Is a good atheist better then a bad christian?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Person A's truth: "Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Zeus was real and those were his exact words"

Person B's truth: "Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Zeus wasn't real and those weren't his exact words"

Why is it OK to say A and not B?

What's right is to say "Here is my claim, and here is the evidence for it" or "I hear your claim, and I do not see sufficient evidence for it".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

Why do you think YOU get to decide?

Yes! I decided that people can choose their own religion and believe in it 100%

They can pray and have Holy texts! They can believe whatever they want?

As atheists: you don’t believe that?

I'm not telling you what you should believe or shouldn't believe.

I'm just sharing what I believe. Why am I being criticized for that?

Your belief is that other people’s religions are false and their prayers and Holy books are false and meaningless.

Is that your belief?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Person A's truth: "Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Zeus was real and those were his exact words"

Person B's truth: "Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Zeus wasn't real and those weren't his exact words"

Why is it OK to say A and not B?

What's right is to say "Here is my claim, and here is the evidence for it" or "I hear your claim, and I do not see sufficient evidence for it".

The word your are searching for is opinion. Not “what’s right.” You confuse your opinion with “what’s right.”

[Anonymous]

You are not your

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

I’m a Jew who’s married to an atheist. I can’t speak for Christians or Muslims, but many—if not most—Jews do actually believe that our holy text is, indeed, stories meant to teach something and not actual historical fact.

There is evidence in the Torah of several authors. One that comes to mind most readily is that God creates man twice: once in Genesis chapter 1 (“27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”) and again in chapter 2 (“7And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.”). That second time, he creates woman a while later. This gave rise to the adoption of the “Adam’s first wife” Lilith myth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

I’m a Jew who’s married to an atheist. I can’t speak for Christians or Muslims, but many—if not most—Jews do actually believe that our holy text is, indeed, stories meant to teach something and not actual historical fact.

There is evidence in the Torah of several authors. One that comes to mind most readily is that God creates man twice: once in Genesis chapter 1 (“27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”) and again in chapter 2 (“7And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.”). That second time, he creates woman a while later. This gave rise to the adoption of the “Adam’s first wife” Lilith myth.

So the Torah is made up stories? And the authors are “dudes” who fabricated all the stories? Good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

I’m a Jew who’s married to an atheist. I can’t speak for Christians or Muslims, but many—if not most—Jews do actually believe that our holy text is, indeed, stories meant to teach something and not actual historical fact.

There is evidence in the Torah of several authors. One that comes to mind most readily is that God creates man twice: once in Genesis chapter 1 (“27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”) and again in chapter 2 (“7And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.”). That second time, he creates woman a while later. This gave rise to the adoption of the “Adam’s first wife” Lilith myth.

So the Torah is made up stories? And the authors are “dudes” who fabricated all the stories? Good to know.

I mean, that’s a reductive way to put it, but as a practicing Jew, I believe that the Torah was written by men as a series of myths to teach us something about ethics and explain the world we live in.

I do believe (for example) in being kind to other people, in passing down our cultural traditions, and in making the world a better place. I do not believe (for example) that the world was created in six days, or that the raising of a staff parted the Red Sea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I mean, that’s a reductive way to put it, but as a practicing Jew, I believe that the Torah was written by men as a series of myths to teach us something about ethics and explain the world we live in.

I do believe (for example) in being kind to other people, in passing down our cultural traditions, and in making the world a better place. I do not believe (for example) that the world was created in six days, or that the raising of a staff parted the Red Sea.

Thanks for the rare, respectful, sensible, believable, non-hypersensitive, honest post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

I’m a Jew who’s married to an atheist. I can’t speak for Christians or Muslims, but many—if not most—Jews do actually believe that our holy text is, indeed, stories meant to teach something and not actual historical fact.

There is evidence in the Torah of several authors. One that comes to mind most readily is that God creates man twice: once in Genesis chapter 1 (“27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”) and again in chapter 2 (“7And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.”). That second time, he creates woman a while later. This gave rise to the adoption of the “Adam’s first wife” Lilith myth.

So the Torah is made up stories? And the authors are “dudes” who fabricated all the stories? Good to know.

I mean, that’s a reductive way to put it, but as a practicing Jew, I believe that the Torah was written by men as a series of myths to teach us something about ethics and explain the world we live in.

I do believe (for example) in being kind to other people, in passing down our cultural traditions, and in making the world a better place. I do not believe (for example) that the world was created in six days, or that the raising of a staff parted the Red Sea.

But some people do believe that. Are they wrong? Would you tell them they are wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Person A's truth: "Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Zeus was real and those were his exact words"

Person B's truth: "Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Zeus wasn't real and those weren't his exact words"

Why is it OK to say A and not B?

What's right is to say "Here is my claim, and here is the evidence for it" or "I hear your claim, and I do not see sufficient evidence for it".

This poster did not word "the actual words of Jesus" as "here is my claim and here is the evidence for it" and no one criticized him. He stated it as fact and not one word from you.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/45/813140.page#15284049

Why the double standard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

Why do you think YOU get to decide?

Yes! I decided that people can choose their own religion and believe in it 100%

They can pray and have Holy texts! They can believe whatever they want?

As atheists: you don’t believe that?

I'm not telling you what you should believe or shouldn't believe.

I'm just sharing what I believe. Why am I being criticized for that?

Your belief is that other people’s religions are false and their prayers and Holy books are false and meaningless.

Is that your belief?

I believe that religions and religious books were all created by men. I think they are meaningful to the people who believe in them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But some people do believe that. Are they wrong? Would you tell them they are wrong?

A thinking person, if in a relevant discussion, would say that there is no evidence to support those claims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If atheists think they can decide what is true for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc, is that respectful and tolerant and accepting?

You can believe whatever stories you want to believe. Worship whatever gods you want. State your truths.

And I can believe whatever I want to believe. And NOT worship any of the gods. And state my truths.

If someone can write "the actual words of Jesus" as if that's a fact, then I can write that those words are not actually written by "Jesus" as if that's a fact.

Calling Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Holy texts stories isn’t respectful.

You don’t get to decide for the world what is real and what isn’t real.

Complete arrogance.

I’m a Jew who’s married to an atheist. I can’t speak for Christians or Muslims, but many—if not most—Jews do actually believe that our holy text is, indeed, stories meant to teach something and not actual historical fact.

There is evidence in the Torah of several authors. One that comes to mind most readily is that God creates man twice: once in Genesis chapter 1 (“27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”) and again in chapter 2 (“7And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.”). That second time, he creates woman a while later. This gave rise to the adoption of the “Adam’s first wife” Lilith myth.

So the Torah is made up stories? And the authors are “dudes” who fabricated all the stories? Good to know.

I mean, that’s a reductive way to put it, but as a practicing Jew, I believe that the Torah was written by men as a series of myths to teach us something about ethics and explain the world we live in.

I do believe (for example) in being kind to other people, in passing down our cultural traditions, and in making the world a better place. I do not believe (for example) that the world was created in six days, or that the raising of a staff parted the Red Sea.

This is what I believe for all religions and religious texts. The men who created them used them as a tool to make the world less scary ("this is what happens when you die") and to control people ("be good or you'll go to hell").

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But some people do believe that. Are they wrong? Would you tell them they are wrong?

A thinking person, if in a relevant discussion, would say that there is no evidence to support those claims.

Are you the Jewish poster? Or just speaking for them? I asked them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But some people do believe that. Are they wrong? Would you tell them they are wrong?

A thinking person, if in a relevant discussion, would say that there is no evidence to support those claims.

Why is that respectful language not used when atheists post an opinion?