Are atheists lost sons ?

[Enmos]

Do theists, or at least Christians, consider atheists to be 'lost sons' ?
Do they want them to return ?

 

[Lori_7]

Do theists, or at least Christians, consider atheists to be 'lost sons' ?
Do they want them to return ?

i want for an atheist whatever an atheist wants for himself and so does god.

 

[S.A.M.]

No, they are just atheists :crazy:

 

[Bradley364]

I sure hope not, id rather christens consider me the devil, fear me, stuff like that...

If anything my only role to religious people is to make them question themselves, if I can do that, I've done my job.

 

[Lori_7]

I sure hope not, id rather christens consider me the devil, fear me, stuff like that...

If anything my only role to religious people is to make them question themselves, if I can do that, I've done my job.

why? do you not respect other's free will to believe as they wish? if not you should be religious, because that's what many religious people do to atheists, and if i'm not mistaken, atheists don't enjoy or respect that kind of behavior.

 

[Enmos]

No, they are just atheists :crazy:

Forgive me

 

[Myles]

I sure hope not, id rather christens consider me the devil, fear me, stuff like that...

If anything my only role to religious people is to make them question themselves, if I can do that, I've done my job.

Don't hold your breath "!

 

[Myles]

No, they are just atheists :crazy:

I'm glad that you can at least admit that there are just atheists.

 

[lightgigantic]

Do theists, or at least Christians, consider atheists to be 'lost sons' ?
Do they want them to return ?

if the living entity is eternally and constitutionally connected to god, what other alternative is there?

 

[Enmos]

if the living entity is eternally and constitutionally connected to god, what other alternative is there?

So that's a yes ?

 

[lightgigantic]

So that's a yes ?

that's a "yes" with a puzzlement how there could be any other alternative answer

 

[stretched]

if the living entity is eternally and constitutionally connected to god, what other alternative is there?

Are you saying the living entity IS connected or does the IF constitute uncertainty? If yes, what is your rationale for this statement?

 

[Enmos]

that's a "yes" with a puzzlement how there could be any other alternative answer

Look at your fellow theists, not at me..

 

[lightgigantic]

Are you saying the living entity IS connected or does the IF constitute uncertainty? If yes, what is your rationale for this statement?

meant in the first sense
Not sure exactly what you are asking to unpack in the name of a rationale though .....

 

[Enmos]

LG,

So you say atheists are like lost sons to theists. Do theists want them to return ?
I assume you are familiar with the parable.

 

[Pete]

It's in your premise, lightgigantic: "if the living entity is eternally and constitutionally connected to god..."

That's not a notion that all religious people want to accept. There are those who are happier with the idea that the "bad guys" (those who disagree) will suffer eternal disconnection from God.

For example, Ann Coulter says in Godless: The Church of Liberalism: I defy my coreligionists to tell me they do not laugh at the idea of Dawkins burning in hell.

That doesn't give the impression that she considers Dawkins to be "eternally and constitutionally connected to God."

 

[lightgigantic]

It's in your premise, lightgigantic: "if the living entity is eternally and constitutionally connected to god..."

That's not a notion that all religious people want to accept. There are those who are happier with the idea that the "bad guys" (those who disagree) will suffer eternal disconnection from God.

the OP was an open invitation to theists

For example, Ann Coulter says in Godless: The Church of Liberalism: I defy my coreligionists to tell me they do not laugh at the idea of Dawkins burning in hell.

That doesn't give the impression that she considers Dawkins to be "eternally and constitutionally connected to God."

depends whether one considers hell to be eternal or not

 

[lightgigantic]

LG,

So you say atheists are like lost sons to theists.

sure

Do theists want them to return ?

in general, I would imagine so

I assume you are familiar with the parable.

no

 

[Enmos]

no

Hmm that is kind of a surprise..

Look here (it's a bit of a long read): http://www.aquestionoffaith.org/lit/bible/gospels/lostson.htm

Or here (shorter, more simplistic version): http://www.dltk-bible.com/cv/lost_son.htm

 

[Pete]

the OP was an open invitation to theists

Right. And you know that you're not representative of all theists... so why do you have "with a puzzlement how there could be any other alternative answer?"

depends whether one considers hell to be eternal or not

Right again... And you know that some theists do consider hell to be eternal, do you not?