A conversation with a Christian

[SecularMotion]

Do atheists hate religious claims?

I recently had this exchange with a Christian friend. I know him from back when I used to be Christian myself:

Jared, a Christian who attends graduate school at a Bible college in British Columbia:

I could not stop laughing at the irony of this article about "atheist church" aka Sunday Assembly: http://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/atheism_starts_its_megachurch_is_it_a_religion_now/

Dave Muscato, American Atheists Public Relations Director:

Just because atheists don’t believe in a supernatural god doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy each other’s company, music, hearing interesting speakers talk about interesting topics, and so on. We’re human, you know. I’ve been to some of these and they’re fun. You listen to a rock band, you hear a lecture from a famous scientist or activist or author or whatever, and get to meet them afterward if you want. Then everybody goes to lunch. Religions don’t have a monopoly on human social interaction… I don’t see anything ironic about the idea of atheists congregating. Congregating is something humans do.

http://news.atheists.org/2013/10/03/a-conversation-with-a-christian/

[cbayer]

1. The author's attitude is so hostile and negative, that it is no surprise

that he would have this kind of exchange. In fact, I think Jared stayed pretty civil.

The author says, "I do want to be clear that I think religion is the most vile, puerile, barbaric, and damaging invention humans have ever come up with." and then goes on to say that he wants to help people "free themselves from the personal turmoil of being religious."

He then goes on to spout more rigid and dogmatic thinking as if it were fact.

He's an evangelist. It should not be surprising that he is looking for a "church".

[SecularMotion]

3. That quote is not part of the conversation

[cbayer]

4. No, it's just his strongly held beliefs about things, which I am sure

the person he is corresponding with is aware of.

[rug]

2. Lame.

After describing how he is overcome with awe engendered by "knowing that every bit of my body is made up of chemicals from all around me", he writes this dreck:

I do want to be clear that I think religion is the most vile, puerile, barbaric, and damaging invention humans have ever come up with. It is incalculably dangerous and has caused more suffering than anything else throughout history or in the world today. If I could rid the world of religion in an instant, I would without hesitating.

A wonderful Public Relations Director.

[SecularMotion]

5. Taken out of context

I do want to be clear that I think religion is the most vile, puerile, barbaric, and damaging invention humans have ever come up with. It is incalculably dangerous and has caused more suffering than anything else throughout history or in the world today. If I could rid the world of religion in an instant, I would without hesitating. But like science, religion can be used for good or for evil. What this really tells us is that morals are independent of and separate from both. Science allows us to accomplish certain things, and those things can decrease suffering (surgery, air conditioning, etc) or increase suffering (torture devices, nuclear bombs, etc). Religion can decrease suffering (cause people to decide to commit their lives to being charitable, although it is my opinion that absent religion, these same people would likely have made that choice anyway, e.g. working for a non-profit) or increase suffering (open any newspaper and take your pick). I do hate what religion causes people to do, but since people are also the source of religion, it’s really people who do this to each other—via indoctrination, via forced conversions, via state churches, etc—and people who do this to themselves.

[rug]

6. That's ironic.

In any event, it's a gloss. The rest in no way leads to the conclusion he's reached in his first three sentences. It's difficult to lend any credence to anyone spouting those conclusions.