Offensive, rude, and hateful? Hardly! Its about the furthest from rude and hateful"
Wrong, it is rude. Very.
It's not like there is a human being in this country with even limited cognitive ability that hasn't already "heard the good news", ad nauseum. We have the information, and we know where to get more if we want it. It's not like there isn't a church on every other street corner. We've heard it all. And, we have made our personal decision as to what we believe! That's just not it
And so yes, it is rude when somone tries to evangelize me. They are basically telling me that the way I already believe with all my heart is somehow faulty. My beliefs are not good enough. In fact ,the message they convey is that my personal beliefs are so faulty, evil even, that I am doomed to eternal hell; but their (correct) belief can save me.!
And in the case of a stranger; even approaching me about something so personal as my own spiritual beliefs, is rude and intrusive...let alone doing it to tell me that how I believe is wrong.
It is not only rude, it is presumptive and arrogant.
Well obviously I think my beliefs are better than any other beliefs contradictory to mine. Be modest. Who doesn't? Again, the ammunition is sent right back at your face. When you evangelize atheism and large scale evolution its because you think your beliefs are better than another person's.
"2) I should adopt your beliefs and discard mine" -Phy
Well, certainly if I think my beliefs are better than those that contradict them it would only be reasonable that I think others should adopt them. And in that same light, AGAIN, you believe the same as you constantly banter on this forum about how you need to spread your message of atheism and enlightening others to get them out of their brainwashing religions.
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Sorry, Q. But I don't think my beliefs are superior, and I have NEVER ONCE evangelized for atheism.
You will not find one single, in context, quote from me that evangelizes for anything other than an honest practice of science.
Search. Look. I urge you to find one.
You will not.
Which takes your entire rant and off topic post full of admitted arrogance and condescension and makes it completely false.
Further, science has nothing at all to do with religious beliefs. Not one single small little piece of science has anything to do with religion.
Your ignorant merging of the two is what is objectionable.
If you wish to vainly attempt to attack science, then feel free to create a new (and another useless) thread where you are ripped apart by every other rational person who posts.
"No. Because I have never told anyone their beliefs are wrong. Never. Not once. Never happened." -Phy
You told me I was wrong about 100 times at least, me alone. How can you make such a statement without feeling like a liar? You do it to just about every person on this forum every day.
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I have never ONCE told anyone their beliefs are wrong. You have done so several times in this last posting of yours alone.
I have told you your FACTS are wrong. I have patiently explained where you are ignorant about science. I have firmly and clearly told you where you are wrong about science.
That has nothing to do with religion or religious beliefs, and everything to do with the world.
You have never once had any evidence to support your claims of false science. No journal articles, no peer reviewed sources, just your own personal opinon.
"Oh, but just incase y'all want to keep attacking evangelism remember this: Every time you speak against evangelism (of Christianity) you become a hypocrit when you evangelize against Christianity or state things like atheism is the only reasonable religious belief. How is it you are entirely BLIND to the statements you make, and how they are self-contradicting? Its not even a reasonable belief to say that one cannot convey one religious message, but not another religious message. Its not even reasonable! "
I do not become a hypocrit by saying that someone evangelizing me is rude, it is simply an insult and an unwanted intrusion. I honestly don't care what other people believe, unless they are infringing on my right to live my life as I wish. It is rude to intrude into my personal business to tell me I need to believe their way or I am lost. As I pointed out, we have the information; we have religion shoved down our throats ad nauseum in this country, and there is a church on every other street corner if we are seeking. But, if we aren't already "believers" , certainly it is a matter of choice...not a lack of information. So questioning my long thought out choice is rude and presumptive.
I discuss my personal religious beliefs on this religion discussion board, since that's kind of the point , don't you think? I'll state what I believe and don't believe and why. But I never try to evangelize anyone, I have no need to., If their belief makes them happy, that is fine. Not wanting someone else's religion pushed on me, is not evangelizing. Not wanting religious beliefs I don't share limiting my rights and freedoms is not persecution.
Q, I do understand that Christians are called to share their faith. In principle I have no problem with that.
Some do so in a polite way, others less so. I have (many times) had Christians I don't know "evangelize" me so aggressively they were spitting in my face as they yelled at me I would burn in hell. You may call that "charismatic"; I call it very offensive. I couldn't "close the door" because they were street evangelizing, sometimes with megaphones, sometimes they get police permits for these little shows. They were often not from my neighborhood or even my city but travelled from elsewhere in the state to undertake this endeavor. Of course they come with lovingly painted signs and write "hell" in orange and red flamey letters to get their point across. Sometimes they drive through town waving signs and honking and screaming at people on the street that they will burn in hell.
The only way I could get this behavior to stop was by moving out of the bible belt. Sometimes Christian groups evangelize in public here, but much less aggresssively, without the screaming and spitting. Agnostics have no reason to behave that way. I can't imagine yelling at people telling them to become agnostic or burn.
There can often be many times in the workplace when evangelism can be very inappropriate. Sometimes discrimination can be practiced when the dominant Christian religion is rejected. These things simply must be protected by law.
The notion that evangelism of any sort is always ok is wrong. The notion that all Christians will stop "evangelizing" if you ask them politely is also wrong.
Q, it is not anti-Christian to point out that Christians are no better than other folk and exhibit the full range of behavior as any other group. Some are nice and very friendly -- others are not too pleasant.