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From: cc100jr@gitpyr.gatech.EDU (Joel Rives)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Atheism is DEAD!
Message-ID: <2342@gitpyr.gatech.EDU>
Date: Tue, 7-Oct-86 13:59:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.2342
Posted: Tue Oct  7 13:59:06 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 11:00:36 EDT
References: <1136@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU> <1144@cybvax0.UUCP> <1135@mhuxt.UUCP> <2584@watdcsu.UUCP>
Reply-To: cc100jr@gitpyr.UUCP (Joel Rives)
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia
Lines: 51
Xref: linus talk.religion.misc:460 net.religion.christian:4852

In article <2584@watdcsu.UUCP> magore@watdcsu.UUCP (M.A.Gore - ICR) writes:
>

[ Stacked question deleted and ignored ]

>Main point of this posting. What do non-Christians think that
>Christians believe in God for?:
>
>	1) 'Just because the Bible tells us.'
>	2) 'Because we need a crutch to hold are lives up.'
>	3) 'Our parents told us.'
>	4) 'Not very bright. No science in our education.'
>	5) 'There is a sucker born every minute.'
>
>	These are just a few of the myths that non-Christians
>have about Christians. But I contend *if* you believe these or
>statements like these that you have a 'comfortable myth' and a
>crutch that will keep you from understanding Christians.
>

I can not speak for other non-Christians but it is not my way to question
anothers faith, whether that faith is Buddhism, Christianity or Wicca. I
will invite intelligent discussion on philosophical or theological matters.
Yet, if a person merely says, "This is what I believe ....", then there is
no room for discourse. 

I am also discerning enough to realize that when a person tells me they are 
Christian and proceeds to try and convert me, I need not associate this 
demeaning and antisocial behaviour with all Christians. Amoung my close
circle of friends are included a devoutly religious Christian couple. Never
once, in our years of association, have they felt inclined to try and
convince me of the errors of my ways. 

This posting is particularly poignant since I have recently received mail
from both Kiki and Dave. In both cases, they expressed what seemed to be 
sincere interest in the spiritual experiences of my life. Yet, in both
cases, they ended up insinuating that my experiences are of lesser
quality because I do not claim faith in their god. This is clearly an
insult and I told them as much. I suggest that anyone who has similar 
intent, please, examine your motives and your actions carefully. Granted,
there are probably a great number of people in the world who are unsure
of themselves, who haven't formed a cohesive faith yet. That is part of
the growing-up process. Even so, there are still a great number of people
in the world who have formed a solid faith in something and the vast majority
of them are not Christian.

-- 
Joel Rives     gatech!gitpyr!cc100jr

              There is no place to seek the mind; 
                          It is like the footprints of the birds in the sky.