When a Christian Makes Contact with an Atheist
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I'm a Christian pastor happily married to an atheist, AMA.
Were you a Christian before you married her? Were you a pastor at that point?
Also, what denomination/church do you belong to
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Do you believe your wife will go to hell?
No. I don't believe in all that “you have to confess Jesus as your personal lord and saviour to avoid hell” crap. It's in fact something not very widespread outside evangelicalism. I believe the Cross is working mysteriously, far outside the frontier of the visible Church. A God who condemns people that doesn't recognize him is not a loving God, it's a pervert. I believe that “to confess Jesus as my personal lord and saviour” is a way to live a better life here and now, and I don't expect an eternal reward for that.
Is she agnostic or does she believe there is no god?
I'd say she's agnostic atheist. She doesn't know if God exist, but believes he does not, and in fact doesn't care.
But if someone is an atheist and doesn't want anything to do with God, won't God respect their decision?
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A Christian girl once told me that she couldn't date me because I was a non believer. I could tell it hurt her to say it, but it seemed like genuine conviction.
It's a shame, because she was lovely.
She's pretty based
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Right? I've gotten "Aren't you worried about going to Hell?"
Just.... no.
As much as I'm worried about getting lost in Narnia.
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As often, the loud minority gives a bad name to the others. People meet a lot of respectful Christians, but doesn't even know they're Christians, as they don't shove it in anyone's throat. They meet a few vocal Christians, and know they're Christians, and then think they're the only ones.
I've met people who were later surprised to find out I was a Christian.
I know on here it's probably quite obvious to people who see me around, but only because religion is discussed on here quite frequently.
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Your description was clear, our experiences seem to differ.
In case you're worried we have different frames of reference: The way you're trying to implicate Islam in denigrating terms is not respectful. In analogous phrasing, the Christian denominations are based around glorifying human sacrifice.
I think simplifying the incarnation of God as a man and offering Himself up as a sacrifice for His children as "glorifying human sacrifice" is a massive misrepresentation. Unless that's supposed to be your point.
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When I was on dating apps, I specifically filtered out anyone with religious beliefs (other than Buddhists, because they seemed inoffensive to me).
Got a selfie with a cross on your necklace? Nope. Same for women with photos with guns, anyone with an American flag, and any woman posing leaning against the hood of a sports car. There are telltale signs that we have different values. Honestly, I appreciate your advertising that we aren't compatible and saving me the effort finding out on my own.
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Catholics, christians, atheism, veganism.
It's all the same to me. If they don't leave any room to speculate, learn, and grow beyond existing beliefs what's the point of living.
You understand christian and catholic is also the same right?
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It’s funny being a socialist who doesn’t believe in god. I actually support the things Jesus taught becoming law, and Christians argue the most against it.
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I'm as atheist as they come (I'm actually anti-theist in a lot of ways but I'm not militant about it) and I live in a very Red, very "Christian" area of the country, but with a couple of exceptions I haven't had too many problems with "Christians" in face to face encounters, though they are often very judgemental people and I don't particularly like associating with them. Still I haven't had to pull out my Halberd once.
The only real way "Christians" negatively impact my life is when they vote in laws that requires non-"Christians" to follow their interpretation of their religion and/or try to impose their religious views on me such as making the display of "The Ten Commandments" (one of them anyway) a requirement in our public schools, which they do in my state with frequency.
Actual Christians are much more rare and I get along with them a lot better. These people actually follow with Jesus teachings (within reason) and don't try to force their beliefs onto others. My mom was one such person in her later years and she was the best person I ever met in my life (before and after being more religious).
It takes all kinds. What's much more important to me than what you believe is how you behave.
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I once had a study partner who was raised like that. We were scheduling our first after school study session and trying to figure out time. I shoot out sunday and he goes "nah I have church, wait don't you have church?" "nah, I'm an atheist"
dude vanished. Three days later I notice him trying to like... hide in a hoodie towards the opposite side of the class. I walk over, worried I offended him or something. He basically tells me that he can't interact with satanists and I just go "look, if you don't wanna interact with me, don't. You don't have to hide in a corner or try to avoid me. If you wanna draw the line at just existing in the same room, ok then."
To his credit, he did try to have a study session with me after that, but I had to end it early. The dude was so on edge, it was like he was convinced I was gonna stab him at any moment.
Years later he contacted me to apologize out of the blue on facebook. Went completely off grid traveling the world. My guess trying to compensate for just how little he knew of it.
Well at least he kept to himself, I met a guy in university who asked for my number to invite me to a soccer game and then kept texting me to join his prayer group until I blocked his number
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I still think it's proportionally right to say "that's not normal". Maybe it's normal in the Southern United States, but it's definitely not normal compared with the rest of Christendom.
30-40% in the US believe in young earth creationism
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That’s false, the creator of this comic is just trying to spread hate
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When I was on dating apps, I specifically filtered out anyone with religious beliefs (other than Buddhists, because they seemed inoffensive to me).
Got a selfie with a cross on your necklace? Nope. Same for women with photos with guns, anyone with an American flag, and any woman posing leaning against the hood of a sports car. There are telltale signs that we have different values. Honestly, I appreciate your advertising that we aren't compatible and saving me the effort finding out on my own.
women with photos with guns
any woman posing leaning against the hood of a sports car
We sure have different values
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You understand christian and catholic is also the same right?
They are not
Educated yourself
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Personally, I'm an atheist (anti-theist to be more precise), but I'll say that in my experience catholic christians tend to be less culty than protestant christians. Probably has something to do with the part that catholics believe that they actually have to be good vs protestants believing that simply believing is all you need.
catholics believe that they actually have to be good vs protestants believing that simply believing is all you need
Wtf ?
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catholics believe that they actually have to be good vs protestants believing that simply believing is all you need
Wtf ?
yes, seriously. this is a massive oversimplification, of course, but this is one of the major important differences between catholicism and protestantism.
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women with photos with guns
any woman posing leaning against the hood of a sports car
We sure have different values
Perhaps. I think guns are something to be handled with care, not something to enjoy as a hobby. I think sports cars are a waste of money because, realistically, you'll be driving on city streets with speed limits in most cases.
I have a comfortable sedan because the pan taught me that I can't rely on ride-shares and mass transit in a once-in-a-lifetime (we hope) emergency. I barely drive it. It's a tool. And I don't own guns because I think they're dangerous and I'm prone to bouts of depression (I'm bi-polar). Anyone who thinks these are cool or part of their identity is not someone I want as a life partner. Even without being judgmental about these things, they signal different priorities from my own.
Now a someone with a full bookshelf in the background is another thing entirely. Or playing musical instruments. Or out in nature. These are things I value.
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No shit.
Most of the planet suffers from some type of this mental illness and it threatens our survival as a species
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yes, seriously. this is a massive oversimplification, of course, but this is one of the major important differences between catholicism and protestantism.
Well
No.
And there is no "big protestantism"
