Question for agnostics (and maybe a few atheists), see details?

Question for agnostics (and maybe a few atheists), see details. I was curious as to what would pique your curiosity with regards to investigating the beliefs of Christians (or any other monotheistic religion)? For example, would you have to have observable evidence?

What about investigating the beliefs of someone you know and respect? Is there anything anyone could say to you that might give you pause and arouse interest? What would or has turned you off?

Obviously, this question is for those who haven't done this. I don't want this to turn into a several hundred entry discussion on Christians vs. atheists....that's not what I'm after. Asked by jo1980 44 months ago Similar questions: Question agnostics atheists details Society > Religion & Spirituality.

Similar questions: Question agnostics atheists details.

Both atheists and agnostics have looked at all the available observable evidence and the beliefs of theists. Agnostics have said "I don't know", which basically means "the evidence so far is not convincing". Atheists dismiss the evidence and the beliefs of theists for a number of reasons.

Do you know the story of CS Lewis? An atheist. What finally got him to reconsider was a series of personal experiences that he could find no other explanation for than deity.

At one point, he even called a friend over to assess whether Lewis was crazy; tha was one possible explanation that occurred to him.So, unless and until the agnostic or atheist has a personal experience of deity, they are not going to reconsider. I don't see a problem with letting them continue to believe/think what they do. After all, do you want them continually asking you what would make you reconsider your position?

I urge everyone to live and let live.

I have investigated. I went to Catholic school up to the eighth grade. The only reason I didn't go any higher is that they didn't have a Catholic high school in my little town.

When I got into college and studied history it became evident to me that man created God not the other way around. I have been that way ever since. I have listened to countless explaination as to why it was God created everything but nothing has changed my mind.

I have also heard from countless people over the years who say they have had similar experiences. I cannot prove that there is or is not a God who created everything.

The behaviour of its adherents - that's what's always pulled me towards investigating further. I know that what's always attracted me to particular religions has been the behaviour of those espousing them (it works the opposite way as well, of course). I wasn't raised in any particular religious faith (although I was surrounded by the Christian tradition) and so came to exploring different denominations of Christianity quite late, and what's attracted me has been people who have a particular light in them.

For example, the first group of Christians whom I found myself drawn to all belonged to a particular Seventh-Day Adventist church in Leicester (the large town near where I grew up) and there was no denying it, these people were quite simply good. They threw open their homes and their meal-tables to any passing stranger in need; they gave one-tenth of their income to charity; and - especially interesting at the time, because Britain was going through a 'colour bar' phase - there were people of African origin just there as regular members of the congregation. (This was time when people with rooms to let would routinely put 'No Blacks, No Irish,' on their advertisements).

I thought the dogma rather strange, but not enough to get into a fight about, and I remember them with nothing but pleasure. Much later, I got to know a group of people who run a Catholic retreat house (although they wear their Catholicism very lightly), and again they had this light inside them. I have one particular memory of being there for a Christmas meal and they'd invited the sisters from one of their retirement homes, and the sense of being amongst these wise old ladies who were experts in - for example - intercessory prayer was beautiful.

I also found that some of their practices were good for me; for example, as someone who lives primarily in her head I found the Good Friday service - in which you stand in line to kiss the feet of the crucified Christ - intensely moving, but also challenging; you're not there in your head, you're there on your own with him for a moment or two. In fact, I nearly signed up to be a Catholic, and the people from the retreat house talked me out of it, saying that they were very unorthodox and actually I wanted to join them - and did I want to sign up to a religion that would have me tell my gay friends and my friends in Africa that condoms were sinful? So, No.

I've also known two or three very holy Jews, including one who was an Auschwitz survivor - we became firm friends when doing a television programme together, and I've never known anyone with such powers to prevent people from fooling themselves, or him; he had a wonderful mixture of anger, compassion, and humour. (Of course, it's very difficult to convert to Judaism and rather frightening to convert to Islam if you change your mind, so I can't expatiate on those two religions as much). You ask what would turn me off: well, having met so many wonderful Christians and having seen the heights, so to speak, what turns me off is when people claim to be Christians but don't act like it.My spirit was nearly broken by an evangelical Christian psychiatrist (it takes a lot to break my spirit, but he had an unerring eye for the things to say that would wound me), and of course the highly commercialised Christianity that I've seen in rallies digusts me, as does the preoccupation of some Christian sects with sexual morality while turning a blind eye to the much larger immoralities of letting one's fellow-creatures suffer and starve.

I guess that the appropriate comment is 'lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds. ' .

It would take a whole lot of something that I can measure scientifically, which is anathema to most Christians. Most of us have had to investigate Christianity at some point, because we were either raised in it, or someone tried to evangelize us, or just because it's so very part of this culture. It's not that we're ignorant of it - usually, quite the opposite.

Some of us know the Bible better than many believers. If someone I know and respect follows Christianity, well, good for them. My path is not their path, though, and just because they believe it doesn't mean I must.

Even if it does wonders for them. Religion is very personal. If I saw evidence?

Jesus would have to appear in front of me, stigmata and all, and I would still want some kind of other corroboration of the evidence. Just reading in a book that he appeared in front of someone is not enough. I mean, I read in a book that Gollum appeared in front of Bilbo, too, and I don't believe that.

They are both rollicking, entertaining stories, though! Basically, I've been so over-evangelized that if Christianity were ever going to spark my sudden interest, it would have by now. They would also have to overcome a study of history that shows Christianity in its proper historical, political, and cultural place and somehow make it more than just a fringe Jewish sect that outgrew itself and spread by various memes, both friendly and violent.

That is, there is nothing super-spiritual about Christianity to me, after seeing how it came about. That would be a lot for something to have to overcome to catch my interest. Now.

What *would* pique my interest about Christianity? Full on immersion of the obvious - some kind of thing that I cannot physically deny. Jesus weeping in front of me or something, with some kind of hard proof that it's not just another cute longhaired guy.

I doubt this will ever, ever happen. Because I don't believe it's real. :) Even though there are some totally valid things about Christianity, those things are also the aspects that I find to be universal and run through most spiritual systems.

Until then, I will stick with what I believe is real. Sources: Personal experience (or lack thereof). Laureth's Recommendations When God Was a Woman Amazon List Price: $7.95 Used from: $4.64 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 53 reviews) This places Christianity in some historical context.

Although some points are a little flaky, it's one I recommend to people who ask me why I can't believe in JudeoChristian theology.

Been there, done that, before I grew up. The only thing that would get me interested is hard, reliable, verifiable, reproducable evidence that any god existed.

" (10 answers) "Atheists (only, please): A question of logic and believers. " "What do you think of the statement "Evolutionary theory is the religion of atheists."? " "Do those who profess to have faith in God have an advantage over atheists or agnostics in dealing with adversity?

" (13 answers) "Is this by Walt Whitman? Note the bearing on the current threads re 'organized religion' as contrasted w/ spirituality. " "NOT MEANT TO BE OFFENSIVE!

Why do the atheists seem to spend so much time in the religion category." "Your 'Change category' does not work. You put my 'computer' question into 'Religion & Spirituality. '" "Atheists, how do you prove a religion if it never existed?" (13 answers) "I am taking a poll on this question, "What is the difference between spirituality and religion?

"" (10 answers).

Religion is for people who are scared of hell, and spirituality is for people who have been through it. " comments? " (10 answers).

Atheists (only, please): A question of logic and believers.

What do you think of the statement "Evolutionary theory is the religion of atheists. "?

Note the bearing on the current threads re 'organized religion' as contrasted w/ spirituality.

NOT MEANT TO BE OFFENSIVE! Why do the atheists seem to spend so much time in the religion category.

Your 'Change category' does not work. You put my 'computer' question into 'Religion & Spirituality.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.