Should atheists recruit, or indeed become missionaries, to convert the misguided, in much the same way that Christians, maintained missionaries to convert people from what were considered to be false beliefs?
Should such activities qualify for charitable status?
Fianna Fail will allow the Irish People, to me milked like Milch Cows, by the CIF through high house prices, rents, and land prices, at the expense of competitiveness,and quality of life. FF+CIF=1
No. I believe part of being an atheist, is that you don't impose your beliefs onto others.
I don't think you can "convert" people away from theism - it's a personal journey.
There is no hellfire and damnation to threaten them with if they don't convert, and no heaven to dangle in front of them like a carrot.
"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.
Damn, missed that! Pity, would have liked to got in contact with that woman.
to quote an extract from the essay " If you don't pray in my school i won't think in your church"
The real problem I have with religion is the effect religious people have in society. I’m not going to go on a rant about Islamic fundamentalism; we’re all aware of the threat they pose to society and their hatred of the wests societies and ideologies is well documented. Instead, I’ll concentrate on religious moderates who support religious indoctrination for geographical or cultural reasons. They don’t understand the role religion plays in society but still profess their faith because it’s the normal thing to do. They’re afraid to question their own faith. They wander mindlessly in droves to churches eager to dump money into wicker baskets in exchange for the stale body of Christ the Almighty con-artist. This is why the Catholic Church is still strong in Ireland and still has a stranglehold on our education system. There are people who believe that their 5-year old child can be a Christian. To me this is a form of child abuse. How can someone claim that a child is Christian before it has learned how to think for itself? Children are extremely impressionable and to attack them with something as complex and metaphorical as the bible simply isn’t fair. Metaphor doesn’t register in a child’s consciousness. If you tell a child stories of eternity in hell-fires as punishment for sins which are part of our nature, that’s exactly what they imagine. When a child asks “where did the world come from?” and the reply is “God” his/her thirst for knowledge is prematurely quenched without a mention of the Big Bang theory or the theory of Evolution.
Fianna Fail will allow the Irish People, to me milked like Milch Cows, by the CIF through high house prices, rents, and land prices, at the expense of competitiveness,and quality of life. FF+CIF=1
Atheists are incapable of the degree of self-sacrifice that has charcterised Christian missionaries. Show me the atheist who is willing to forego worldly riches and spend his/her life ministering to the poor in the middle of Africa. Spending one's life putting the welfare of others before one's own welfare isn't an 'atheist thing'. Looking after number one is more characteristic of atheism. Even within developed countries, precious few charities have been set up by atheists in comparison with the vast number set up by people inspired by Christian idealism. If atheists wish to convert the misguided, I suggest they start with themselves, as they are the most misguided of all.Originally Posted by mairteenpak
The attitude expressed in the above post is typical of the perception that morality is not associated with atheism and that unless you have christian faith that you are without morals or standards.
It is not necessary to be without possessions to help others, neither is it necessary to be without a family.
Fianna Fail will allow the Irish People, to me milked like Milch Cows, by the CIF through high house prices, rents, and land prices, at the expense of competitiveness,and quality of life. FF+CIF=1
Freedomlover, would ya ever feck off.
How do you know how many aid workers in africa are/are not believers?
Also, how does belief in a non-existant sky fairy for whom there is not a shred of evidence show you to be NOT misguided?
Atheism is neither about being self centred nor being charitable. It is simply a non-belief in a sky fairy. Morality and conscience has nothing to do with it. You can be perfectly moral and be an athiest, just as you can be completely immoral and be religious. Bush is very religious, and look at the trouble he has caused.
Stick your prejudices up your hole.
I think it's wrong to say that they cannot convert people, anyone can be convinced of a particular course.
I think they should not, as it leaves them open to accusations of democracy. But I think some of them do try. It was a while before the Catholic church tried missionary activity, St. Patrick was exceptional in his day.
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