatly how Christians distort the teachings of Jesus.

 

Why do you think this is?

Because us atheists recognise that you religious people (whether Christian or otherwise) are manipulated by your own church. We look beyond the words of your church because we are not affected by it. We don't care that we are supposed to believe and we are much more critical as a result.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

[M30USA]

Christians are more gullible and WANT to believe what they're told.

They're in with a cohesive group.

They may be metaphorically known as 'sheep' but some are a little too ovine for their own good....

Atheists are more sceptical and apt to take a step back, and think 'hang on..... That doesn't make sense....!'

 

Everybody is gullible--Christians and atheists, alike.

 

The only difference is who you're listening to. Christians eat up what famous megapastors say. Atheists eat up what the science-priests say. (Unfortunately silence-priests are given a free pass and cannot be questioned since, afterall, it's "science" and science has never been wrong. Ever.)

[Emilia]

Everybody is gullible--Christians and atheists, alike.

 

The only difference is who you're listening to. Christians eat up what famous megapastors say. Atheists eat up what the science-priests say. (Unfortunately silence-priests are given a free pass and cannot be questioned since, afterall, it's "science" and science has never been wrong. Ever.)

 

Not so. Scientific arguments are peer-reviewed and often proven wrong in a very short space of time. Those science-priests as you call them, are extremely competitive, they argue with each other and try to prove each other wrong. What I bolded is not true. This is what your church tells you to keep you ignorant and under control.

[M30USA]

Not so. Scientific arguments are peer-reviewed and often proven wrong in a very short space of time. Those science-priests as you call them, are extremely competitive, they argue with each other and try to prove each other wrong. What I bolded is not true. This is what your church tells you to keep you ignorant and under control.

 

LOL, my church? I don't even attend church. I read the Word of God, base my life around it, and understand that the "church" refers to the spiritual world of believers worldwide who follow the truth of Christ.

[TaraMaiden]

You know what?

I am the least scientific person you might ever meet. I have no compunction whatsoever to discuss anything scientific. I wouldn't know a neutron if it slapped me in the face and called me Marge.

 

And I STILL don't believe God exists.

[Emilia]

LOL, my church? I don't even attend church. I read the Word of God, base my life around it, and understand that the "church" refers to the spiritual world of believers worldwide who follow the truth of Christ.

By church I mean whoever fleeces you in the name of god.

[Star Gazer]

Everybody is gullible--Christians and atheists, alike.

 

The only difference is who you're listening to. Christians eat up what famous megapastors say. Atheists eat up what the science-priests say.

 

That's not so.

 

When asked why something is, Christians say, "Because Jesus said so" or "It's G-d's will."

 

Non-Christians/non-religious people have found THEIR OWN explanation found in psychology, science, common sense, etc.

[M30USA]

Non-Christians/non-religious people have found THEIR OWN explanation found in psychology, science, common sense, etc.

 

So then...

 

YOU, yourself, have become the ultimate authority and discerner of truth. Do you know what that is called? God. You have become god, or your OWN god. I sure hope you have been living for quite some time (hopefully thousands of years) and have some pretty superhuman wisdom to fulfill that role. How about when you were 2 years old? Did you possess this god-like wisdom then? If not, then at what age or at what knowledge level does one attain this god status?

Edited May 22, 2013 by M30USA

[TaraMaiden]

So then...

 

YOU, yourself, have become the ultimate authority and discerner of truth. Do you know what that is called? God. You have become god, or your OWN god. I sure hope you have been living for quite some time (hopefully thousands of years) and have some pretty superhuman wisdom to fulfill that role. How about when you were 2 years old? Did you possess this god-like wisdom then? If not, then at what age or at what knowledge level does one attain this god status?

 

Well, I can't speak for SG, but for me, it's probably when I was around 13, listening to 2 nuns banging on about 'suffer the little children' one moment, and beating the hide off a fellows pupil the next, that made me see that religious people were a pile of lying schytt.

 

They all spoke of God, and acted like devils.

That's pretty much when it all began to make sense.

 

Nonsense, that is.....

[Star Gazer]

Well, I can't speak for SG, but for me, it's probably when I was around 13, listening to 2 nuns banging on about 'suffer the little children' one moment, and beating the hide off a fellows pupil the next, that made me see that religious people were a pile of lying schytt.

 

They all spoke of God, and acted like devils.

That's pretty much when it all began to make sense.

 

Nonsense, that is.....

 

For me, it was when a nun hit me upside the head with her cane, for being too chatty in class.

[Star Gazer]

So then...

 

YOU, yourself, have become the ultimate authority and discerner of truth.

 

No. I am the ultimate authority on MY truth. Insofar as the rest of the world, I allow for different possibilities, as weighed by science and common sense.

 

Do you know what that is called? God. You have become god, or your OWN god. I sure hope you have been living for quite some time (hopefully thousands of years) and have some pretty superhuman wisdom to fulfill that role. How about when you were 2 years old? Did you possess this god-like wisdom then? If not, then at what age or at what knowledge level does one attain this god status?

 

The level of condescension in your post is very un-Christian.

[M30USA]

Well, I can't speak for SG, but for me, it's probably when I was around 13, listening to 2 nuns banging on about 'suffer the little children' one moment, and beating the hide off a fellows pupil the next, that made me see that religious people were a pile of lying schytt.

 

They all spoke of God, and acted like devils.

That's pretty much when it all began to make sense.

 

Nonsense, that is.....

 

Focus on Jesus, then, and realize that our attempts at goodness are pathetic and insufficient compared to him.

[M30USA]

No. I am the ultimate authority on MY truth. Insofar as the rest of the world, I allow for different possibilities, as weighed by science and common sense.

 

 

 

The level of condescension in your post is very un-Christian.

 

Not intending to sound condescending. My intent is to strongly get him to realize that he is rejecting the revealed Word of God and placing his own discernment above what is revealed by God.

[TaraMaiden]

Focus on Jesus, then, and realize that our attempts at goodness are pathetic and insufficient compared to him.

 

The reason I focus on The Buddha is because everything he stated 500 years earlier, Jesus merely parroted.

 

Essentially, Christ is more like Buddha than the reverse.

 

I prefer to rely on the original source, rather than a following interpreter.

Thanks anyway.

[M30USA]

The reason I focus on The Buddha is because everything he stated 500 years earlier, Jesus merely parroted.

 

Essentially, Christ is more like Buddha than the reverse.

 

I prefer to rely on the original source, rather than a following interpreter.

Thanks anyway.

 

You're right. Buddhism and Christianity are the same. Identical. No difference at all. Jesus copied Buddha.

[Star Gazer]

Not intending to sound condescending. My intent is to strongly get him to realize that he is rejecting the revealed Word of God and placing his own discernment above what is revealed by God.

 

I am female.

 

This proves the point I made earlier. Your answer to "why?" is "because G-d/Jesus said so." That's pretty weak-minded, IMO.

 

So yeah, I reject any doctrine that requires me to follow the word of someone else, especially when that so-called word has been passed down like a game of telephone and directs me to do things I cannot possibly comply with, like keep slaves and allow wives to be beaten. That's not my style.

[Keenly]

I'm still busting up at "science-priests"

 

 

 

LOL.

 

 

I guess the word evidence is not found in religious texts, because that is exactly what science is. Proof. Of anything.

[Keenly]

Give up on the OP, no matter what, you are ALWAYS wrong, he is ALWAYS right, and the bible is absolute truth to him.

 

 

 

He does not accept other points of view, he does not accept non believers, and he pities us all. How very christian / tolerant.