I have been watching the growing debate between Christians and Atheists and I have to say that the general tone of these arguments has me somewhat alarmed. It is my opinion that civility and healthy discourse have been thrown out the window and name calling and outright harassment have taken their place. I think that there are many people out there who are confused about what the other guy believes and that they take that confusion to the extreme. I grew up in a country called the United States of America where freedom was a word used to describe what we as a nation stood for. One of those freedoms, the freedom of religion, is always touted as one of the most important in our nation. In fact, our history shows that this country was started by people who came to the “New World” seeking the freedom to worship God freely and without the regulation of the state. The fact that these same people, upon coming to the new world, immediately installed a theocratic form of government that was just as intolerant ( and some would say more so) as the one which they had just left is fodder for a different post. (See “God in America” by Frontline).
It is this intolerant attitude that I wish to discuss in this post. I see Christians attacking fellow Americans because they are expressing religious beliefs, ( or the lack thereof), on the internet and via other media. I see Atheists attacking fellow Americans for the same reason. I see the word “tolerance” being used by religious fundamentalists in a pejorative manner, as if accepting that others have the right NOT to believe as they do will somehow diminish their own faith. The thing that pains me the most is the fact that most of the people engaged in these hurtful arguments are not “bad people”. It's just that they get so wrapped up in the argument that they forget the laws of civility and common decency. On the side of the Christians: where is Christ in the middle of all that hate? And on the side of the non-believers: how can you get so worked up about something which you don't believe in? There is a great article on the common ground which Christians and Atheists share here. I'm tired of Christians being vilified by non-believers and vice versa. We all need to respect each others convictions and agree to disagree. It's what grown ups do.
For the Atheists: Those of us who believe in Christ are bound by our faith to “Preach the Gospel (good news) to all the world”. It's what we do. We feel that the information we have acquired about God is so important that to keep it to ourselves is practically criminal. In fact our Bible requires us to do so in many different scriptures. I understand that this can be annoying to you. I get it, but in the interests of promoting a more peaceful society, there is no need to degrade or insult someone because they talk to you about their beliefs. I agree that some Christians can be offensive in their approach. Many Christians feel the need to point out that non-believers are headed to Hell for an eternity of torment. This is not something that most people enjoy hearing. These misguided souls fail to recognize that Christ taught and led by example and that a more effective way to communicate the benefits of our belief (in today's world) is through love and compassion and not through fear or hate. You as an intellectual must recognize this for what it is: poor indoctrination. Please don't discount the message due to the failings of the messenger. True followers of the Christian faith make sure that when they speak to others about God and Jesus, they do so with discernment. They respect the person who they are preaching to and also respect the fact that that person may not want to hear what they have to say. If a Christian is not coming from a position of love than they have not learned the first principle of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 13:4) and they are not really being Christlike which should be the goal of every Christian. Extremism is ugly and not indicative of the majority in any belief system so try not to paint us all with the same brush.
For the Christians: Christ came to save the world. If we are to continue in Christ than we must be like Him. Christ did not say “ Love your neighbor...but only if he goes to my church”, He said “ Love your neighbor as yourself”. Most of us do not appreciate being insulted or threatened. If you wouldn't like it done to you than don't do it to others. Christianity 101. The spiritual walk is an individual one and we cannot sit in judgment of each other because that is God's role. Each individual has to come to God (or not) on his or her own terms and spiritual choices are the most intimate choices we can make because they are between the individual and our Creator. Only He can truly and safely judge because only He knows the inner workings of our hearts. So stop telling people that they will burn Hell for eternity even if you think that it's true: it's counter productive in this day and age. That argument was effective in the middle ages when most of the population could barely read. In today's world, there is too much information available and people are making informed decisions based on evidence. The non-believer cannot accept your teachings “because it says so in the Bible”. That is a circular argument. The “proof” that they seek can only come from a personal willingness to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Until they get to that point in their spiritual walk, they will never acknowledge the validity of your claims. They cannot and will not experience what you experience when in the midst of communion with God be it through prayer or in praise and worship. It's like trying to prove the existence of colors to a blind man (Calm down atheists, I'm just making an analogy, I'm not degrading you). Describing the color blue will never allow the blind man to understand (or see)what that color is. The metaphysical cannot be explained to those who are unwilling to acknowledge that it even exists. Jesus was clear that not all would accept Him: (Luke 13:23-24) He was also clear on what we should do in the face of disbelief:(Matthew 7:6)(Matthew 10:14). Nowhere in the Bible does He teach us to force our religion down their throats whether they want it or not. Our God is not pushy, otherwise there would be no free will and we would all believe in Him (because He could do that if He wanted to...it's just not what He is about). Oh and by the way, just because you know the Lord does not make you any better than the next guy. Humble yourself. Salvation is a gift and you are saved not because of who you are or what you do aside from accepting the gift. When sharing that gift with others, don't allow your flesh to overcome you, because then the Holy Spirit leaves the conversation and then you have already lost the argument.
In summary, The only way to reverse the current trend with regards to discussing this subject is to treat each other with respect and to be humble in our knowledge. Knowledge in and of itself does not make someone great. It is how we use that knowledge that defines us. Healthy debate will always refine our positions as long as it is civil. Making fun of the other guy only injects an element into the discussion that can only escalate into an argument with both sides losing out.
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