BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Atheist Evangelical Atheists?

Maybe it's the difference between what a person holds dear and what another decides just 'is'. Therein the zeal.

Can someone be "evangelizing" if they are defending themselves when attacked?

And, really, if we consider the definition of "evangelize" according to webster.com, it is hard to see how an Atheist can fall into this category.


Evangelize

1 : to preach the gospel to
2 : to convert to Christianity
intransitive verb
: to preach the gospel

Atheists don't have a gospel. Although some agree on many points, the only thing they really have in common is that they don't believe in a deity. It seems that the phrase "evangelizing Atheist" would be considered an oxymoron.

Hopefully, this provides at least one answer to the original question in this thread.

Thank you for using words as defined instead of how you see fit. It is refreshing.

you make some decent points, but you must see that by believing something you are following a system of belief. the very fact that you believe at all, in anything, validates that point. by tying the term 'belief system' to a deity of some sort, you make light of that which you don't believe in even though atheism follows the same pattern of expression. having a lack of a belief is still having a belief... it's just in the negative. meaning the concept is still the same, you've just worded it differently. to not have a belief system is to be completely removed from the issue, and atheists are anything but removed, either emotionally or in theory, from the issue at hand. so obviously it is a system of belief.

also, i don't quite get the relevance of the ra/ suess thing, unless it's just trying to prove your point by attempting to make theists look ridiculous..

The way I look at atheism is this: An Atheist just believes in one less deity or religion than a "believer" does.

The Ra/Seuss reference illustrates that if you do not believe in those deities than you, by your argument are then part of a beleif system that does not believe in Ra or Seuss. You are an active participant in your non-belief of those deities. If this by your definition is your beleif system then I would admit that my atheism is my beleif system. This is all semantics really, I just want my non-beleif in your god held to the same standard as your non belief in other gods. So I assume you are part of the beleif system that does not believe Poseidon or Neptune or cupid or flying monkeys for that matter; and if you do not consider yourself part of those belief systems then do not consider my lack of a god beleif as a beleif system just because it has a "title".

If mentioning some of the thousands of gods that people have believed in over the years makes theists feel or look ridiculous then how is that my fault.

LOL! I had never thought about it this way. I like the way you word things J.Barry!

Skeptic, I just got through reviewing a book for my Sprirituality site about the worship of Goddess. I had never realized before that there ARE people today that do still worship the "ancient" deities. I think many of us get caught up in thinking of only the major religions' gods. You are right, it is almost impossible to list every single deity that is worshipped today.

Greatedcorn, you cannot take every single comment personally. Skeptic was trying to make a point, not make fun of anyone. Religion always becomes such a personal and hot topic to talk about, and it is so easy to feel that each comment directly affects you (I've had my share on here, LOL!)

I just ask everyone to please remember that this IS the atheism forum. Not an open religion debate forum.

But also - these conversations just look so interesting sometimes, it is hard not to step in and take part.

As in every forum, debate is fantastic. Intelligent exchanging of ideas can make for an opening of minds. But slinging of insults will automatically result in a closing of minds.

Michelle

You should review the book Thank God For Evolution. I bet you'll love it. I cannot take credit for the idea that I just believe in one less religion or deity than you. I read that someplace but I cannot remember where. It just stuck with me.

the word atheist is made up of two things. a and theist, meaning no god. the basis of this is that if someone is an atheist they believe there is no god. that is the basis of that kind of belief. if a person believes in a deity of some sort, then they are a theist. that means they believe that there is a god, it doesn't matter which. i used the word believe in both of those circumstances, meaning that for someone to be either of those they would have to believe in the idea of that group. making both systems of belief.

mentioning deities of the past doesn't make theism look ridiculous... i don't mean to be frank, but it makes you look spiteful. you don't come at me with philosophy or anything, you just bring up past beliefs that everyone disagrees with now and try to relate it to morality today. people used to think the world was flat, should we stop scientific study in that area in the present day because of it? no, but you'd look at me oddly for trying to make it a valid argument wouldn't you.

and you fabricate too much of my viewpoint... as i would expect you to. i think both theism and atheism are ridiculous and think that you both deserve each other more than anything else in the world. there's nothing more hilarious than watching a theist and an atheist trying to tell the other one how stupid they are for doing the exact same thing.

I did not in any way just bring up past beliefs that nobody now believes in. Thanks for the prejudiced viewpoint though, summarily dismissing that which you do not follow. I am quite sure that I validated my argument very well. I explained fully the point I was making and I wasn't really even disagreeing with you, just clarifying our positions and accepting atheism as a belief if you would accept any of your non-beliefs as beliefs. If you felt defeated by my argument and striking out is your next move then so be it. The college debate team was likely not your tenure.

Yes, I would look at you oddly if you tried to make the world being flat a valid argument. LOL I do not even know what the point of that sentence is and am only responding to it as it was included in an attack on me. The college English club was likely not your tenure.


I would love to know what of your argument I fabricated? I see no evidence of a straw man.

So you think everybody is ridiculous? Thanks for enlightening all of us theists and atheists with such precision and skill. So now you have created another belief system into which you alone fall, one which is not atheist or theist but one which says both are wrong. Everybody in the world is either an atheist or a theist except you, who somehow sees the world from both perspectives or neither. I'm not sure. In one poorly punctuated sentence you destroyed your original argument or added to it with a whole new category for those who fall outside the realm of reality. Those who don't believe in god yet don't not believe in god. You made a double negative a valid position.

If I am again to be accused of misrepresenting you position let me point out you did say; "i think both theism and atheism are ridiculous".