Dh, a new atheist, wrote this post on FB today - opinions?

[creekmom]

Dh was a devoted Christian for decades but no longer "believes". Over 90% of his "friends" on FB are Christians, and he's been challenging their beliefs for awhile with different posts. He posted this one today, and I'd love to hear your opinions:

 

Suppose I did some magic tricks in class and convinced some of my students that I was really magic. Would you feel that I treated those kids rightly if I gave candy to the ones who wondered in awe and believed while I gave detention to those who didn't?

What if I REALLY WAS magic? Would it be ok then? Could I rightly scold a kid for being skeptical of unrealistically amazing claims and punish them for it? The child can hardly be blamed for being familiar with the concept of illusion and manipulation.

The idea of punishing a child for not believing in magic is simply barbaric, and you wouldn't stand for it.

Would it matter if they were my own children? No. Their lack of trust in me would not deserve punishment. It would mean that I needed to be more convincing by providing more evidence. It doesn't mean that I should threaten them. If I seriously and openly threatened my own children with burning, disfiguring torture in my basement if they didn't believe me, would you support the system when they took my kids away, (or me away)? I hope so.

This is how it is with God.

Except you don't get to see the magic tricks for yourself. You have to trust some anonymous person who wrote a story about the magic tricks 40 years afterwards. How do you know that you can trust them with claims of mythological proportions?

(I'm telling you here that it is not God who I don't trust, it's ordinary men who claim that they talked to somebody magic who might have been God.)

Instead of evidence, I get the kind of persuasion one would expect to receive from a fraud who was incapable of producing evidence. I get warnings of very bad consequence if I don't believe and promises of very pleasant things if I do. The clincher is that nobody can affirm the reality of these punishments and rewards, because, conveniently, they are only applied after you die. This has all the markings of an elaborate con.

How could such an elaborate con evolve to fool so many people? You already know of a few. Look at Islam. Look at Hinduism. Look at Mormonism. Why is it so difficult to imagine that your particular faith evolved similarly?

[Tanaqui]

This is going to lose him a whole bunch of friends. Maybe that's no great loss if they've been more concerned with dragging him back to the fold via threats than with supporting him like friends. But nobody who doesn't already agree with him is going to start agreeing because of this, and if that's what he was hoping for then he has my sympathies.

[albeto.]

d/p

[albeto.]

This is going to lose him a whole bunch of friends. Maybe that's no great loss if they've been more concerned with dragging him back to the fold via threats than with supporting him like friends. But nobody who doesn't already agree with him is going to start agreeing because of this, and if that's what he was hoping for then he has my sympathies.

 

I wonder. I think in the same way churched people have the concept of "planting seeds of faith," these kinds of comments and explanations do help to chip away at a facade many feel disillusioned with, and can't quite put their finger on why. 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

What are you looking for opinions on? Whether it's appropriate for FB? Whether we agree with him? 

 

My initial opinion is that, while I'm an atheist and I agree with him, this would cause me to automatically unfollow him on FB. I'm not on FB to be subjected to controversy. (I come here for that :lol:) I'm on FB to keep in touch with my friends and family, see pictures of what they're up to, and generally be kept abreast of how they're all doing. If I wanted to have my beliefs challenged or be subjected to others' deep thoughts, I'd look for that elsewhere. 

 

Is that the kind of feedback you're looking for? I may be unique in this. I have a love/hate relationship with FB on my good days. But that's how I'd feel if it came up on my feed. 

[kroe1]

I think he just lost a lot of friends.

[Epicurean]

I think people who are new to atheism should leave FaceBook for a while. I say this as an atheist myself. Isaac Newton said, "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." It's really, really hard to not make this kind of point without accidentally turning friends into enemies.

 

I don't see the point in making this type of post, because it's so impersonal. If he was engaged in a private discussion with a Christian friend, his words would bear more weight and he might actually open their mind to his viewpoint (not that I personally think it's worthwhile to do so). But with social media, it's the equivalent of holding a megaphone on a street corner. He might feel pretty good about himself for announcing his views to the world, but it isn't going to change the minds of the people around him. It may have the opposite effect, in fact.

[ThisIsTheDay]

It makes me feel sorry for him.  I get his enthusiasm, but  he may want to reconsider his audience.  Just because he's full of this new found knowledge doesn't mean anyone else is going to be swayed. 

 

He might want to make a whole lot of new FB friends who agree with him, and then my answer would be different.

 

 

[zoobie]

I align with him philosophically, but preachy crap of any persuasion makes me roll my eyes on FB. Does he have another outlet for debating and discussing things? Is that what he's looking for right now? Is he posting that in response to people trying to re-save him? Or is he just lighting bridges on fire to watch them burn?

[Slartibartfast]

 I am friends with people of all beliefs but I prefer not to be friends with people who feel the need to challenge my faith or evangelize to me in public.

 

If I had a post that mentioned something about my beliefs and someone posted that in response I would tell them to bugger off. I am certainly NOT interested in that on my FB in front of my kids, nieces, nephews and other relatives. 

 

I wouldn't change my mind because of what someone posted on the internet. It is insulting that someone seems to somehow think that I didn't come to my decision regarding religion with any sort of forethought, research, or commitment that some random facebook post would cause me to stumble. It gets tiresome and boring and I would stop reading what they had to say.

[DawnM]

As a Christian, I am not offended by his beliefs at all, I think everyone has to decide for themselves what they believe.  However, his post comes across a bit angry (and maybe at this point he is???) 

 

I would not unfriend your DH for this post, however, I do know atheists who I have unfollowed (not unfriended because it takes more than that for me) because they seem to want conflict and controversy all the time.  They know what buttons push Christians, so they keep pushing.  I don't know if your husband is like that and hopefully he isn't.

 

Dawn

[SparklyUnicorn]

I align with him philosophically, but preachy crap of any persuasion makes me roll my eyes on FB. Does he have another outlet for debating and discussing things? Is that what he's looking for right now? Is he posting that in response to people trying to re-save him? Or is he just lighting bridges on fire to watch them burn?

 

Me too, but I encounter a lot of "new" atheists who go through this for awhile.  It's like they want to talk their ideas out and be "heard". 

 

To the OP, even though I align with him, I can imagine being confused, upset, worried, etc. about my kid doing something like this.  :grouphug:

[SparklyUnicorn]

As a Christian, I am not offended by his beliefs at all, I think everyone has to decide for themselves what they believe.  However, his post comes across a bit angry (and maybe at this point he is???) 

 

I would not unfriend your DH for this post, however, I do know atheists who I have unfollowed (not unfriended because it takes more than that for me) because they seem to want conflict and controversy all the time.  They know what buttons push Christians, so they keep pushing.  I don't know if your husband is like that and hopefully he isn't.

 

Dawn

 

Yeah I don't think anger is uncommon. 

[plansrme]

He sounds like a condescending ass. Is that what you are looking for? Calling his friends' religion an "elaborate con" is rude, to say the least. I guess I really do not see the point of posting that except to tick people off.

[TechWife]

Well, I'm not sure what he was after, but that was way too long & complex for me to track for a Facebook post that I don't agree with - I'd just read the first few lines and move on, which would mean that I wouldn't follow the argument. I don't engage in philosophical matters on Facebook.

 

Edited for clarity. 

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

We have one friend who did this. She went atheist evangelist, as I call it. It is really, really annoying and obnoxious when people constantly proselytize. But you can become someone who proselytizes for atheism and it is every single bit as annoying. I unfriend both kinds liberally.

[Joker]

My dh is an atheist. He was one when I married him as well, but he has never been rude or condescending to me about my Christian beliefs (so he would never tell me what I believed was just an elaborate con). I would be turned off by that post but what I would do would depend on my relationship with the poster. If it was family or someone I really cared about, I might overlook it once and just ignore it. If it continued to happen, I would probably block or unfriend them.

[creekmom]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Atheist evangelists make me roll my eyes.

[albeto.]

He sounds like a condescending ass. Is that what you are looking for? Calling his friends' religion an "elaborate con" is rude, to say the least. I guess I really do not see the point of posting that except to tick people off.

 

I too am curious to know what motivated that post. Off the top of my head, I can conceive of a few reasons alternative to simply pissing people off.

 

Sparklie's idea of being "heard" and having a place to articulate new thoughts.

Offering insight to who are others struggling with faith, too disillusioned to simply believe, to frightened to consider letting that belief go.

Letting people know they are complacent with unjustified, unethical emotional manipulation, as that presumably goes against their own self-identified moral code.

 

Burning bridges is but one potential reason, and perhaps he's okay with doing that because it lights the way for others to follow. 

[Slartibartfast]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

 

Or it asks questions that people don't want to bother with on facebook. If someone wanted a serious discussion I would meet with them and talk to them personally. I wouldn't be interested in his discussion because I am not interested in having that discussion online.

[SparklyUnicorn]

We have one friend who did this. She went atheist evangelist, as I call it. It is really, really annoying and obnoxious when people constantly proselytize. But you can become someone who proselytizes for atheism and it is every single bit as annoying. I unfriend both kinds liberally.

 

So true.  Somehow I have friended a guy on Facebook who I swear spends all day looking for negative stuff to post about religion.  It's like a train wreck and I can't look away and stay friends out of morbid curiosity. 

[Guest]

I used to belong to a site where exiting Christians could discuss such matters among themselves:

 

http://www.ex-christian.net/

 

This was, of course, many many years ago and I don't see any familiar faces at all, but I didn't expect to. The people I posted with undoubtedly don't need the site any more either.

 

It was very helpful to me in getting through a phase that seems to be normal and temporary, although I am sure that it is extremely unpleasant for you, especially if you are still a practicing Christian. He definitely does need to meet some new friends who he can talk to about these matters, at least until he is comfortable enough in his own skin to behave appropriately in groups where he knows he has a minority opinion.

 

He'll get over it. Try not to worry too much.

 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

 

It could say something about the type of person he is.  Maybe when he believes something he is very passionate about it.  It's just at this point the passion is in a direction many people in his life aren't comfortable with.

[ThisIsTheDay]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

 

This is making a lot more sense to me.  I was wondering why you had the word "friends" in quotes in your original post.

 

You are surprised people aren't engaging with him and that bothers you.  (Am I right?)

 

I seriously doubt he's ruffled any feathers, and I seriously doubt he's asking any questions anyone doesn't want to think about. They find him annoying, and someone posting like this on FB isn't going to make anyone question their own solid beliefs (especially by a new atheist).

 

Do you think that his friends should be bringing him back to why they believe what they do with Biblical reasons? 

 

I don't disagree with that, but it sounds like he's well past that and not open to discussion.  It may or may not be true, but that's how he comes across.  It may be that he has few friends with whom he is really close who would feel compelled to step in.  It may be that many people don't read his posts, or maybe recently have stopped reading.

 

If this is your concern, what is it that you would hope would happen as a result of his post?

 

[Tap]

Based on my post from a few weeks ago. lots of people now know I find long analogies, annoying and a very poor form of communication. (just my personal view, I know other people love a good analogy) Analogies always break down if pushed far enough, so why bother?  If he wants to have a real discussion about it, why hide behind the magic trick analogy?  Does he think that people won't understand the topic, so he needs to  dumb it down for them?  

 

I think people reading it will just start thinking about how many ways the anaolgy doesn't work.  Instead of thinking about his true thoughts on the topic, the analogy gets focused on and the discussion ends up being about magic tricks and the chambers of hell under his living room rug.  I doubt that is what he wanted to leave people contemplating.  

 

This kind of discussion, in person, on Facebook, on blogs, where ever a person chooses to post them, just makes me think that person has a new idea in his head and is excited to talk about it.   And the beauty of the online world is that the reader can block, delete, unfriend or otherwise avoid this person while they go through their new teenage style of thinking... that their new idea, is an original one...........which it is not.  

 

I think his post will lead to a lot of eyerolling. 

[Tanaqui]

 

Me too, but I encounter a lot of "new" atheists who go through this for awhile.  It's like they want to talk their ideas out and be "heard".

 

Indeed. It's not just new atheists either. People who have recently found out they might be on the spectrum go through this same stage of TELL EVERYBODY and ATTRIBUTE EVERYTHING TO AUTISM. I've seen it in people who recently connected with their biological families in adulthood, and people who have recently become vegetarians, and people who have picked up a new hobby or fandom. Heck, who among us hasn't unwittingly bored our friends to tears with stories of our newborns and all their adorable ways? (Or poop. How many parents forget that the whole world isn't obsessed with poop?)

 

Having gone through this myself (with the autism and the adorable newborns), I try to be sympathetic when I see it in others. It's a phase, and her husband is sure to come out the other side with a more nuanced perspective. If he posts like this in mixed company, though, he's not going to have very many friends when he does.

 

[marbel]

Atheist evangelists make me roll my eyes.

 

Actually, most evangelists make me roll my eyes.  When new Christians, new nonsmokers, new nondrinkers, new LCHF eaters do this, people roll their eyes.  And sometimes unfriend them.

 

I'd find the post tiresome and wouldn't read the whole thing.  I probably wouldn't unfriend him right away but if he kept on nagging me and disrespecting my religion, I probably would eventually.

[Slartibartfast]

Actually, most evangelists make me roll my eyes.  When new Christians, new nonsmokers, new nondrinkers, new LCHF eaters do this, people roll their eyes.  And sometimes unfriend them.

 

I'd find the post tiresome and wouldn't read the whole thing.  I probably wouldn't unfriend him right away but if he kept on nagging me and disrespecting my religion, I probably would eventually.

 

The shake people seem to be the worst. Shut it about your shakes!

[Joanne]

Well, I'm not sure what he was after, but that was way too long & complex for me to track for a Facebook post that I don't agree with - I'd just read the first few lines and move on, which would mean that I wouldn't follow the argument. I don't engage in philosophical matters on Facebook.

 

Edited for clarity. 

 

I "agree" with him (mostly) but I found it long and preachy and would pass over it on FB. It's also not an original analogy, or a new thought.

 

It's a common phase when in transition with a major life event to be consumed by it: newly converted, newly deconverted, newly in 12 step recovery, newly in LLL, new vegetarian, new low carb.......

 

It can be an obnoxious stage. My own deconversion didn't play out on FB, but I have done a certain amount of the verbal processing here. I personally think that appropriate threads on a discussion board are a safe and appropriate place for that. The role of FB in my life is not.

 

I am NOT looking forward to the presidential election and FB.

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Indeed. It's not just new atheists either. People who have recently found out they might be on the spectrum go through this same stage of TELL EVERYBODY and ATTRIBUTE EVERYTHING TO AUTISM. I've seen it in people who recently connected with their biological families in adulthood, and people who have recently become vegetarians, and people who have picked up a new hobby or fandom. Heck, who among us hasn't unwittingly bored our friends to tears with stories of our newborns and all their adorable ways? (Or poop. How many parents forget that the whole world isn't obsessed with poop?)

 

Having gone through this myself (with the autism and the adorable newborns), I try to be sympathetic when I see it in others. It's a phase, and her husband is sure to come out the other side with a more nuanced perspective. If he posts like this in mixed company, though, he's not going to have very many friends when he does.

 

I was like that with homeschooling.  Now I barely want to talk about it because I'm talked out.  LOL

[Joker]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

 

Honestly? I don't think he's asking tough questions others haven't thought about or been presented with before his post. It's FB. My FB is for family and friends and it's lighthearted. I usually ignore the heavy political and religious parts because that's not why I'm there.

[Slartibartfast]

 

 

I am NOT looking forward to the presidential election and FB.

 

I would like the ability to censor certain discussions containing key words from my feed. 

 

I really only want to see discussions about kids, hobbies, the latest dance craze, pop culture, what high school bands are doing *I have a lot of band director friends* books, and things like that.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Indeed. It's not just new atheists either. People who have recently found out they might be on the spectrum go through this same stage of TELL EVERYBODY and ATTRIBUTE EVERYTHING TO AUTISM. I've seen it in people who recently connected with their biological families in adulthood, and people who have recently become vegetarians, and people who have picked up a new hobby or fandom. Heck, who among us hasn't unwittingly bored our friends to tears with stories of our newborns and all their adorable ways? (Or poop. How many parents forget that the whole world isn't obsessed with poop?)

 

Having gone through this myself (with the autism and the adorable newborns), I try to be sympathetic when I see it in others. It's a phase, and her husband is sure to come out the other side with a more nuanced perspective. If he posts like this in mixed company, though, he's not going to have very many friends when he does.

 

I have heard this called "the zeal of the newly converted." Newly converted to anything really, and man, is it true! I have been like this about many things, but I always try to reign it in, because I know it's super annoying to everyone else.

[sbgrace]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

 

He's trying to evangelize atheism, then, like he did Christianity? He's hoping to convince other Christians it's false. Or, as you say, wants them to try to convince him otherwise? I don't understand that at all! Why? Is he more agnostic/uncertain? He enjoys debate?

 

I wouldn't see that as inviting response or convincing. But then I don't think a person can reason themselves into faith. Nor do I think being a Christian means believing the way we think of believing (ie you believe Jesus was the son of God, ask for forgiveness of sins, and get to heaven while the doubters go to hell...side note, hell is probably not what he thinks/was taught either). I don't know. If he really wants a suggestion/was hoping for logical response from Christians, Benefit of the Doubt by Boyd is good, and covers his concerns about suspending belief to be a Christian. Her Gates Will Never Be Shut by Jersak is good re: perhaps an alternative (but very reasoned) view of hell and the like would be interesting. Both would respond to what he argued in that thread, from different angles.

 

I suspect, honestly, that what he rejected was worthy of rejection. Is his personality is sort of in your face? Hopefully his friends already know this and love him anyway.

[AimeeM]

I wonder. I think in the same way churched people have the concept of "planting seeds of faith," these kinds of comments and explanations do help to chip away at a facade many feel disillusioned with, and can't quite put their finger on why. 

I can't imagine any adult living in our modern society hasn't heard similar before. 

 

OP, is this really worth losing friends and family over? For him, I mean. Oddly enough, what he is doing (shoving his beliefs down the throats of others, not just with his post, but arguing the posts of others and challenging their beliefs) is what so many atheists use against Christians: "Don't shove your beliefs down my throat!" "Respect my beliefs and I'll respect yours!" 

Unless, of course, he's perfectly okay with others pulling similar stunts on him, regarding badgering him about his beliefs. In which case, have at it.

 

Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with. His mind was made for his thoughts, not yours or mine. - Henry Haskings

[AimeeM]

It could say something about the type of person he is.  Maybe when he believes something he is very passionate about it.  It's just at this point the passion is in a direction many people in his life aren't comfortable with.

I know people who are absolutely passionate about things (things I disagree with), but who aren't annoying and obnoxious about it, and I get along beautifully with them. My little sister is very liberal, definitely passionate in the opposite direction (of us) on social issues, and she managed to have a lovely visit with my very conservative self, and my even more conservative husband, just this past week. We even talked politics and social issues, over the course of the several days she stayed with us; we laughed, bantered, talked, ate, disagreed, ate some more, found common ground, and so on.

 

She's passionate; not annoying. OP's husband is crossing the line into obnoxious if he's actually writing similar things on the posts of others. 

[umsami]

Except you don't get to see the magic tricks for yourself. You have to trust some anonymous person who wrote a story about the magic tricks 40 years afterwards. How do you know that you can trust them with claims of mythological proportions?

(I'm telling you here that it is not God who I don't trust, it's ordinary men who claim that they talked to somebody magic who might have been God.)

 

 

Reading his post, I'm not sure he's an atheist, but more agnostic.  It sounds (to me) like he believes in God, but just not in man-revealed revelations from God, or not necessarily Christianity? Or maybe I'm misinterpreting.  

 

Anyway, if I was his friend....I was understand that this was just a newly converted phase....and probably would not engage via like or comment but just let it be.   I would think, though, that for some of his Christian friends, this will be viewed as sort of a challenge, and they may pull out all of their best apologetic stuff.   

 

In the end, I doubt either side will change his/her mind, but there's a chance for both sides to get offended/hurt.   I would probably ask him to consider deleting/hiding the post.  And if he really needs to post stuff like this, to maybe target his audience more narrowly on Facebook (use Custom).

[Guest]

This is a man who was 100% sold on Christianity and spent a large amount of his time witnessing to people. He, at the time, believed it was truth and wanted other people to know the truth as well. I think he feels just as strongly that it's a lie now, but he wants to give Christians an opportunity to convince him otherwise. So far, the only responses he receives from Christians are comments like, "You just have to have faith" and, "God's ways are higher than our ways" etc. I think he's definitely ruffled some feathers and lost some friends - not that they were truly friends to begin with. I don't think his post is offensive, but it does ask some tough questions I'm sure many people don't want to think about.

 

I actually did not think it asked tough questions... just seemed juvenile.  If he wants someone to convince him otherwise, he should directly ask.

[El...]

He sounds like he's really uncomfortable right now.  :grouphug:

[albeto.]

I can't imagine any adult living in our modern society hasn't heard similar before. 

 

People hear arguments like this for the first time somewhere. Sometimes even on facebook.

 

Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with. His mind was made for his thoughts, not yours or mine. - Henry Haskings

 

He's referencing eternal torment for the "crime" of not believing a admittedly unbelievable story ("admittedly" because it requires faith to do so). As he considers that rather immoral, and suggests others would too if it were exposed in a different context from a faith they personally hold dear, I wonder if his motivation is to challenge the idea that the Christian faith is a matter of "just thinking one's own thoughts," and propose rather that it's a matter of convincing others (including young children) they should "take captive" (ie, reject) those thoughts that don't inspire them to embrace this immoral system as well. In other words, he's proposing Christian belief a system that works by virtue of cognitive and emotional manipulation, and if people find that to be unethical, they might consider looking at the very organizations and ideologies they support. The answers he gets may strike silent readers as being nothing more than well-meaning platitudes and logically empty solutions, but not a satisfying answer, and not a virtuous defense. I suspect he already recognizes that, but perhaps he hopes a discussion will catch someone's attention and make them think, for the first time, what these beliefs they profess to have really are. There are so many people who question the validity of their faith. Conversations like these promote an alternative to the traditional assurance that it's a benign thing. 

[6packofun]

I don't understand why he's challenging other people's beliefs. What does it matter if the majority of his friends are Christians or not?

 

Yes.  I am friends with several atheists in real life (and so on FB, too) and they don't feel the need to get me to stop believing (or feel stupid about my beliefs).  And I'm not usually interested in getting into theological debate unless it's in person and the person actually cares to hear what I have to say.  LOL

 

It's condescending to think that ANYONE has not used their mind in the development of their worldview and/or religious beliefs. That's sort of the tone I'm getting in the husband's post.  In my opinion, it's realllly hard to throw out a poor analogy that is supposed to represent, what, the ONE thing that's going to cause someone to smack themselves on the head and say, "Golly, I never thought of THAT!  Changing worldview now."  (And I've used poor analogies before, so I know.  LOL!)

[Btervet]

I think it's inappropriate  and gives atheists a bad name. It seems like he is still stuck preaching.

 

As an atheist, he should realize that preaching isn't helpful. And really, there is no urgency to change people's beliefs as an atheist. If their religious beliefs make them a better person, it doesn't matter if he thinks they are wrong. If their religion provides them comfort, it doesn't matter if they are wrong.

 

I think he would benefit from finding an appropriate place to talk about theistic beliefs and the merit thereof. FB is not that place. Preaching at and chastising your religious friends and family is not at all appropriate.

[KungFuPanda]

If his goal is to stir up FB drama, then this post is definitely a winner.

[Barb_]

Another vote for patronizing. What do you think about it?

[Scarlett]

How do you feel about his post?  If my dh turned atheist, I'd be devastated....in fact one of my best friend's went through that with her now XH......as far as his actual FB post there is nothing I agree with in the comparison because I don't believe God tortures unbelievers or anyone for that matter.  

 

If a close friend of mine posted that I would not reply on FB at all.  I might attempt a private conversation, but if his mind is made up we would naturally drift apart as friends.

 

[LucyStoner]

I think people who are new to atheism should leave FaceBook for a while. I say this as an atheist myself. Isaac Newton said, "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." It's really, really hard to not make this kind of point without accidentally turning friends into enemies.

 

I don't see the point in making this type of post, because it's so impersonal. If he was engaged in a private discussion with a Christian friend, his words would bear more weight and he might actually open their mind to his viewpoint (not that I personally think it's worthwhile to do so). But with social media, it's the equivalent of holding a megaphone on a street corner. He might feel pretty good about himself for announcing his views to the world, but it isn't going to change the minds of the people around him. It may have the opposite effect, in fact.

I don't like evangelism or preachiness of any kind on FB. I don't wanna see excessive mention of your religion or lack thereof, politics, oils, educational style or Jamberry nail wraps. I do unfollow and even unfriend people who go off the deep end pushing pretty much anything.

[gardenmom5]

condescending and obnoxious.  comes across as pushing away anyone who doesn't already agree with him.

he sounds like he's trying to rationalize his position and convince himself (and that he is uncomfortable with his new belief.  if he was comfortable, it wouldn't matter to him what other's believed.) - his argument is extremely weak.

 

My personal response (I've dealt with those like him.) would be a big eye roll.

 

[albeto.]

. 

 

[Reefgazer]

Never mind.