This is an interesting concept...

In my experience, Atheists want to be recognized for their LACK of belief in God, but this doesn't mean they don't believe in ANYTHING. It just means that most of the time, someone who defines themselves as an Atheist just wants to assert the ABILITY to define themselves their own way, and not through the rules of a religion. So my answer to whether Atheists and Christians can ever agree is yes. The only way to agree is to agree that however one chooses to percieve their own existance, they ARE unique individuals, fearfully and wonderfully made by intelligent design. Christians need to remember that grace is UNMERITED favor or in regular speak, LOVE without LOVABILITY.

They can't agree on the existence of God, obviously; but they do agree on other points from time to time. Like plenty of atheists and Christians believe in certain values--but not where they track back to.

You make a comment about what atheists want to be recognized for. My family contains a number of atheists. I don't know if they are indicative of most other atheists, but the family atheists seem really hung up on wanting to be recognized for their intelligence. To them, their lack of belief in God proves their intelligence. They demean people who believe in God as gullible. To these family members, God is not proveable and, therefore, unworthy of belief. Ultimately, I have found their preoccupation with proveability somewhat tedious.

As a whole I dont think Christians and Athiests will ever get along.

With that said, I think on a personal level they can. the atheists have to stop calling the christians Gullible stupid or any other thing that is offencive and the Christian has to stop telling the Atheists they are going to hell or trying to convert them. both have to stop trying to prove the other one wrong.

i think the same way about all religions but the way...

Pride, ego, and power stops everyone from getting along no matter the religion or political stand point. you can trace all world problems down to Power, Pride and Greed!

Christians who condemn atheists (or anyone) to hell are confusing their roles with God's role. Personally I have not run into very many Christians who are comfortable making such judgements.

Perhaps, with both groups, it is the most vocally strident ones who lend an air of offense when they "communicate" on behalf of their beliefs.

I think that there is everyone goes on defence and becomes hyper-sensitive because most people have run in to a person who belittles them because of there beliefs.

I will share this story.

When I was in 8th grade my science teacher taught the big bang theory and anyone who did not believe that theory was true he made look and feel stupid. Well back then I was a true blue starched Christian. I would not back down. At first I used bible verus to prove intelegent design, then I tryed the big wig Theologist and all that. nothing worked and he even said to me infront of the class "So you just proved that you cant think for yourself!" I was mad I had put up with comments like that all year and held my temper but that was too far. so I poped back with something like "if two dust particals claided to make the univerus and everything in it where did the Dust come from? Sence when does Dirty pop up and turn into a univerus? and whats stoping the monkey from becomeing humans? My Grand parents were Human but I am starting to think may be You are a monkey!"

yeah I got detention with him for a month after that out burst in class. at the end of the year he said to me "Except for the one outburst you held your ground and stood up for it very well. I can respect that and I am sorry I did push you to hard but you learned more about both side then you would have other wise."

After I got out of highschool I learned that he was a christian and did not really believe in the big bang theory either. Go figure!

but I did learn from that. Name calling and belittleing the other or truing to proof that they have to believe or they will go to hell just makes it very hard for them to lesson and respect where you are comeing from and you cant hear anything they say either because your too busy being "right"!

I'm going to pop in, say hello and put my few cents into the pot, here...

I'm taking the question at Face Value.
I suppose, because I am a practising Buddhist, then technically speaking, I fall under the title of Atheist, also, because I do not believe in God.
But as to whether Christians and Atheists can ever Agree, then i think, yes, in part, they can.

They can agree that some men are capable of unspeakable, indescribable Evil.

They can agree that some men are capable of extraordinary and unselfish Good.

They can agree that these two factors are determined by a multitude of things, many of which we cannot ever hope to fully understand.

They can agree that In order to do Good, a person does not necessarily have to be a Christian, and that in order to do Evil, a person does not necessarily need to be an Atheist.

They can agree that providing a person holds dear to the Principles of Humanity - Don't kill, don't steal, don't overdo anything potentially harmful, be respectful, and be dignified and be honest, don't abuse anyone in any way, be it physical or mental and treat others as you would yourself wish to be treated - then, I think there are definite grounds for accord there.

I think.

First of all, I don't think Buddists are counted as Atheists. In my opinion, an Atheist is someone wo believes solely in their own intelligence as the source of all human advancment as the explaination of forward progress.

Second, There are quite a few things Atheists and Christians agree on, one of which iscompassion for another human being. Christians attribute this behavior to being Chrsit-like while Atheists approach compassion from the perspective of one human being to another (you get my drift)...

The big bang is a very interesting concept and Freebubbles, I can empathize with your consternation with your teacher and the response you got from him. I have had similar confrontations with people myself and my answer is IF someone believes in a beginning (big bang) then there had to be a beginnER. I ask them to explain HOW all those random elements happened to come together in just that way and draw to one another closer and closer over time untill they collided. What put them on that course? I ask that they explain WHAT created all those random particules in the first place. How did they come to be? And HOW was it determined that WHEN they did eventually collide, HOW could it be determined in advance that they WOULD explode and cause the universe to be born? I am usually respoded to with utter silence and the ever forboding answer of "I DON'T KNOW" to which I answer, then HOW can you discount what I think if you have no opinion of your own?

Just some food for thought...

PS As scientists try to prove HOW the universe was formed, they are drawing closer and closer to finding the BEGINNER. And when they do, they will have to concede that there was something or someone who BEGAN it all. At that point millions of Christians will smile and say I told you so... silently.

Yep. That would cover it, as far as I am concerned...!


Unfortunately, in many ways, just as 'Creationists' and 'Evolutionists' are at loggerheads as we speak, I think there will always be a diversity of opinion, and a massive mix of fact, fiction, belief, proof, 'scientifc' evidence, 'Theistic' evidence.... and we shall be no nearer then, than we are now, to ever finding an answer that will be completely, wholeheartedly concretedly acceptable to everyone.

And surely, as 'Pride' is one of the seven deadly Sins, no True, faithful, devotedly practising Christian would ascribe to such superscilious smugness....

I ran across a text book:

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
by Dr. Francis S Collins, M.D., PH.D.

About this title: One of the worlds most famous scientists--the head of the Human Genome Project and a former atheist--interweaves science, logic, and intuition to present a most powerful argument for the existence of God.

Its like $10 at Alibris.com!

hint hint all I want for christmas is a few more books a few more books!

I'm so glad someone mentioned Collins' book. It's fabulous! It's a compelling argument for the existence of God from a scientific point of view. Collins is a ridiculously intelligent person, though I found his conversion to Christianity is little confusing. He has this entire argument about God's existence perfectly organized, and then his whole discussion of converting is two paragraphs long and basically has him becoming a Christian after a long hiking trip. I was a bit disappointed.

I have to disagree with this statement, though: "In my opinion, an Atheist is someone who believes solely in their own intelligence as the source of all human advancment as the explaination of forward progress."

That's really more humanism, not pure atheism. Writers like Sartre, Freud, Nietzsche espouse that kind of thinking, but it's more of an atheism subcategory.

I myself tend to believe in the aforementioned statement (that human intelligence is central to progress), but I am not an atheist.