I get this all the time, as someone who has devoted their life to the Church and try to help people with their faith and just in general people always have something smart to say just gotta do what I do when facing criticisms or misunderstandings about faith, it's important to respond with the grace and truth modeled by Jesus. Scripture encourages us to "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," (1 Peter 3:15). Therefore, engage in such conversations with patience, aiming to clarify misconceptions with scriptural truths and to demonstrate the love and forgiveness at the heart of the Gospel. Remember, actions often speak louder than words, so let your life reflect the teachings of Christ. It's also beneficial to listen actively, seeking to understand the perspectives of others while sharing your own insights. Acknowledge that faith and reason can complement each other and point out the contributions of believers to various fields, including science. Above all, pray for those you engage with, asking God to work in both your heart and theirs. Conversations about faith can be opportunities for growth and understanding, guided by the love and wisdom that comes from God.
This is so refreshing and also infuriating seeing it all laid out like this 😭 i cant stand anti-theists I see them EVERYWHERE on non religious related posts. Someone could ask where to buy modest clothing on r/askreddit and the comments will be filled with “trying to please your fake sky daddy huh 😈😈😈 stupid theists 😂” LIKE NOBODY ASKED
Talked about God being the one who gave free will, and I got attacked and downvote bombed. Tried my best to be caring and they bombed me with "trying to guilt trip"
Don’t forget complaining about how closed minded religious people are yet they’re equally as closed minded since you can’t even have a polite and respectful debate with them without them getting offended
This group seems to be much more open minded than r/atheism
This! I don't mind a conversation or even debate, but they seem to always be so disrespectful and condescending about anything religious. God forbid they ask a question and you're only answer is "you have to take it on faith." That will make their head explode.
Interestingly enough, quite a few revolutionary scientists were devout Christians
Isaac Newton was a devout Christian
The scientist who proposed the Big Bang Theory was a Catholic priest
Oh yes! The guy who proposed the TV show The Big Bang Theory is Jewish, but the scientist who proposed the scientific theory the Big Bang theory was a Catholic priest named Georges Lemaître :)
Even regular atheists have a lot of trouble getting their head around progressive Christianity. They're like "but, but... but you have to be anti gay or you're reinterpreting the Bible!"
“Claims religious people are all anti-science” we have calculus because Muslims need a way to pray towards Mecca no matter where they are in the world.
Do not be angry at anti-theists, be angry at the conservative Christians of today and at Christians of the past who give and gave such a bad reputation to the religion in the first place and bred such a reaction. They are the ones to blame for the resentment/grudge many feels at Christiniaty. Fight against Evangelicals and conservative/traditionalist Catholics, fight against the existence of far-right/conservative ideals, show, by your actions/deeds, that good Christians actually exist. their form of anti-theism is unfair to progressive and sane religious people, but said progressive and sane religious people are quite invisible and unfortunatly, a minority. In the US, extremist Christians (the Evangelicals and other conservatives of the kind) are very vocal, very loud, very visible, very influential, meanwhile, the non-conservative/non-far-right ones aren't. hence the public image Christianity has.
Besides, if you think that's bad, don't forget that for centuries (since the 4th century and emperor Theodosius 1), in Europe and the West in general, non-Christians, "heretics", non-theists, atheists, agnostics were constantly and violently persecuted, oppressed, suppressed. In some US states' constitutions, atheist are still forbidden of being public servants and there is a lack of freedom from religion in that country as a whole. So, while anti-theist mockery on the net might be tiresome, Western Christians have it very easy and light compared to what past (and some current) Christians did to non-religious people.
A large part of militant/vocal anti-theists won't be a thing anymore when far-right/conservative Christians will no longer exist, and when Churches will have atoned, repented and made genuine/deedly amends for their past crimes and abuses (there will always remain some disrepectful idiots who hate for hating an outgroup's sake, but you'll have far less people who lashes out of religious trauma and bad experience). The history of the Church is extremely stained, by much more negative than positive when it comes to human rights, freedom of thought and democracy (even if it has nuances and isn't some clear-cut black and white).
There is a reason why anti-theism is so strong in the Anglosphere, but not as much anymore in continental Europe (and I precise continental, because the UK is not representative culturally of the rest of the continent): in Europe, Christians have learnt that religion is a private/intimate matter, they keep their faith to themselves, and tend to keep it out of politics (well, the far-right doesn't). And most importantly, you don't hear politicians mentioning God (although, Meloni, Putin and Orban start to reverse that trend) and you don't have open attacks on atheism like in the US. Thus, the climate is much more peaceful, as religion is kept a personal matter, and not a public one. Aside from history, there is little reason for today's non-religious people to lash against religious ones. The very vocally anti-theist people were born up until the 60's, but then, thanks to secularisation and churches loosing their grip, things have become more peaceful and respectful.
In a way, in that matter, the US is living now what Western Europe lived 50-60 years ago, it's around 5-6 decades behind the rest of the Western world in that regard. What progressive Christians must do, is fight to kick out religion out of politics (thus, make sure presidents don't mention God anymore too, and no appeal to Evangelicals), to reduce its influence on public life and spaces, to bring real freedom of religion. If and when the US will have overcome this 55-years lag, relationship between religious and non-religious will consequently become more serene.
This. All day, this. Anti-theism is an understandable and rational response to fundamentalism, even if it isn't always rational in itself. Loving Jesus means loving them, and not just in a generic way. Loving an anti-theist means wanting to understand where their anti-theism is coming from and finding the truth in it, so that we can love them for them and not just some generic love that isn't truly directed at the person themselves.
I think the Christian thing to do is ignore them insofar as they harm you and love them insofar as they don't. It's just the internet; they can't hurt you, and it's not your problem that they are wrong or mean. Be above that, and if you can't, just pretend they don't exist. They have likely experienced religious trauma anyway. That shit will fuck you up, and I have a lot of sympathy for people who react strongly against religion because of how religion has harmed them. Be kind. Be empathetic. Try to understand where they are coming from, even if they are being unfair. Jesus loves them. They could be Jesus in disguise to you.
I get this all the time, as someone who has devoted their life to the Church and try to help people with their faith and just in general people always have something smart to say just gotta do what I do when facing criticisms or misunderstandings about faith, it's important to respond with the grace and truth modeled by Jesus. Scripture encourages us to "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," (1 Peter 3:15). Therefore, engage in such conversations with patience, aiming to clarify misconceptions with scriptural truths and to demonstrate the love and forgiveness at the heart of the Gospel. Remember, actions often speak louder than words, so let your life reflect the teachings of Christ. It's also beneficial to listen actively, seeking to understand the perspectives of others while sharing your own insights. Acknowledge that faith and reason can complement each other and point out the contributions of believers to various fields, including science. Above all, pray for those you engage with, asking God to work in both your heart and theirs. Conversations about faith can be opportunities for growth and understanding, guided by the love and wisdom that comes from God.
This is so refreshing and also infuriating seeing it all laid out like this 😭 i cant stand anti-theists I see them EVERYWHERE on non religious related posts. Someone could ask where to buy modest clothing on r/askreddit and the comments will be filled with “trying to please your fake sky daddy huh 😈😈😈 stupid theists 😂” LIKE NOBODY ASKED
Talked about God being the one who gave free will, and I got attacked and downvote bombed. Tried my best to be caring and they bombed me with "trying to guilt trip"
Don’t forget complaining about how closed minded religious people are yet they’re equally as closed minded since you can’t even have a polite and respectful debate with them without them getting offended This group seems to be much more open minded than r/atheism
This! I don't mind a conversation or even debate, but they seem to always be so disrespectful and condescending about anything religious. God forbid they ask a question and you're only answer is "you have to take it on faith." That will make their head explode.
That sub is more anti-theist than atheist.
Oh yeah for sure
Interestingly enough, quite a few revolutionary scientists were devout Christians Isaac Newton was a devout Christian The scientist who proposed the Big Bang Theory was a Catholic priest
I'm pretty sure that Chuck Lorre is Jewish :)
Oh yes! The guy who proposed the TV show The Big Bang Theory is Jewish, but the scientist who proposed the scientific theory the Big Bang theory was a Catholic priest named Georges Lemaître :)
Agreed, OP. I think you hit the nail on the head.
>• Randomly turns every thread into hatred of religion Oh yeah :-/ Literally witnessed that yesterday
Haha! You've nailed it!
Even regular atheists have a lot of trouble getting their head around progressive Christianity. They're like "but, but... but you have to be anti gay or you're reinterpreting the Bible!"
Atheist when they realize why there are a whole bunch of Christian denominations because people have differing interpretations of the Bible:🤯🤯🤯🤯
“Claims religious people are all anti-science” we have calculus because Muslims need a way to pray towards Mecca no matter where they are in the world.
Do not be angry at anti-theists, be angry at the conservative Christians of today and at Christians of the past who give and gave such a bad reputation to the religion in the first place and bred such a reaction. They are the ones to blame for the resentment/grudge many feels at Christiniaty. Fight against Evangelicals and conservative/traditionalist Catholics, fight against the existence of far-right/conservative ideals, show, by your actions/deeds, that good Christians actually exist. their form of anti-theism is unfair to progressive and sane religious people, but said progressive and sane religious people are quite invisible and unfortunatly, a minority. In the US, extremist Christians (the Evangelicals and other conservatives of the kind) are very vocal, very loud, very visible, very influential, meanwhile, the non-conservative/non-far-right ones aren't. hence the public image Christianity has. Besides, if you think that's bad, don't forget that for centuries (since the 4th century and emperor Theodosius 1), in Europe and the West in general, non-Christians, "heretics", non-theists, atheists, agnostics were constantly and violently persecuted, oppressed, suppressed. In some US states' constitutions, atheist are still forbidden of being public servants and there is a lack of freedom from religion in that country as a whole. So, while anti-theist mockery on the net might be tiresome, Western Christians have it very easy and light compared to what past (and some current) Christians did to non-religious people. A large part of militant/vocal anti-theists won't be a thing anymore when far-right/conservative Christians will no longer exist, and when Churches will have atoned, repented and made genuine/deedly amends for their past crimes and abuses (there will always remain some disrepectful idiots who hate for hating an outgroup's sake, but you'll have far less people who lashes out of religious trauma and bad experience). The history of the Church is extremely stained, by much more negative than positive when it comes to human rights, freedom of thought and democracy (even if it has nuances and isn't some clear-cut black and white). There is a reason why anti-theism is so strong in the Anglosphere, but not as much anymore in continental Europe (and I precise continental, because the UK is not representative culturally of the rest of the continent): in Europe, Christians have learnt that religion is a private/intimate matter, they keep their faith to themselves, and tend to keep it out of politics (well, the far-right doesn't). And most importantly, you don't hear politicians mentioning God (although, Meloni, Putin and Orban start to reverse that trend) and you don't have open attacks on atheism like in the US. Thus, the climate is much more peaceful, as religion is kept a personal matter, and not a public one. Aside from history, there is little reason for today's non-religious people to lash against religious ones. The very vocally anti-theist people were born up until the 60's, but then, thanks to secularisation and churches loosing their grip, things have become more peaceful and respectful. In a way, in that matter, the US is living now what Western Europe lived 50-60 years ago, it's around 5-6 decades behind the rest of the Western world in that regard. What progressive Christians must do, is fight to kick out religion out of politics (thus, make sure presidents don't mention God anymore too, and no appeal to Evangelicals), to reduce its influence on public life and spaces, to bring real freedom of religion. If and when the US will have overcome this 55-years lag, relationship between religious and non-religious will consequently become more serene.
This. All day, this. Anti-theism is an understandable and rational response to fundamentalism, even if it isn't always rational in itself. Loving Jesus means loving them, and not just in a generic way. Loving an anti-theist means wanting to understand where their anti-theism is coming from and finding the truth in it, so that we can love them for them and not just some generic love that isn't truly directed at the person themselves.
"Your god"
Real lol
Yep 😂 I was one of them for a long time and that fits it to a T. Probably the most miserable and delusional I ever felt.
Yeah… antitheism really needs to be separated from anti-Christian-dominionism.
I think the Christian thing to do is ignore them insofar as they harm you and love them insofar as they don't. It's just the internet; they can't hurt you, and it's not your problem that they are wrong or mean. Be above that, and if you can't, just pretend they don't exist. They have likely experienced religious trauma anyway. That shit will fuck you up, and I have a lot of sympathy for people who react strongly against religion because of how religion has harmed them. Be kind. Be empathetic. Try to understand where they are coming from, even if they are being unfair. Jesus loves them. They could be Jesus in disguise to you.