Atheism

Perhaps, but don't torture yourself about it. I got myself into a similar situation two years ago, when I visited Sunday School with my Missouri-Synod Lutheran friends near St.Louis. The lesson of the day was to "debunk" evolution and "expose" it as a fraud. Like you, I sat tight and kept my mouth shut. And ever since, I've been suffering bouts of shame for not speaking up that day. Don't go there. They're not worth it.

Had he dropped dead on the spot it would not have proved anything about God. Your pastor should have been laughed out of his job.

He was later elected to Parliament but was thrown out for refusing to take the oath.

About 20 years ago, a guy I worked with became fixated on making me hear the Gospel. We stopped by his home, coming back from doing a job one day. He immediately shut the door behind me and grabbed a Bible. He read "For God so loved the world - " determined to read as long as I let him get away with it. Well, he was good for a bit of amusement, so I let him finish. We didn't discuss his action, but went about our business.

We had been shingling a church, of all things. The following Saturday, at around dusk, the preacher knocked on my door. He said my friend had asked him to pay me a visit.

After a bit of foot work, he asked me why I was an atheist, what I had to rely on, if not the Bible. I told him about evolution and showed him my books by Phillip Wylie, possibly Bertrand Russell, and others I don't recall.

By the time we finished, and I had not backed down, he said, "I guess you told me."

The guy I worked with became worse as I refused to give in on any points. He was also a racist. When I told him of an incident I had recently experienced, he asked, "What color was he?"

"I didn't notice," I replied.

One day we had my six year old son in his car. As we neared my home, he tried to engage my son in conversation. But he ended by saying to him, "(nword) Spics (nword) spics)" Until I told him, "Don't talk to my kid like that."

He was so agitated that as I started to shut his car door, he hit the gas and the car brushed me as it sped away.

I began to plan my next employment that same day.

Fart - Yes, they could lose their tax exempt status, but its a really small church in a really small place. Who's gonna go through the hassle?

Thomas - Thanks. I needed that!

Edgar - You were very patient. In your story, as with my experience last week, I hurt as much for those attending churches that do not teach love, respect and living well as I do for the rest of us that have to deal with how they end up voting based on what their church preaches.

I am sitting with my mouth wide open as I read your post. Absolutely, a pathetic case of a minister changing the house of God into a political arena. I say this, not as an atheist, but as a believer. I can tell you that such a minister would certainly be taken to task in our church for such abhorent behaviour.

The church should certainly not be involved in politics nor judging people in general. They should be serving the spiritual needs of their congregation.

The only politics, in my opinion, that should come into a church are for the minister to pray that the government does the right thing for the country. Period.

I don't know if that type of thing is restricted to the U.S., or if I am used to being in a church that cares only for the souls in the congregations. I cannot imagine sitting through such a service here in Canada.

It is stories like these that further justify the reasons for being against religion. I also believe that a gentle offer of religious talk is acceptable, but certainly nothing more. People should not be made to feel uncomfortable about something in which they do not believe. Discussion should not extend beyond that. Discussion.

I choose my friends on how they are as people. Not on their religious beliefs.

Wow!

It is unfortunate that you had to find alernate employment because of this radical rambler.

I was ultimately better off.

.....and you have a 'Christian' to thank.

Couldn't resist. Actually, he seemed more of a radical than a Christian. At least, in my view of Christianity.

There is a fundamentalist militancy which is prevalent in the United States that you likely won't find in Canada. This is one reason why it is so annoying being an atheist in this society. Far too many people who can't leave well enough alone, and won't mind their own business.

I don't understand your distinction. If the gospels have it right, Jesus was pretty radical himself.

Well, I guess the distinction was that Jesus was, perhaps, radical. The fellow that Edgar encountered was just plain crazy.

Fair enough.

It has seemed that way and that explains why some of the heated discussions on religion. I can better understand the plight (if I may use that word) of atheists from said militant Christians. They would turn me off too.

My disagreements with theologically moderate or liberal Christians are on a completely different level than those with the literalists. I do think they tend to be intellectually sloppy, but at least they're not dangerous.

Thanks. I think.

Which group is the "they". And if it's the moderate or liberal Christians what are the theological disagreements with them? Which group is not dangerous?

Seems pretty sloppy writing to me. As I understand it the literalists are considered dangerous. I can't see how intellectual sloppiness is dangerous and intellectual exactitude is merely fact based,

It amounts to character, not religion or lack of it. The guy would have been a bad egg regardless of what he professed to believe.

The fundamentalist Christians are incapable of learning. Some of the others can be reasoned with. At least to a point.

If all I ever had to deal with was Intrepid, I think I'd be okay. I do like talking with Intrepid.

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Don't make me confess publicly that I like intrepid. He might get an inflated notion of himself.