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Atheist Patrick Greene Converts to Christianity

Scopedog

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Scopedog
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Not sure if this belongs here or in Religion and Philosophy but my thoughts about this would accurately be described as General Skepticism:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/former-atheist-activist-patrick-greene-responds-to-critics-72768/t

"One of the major factors in his changing his beliefs, Greene says, was his own self-study of the Bible. One thing that was convincing to him, he says, was the great number of people who were eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Christ"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...F5=g97TtESMRQV5JDxw+gJj78hKMocEAAAAvWslBA==:1

""There's been one lingering thought in the back of my head my entire life, and it's one thought that I've never been able to reconcile, and that is the vast difference between all the animals and us," Greene told the Post."

I'm not offended by the idea of a genuine atheist sincerely becoming a genuine Christian nor do I think it's impossible but I'm having trouble buying this story as presented. A couple of his stated reasons (which appear to be his only intellectual reasons) are so pathetic I can easily imagine them being made up by dishonest Christians to sell a fake atheist-to-Christian conversion story.
 
He believes the bible because the bible tells him so.
As for being unable to reconcile the difference between humans and other animals (although he says 'the animals and us, as if we are not animals), an inability to understand reality is hardly a good reason to believe non-reality.
 
For someone who was "an atheist activist" he seems remarkably ill informed on evolution, biology and the inconsistency of the bible, particularly the resurrection stories.
 
Eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Christ? According to the Bible, there weren't any actual witnesses to this event.

Supposedly, there were people who saw Jesus after he returned to life, BUT some of them--who according to the Bible knew Jesus REALLY well, including Mary Magdalene and Peter--doubted the tale or didn't recognize the resurrected Jesus, or at least didn't recognize him at first (e.g., Matt. 28:17, Mark 16:12, Luke 24:15-16, John 20:14, John 21:4-7). The famous story of Doubting Thomas (John 20:25) is perhaps the most well-known instance in scripture of a contemporary doubting Jesus's resurrection, but it is not the only instance.

It is curious that the only sources of this resurrection story each includes mention that eyewitness accounts are shaky, and it is also curious that there is hardly a single detail about the resurrection upon which they agree. Also curious is that they mention rumors of the time, that there was a more conventional explanation for the empty tomb: somebody simply took the body (Matt. 28:13, John 20:15).

Needless to say, other documents from the period do not mention the event at all; and there are further documents from ancient eras attesting to the witnessed resurrection of others (including messiahs other than Jesus).

Further, we may add that the four gospels suffer from being written several decades after the events described, that they were not written by first-hand eyewitnesses, and that all we have are copies upon copies of copies, with no originals.

The gospels do not represent eyewitness accounts of any resurrection by any reasonable standard. So ... from whence comes the "convincing" evidence?
 
Chance predicts we should expect an atheist to convert to Christianity once in a while.
 
In addition there are writings from the period ( from "gospels" that didn't make the cut...) that describe the resurrection as a metaphorical event.

These enormous differences between us and other critters; what are they?

Physiologically, we are in no wise different from other apes. We're relatively hairless and bipedal. Otherwise, we're laid out pretty much the same as other large mammals. We're smarter... That's about it.
 
Bikewer said:
These enormous differences between us and other critters; what are they?
Click to expand...

Has it got anything to do with ability to mix really good cocktails? I've never met a cat who could make a martini and dogs are notoriously poor at getting the right amount of ginger ale in a jug of Pimms.

This poor chap seems a bit confused about what he wants to believe in.
 
Thats strange. It was learning more about the Bible that converted me from a Christian to an atheist.
 
Bikewer said:
These enormous differences between us and other critters; what are they?
Click to expand...

I'm gonna guess opposable thumbs and the cerebral cortex that gives us the ability to not only visualize but plan for tomorrow, next week, next year ect ect.

Also knowing that being naked is a horrible disgusting thing.:o
 
as aethiasm arguably is not a religion how can you convert from it to christainity?
 
I'm glad to hear this guy converted to christianity. It doesn't say much about christianity when they think that converting an idiot is a good thing.

Patrick Greene may have been an atheist, but if he was convinced by such a lame argument, it doesn't say much about him.
 
Bram Kaandorp said:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/04/07/patrick-greene-changes-his-mind-about-converting-to-christianity/

You're welcome.
Click to expand...

So he’s not a Christian after all. (Though I’m sure many will be quick to point out that you don’t have to change your mind about abortion/gay rights in order to become a Christian — you only have to accept Jesus.)
Click to expand...

Heck, you don't even have to stop murdering people, if you really don't want to.
 
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