The Most Irritating Misconceptions About Atheists?

[Evan2020]

Atheists, of the many misconceptions believers have about atheists, what are some that you experienced directly in interactions with believers that were especially irritating?

[naomi24]

Telling them they’re sinners and need saving. They’re not and they don’t. That is pure evil.

[Evan2020]

Naomi I agree. Can you send me a link to where you read that? Because I realized I should have clarified my church is in Huntington Beach, California and there are other churches in other states called that so just want to confirm you read the right one as I did not see that phrase on the Huntington Beach one.

[ToraToraTora]

The best advice I can give someone in your position evan is through off the shackles of religion and form your own code of conduct. Morals, respect, kindness and understanding are not the monopoly of religious beliefs. Free yourself from the tyranny that religion makes you force onto yourself.

[naomi24]

https://www.refugecf.com/kids

[Evan2020]

Thank you ToraToraTora. As it is I pretty much am already free of religion largely like no believing everyone else is going to hell, no believing homosexuality is bad, no restrictions on music, friendships, drinking in moderation, and telling bawdy jokes but still Pray because faith and relationship with God is a good source of comfort to me and I repent of things I have done that are legitimately wrong but I think it is possible I may even lose faith entirely because of all the doubts I have not just regarding the Bible but also stuff like the problem of evil like why does so much evil go unstopped if God is really that just and so the only thing I would keep doing just as a good person is making amends for wrong doings with the people affected and forgiving people who make amends with me for their wrongdoings against me.

[Evan2020]

Naomi yeah see that’s in Santa Rosa here is the one I go to in Huntington Beach:
https://www.refugefamily.com/

[naomi24]

Is that not the same group?

[Evan2020]

IDK maybe it is. I just know that it’s my Huntington Beach church and the other one was not. If you haven’t already click the link and look and let me know your impression.

[naomi24]

I think the same about that as I think about any organisation that trades on the concept of sin, guilt, and redemption in exchange for sycophancy. To put it mildly, I'm not impressed.

[naomi24]

Evan, I get the distinct impression that these questions are not coming from someone who is doubting his faith, but rather from someone who is trying to promote it in a round-about way. Am I wrong?

[Evan2020]

Agreed. What exactly is sycophancy?

[Evan2020]

I am not trying to promote it I am deeply conflicted about it and having a lot of mixed feelings. May I ask why it seemed like that?

[naomi24]

I don't see how you can agree with me if you don't know what I'm talking about, evan.

From the Cambridge dictionary

Sycophancy: behaviour in which someone praises powerful or rich people in a way that is not sincere, usually in order to get some advantage from them.

In short, if they didn't believe that God had something to offer them - eg the opportunity to cheat death - they wouldn't do his bidding.

[naomi24]

Just an impression, evan.

[Evan2020]

Ok got it and I meant I agreed with the general principle of it being despicable to call people sinners and fundamentally bad.

[naomi24]

Okay.

[Evan2020]

And Naomi you bringing this up reminded me of something that indeed did disturb me there was a time where during a sermon right after a church member had a baby he said she gave birth to a sinner and I thought that was very repulsive calling the new born baby a “sinner like the rest of us.”

[naomi24]

Yes, it is repulsive.

[Evan2020]

One other term I need to clarify Naomi what exactly does that term “cheat death” mean?

[naomi24]

It's not a formal expression. Just something I say about people who think if they do God's bidding they can live forever.