Atheism as defined by Dare 2 Share

[Nazzer]

http://www.dare2share.org/atheists

What an atheist is, and how to talk to them.

They are describing atheists with a hypothetical "Andy the Atheist", complete with dark clothes and a sad face.

"Andy believes the Bible is a collection of myths, half-truths, and lies designed to lead ignorant people astray and give power to religious leaders over the masses"

I've met VERY few atheists with that view of the bible. Most of them have a more historically accurate and reasonable view, that the writers of the bible genuinely believed what they wrote.

To be honest, though, this is one of the most accurate descriptions I've seen on a theistic site. I'm fairly impressed.

[curiosityandthecat]

Haha, I love the tips at the bottom:

•  The first thing you need to ask an atheist is "do you really seek to discover the truth - even if it costs you your reputation, and even your friends?" If the answer is no, then realize that he/she is not willing to go where the evidence leads; you won't be having an honest intellectual dialogue, but your conversation may still have a spiritual impact.
     
• Don't talk about sin with an atheist. In their worldview, morality is generally dependent on the situation and neutral, so there is no reference point in their minds for a concept of breaking God's universal laws.
     
• Don't get dragged into arguments about what God did or didn't do. Focus on the evidence that Christ existed, died on the cross, and came back from the dead. As well, your personal testimony can be a powerful tool, because it's very difficult to 'disprove' the real and lasting change that Christ has brought to your life.
     
• Bottom line with an atheist (or anyone else for that matter) - you cannot argue someone to faith in Christ, but you can (and should) live such a Christlike life that those around you sense something different, which opens the door for you to explain the 'evidence'.

Again, theists talking about evidence. It's pretty entertaining.

[Ihateyoumike]

"Andy believes the Bible is a collection of myths, half-truths, and lies designed to lead ignorant people astray and give power to religious leaders over the masses"

Andy's a smart kid.  

[Will]

The first thing you need to ask an atheist is "do you really seek to discover the truth - even if it costs you your reputation, and even your friends?" If the answer is no, then realize that he/she is not willing to go where the evidence leads; you won't be having an honest intellectual dialogue, but your conversation may still have a spiritual impact.

A reputation or friends that abandon your trek for truth aren't worth having.

[curiosityandthecat]

The first thing you need to ask an atheist is "do you really seek to discover the truth - even if it costs you your reputation, and even your friends?" If the answer is no, then realize that he/she is not willing to go where the evidence leads; you won't be having an honest intellectual dialogue, but your conversation may still have a spiritual impact.

A reputation or friends that abandon your trek for truth aren't worth having.

My answer would be, "Yes. Yes, I do seek to discover the truth, even if it costs me my reputation and my friends. That's why I became an atheist, you dolt."

[G.ENIGMA]

The first thing you need to ask an atheist is "do you really seek to discover the truth - even if it costs you your reputation, and even your friends?" If the answer is no, then realize that he/she is not willing to go where the evidence leads; you won't be having an honest intellectual dialogue, but your conversation may still have a spiritual impact.

A reputation or friends that abandon your trek for truth aren't worth having.

My answer would be, "Yes. Yes, I do seek to discover the truth, even if it costs me my reputation and my friends. That's why I became an atheist, you dolt."

The "only" thing that matters is your reputation amongst your "current" friends, because if your old friends aren't your friends anymore then it should not worry you what people who aren't your friend anymore actually think about you or your current reputation.

wow !! that was a tongue twisting thought I had there ...

[curiosityandthecat]

The "only" thing that matters is your reputation amongst your "current" friends, because if your old friends aren't your friends anymore then it should not worry you what people who aren't your friend anymore actually think about you or your current reputation.

wow !! that was a tongue roflol

[G.ENIGMA]

The "only" thing that matters is your reputation amongst your "current" friends, because if your old friends aren't your friends anymore then it should not worry you what people who aren't your friend anymore actually think about you or your current reputation.

wow !! that was a tongue roflol

  have fun .. lol

[youtube:3drcjbdk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck8Vi4L1r7E[/youtube:3drcjbdk]

[VanReal]

This is a neat link, and doesn't seem to be aimed at slamming Andy but more so trying to arm Christian teens with tools and information to ward off Andy so he doesn't make them think or question their faith.   Sneaky and smart.

Regarding the OP - I absolutely believe that the bible was born from men designed to control the masses and don't for a second believe any of the writers believed what they wrote.

[Nazzer]

This is a neat link, and doesn't seem to be aimed at slamming Andy but more so trying to arm Christian teens with tools and information to ward off Andy so he doesn't make them think or question their faith.   Sneaky and smart.

Regarding the OP - I absolutely believe that the bible was born from men designed to control the masses and don't for a second believe any of the writers believed what they wrote.

I've never seen any evidence to suggest that, or at least regarding the old testament. After all, this is a bronze-age text that was among hundreds of similar texts which all have the same level of credulity, and at this time sea monsters were considered a legitimate hazard, the earth was flat, every celestial object orbited the earth, and the best way to cure a wound was to spit on it.

So I doubt the writers would have had any trouble believing the shit they spouted.

[VanReal]

This is a neat link, and doesn't seem to be aimed at slamming Andy but more so trying to arm Christian teens with tools and information to ward off Andy so he doesn't make them think or question their faith.   )

I see your point, but I think it's more of story telling and following suit adding their little slant to the "tellings".  I don't think there is really any evidence provided to determine what these people were actually thinking or believed.  I'm just of the opinion that religion is intended as a tool to control the masses, including the writings of those early men.  I doubt it was originally intended to be taken as literal, much like Beowulf was not really ripping off arms of beasts ten times his size with his bare hands.  A little artistic license was occurring.

[curiosityandthecat]

I doubt it was originally intended to be taken as literal, much like Beowulf was not really ripping off arms of beasts ten times his size with his bare hands.  A little artistic license was occurring.

Whether or not it was intended to be taken literally, over the ages it has been. From the Dare2Share website:

About the Bible:

The Bible alone is the word of God. It is without error. It cannot and should not be added to or subtracted from (2 Timothy 3:16-4:4; Revelation 22:18-20). It backs up its claim as the word of God with accuracy, historical correctness, and fulfilled prophecy.

No symbolism, there!  

[Ihateyoumike]

...and at this time sea monsters were considered a legitimate hazard, the earth was flat, every celestial object orbited the earth, and the best way to cure a wound was to spit on it.

Looks like someone watched Religulous lately, this is almost word for word with his bronze age beliefs list.

Regarding the OP - I absolutely believe that the bible was born from men designed to control the masses and don't for a second believe any of the writers believed what they wrote.

So I doubt the writers would have had any trouble believing the shit they spouted.

I think both of you are right. I think many of them fully believed what they were writing. I also think many of them wrote what they did as a means to attempt to control the minds of people.

I absolutely think that the people such as King James who compiled the bible as most of us know it today are the people who did it completely as a means to control the masses.

[rlrose328]

"Andy believes the Bible is a collection of myths, half-truths, and lies designed to lead ignorant people astray and give power to religious leaders over the masses"

This is how I feel, exactly.  That's nearly word-for-word how I've put it a few times.  Wow.

And not just give religious leaders power over the masses but in conjunction with government leaders as well.  Preach and you get votes.

[G.ENIGMA]

(Genesis 2:8-9) The God commanded that the man to keep the garden; telling him that he could eat freely of every tree, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil he should not eat, because the die that you do eat of it, you shall die. (Genesis 2:15-17)

This sounds to me like an attempt to keep the masses uneducated because if Adam had not eaten from the tree of knowledge or taken advice from the talking snake then we would still be walking around naked and those pesky mosquitos would still be leaving their mark on very tender places .