Religious vs. Atheist "converters"

[Cowgirl]

I was curious to see how many people have been approached by others. Please hold for the poll.

 

[mAlice]

Define "promoted".

 

[Cowgirl]

Define "promoted".

I'd say it'd be promotion if someone said, "You should come to our church this Sunday" or "There is no God because....". :shrug: If you're just having a conversation debating things, I would not consider that promotion.

 

[Sonsie]

I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole God issue myself but I see no harm in religious people trying to get people to accept God into their lives. I believe religious people are happier and more content. I wish I had the ability to have faith, for some reason it didn't take with me.

However, if some freakin' atheist came up and tried to undo my kid's fledgling belief in God I'd kick them right in the ass. I want my children to have the opportunity to have faith and belief without some pissy nutcase with an axe to grind trying to undo the faith and morals I'm trying to ensue they get.

 

[Cowgirl]

I was curious because of a comment this_person made in another thread. I've never had an atheist try to promote atheism. Ever. I've had TONS of believers try to promote their religion.


And Sonsie, I don't exactly agree with you that religious people are happier.

 

[pixiegirl]

I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole God issue myself but I see no harm in religious people trying to get people to accept God into their lives. I believe religious people are happier and more content. I wish I had the ability to have faith, for some reason it didn't take with me.

However, if some freakin' atheist came up and tried to undo my kid's fledgling belief in God I'd kick them right in the ass. I want my children to have the opportunity to have faith and belief without some pissy nutcase with an axe to grind trying to undo the faith and morals I'm trying to ensue they get.

I totally agree. I'm plenty, plenty faithful but people have totally turned me off towards any type of organized religion. I think promoting religion/faith or lack there of is the works of insecure people. Your faith is personal and if you feel the need to go out and recruit others to your cause it's only because your personal beliefs aren't as strong as you'd like to think they are and you need the support of others. It's not about making others "see the light" it's about making yourself feel better because someone else shares your views. That pendelum swings both ways.

God help anyone that tries to force either side down my kids throats. My youngest is in a daycare that sometimes has religious lessons. I'm fine with that because it's nothing over the top and more or less bible stories/lessons. I say prayers with them nightly because they are 4 and 7 and not old enough to do so one their own and I do want a belief in God enstilled in them. Plus it's good few minutes of quality time.

 

[pixiegirl]

I was curious because of a comment this_person made in another thread. I've never had an atheist try to promote atheism. Ever. I've had TONS of believers try to promote their religion.


And Sonsie, I don't exactly agree with you that religious people are happier.

I think trying to convince anyone of an opposing belief is promotion.

 

[Cowgirl]

I think trying to convince anyone of an opposing belief is promotion.

I know that. That's why I made the poll. I wanted to see who's promoting what.

 

[GWguy]

You forgot agnostic.

 

[pixiegirl]

I know that. That's why I made the poll. I wanted to see who's promoting what.

Don't worry about me... I misread what you wrote.

 

[mAlice]

I've had baptists hand me tracks and magazines promoting their faith while slamming the catholic church. I've had LDS and JW's knock on my door. I've experienced these things so many times that it has become diffult to be polite when tellling them I'm not interested. I've had believers try to convince me that I should believe the same as they do, as they quote scripture, while completely disregarding why I feel the way I do.

I have never had anyone hand me anything, or knock on my door, regarding atheism/agnosticism/etc.

 

[mAlice]

I think trying to convince anyone of an opposing belief is promotion.

Based on that logic, I guess we all promote something that we believe in, whether it involves religion or not. I don't like smoked meat, vrai thinks all meat should be smoked. Who ya' gonna' listen to?

 

[Cowgirl]

You forgot agnostic.

Sorry. I made this because of the other thread, which was mainly about atheists and believers.

 

[pixiegirl]

Based on that logic, I guess we all promote something that we believe in, whether it involves religion or not. I don't like smoked meat, vrai thinks all meat should be smoked. Who ya' gonna' listen to?

The promotion part comes in when you're trying to convince each other that your way is the right way. I can only assume that you two are adults and respect the other one's opinion on meats. Liking something is an opinion, trying to convince others to like the same thing is promotion.

 

[Toxick]

Based on that logic, I guess we all promote something that we believe in, whether it involves religion or not. I don't like smoked meat, vrai thinks all meat should be smoked. Who ya' gonna' listen to?

I eat smoked meat. I LOVE smoked meat, and anyone who doesn't like smoked meat is going to fry in hell.








That's right - I went there.

 

[GWguy]

Sorry. I made this because of the other thread, which was mainly about atheists and believers.

Regardless, mAlice said it. Many religious orgs promote and preach, but I have never been talked to by an atheist. There is no group or gathering or "church" of atheism (that I'm aware of), so no concerted effort an any one individual's part to promote.

 

[mAlice]

trying to convince others to like the same thing is promotion.

Kinda' like people telling me that I'll like venison, if I just try it the way they prepare it? I keep tryin' it, but I still don't like it. :shrug:

 

[mAlice]

Regardless, mAlice said it. Many religious orgs promote and preach, but I have never been talked to by an atheist. There is no group or gathering or "church" of atheism (that I'm aware of), so no concerted effort an any one individual's part to promote.

There's one in SC, and I don't have a problem with them promoting it as long as they don't start standing on the side of the road handing out tracks and magazines, or knocking on doors. I'm perfectly fine with them putting a sign on the side of the road and letting people decide if they like to join in on the discussion.

 

[MissKitty]

I like to "promote" atheism online, or rather debate what I find to be rather foolish. I also like to provoke Christians online. However on the other hand, all 4 of my kids believe in God, and they go to church. They know daddy doesn't believe in God, but I'll let them come to their own conclusions without convincing them.

 

[Sonsie]

I was curious because of a comment this_person made in another thread. I've never had an atheist try to promote atheism. Ever. I've had TONS of believers try to promote their religion.


And Sonsie, I don't exactly agree with you that religious people are happier.

How do religious Americans compare to the secular when it comes to happiness? In 2004, the General Social Survey asked a sample of Americans, "Would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?" Religious people were more than twice as likely as the secular to say they were "very happy" (43% to 21%). Meanwhile, secular people were nearly three times as likely as the religious to say they were not too happy (21% to 8%). In the same survey, religious people were more than a third more likely than the secular to say they were optimistic about the future (34% to 24%).

The happiness gap between religious and secular people is not because of money or other personal characteristics. Imagine two people who are identical in every important way--income, education, age, sex, family status, race and political views. The only difference is that the first person is religious; the second is secular. The religious person will still be 21 percentage points more likely than the secular person to say that he or she is very happy.

Researchers have found similar results in other countries, suggesting that the connection between happiness and faith probably doesn't depend on nationality. Nor does it depend on the particular faith practiced. The 2000 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey shows that practicing Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and people from other religions--even esoteric and New Age faiths--are all far more likely than secularists to say they are happy.

I've seen too many people change their lives and outlook by accepting God and believing they are not alone. From overcoming addiction to having a happier marriage the happy calmness of belief seems to work for many people. I think I'm just a little too type A and pugnacious for the whole religion thing.