Any atheists here who were once believers?

[Robittybob1]

I believe I've given enough information. About myself do I need to given you my address, phone number etc etc. I constantly deal with dangerous people, I not going to add information which could bring that to my doorstep.

Please don't it is rude, insulting, callous and nasty of you to do so. Please refrain thank you.

Hey Geeser I hadn't prayed for you but your rebuke of me offended me badly.
See how easy it is to offend each other, for it is normal for a Christian to pray, so why would you try and make me out to be rude, insulting, callous and nasty. That to me is you being rude, insulting, callous and nasty.

 

[Seattle]

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

You just wasted mine and everybody's (who fell for it) time with this bullshit.

You owe me an apology.

jan.

WTF? I definitely don't own you anything nor will I waste anymore time on you after this.

 

[Seattle]

Hey Geeser I hadn't prayed for you but your rebuke of me offended me badly.
See how easy it is to offend each other, for it is normal for a Christian to pray, so why would you try and make me out to be rude, insulting, callous and nasty. That to me is you being rude, insulting, callous and nasty.

It's considered condescending by many people who don't have your beliefs to be forcefully prayed for. I know you see it differently but that's because it's your religion. I also have been surprised by all the people asking for all of this private info from Geezer? What's that all about?

I heard someone explain it this way (regarding the praying). You believe Geezer (a non-believer) is going to hell. He knows you believe that. You may not want to personally send him to hell but you remain a member of the system that intends to send him there.

Therefore he doesn't want any part of your prayers.

I know you look at it differently. You look at it as if he slapped you in the face when you were offering him a cutesy.

Again, it's arrogant to label someone (atheist) just because they don't believe in something that you do and to then be offended when they don't want your prayers.

 

[Robittybob1]

It's considered condescending by many people who don't have your beliefs to be forcefully prayed for. I know you see it differently but that's because it's your religion. I also have been surprised by all the people asking for all of this private info from Geezer? What's that all about?

I heard someone explain it this way (regarding the praying). You believe Geezer (a non-believer) is going to hell. He knows you believe that. You may not want to personally send him to hell but you remain a member of the system that intends to send him there.

Therefore he doesn't want any part of your prayers.

I know you look at it differently. You look at it as if he slapped you in the face when you were offering him a cutesy.

Again, it's arrogant to label someone (atheist) just because they don't believe in something that you do and to then be offended when they don't want your prayers.

I would have accepted "No thanks" but when he said "rude, insulting , callous and nasty" that's horrible.
We were just a little curious as to what he is up to when he implied he gets into danger situations (he teased us without following on.)

 

[Robittybob1]

Yes but the bible won't teach you that.

Animals know right from young from their perspective. Watch some big cats with their cubs. If the cubs misbehave, they whack them on the nose.

Criminals often try to use the excuse that they didn't know what they had done was something wrong. That it was illegal, for example. I call bullshit. You know what you are doing is wrong, but you choose to ignore it for your own benefit. In other words, you will do something bad because you feel it will benefit you in some way. You will gain from it. Unless you are a psychopath, where you are completely incapable of understanding that the crimes you commit are wrong or you are incapable of caring...

Which is why I tend to be very disbelieving when people in prison try to claim that they have found God now and now know the errors of their ways. So their dozens of arrest, charge sheets that go for miles, none of that was enough of an indication that selling drugs or raping and abusing women and children, for example, were bad things to do to someone else?

I see people who claim that God showed them the error of their ways and that God has put them on the right path to be taking a cop-out. It is a way to try to absolve themselves of their past wrongs and criminal behaviour and it is a complete and utter way to absolve themselves of any responsibility for their crimes. The claim that now they know it is wrong, because God taught them it was wrong, is pure and utter bullshit and merely a means to walk away from any responsibility they do have for their previous behaviour. And then of course you have the 'I asked God for forgiveness'.. Pure and unadulterated bullshit.

You chose to be the criminal. Saying it was God who taught you the error of your ways is you trying to absolve yourself of any responsibility for your actions. You knew it was wrong. The only way you couldn't know that is if you were a psychopath or within the range of mental illness that meant you were actually incapable of understanding right from wrong. In which case, if you are saying that now you know it was wrong, because the bible told you or you believe God told you, then it would mean you are also narcissistic because you feel you can get away from it. It's a cop out. Own up to your mistakes and own up to fixing it yourself. Stop using God as a crutch to fix your wrong doing.

I feel this reply is a prime example of preaching by an atheist to a Christian. Not only is she factually wrong on so many issues (about me), but wrong by the rules of the forum as well. So should I report Bells for preaching? NO!
That is why it is a useful discussion point.

 

[wegs]

My end thought to it and I will leave it there. Posting on this site is a privilege not a right. There are rules in life, such as rules to follow where you work, etc.

Do you all kick up a fuss at work that you're not allowed to preach about your religion to fellow employees? If not, why not?

If someone asks you to curtail certain behaviors that others may find offensive, just oblige. It doesn't help your cause to force your religious views on others btw; it just makes others feel confirmed in their suspicions that religion breeds oppression.

It's not about atheists vs theists. It's about being respectful when someone asks you to stop a behavior that the majority may find offensive. Again, doubt you all go to your bosses with complaints that you are not permitted to evangelize at the workplace.

Food for thought.

I'm not going to discuss it anymore here out if respect for the thread's initial purpose.

 

[wegs]

Oh crap! That ^^ comment was intended to be in the "religious conversions" thread, in response to those discussing that they feel there is a double standard here as it relates to "preaching."

I need more coffee, apparently.

 

[Robittybob1]

My end thought to it and I will leave it there. Posting on this site is a privilege not a right. There are rules in life, such as rules to follow where you work, etc.

Do you all kick up a fuss at work that you're not allowed to preach about your religion to fellow employees? If not, why not?

If someone asks you to curtail certain behaviors that others may find offensive, just oblige. It doesn't help your cause to force your religious views on others btw; it just makes others feel confirmed in their suspicions that religion breeds oppression.

It's not about atheists vs theists. It's about being respectful when someone asks you to stop a behavior that the majority may find offensive. Again, doubt you all go to your bosses with complaints that you are not permitted to evangelize at the workplace.

Food for thought.

I'm not going to discuss it anymore here out if respect for the thread's initial purpose.

It is the nature of these conversations to go off track at times but is is a natural off track and not a result of any particular off subject post. We should always be allowed to reply to the post before. Like if you think you should get the last word in, why would that be? I've got several weeks off work but I haven't heard of any non preaching rules at work. I'll check up next month.

 

[Beer w/Straw]

Harassment.

 

[Robittybob1]

Harassment.

How does that relate to the topic "Any atheists here who were once believers?"

 

[Beer w/Straw]

Did your brain fall off or some crap?

Preaching can be equivalent to harassment.

 

[Sarkus]

Sarkus - what say you to this?

I say it's just adding a layer of complexity that requires additional support, rather than making anything easier, more simplistic, or avoiding the issues previously mentioned.

To be an intermediary one must still have a concept of what the intermediary is, how it intermediates, and who it is intermediating between. So rather than remove the need to form/hold a concept of God, it now requires one to hold a concept of God, concept of Jesus, the relationship between the two, how the intermediary works etc.

 

[wegs]

It is the nature of these conversations to go off track at times but is is a natural off track and not a result of any particular off subject post. We should always be allowed to reply to the post before. Like if you think you should get the last word in, why would that be? I've got several weeks off work but I haven't heard of any non preaching rules at work. I'll check up next month.

Your company no doubt has a policy relating to harassment. It would be classified (most likely) under that type of thing.
But, regardless if you agree with the rules ... You still gotta follow 'em.

There are unspoken rules of conduct in life, depending on the establishment. For example, you can't walk up to people at a restaurant and start preaching the "Gospel." The restaurant owner will ask you to stop, leave or he/she will escort you out.

You don't like rules, I'm gathering. lol

 

[Robittybob1]

Did your brain fall off or some crap?

Preaching can be equivalent to harassment.

Now that you use the word in a sentence you start to make a bit more sense. "Did your brain fall off or some crap?" is that some form of Harassment?

 

[Robittybob1]

Your company no doubt has a policy relating to harassment. It would be classified (most likely) under that type of thing.
But, regardless if you agree with the rules ... You still gotta follow 'em.

There are unspoken rules of conduct in life, depending on the establishment. For example, you can't walk up to people at a restaurant and start preaching the "Gospel." The restaurant owner will ask you to stop, leave or he/she will escort you out.

You don't like rules, I'm gathering. lol

Are you gathering up rules? I like rules.

 

[elte]

That sounds very much like what I did at 36, really trying to find the "truth of God". Did you come to any insights?

I was somewhat younger than that when I did it, and what I figured out is that spending time on works of fiction, including the Bible (then I hadn't yet concluded it was fiction of course), results in valuable time being lost. That's not to say everyone needs to give up every medium that involves the application of fiction. However, I recommend trying to spend such time on nonfiction, especially scientific knowledge.

 

[(Q)]

I've got several weeks off work but I haven't heard of any non preaching rules at work. I'll check up next month.

No need to do that, I guarantee you are allowed to preach at work, especially in front of your superiors and on company time. They will love it. Just do it.

 

[geeser]

Hey Geeser I hadn't prayed for you but your rebuke of me offended me badly.
See how easy it is to offend each other, for it is normal for a Christian to pray, so why would you try and make me out to be rude, insulting, callous and nasty. That to me is you being rude, insulting, callous and nasty.

By preying for me you are stating that I'm a bad person worthy of hell and I need yours and your imaginary gods help. I'm not the s**t on your shoe. That's why it is rude, insulting, callous and nasty. and extremely condesending. Think about it.

I’m not a sinner and I don't need saving, and as you are fully aware that I am atheist, how could it not be insulting, to offer a prayer is like mockery in my opinion. To throw in that you will pray is to ignore everything I am. It’s like nothing I said or done even mattered. I know it’s not the end of the world, but it’s rude.

Recently, things have been going quite well in my life. Nothing is perfect, but life is made of ups and downs and at this moment in time there are quite a lot of ups. Some of these are down to chance. Things have just worked out well. But others, I’ve made them happen. I’ve worked hard to make it happen.

Therefore excusing the genuinely well-intentioned and innocent prayers, I now make a point of asking them to not pray for me. The reason I do this is so they will understand where I’m coming from. So they can see why in that situation a non-believer would feel insulted. You now feel insulted, perhaps next time you will think about this before offering prayer.

 

[wegs]

By preying for me you are stating that I'm a bad person worthy of hell and I need yours and your imaginary gods help. I'm not the s**t on your shoe. That's why it is rude, insulting, callous and nasty. and extremely condesending. Think about it.

I’m not a sinner and I don't need saving, and as you are fully aware that I am atheist, how could it not be insulting, to offer a prayer is like mockery in my opinion. To throw in that you will pray is to ignore everything I am. It’s like nothing I said or done even mattered. I know it’s not the end of the world, but it’s rude.

Recently, things have been going quite well in my life. Nothing is perfect, but life is made of ups and downs and at this moment in time there are quite a lot of ups. Some of these are down to chance. Things have just worked out well. But others, I’ve made them happen. I’ve worked hard to make it happen.

Therefore excusing the genuinely well-intentioned and innocent prayers, I now make a point of asking them to not pray for me. The reason I do this is so they will understand where I’m coming from. So they can see why in that situation a non-believer would feel insulted. You now feel insulted, perhaps next time you will think about this before offering prayer.

In all the years that I've offered prayers to others or for others, I never saw things from this view. I think your post is simply outstanding and it is exactly how I feel now, having left what I once followed.

I applaud your courage to post this so candidly!

 

[elte]

Often when someone says they are going to pray for someone it is to give appearance of caring. Often, too, religious people need to affirm their belief before others and their God. Another thing, it can be a way to try to control behavior. Those three scenarios would be cases of insincerity.