The Bible Is Not a Public Policy Manual

[Guardian85]

I see a doctrine of sorts...that being Free Thinking, Common Sense, Logical Thinking, Scientific evidence...all these things can be a tool(s) for working towards a better society without religion.  Just asking.

If you want to call it a doctrine to apply the same rules of reasoning and evidence to the question of religion as you do to the rest of your life, then you might have a point.

[Sandra Craft]

I can certainly understand why you wouldn't give to Christian charities, however if Atheism is true, wouldn't it be in the best interest of Man that Atheism evangelize?

Most of us don't know that atheism is true, we simply haven't been given a good reason or evidence to think otherwise.  And even if we could actually prove there were no gods (good luck proving a negative) that's still no reason to evangelize -- did you miss the "live and let live" part of Stevil's post?

[Too Few Lions]

I can certainly understand why you wouldn't give to Christian charities, however if Atheism is true, wouldn't it be in the best interest of Man that Atheism evangelize?

I think the world would be a better place if religion didn't exist, but like most other atheists on this forum, I believe in individual freedoms. As long as Christians or Muslims don't try and force me to live by their beliefs and rules I'm happy to live and let live and let them hold whatever beliefs they choose. Unfortunately, historically both religions have forced their beliefs on people and had active programs of forcible conversion. I think it can be hard for Christians or Muslims to accept that rules they believe are handed down from 'God' are no more valid than the rules I choose to live my life by.

Plus on a personal level, I don't like pushy salespeople, and that's all evangelists are to me, people trying to push their beliefs on others. To evangelise atheism would be to become that which I and many other atheists dislike.

[statichaos]

Proselytizing is just tacky.  Attempting to push beliefs specific to one's religious worldview into civil law is even more so.

[AnimatedDirt]

I can certainly understand why you wouldn't give to Christian charities, however if Atheism is true, wouldn't it be in the best interest of Man that Atheism evangelize?

Most of us don't know that atheism is true, we simply haven't been given a good reason or evidence to think otherwise.  And even if we could actually prove there were no gods (good luck proving a negative) that's still no reason to evangelize -- did you miss the "live and let live" part of Stevil's post?

That's an interesting comment given my experience on HAF and the way the outspoken Atheists "speak" of and at the Christians here when in discussion.  It's certainly NOT in the sense of equal positions, one not being able to prove their belief and the other not being able to prove their disbelief...

I guess my position on this evangelize thinking stems from my Christian bias.  I can't help but feel one would try and educate their neighbor into the truth...if it were known.

[Stevil]

I guess my position on this evangelize thinking stems from my Christian bias.  I can't help but feel one would try and educate their neighbor into the truth...if it were known.

What if your belief is wrong? What if the Mormons got it right?
If you manage to convert someone to 7th day.. then effectively you are damning them to your own fate, because you got it wrong.
Does that not worry you?

[AnimatedDirt]

I guess my position on this evangelize thinking stems from my Christian bias.  I can't help but feel one would try and educate their neighbor into the truth...if it were known.

What if your belief is wrong? What if the Mormons got it right?
If you manage to convert someone to 7th day.. then effectively you are damning them to your own fate, because you got it wrong.
Does that not worry you?

Likewise...if you've got it wrong...aren't you worried you're damning them literally to "eternal hell-fire"?  (I see HAF as a sort of evangelism)

I'm not worried in the least.  If I convert someone, it's not about being SDA.  It's plainly a relationship with Christ.  It matters not whether one is SDA, Lutheran, Methodist, R Catholic, Mormon...or even of no religious affiliation.  A person need only submit to the Creator and place their life in His hand.  Scripture leads to God, it doesn't lead to a specific religion.  Religion is Man's creation...not God's.

[Stevil]

Likewise...if you've got it wrong...aren't you worried you're damning them literally to "eternal hell-fire"?  (I see HAF as a sort of evangelism)

I'm not worried because I don't try and convert people. I lack a belief in gods, but I have no proof that there are no gods, I therefore don't go around telling people that there are definitely no gods.

I'm not worried in the least.  If I convert someone, it's not about being SDA.  It's plainly a relationship with Christ.  It matters not whether one is SDA, Lutheran, Methodist, R Catholic, Mormon...or even of no religious affiliation.  A person need only submit to the Creator and place their life in His hand.  Scripture leads to God, it doesn't lead to a specific religion.  Religion is Man's creation...not God's.

So why bother calling yourself a Christian? Christianity is a religion right?
Can't you simply say, "OK god created everything, wow that's neat", and then move on with your life, until of course, science works out how life came to be.

[AnimatedDirt]

So why bother calling yourself a Christian? Christianity is a religion right?
Can't you simply say, "OK god created everything, wow that's neat", and then move on with your life, until of course, science works out how life came to be.

Because being a Christian defines my belief system overall while my label as a Seventh-day Adventist gives a more specific idea of how scripture is interpreted.  All Christians have the same core beliefs while some hold some secondary beliefs different...like the day of worship.  Sunday vs. Saturday or are the dead simply dead or do they go to heaven the moment they die...

[Stevil]

So why bother calling yourself a Christian? Christianity is a religion right?
Can't you simply say, "OK god created everything, wow that's neat", and then move on with your life, until of course, science works out how life came to be.

Because being a Christian defines my belief system overall while my label as a Seventh-day Adventist gives a more specific idea of how scripture is interpreted.  All Christians have the same core beliefs while some hold some secondary beliefs different...like the day of worship.  Sunday vs. Saturday or are the dead simply dead or do they go to heaven the moment they die...

So if you are to be consistent with

It matters not whether one is SDA, Lutheran, Methodist, R Catholic, Mormon...or even of no religious affiliation.  A person need only submit to the Creator and place their life in His hand.

Then it matters not if you are a Muslim, Buddist, Hindu...
So again, why bother subscribing to Christianity or belonging to SDA? Use your mental powers to tell the Creator (in your head) that you submit, and then move on, live your life but mentally realise that your life is in the hand of your creator.

[AnimatedDirt]

So why bother calling yourself a Christian? Christianity is a religion right?
Can't you simply say, "OK god created everything, wow that's neat", and then move on with your life, until of course, science works out how life came to be.

Because being a Christian defines my belief system overall while my label as a Seventh-day Adventist gives a more specific idea of how scripture is interpreted.  All Christians have the same core beliefs while some hold some secondary beliefs different...like the day of worship.  Sunday vs. Saturday or are the dead simply dead or do they go to heaven the moment they die...

So if you are to be consistent with

It matters not whether one is SDA, Lutheran, Methodist, R Catholic, Mormon...or even of no religious affiliation.  A person need only submit to the Creator and place their life in His hand.

Then it matters not if you are a Muslim, Buddist, Hindu...
So again, why bother subscribing to Christianity or belonging to SDA? Use your mental powers to tell the Creator (in your head) that you submit, and then move on, live your life but mentally realise that your life is in the hand of your creator.

Right.  As long as a person submits to the Creator and puts their life in His hands, it matters not whether they call themselves Atheist.  It's not simply about saying some words.  By their fruit...

A believer is not saved by what he/she does, however what he/she does proves what he/she believes. 

[Stevil]

Right.  As long as a person submits to the Creator and puts their life in His hands, it matters not whether they call themselves Atheist.  It's not simply about saying some words.  By their fruit...

A believer is not saved by what he/she does, however what he/she does proves what he/she believes. 

It's somewhat interesting to hear you say this because it is absolutely contradictory to what is in the bible.
I, as an atheist am supposed to be condemned, because I don't believe in a god, regardless of how I live my life. I could obey all of the Christian laws, the ones that matter with regards to how I interact with humanity. But I cannot obey the unimportant ones, the ones that are only an imaginary state of mind, e.g. believe in god.
And because of this imaginary issue, I am condemned.

I couldn't care less, I have no belief in this stuff. Just pointing out that it is contradictory to what you are saying.

[Stevil]

Oh, and it is interesting to me that AD focuses on Christianity, we he recognises that the specific religion is human made and unimportant. To me this points out that it is distractive noise with regards to what is actually important.

[AnimatedDirt]

It's somewhat interesting to hear you say this because it is absolutely contradictory to what is in the bible.
I, as an atheist am supposed to be condemned, because I don't believe in a god, regardless of how I live my life. I could obey all of the Christian laws, the ones that matter with regards to how I interact with humanity. But I cannot obey the unimportant ones, the ones that are only an imaginary state of mind, e.g. believe in god.
And because of this imaginary issue, I am condemned.

Exactly right.  You think you have all the answers and (if God is) know better than He.

Simply put.  Pride.

[AnimatedDirt]

Oh, and it is interesting to me that AD focuses on Christianity, we he recognises that the specific religion is human made and unimportant. To me this points out that it is distractive noise with regards to what is actually important.

The bible (and therefore God) does not promote one religion over another, but puts forth God only and that life everlasting is only through Christ.  No religion.  It's not about a set of rules to follow, it's why you follow.