A prayer list

Intern Joined: Oct 26, 2003 Posts: 242 Location: Arizona

Someone at work found out I was an atheist.She asked me directly and I told her the truth.We talked for over an hour.(didn't get any work done).She had never met one before.We argued a little and it remained civil.Her reaction was not what I expected.She said she felt sorry for me and now I'm on her prayer list. Smile

I realized I had preconceived notions about how she would react.I was expecting anger and hostility.I'll see if she tells anyone by next week and how anyone else will react.What have the rest of you expected when a co worker finds out you are an atheist?

One other thing, I told her most bible scholars believe the gospels were not written by mark,luke, john, etc. but I couldn't tell her where I got my information from.Where is the documentation for statements like this one and also the claim that the bible has Pagan influences.I've never personally seen any documents but from what I've read this is true.She asked why would I believe these bible scholars.I just told her it is more than one scholar making these claims.That wasn't good enough for her.So, where do I go to see this evidence?

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:07 pm

Hey ther matey! sorry i dont have any info on yor question but i do have a really sweet website wich mite be of some help

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/

This website basicly pulls the bible apart into a bunch of differnt sections like Cruel acts and Contradictions...etc. This website will certainly help you find out some new stuff and you can sit down with your work mate and check it out! You my not have any info on any scholars but you can sure prove that god is an evil son of a bitch. Smile

It also dose the same to the koran and the Mormon bible. Hope this helps matey Smile

have a great day

BJ Very Happy

Intern Joined: Oct 26, 2003 Posts: 242 Location: Arizona

Thanks, I've got that site bookmarked.Its one of my favorite sites.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:53 am

yeah it's one of my faves to Very Happy

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:53 am

yeah it's one of my faves to Very Happy

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:26 am

There are a few different ways to respond to the "I'll pray for you argument".

1. I'd refute quickly, "What's the point of prayer when God knows what you're thinking anyway?". This argument is good since it puts her back on the defensive and hardly acknowledges the pointless "I'll pray for you" so called "argument".

2. You can say, "You'll pray for me? Well I'll think for you"

3. Tell her, "Well tell God He knows where to find me."

4. Just be blunt. "Is that seriously all you've got?"

-Anton Batey

Intern Joined: Oct 26, 2003 Posts: 242 Location: Arizona

She was arguing from personal experience.A preacher put a hand on her forehead and she felt a warm feeling rush through her body and she quit Crack right then so she believed.I'm thinking all of this has to do with the Human brain, not a god.

Confident Learner Joined: Nov 18, 2006 Posts: 67

satansballs wrote:

She was arguing from personal experience.A preacher put a hand on her forehead and she felt a warm feeling rush through her body and she quit Crack right then so she believed.I'm thinking all of this has to do with the Human brain, not a god.

You're thinking it does? I take it you're not a very strong atheist?

Usually by a certain age, hope for deconversion should be given up on, but seeing as though so many christians claim to be saved so late in life it could be possible.

Don't approach her bible, you don't need to. Some people approach opening a christian's eyes from the wrong direction. Often times they think "First i must convince her that her god is fake! YEAH THAT WILL WORK!"

Well that is just a little too personal for some people. You may close any chances you'd get forever and look foolish to her if you just dissed her god who she believes saved her.

Show her what science has to offer. Remind her that god and science can coexist. Show her how god could have been what started the universe after all. This is a warm approach because it doesn't attack what can not be, while still proving what is true.

Really figure out what she believes, then present what you believe. Open up to her, be her friend. It's hard to tell someone that their entire belief system is a lie when you are only a coworker with them.

If all else fails, move on. There's no need to deconvert her if she lets the insanity dominate her life.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:41 pm

satansballs wrote:

She was arguing from personal experience.

Right. And there are some who claim to have personally saw Elvis is the gas station somewhere down south, and people who have been abducted by aliens. I do not doubt their sincerity; I’m just saying subjective experiences based on something irrational does not withstand the test of credibility. Personal experience can be imagined, fit to conform to their subconscious, or just flat out wrong. People hallucinate; hear voices and such all the time. The argument is also tautological. She’s essentially saying that the reason she believes in God is because she believes in God.

satansballs wrote:

A preacher put a hand on her forehead and she felt a warm feeling rush through her body and she quit Crack right then so she believed.

She stopped doing drugs because she was amazed by what she thought was the Holy Ghost, which was, in reality, herself and her surroundings. She was at Church, surrounded by, in all probability, nice people who’d agree that it’s beneficial to stop taking drugs, and they’re probably hyped up, raising her own adrenaline, and all the way the reputable Pastor is telling her it’s God…why not believe it?

There are many Christians who are on drugs. Where’s God? Why did He choose to have the Holy Ghost pass through her body, as opposed to the next person? Or course, she’d reply that those people didn’t really want to stop doing drugs in the first place, which would be ignorant since they, after all, go to Church!

-Anton Batey

Intern Joined: Oct 26, 2003 Posts: 242 Location: Arizona

Now that I think about it I stopped smoking pot for over 7 yrs. without being born again and realized I was an atheist.Still I managed to stop.So that must be proof that god does not exist. Smile

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:45 pm

lol

Graduate Thinker Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 777

I'd just smile and say "Nothing fails like prayer"

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:53 pm

Ah prayer. Tell her that positively, absolutely many amputees have prayed yet none have their missing body part back. Why not? Just throw some reason and logic her way and plant the seed of critical thinking in her.

Talk about morals (duties, values, responsibilities), how we all have them and think alike, yet we atheists do not require a creed/bible/god/etc. to TELL or COMMAND us to have them.

The Bible's rules cannot be broken, you lie you die. An atheist has principles that can be molded according to our experiences. You need to lie to save a life (hide the jew from the nazi type lying), then you lie without having to follow a fallible book's rule that would have otherwise made you give up the jew.

Heaven: How can we go to heaven knowing that our loved ones are in hell? God will erase that memory out of our mind? Then in essense we, as we are, will also die. We will be a complete different person in heaven.

Adam and Eve story: Borrowed from other myths/legends.

Noah's Ark: Borrowed as well.

Donkeys talk? Burning bushes talk? Snakes/serpents talk?

Just plant seeds, hopefully years from now she'll/he'll begin to think.

Oh yeah, my favorite: What is god? Give at least 5 identifiable charasteristics as to what you mean by, "God"? That'll start them brainstorming in private.

Newbie Joined: Jan 10, 2008 Posts: 12

AntJ313 wrote:

There are a few different ways to respond to the "I'll pray for you argument".

1. I'd refute quickly, "What's the point of prayer when God knows what you're thinking anyway?". This argument is good since it puts her back on the defensive and hardly acknowledges the pointless "I'll pray for you" so called "argument".

2. You can say, "You'll pray for me? Well I'll think for you"

3. Tell her, "Well tell God He knows where to find me."

4. Just be blunt. "Is that seriously all you've got?"

-Anton Batey

It sounded like she was very polite and respectful, so why would you want him to respond with these hostile statements? He expected a stereotypical negative response to his "coming out" as an atheist, but didn't get it, yet apparently it's okay to encourage a stereotypical negative response from him to her. I don't understand this.

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:16 am

jinxmchue wrote:

AntJ313 wrote:

There are a few different ways to respond to the "I'll pray for you argument".

1. I'd refute quickly, "What's the point of prayer when God knows what you're thinking anyway?". This argument is good since it puts her back on the defensive and hardly acknowledges the pointless "I'll pray for you" so called "argument".

2. You can say, "You'll pray for me? Well I'll think for you"

3. Tell her, "Well tell God He knows where to find me."

4. Just be blunt. "Is that seriously all you've got?"

-Anton Batey

It sounded like she was very polite and respectful, so why would you want him to respond with these hostile statements? He expected a stereotypical negative response to his "coming out" as an atheist, but didn't get it, yet apparently it's okay to encourage a stereotypical negative response from him to her. I don't understand this.

Perhaps we need to emphasize that one need be as polite and patient as can be in order to not cause suspicion. Once, perhaps at first glance, they hear we are atheist or that we do not believe in gods, they put their guard up and get suspicious. We must not come about as rude, instead use tact.

Maybe talk about yourself, if possible, when it comes to asking questions. Example: I use to think to myself, "Is that seriously all I've got to believe in a supernatural god?" "I use to wonder this", or "Wonder that"...etc. This way they will not feel directly "criticized".


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