What do you think about Evangelical Atheism?

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Do you think it would be OK if you are an atheist to be outspoken to others so that they too can learn be skeptical in all of their thinking and not take things on faith?

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[+3] - chai2 - 07/21/2013[quote="reasoning logic"] Atheist are fewer in number so that is why we hear fewer of the negative things that they may do....
[+3] - Cyracuz - 07/21/2013The phrase 'teach others how to think, not what to think' should be enough. I never 'preach' my ideas and beliefs, but I do like to question others who do. I have realized that to many people 'I...

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

What do you think about Evangelical Atheism?

I think it is more than just an oxymoron -- it is a contradiction, plain and complicated.

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@Lustig Andrei,

Quote:

I think it is more than just an oxymoron -- it is a contradiction, plain and complicated.

I do understand your point but over time it does seem like things get redefined to have more meanings than previously held "just look at marriage.

Look at #5

e·van·gel·i·cal
[ee-van-jel-i-kuhl, ev-uhn-] Show IPA
adjective
1.
Also, e·van·gel·ic. pertaining to or in keeping with the gospel and its teachings.
2.
belonging to or designating the Christian churches that emphasize the teachings and authority of the Scriptures, especially of the new testament, in opposition to the institutional authority of the church itself, and that stress as paramount the tenet that salvation is achieved by personal conversion to faith in the atonement of Christ.
3.
designating Christians, especially of the late 1970s, eschewing the designation of fundamentalist but holding to a conservative interpretation of the Bible.
4.
pertaining to certain movements in the Protestant churches in the 18th and 19th centuries that stressed the importance of personal experience of guilt for sin, and of reconciliation to God through Christ.
5.
marked by ardent or zealous enthusiasm for a cause.

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@reasoning logic,

OK, point taken. But, to my way of thinking, anyone who has "zealous enthusiasm" for atheism is an atheist in name only. A need to proselytize one's beliefs -- or, in this case, the lack of such beliefs -- is a clear sign of a mind in turmoil. (With apologies to all those with a missionary vocation.)

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@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Do you think it would be OK if you are an atheist to be outspoken to others so that they too can learn be skeptical in all of their thinking and not take things on faith?

I think it's OK to express atheism, just as it's ok to express philosophy or religion or politics. I also think it's ok to evangelize things as well if you feel strongly, but if you do that you need to be aware that people are likely to be irritated by it rather than open to it.

I'm open to discussing religion with people if they want to discuss it, but I don't like to be preached to or evangelized, so I try to extend the same courtesy with my approach to atheism.

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@Lustig Andrei,

Lustig Andrei wrote:

reasoning logic wrote:
What do you think about Evangelical Atheism?

I think it is more than just an oxymoron -- it is a contradiction, plain and complicated.

I think that was Russell's little joke Andy.

He's a very cool guy. I've actually met him and he's very intelligent.

This topic is funny, almost like deja vu. I was thinking about something like this just this morning.

I was thinking about how Christians are free to stand outside of places like Planned Parenthood protesting, waving their signs and being generally annoying to the people who work there (who ignore them), needless to the bulk of the people seeking services there (like for pap smears, HIV testing, cancer testing, birth control pills/condoms etc. and somewhat guilt flinging to the few people who are going there for abortion services (including emergency contraception, the abortion pill, as well as clinical abortions.

Why don't non-believers stand outside of churches as people are entering and leaving waving their own signs. Well, I quickly realized it's because the atheists/agnostics have better things to do. Still.

I don't have an hour to listen to the entire video right now, but I'm sure there's a lot of tongue in cheek going on, as well as pointing out to people "really? you actually believe that?"

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@chai2,

it might also be that most atheists understand folks and their need for religion, and have enough compassion not to make an ass of themselves to make a point that is not wanted...

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@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

Well, I quickly realized it's because the atheists/agnostics have better things to do. Still.

Ha....I was actually going to add to the above "like sleeping in Sunday morning"

Russell just said that at 5:12.

"It's be said One of the biggest benefits of being an atheist is being able to sleep in Sundays"

Laughing

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@Rockhead,

Rockhead wrote:

it might also be that most atheists understand folks and their need for religion, and have enough compassion not to make an ass of themselves to make a point that is not wanted...

Agreed

I really gotta go to bed now, listened to a couple more minutes, and he's getting into that now...actually with a somewhat different take.

I'll watch tomorrow.

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@Lustig Andrei,

I tend to go along with the characterization of evangelical atheists as believers in a No God whom they worship.

1 Reply

@JLNobody,

I think we understand each other. A militant atheist is a strange beast indeed.

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In my seventy plus years on the planet, I have only noted one truly evangelical atheist. M. O'Hare. I am certain there are others, but I don't know of them.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Do you think it would be OK if you are an atheist to be outspoken to others so that they too can learn be skeptical in all of their thinking and not take things on faith?

hey - anyone can be annoying. it's their right.

my right is not to have to listen to any of them

and what are they going to evangelize about - that they don't know?

bizarre

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@edgarblythe,

And her son turned into a born-again Christian! Laughing

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I think a more apt label would be Evangelical Anti-theism.

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Evangelical is derived from the Greek word for "gospel" or "good news": ευαγγελιον (evangelion), from eu- "good" and angelion "message".

So, if you have some good news to spout, spout away. I might even read if you put it in your own words.

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@Rockhead,

Quote:

it might also be that most atheists understand folks and their need for religion, and have enough compassion not to make an ass of themselves to make a point that is not wanted...

I do see your point but I think it has more to do with numbers.

Atheist are fewer in number so that is why we hear fewer of the negative things that they may do.

I think that atheists are similar to theists in their ability to be annoying, just as with all other groups you have good and bad people representing the group.

Would you consider atheism to be a non-belief system?

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I seen this video where a guy works late nights and sleeps in late but he is annoyed by people knocking on his door and waking him up.
He had an idea to answer the door naked thinking that the group might take him off of their list. It turned out a little different than he was expecting.

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What do you get when you cross a Jehovah Witness with an Atheist?

A Jehovah's Atheist? I never knew they existed.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Atheist are fewer in number so that is why we hear fewer of the negative things that they may do.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1G8nJ2IFjA[/youtube]

While this might be true, I'm not 100% convinced there aren't a lot of people, that if really made to think about, and answer after careful consideration, would say they have no particular belief, or that the beliefs they "have" are based on the fact that "that's what my parents/teacher/pastor/society said"

There are some people who freely speak of their relgious beliefs everywhere, and they really hold these beliefs.

Then there are a much larger group of people that believe in God because that's just what you're supposed to do. It's not like they've given it any particular thought. "yeah, sure there's a God....whatever"

Saying you have a belief in God is sort of a default position. It's basically inoffensive. You're not really expected to discuss or talk about it...but it's certainly not something you give much, or any thought to going about your days.

1 Reply

What do you think about Evangelical Atheism?

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