Atheists...

[socrato]

Then why go to church, church is for love.

[Didymos Thomas]

Then why go to church, church is for love.

Church, group practice, has many values. The love and support of a congregation is one reason, but Church also acts out ceremony which helps give meaning to the mythos of the faith tradition.

Atheists, having rejected mythos, would see the ceremony as silly - at least silly for the atheist to participate in; not all atheists are militantly opposed to religion.

[socrato]

Are u an atheist? You seem like a nice guy so I'd think you believe in God. My minister says that atheists don't have a heart.

[Didymos Thomas]

Are u an atheist? You seem like a nice guy so I'd think you believe in God. My minister says that atheists don't have a heart.

You're minister is about as wrong as he can be about atheists, then. I consider myself a Christian, but for most of my life I considered myself an atheist. Atheists can be just as loving as theists. Belief in God is not a factor in how compassionate a person is.

[socrato]

Wow you and Paster Rob would get along, kidding ofcourse.

[socrato]

Not to mention the minister my dad sees, completely believing God is about all good and is perfect and will [unish and deliver to heaven or the devil

[Didymos Thomas]

People can disagree and get along.

Just look at these forums. There are significant disagreements, but for the most part, we all get along pretty well.

[Zetetic11235]

You could say atheists do not have compassion that christians do, citing the acts of men such as stalin, mao tse tung, but an atheist could say the same of christians, and they often do, citing things like the crusades, the rise of Oliver Cromwell, burning of accused witches in England due to superstitious fears.

If a human can feel compassion, it is not due to their politics, their religion, nor due to the that society they belong to in general. It comes form within, look at the person and their actions, not their titles and doctrines.

[one-philosophy]

Originally Posted by Aedes

The problem, though, is that everyone feels that way about their own religion. So this is still basically a rationalization.

Maybe its slightly different for a convert. God knows. But have you ever notticed how when you ask most religious orthodoxes for evidence, they say you must rely on faith?
Why should I?
There are loads of religions that rely on faith, why should I effectively waste my life on the wrong religion just to die and go to eternal damnation? God should at least have the decency to give the world a sign so that we can at least try to avoid eternam pain. Thats why I choose to be muslim. because its the only religion I know with huge ammounts of evidence. Prophesies in the bible, science which wasn't discovered untill thousands of years later. Prophesies which happened (that don't have to be twisted in interpretation).
I found this on the web. Maybe it'll be good
Islam Guide: The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran

[Didymos Thomas]

There are loads of religions that rely on faith, why should I effectively waste my life on the wrong religion just to die and go to eternal damnation?

What do you mean by 'wrong religion'?