![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Askville Posts #2: Atheism
From the discussion thread for the question "How can Christians become less judgmental?"
I have no idea. I suspect that quality isn't amenable to logic or reason, so the only thing I can think of is for Christians to interact more with non-Christians and Christians of differing sects. If they get the chance to see that those "others" are human beings instead of monsters, maybe that would make it less easy to snap to judgment. At least for some of them.
I hope.
Ah, Christian touches on a point which I've pondered for a long time.
Some Christians "know" that all nonbelievers are surely destined for Hell - and by "nonbelievers", they often mean anyone who doesn't follow the precise same sect of Christianity as their own.
By that logic, it is not only reasonable for Christians to use virtually any means necessary to convert nonbelievers; it is practically a moral duty. The problem is that although these Christians "know" that they're right, nonbelievers disagree.
Since we live in a theoretically free society, where religion should be a matter of individual choice, this presents Christians of the most extreme stripe with a basic conflict. Do they respect the Constitution, the law of the land which requires that everyone be allowed to make their own decisions vis a vis religion? Or do they follow their faith, which (some believe) requires them to convert nonbelievers at virtually any cost?
This is a matter of souls, after all. If it takes some degree of force to convert a nonbeliever, but the result is the salvation of an eternal soul, then perhaps the option of force must be seriously considered.
The issue becomes even dicer when we take children into account. Nonbelievers raise their children in their own traditions (or lack thereof) - that's natural enough! And we know that most children end up in the same faith (and political party, for that matter) as their parents. Of those that don't, a small number search out as extreme an opposite as possible in order to spite their parents, and others end up in some variant of the faith of their fathers.
So our free choice of religion is clearly limited, on some level. Most follow in the path they are set on as children. But in that case, from the viewpoint of a fanatic, isn't raising a child in a "wrong" faith (and thereby damning their souls for all eternity) the ultimate form of child abuse?
It surprises me that there isn't a movement among extreme Christians to take children away from their non-believing parents in order to raise them in the "true faith". Perhaps that would happen under Christian Reconstructionist rule; they advocate the public execution by stoning of heretics, atheists, agnostics, adulterers, people who have premarital sex, and children who disrespect their parents (along with many other categories of "sinner").
In any case: if you consider yourself a "firefighter" and are convinced that nonbelievers are determined to throw themselves (and lead others) into the fire (either out of insanity or for some other reason), what do you do?
How far will you go to stop these lemming-like, murderous and deluded nonbelievers? What does God want you to do?
I'm glad I don't have to face a question like that!
And if a fireman found a parent who was deliberately keeping their child in a burning house, claiming that there was no fire, it would be the fireman's duty to get that child out - even if he had to kill the parent to do so (assuming, of course, that murder was the only way to save the child).
It's a disturbing thought. I'm glad that it apparently hasn't occurred to Christians!
I have no idea. I suspect that quality isn't amenable to logic or reason, so the only thing I can think of is for Christians to interact more with non-Christians and Christians of differing sects. If they get the chance to see that those "others" are human beings instead of monsters, maybe that would make it less easy to snap to judgment. At least for some of them.
I hope.
Ah, Christian touches on a point which I've pondered for a long time.
Some Christians "know" that all nonbelievers are surely destined for Hell - and by "nonbelievers", they often mean anyone who doesn't follow the precise same sect of Christianity as their own.
By that logic, it is not only reasonable for Christians to use virtually any means necessary to convert nonbelievers; it is practically a moral duty. The problem is that although these Christians "know" that they're right, nonbelievers disagree.
Since we live in a theoretically free society, where religion should be a matter of individual choice, this presents Christians of the most extreme stripe with a basic conflict. Do they respect the Constitution, the law of the land which requires that everyone be allowed to make their own decisions vis a vis religion? Or do they follow their faith, which (some believe) requires them to convert nonbelievers at virtually any cost?
This is a matter of souls, after all. If it takes some degree of force to convert a nonbeliever, but the result is the salvation of an eternal soul, then perhaps the option of force must be seriously considered.
The issue becomes even dicer when we take children into account. Nonbelievers raise their children in their own traditions (or lack thereof) - that's natural enough! And we know that most children end up in the same faith (and political party, for that matter) as their parents. Of those that don't, a small number search out as extreme an opposite as possible in order to spite their parents, and others end up in some variant of the faith of their fathers.
So our free choice of religion is clearly limited, on some level. Most follow in the path they are set on as children. But in that case, from the viewpoint of a fanatic, isn't raising a child in a "wrong" faith (and thereby damning their souls for all eternity) the ultimate form of child abuse?
It surprises me that there isn't a movement among extreme Christians to take children away from their non-believing parents in order to raise them in the "true faith". Perhaps that would happen under Christian Reconstructionist rule; they advocate the public execution by stoning of heretics, atheists, agnostics, adulterers, people who have premarital sex, and children who disrespect their parents (along with many other categories of "sinner").
In any case: if you consider yourself a "firefighter" and are convinced that nonbelievers are determined to throw themselves (and lead others) into the fire (either out of insanity or for some other reason), what do you do?
How far will you go to stop these lemming-like, murderous and deluded nonbelievers? What does God want you to do?
I'm glad I don't have to face a question like that!
And if a fireman found a parent who was deliberately keeping their child in a burning house, claiming that there was no fire, it would be the fireman's duty to get that child out - even if he had to kill the parent to do so (assuming, of course, that murder was the only way to save the child).
It's a disturbing thought. I'm glad that it apparently hasn't occurred to Christians!