Fri Apr 6, 2012, 09:47 AM

rug (47,357 posts)

Former Atheist Activist Patrick Greene Responds to Critics

By Jeff Schapiro , Christian Post Reporter
April 6, 2012|8:56 am

Patrick Greene was an outspoken atheist until recently, when the generosity of a few Christians caused him to reconsider his beliefs. He now says he is a Christian. But some people – atheists as well as Christians – aren't just taking him at his word, and are openly criticizing both Greene and his conversion.

- snip -

Some nonbelievers have been critical of Greene, saying that his conversion isn't legitimate because he was never really an atheist. Others have claimed that he only became a Christian because he likes both the attention he is getting and the money he has received from believers, though he told CP on Thursday that the money has nothing to do with it.

"The financial help that my wife and I got is totally irrelevant," he said. He later added, "What's money got to do with religion or belief? Nothing...that's stupid."

He says the "kindness, generosity and warmth" of the Christians who have helped him led him to reconsider his beliefs, but they did not convince him to suddenly believe in God. He also said that anyone who doubts he was indeed an atheist before only needs to speak with his wife, who he has been married to for over 33 years and is still an atheist, to find out that he really was.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/former-atheist-activist-patrick-greene-responds-to-critics-72768/

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47 replies	Author	Time	Post
Former Atheist Activist Patrick Greene Responds to Critics (Original post)	rug	Apr 2012	OP
OK - but what's kindness generosity and warmth got to do with ontology?	dmallind	Apr 2012	#1
It probably has less to do with intellectual persuasion than the shock of meeting authentic people.	rug	Apr 2012	#2
Yep, only Christians can be "authentic".. n/t	Fumesucker	Apr 2012	#3
Why that's precisely what I said, isn't it?	rug	Apr 2012	#4
Actually, I'd say your post is, rug.	eqfan592	Apr 2012	#12
Keep your inferences out of my implications.	rug	Apr 2012	#18
Of course not nt	Thats my opinion	Apr 2012	#31
Everything!!nt	Thats my opinion	Apr 2012	#30
"What's money got to do with religion or belief?"	trotsky	Apr 2012	#5
Ya know, the second I read that line, I thought he had to be joking.	eqfan592	Apr 2012	#15
I wonder if he still thinks the government shouldn't be sponsoring religious displays...	Silent3	Apr 2012	#6
I don't know what to make of him.	rug	Apr 2012	#10
Someone asked Greene directly here:	SamG	Apr 2012	#7
Atheist or Christian....	AlbertCat	Apr 2012	#35
"In Pushing Homosexual Agenda Globally, Obama Admin Seeks to Co-opt, Marginalize Religion"	Silent3	Apr 2012	#8
Does that have anything to do with this article?	rug	Apr 2012	#9
Analyzing sources is a good way to discover agendas and uncover bias. n/t	trotsky	Apr 2012	#11
Attempting to discredit a fact by discrediting the source is a poor subsitute for analysis.	rug	Apr 2012	#19
Glad to hear you say so.	Plantaganet	Apr 2012	#38
Hate to break it to you, but proving a hoax is a factual rebuttal.	rug	Apr 2012	#39
Hate to break it to you...	Plantaganet	Apr 2012	#41
Now there's a fine example of a contentless post.	rug	Apr 2012	#42
Quite related to Greene's comments, actually:...	SamG	Apr 2012	#13
If this is "pro-Papal" propaganda, somebody should have told Greene before he criticized the RCC.	rug	Apr 2012	#20
So now he's an expert on Bible interpretation?	mr blur	Apr 2012	#37
I certainly find his new "reasoning" highly suspect	Silent3	Apr 2012	#14
The Christian Post is more than suspect.	rug	Apr 2012	#21
on this interesting story.	AlbertCat	Apr 2012	#36
No, it's the appearance of spinning dervishes.	rug	Apr 2012	#40
's ok.	LiberalAndProud	Apr 2012	#16
That remains to be seen.	rug	Apr 2012	#22
Given some of the recent statements he has made recently about past doubts...	eqfan592	Apr 2012	#24
I'm not questioning the authenticity of his conversion.	LiberalAndProud	Apr 2012	#25
Why not?	cbayer	Apr 2012	#29
Because he subscribes to unChristian doctrine.	LiberalAndProud	Apr 2012	#32
........	Angry Dragon	Apr 2012	#17
Here, this goes well.	rug	Apr 2012	#23
It seems as though Patrick Greene was on the radar back in 2008...	SamG	Apr 2012	#26
"It seems like Patrick's problem is not his atheism but his personality."	rug	Apr 2012	#27
Can we all spell "attention-seeking behavior"?	SamG	Apr 2012	#28
There's enough of that to go around.	rug	Apr 2012	#33
I hope he found something that makes sense to him. - n/t	Jim__	Apr 2012	#34
I've never been more convinced of his grifter status.	darkstar3	Apr 2012	#43
He must have become a grifter this year.	rug	Apr 2012	#44
He's was never a true scotsman.	cbayer	Apr 2012	#45
I doubt it, but if so, well, everyone has to start somewhere.	darkstar3	Apr 2012	#46
I doubt it.	rug	Apr 2012	#47

Response to rug (Original post)

Fri Apr 6, 2012, 09:55 AM

dmallind (10,437 posts)

1. OK - but what's kindness generosity and warmth got to do with ontology?

Becoming an atheist because you meet nice atheists would be very stupid. Why is it less stupid to become a Christian thusly?

Former Atheist Activist Patrick Greene Responds to Critics

1. OK - but what's kindness generosity and warmth got to do with ontology?

2. It probably has less to do with intellectual persuasion than the shock of meeting authentic people.

3. Yep, only Christians can be "authentic".. n/t

4. Why that's precisely what I said, isn't it?

12. Actually, I'd say your post is, rug.

18. Keep your inferences out of my implications.

31. Of course not nt

30. Everything!!nt

5. "What's money got to do with religion or belief?"

15. Ya know, the second I read that line, I thought he had to be joking.

6. I wonder if he still thinks the government shouldn't be sponsoring religious displays...

10. I don't know what to make of him.

7. Someone asked Greene directly here:

35. Atheist or Christian....

8. "In Pushing Homosexual Agenda Globally, Obama Admin Seeks to Co-opt, Marginalize Religion"

9. Does that have anything to do with this article?

11. Analyzing sources is a good way to discover agendas and uncover bias. n/t

19. Attempting to discredit a fact by discrediting the source is a poor subsitute for analysis.

38. Glad to hear you say so.

39. Hate to break it to you, but proving a hoax is a factual rebuttal.

41. Hate to break it to you...

42. Now there's a fine example of a contentless post.

13. Quite related to Greene's comments, actually:...

20. If this is "pro-Papal" propaganda, somebody should have told Greene before he criticized the RCC.

37. So now he's an expert on Bible interpretation?

14. I certainly find his new "reasoning" highly suspect

21. The Christian Post is more than suspect.

36. on this interesting story.

40. No, it's the appearance of spinning dervishes.

16. 's ok.

22. That remains to be seen.

24. Given some of the recent statements he has made recently about past doubts...

25. I'm not questioning the authenticity of his conversion.

29. Why not?

32. Because he subscribes to unChristian doctrine.

17. ........

23. Here, this goes well.

26. It seems as though Patrick Greene was on the radar back in 2008...

27. "It seems like Patrick's problem is not his atheism but his personality."

28. Can we all spell "attention-seeking behavior"?

33. There's enough of that to go around.

34. I hope he found something that makes sense to him. - n/t

43. I've never been more convinced of his grifter status.

44. He must have become a grifter this year.

45. He's was never a true scotsman.

46. I doubt it, but if so, well, everyone has to start somewhere.

47. I doubt it.