I want to reach out to theists amicably

[jeffbradt]

Hi all,

My name is Jeff Bradt. My parents raised me Catholic from infancy, until at age 12 I told my mother there was no god and that I was an atheist. From ages 26 to 38, I belonged to a non-denominational Christian church, and then I went back to atheism in 2008, journeying through agnosticism as I went. Now, I am a very strong atheist: gods are silly concepts to me.

Nonetheless, I want to reach out to believers like my wife, who I married fully knowing she believed in God, and with her fully knowing I was an atheist. We actually enjoy talking about God, and I hope to do the same with other believers as well. I am thinking perhaps starting online would be a good idea. I have been tweeting many atheistic quotes and personal thoughts, as well as following many atheistic Twitter accounts, for a few years now. I very much enjoy that. I hope to blog atheism and naturalism, and to reach people with the message that we atheists are amazing, lovable, kind, compassionate, gentle people. Most of us are not rude to theists online, but they see the rudeness, especially as the rest of us often do not speak up. I want to be one of the ones who speak up. Those whom no one has exposed to atheism, agnosticism and skepticism, need exposure to these things so that they are aware of our true, wonderful nature.

In addition to exposing others to our non-theism, we can learn more about theists as well, and get to understand them progressively better.

I look forward to engaging input from you here on the forum, and I wish you the best in the meantime!

 

[Belz...]

Hi all,

My name is Jeff Bradt. My parents raised me Catholic from infancy, until at age 12 I told my mother there was no god and that I was an atheist.

You're like a younger version of me. Not quite as handsome, mind you.

Now, I am a very strong atheist: gods are silly concepts to me.

They do make great stories, mind you.

Nonetheless, I want to reach out to believers like my wife, who I married fully knowing she believed in God,

My wife is Japanse. Her beliefs are more.... asian.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

 

[The Big Dog]

cool welcome to the site.

 

[Scorpion]

Hi there ! You are not allowed to be rude to people on this forum, only to be critical of their views. In my case I believe in God but not most religions. I believe God remains above human affairs and does not intervene. Because the divine plan is a perfect system for us to evolve and grow. So I am a deist not a theist.

 

[Belz...]

I don't believe in god, but if I did it would either be in some alien scientists creating a universe in a lab and otherwise not being able to affect specific events, or a pantheon of lovecraftian demiurges weaving realities just to mess with their inhabitants.

 

[ynot]

Hi there ! You are not allowed to be rude to people on this forum, only to be critical of their views.

Some people take any criticism of their views/beliefs as being rude ("Respect my beliefs").

In my case I believe in God but not most religions.

Then you are a theist. Theism is belief in god(s), not belief in religion(s).

I believe God remains above human affairs and does not intervene. Because the divine plan is a perfect system for us to evolve and grow.

That's also what you merely believe.

So I am a deist not a theist.

A deist is a theist. Deism is a sub-category of theism (belief in a god or gods).

Some may claim this is a rude post.

 

[ynot]

Hi all,

My name is Jeff Bradt. My parents raised me Catholic from infancy, until at age 12 I told my mother there was no god and that I was an atheist. From ages 26 to 38, I belonged to a non-denominational Christian church, and then I went back to atheism in 2008, journeying through agnosticism as I went. Now, I am a very strong atheist: gods are silly concepts to me.

Nonetheless, I want to reach out to believers like my wife, who I married fully knowing she believed in God, and with her fully knowing I was an atheist. We actually enjoy talking about God, and I hope to do the same with other believers as well. I am thinking perhaps starting online would be a good idea. I have been tweeting many atheistic quotes and personal thoughts, as well as following many atheistic Twitter accounts, for a few years now. I very much enjoy that. I hope to blog atheism and naturalism, and to reach people with the message that we atheists are amazing, lovable, kind, compassionate, gentle people. Most of us are not rude to theists online, but they see the rudeness, especially as the rest of us often do not speak up. I want to be one of the ones who speak up. Those whom no one has exposed to atheism, agnosticism and skepticism, need exposure to these things so that they are aware of our true, wonderful nature.

In addition to exposing others to our non-theism, we can learn more about theists as well, and get to understand them progressively better.

I look forward to engaging input from you here on the forum, and I wish you the best in the meantime!

Welcome to this forum, and good luck with 'amicably speaking up' without it being taken as being rude/insulting by some theists .

 

[Scorpion]

Then you are a theist. Theism is belief in god(s), not belief in religion(s).

A deist is a theist. Deism is a sub-category of theism.

That's not what it says in Richard Dawkins book, 'the God delusion'
It says theists believe in a God that intervenes in his creation, but deists believe God started the universe, and does not involve himself in human affairs.

 

[The Big Dog]

Welcome to this forum, and good luck with 'amicably speaking up' without it being taken as being rude/insulting by some theists .

My understanding was that the "amicably speaking up" referred to speaking up when atheists were being rude.

 

[theprestige]

Welcome to this forum. In addition to ynot's warning, I would add that a lot of the atheists here come across as extremely rude and insulting. I would actually recommend *not* engaging with any theists here. Even if you're amicable yourself, threads here are free-for-alls, and you'll find that some folks view theists as "chew toys" to argue with.

My heartfelt advice to anyone who wants to have an amicable debate with theists is this:
1. Log out of this forum.
2. Go find an amicable theist.
3. Take them out to coffee.

 

[ynot]

That's not what it says in Richard Dawkins book, 'the God delusion'
It says theists believe in a God that intervenes in his creation, but deists believe God started the universe, and does not involve himself in human affairs.

So what? I don't think you quote Richard Dawkins correctly, regardless he isn't my "god", is he yours? Read a dictionary.

 

[ynot]

Welcome to this forum. In addition to ynot's warning, I would add that a lot of the atheists here come across as extremely rude and insulting. I would actually recommend *not* engaging with any theists here. Even if you're amicable yourself, threads here are free-for-alls, and you'll find that some folks view theists as "chew toys" to argue with.

My heartfelt advice to anyone who wants to have an amicable debate with theists is this:
1. Log out of this forum.
2. Go find an amicable theist.
3. Take them out to coffee.

Why you don't take your own advice?

 

[theprestige]

Why you don't take your own advice?

I'm not looking for an amicable debate with theists. I view participation on this forum as a vice. A vice which I indulge probably more than I should. If you want to indulge as well, who am I to judge? But when a newcomer shows up, ostensibly looking for something else, I think it's only fair to warn them that this probably isn't the venue they're looking for.

 

[The Big Dog]

I want to reach out to theists amicably

So what? I don't think you quote Richard Dawkins correctly, regardless he isn't my "god", is he yours? Read a dictionary.

Why you don't take your own advice?

lolz, as predictable as the tides.

 

[ynot]

I'm not looking for an amicable debate with theists. I view participation on this forum as a vice. A vice which I indulge probably more than I should. If you want to indulge as well, who am I to judge? But when a newcomer shows up, ostensibly looking for something else, I think it's only fair to warn them that this probably isn't the venue they're looking for.

From my experience you're not looking for an amicable debate with atheists either. What are you looking for?

 

[theprestige]

From my experience you're not looking for an amicable debate with atheists either. What are you looking for?

I thought I was pretty amicable with you. But that didn't seem to be what you wanted, so I excused myself from the conversation. No hard feelings, I hope.

 

[ynot]

lolz, as predictable as the tides.

Now that is just unnecessarily rude! Why can't you be more amicable?

 

[Scorpion]

So what? I don't think you quote Richard Dawkins correctly, regardless he isn't my "god", is he yours? Read a dictionary.

From ' the God delusion' page 39 of the paperback edition.

" Let's remind ourselves of the terminology. A theists believes in a supernatural intelligence who, in addition to his main work of creating the universe in the first place, is still around to oversee and influence the subsequent fate of his initial creation. In many theistic belief systems, the deity is intimately involved in human affairs. He answers prayers; forgives or punishes sins; intervenes in the world by performing miracles; frets about good and bad deeds, and knows when we do them [or even think of doing them] . A Deist too, believes in a supernatural intelligence, but one whose activities were confined to setting up the laws that govern the universe in the first place. The deist God never intervenes thereafter , and certainly has no specific interest in human affairs."

 

[ynot]

I thought I was pretty amicable with you. But that didn't seem to be what you wanted, so I excused myself from the conversation. No hard feelings, I hope.

I don't do "hard feelings", at least I try not to.

 

[ynot]

From ' the God delusion' page 39 of the paperback edition.

" Let's remind ourselves of the terminology. A theists believes in a supernatural intelligence who, in addition to his main work of creating the universe in the first place, is still around to oversee and influence the subsequent fate of his initial creation. In many theistic belief systems, the deity is intimately involved in human affairs. He answers prayers; forgives or punishes sins; intervenes in the world by performing miracles; frets about good and bad deeds, and knows when we do them [or even think of doing them] . A Deist too, believes in a supernatural intelligence, but one whose activities were confined to setting up the laws that govern the universe in the first place. The deist God never intervenes thereafter , and certainly has no specific interest in human affairs."

Thanks for providing the actual quote.

Dawkins isn't saying deists aren't theists, he's defining one type of theist from another.

Theists (including deist-theists) believe in a god (aka - a supernatural intelligence)

Let's not derail this thread.