Thinking

On the broadest level my question is: Is there a moral reason for an atheist to try and convince another person of their beliefs?


To ask some questions maybe easier to answer: What is morally wrong with a Christian who believes in Christ's teachings of which I'll summerize with his greatest commandment To love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your strength, and all your mind; and the second greatest which is to love your neighbor as yourself? Are there any moral reasons to try and dissuade this person?

espritch

As long as that Christian isn't trying to replace science education with bad theology, letting their children die from easily treatable diseases because they feel they should be healed by "faith", trying to impose their personal religious views about family and sex on others, and condemning anyone who doesn't share their particular faith to eternal hell, I guess there is really nothing wrong with it.

It's not, however, a particularly rational world view.

Zorathruster

When the political agenda is being affected by persons who believe that they need to "hurry up" the armageddon, it makes a difference. But most important: When I can't buy beer to watch football on Sunday because of a bunch of tea todaling idiots control the local blue laws - it makes a difference.

deadman_932

I don't try to dissuade the type of theists that "Thinking" is describing unless they attempt to force their views on me or initially engage me directly/indirectly on some matter. I certainly don't go out to the streets looking to assault the sensibilities of others.

However, I have had theists COME TO MY DOOR and threaten me with hellfire and damnation unless I believe what they believe.

I tend to reserve my venom for those types that are actively trying to impose their views. Christians who are merely living a good life and not trying to proselytize/evangelize me...hey, no problem.

Bethany

Well, if you're trying to promote a "live and let live" philosophy--like espritch said, as long as the theist isn't negatively affecting anybody else with his or her irrational beliefs, then fine, go ahead and believe in your God or gods. But I will say that I've never met a theist who was willing to go by this philosophy and not try to argue with me when I said I was an atheist.

Antiplastic

Lots of reasons, many of them particularized to particular theists.

Speaking only for myself, I would say the primary moral concern is that the truth matters. It seems so innocuous, but I am continually amazed (and appalled) at how many people -- including many atheists -- are explicitly antagonistic to it.

Disco Fingers

Why is it your *primary* moral concern?

Changing tack slightly here, in your own life would you place truth above joy in terms of importance?

TIA

Benevolent Smiter

Ah, the old argument that without Christianity/Islam/your-given-mythological-belief-system-here, a human being can't be happy nor see beauty in the world. Complete, utter nonsense. Ask every atheist here if they have joy, and if they value their own view of the universe over worshipping some deity and getting a false sense of comfort from that.

ETA: There is joy IN truth; they're not mutually exclusive. I have a sense of joy and wonder and beauty every time I look at pictures of the Eagle Nebula, for example. The fact that through scientific observation and study we've determined what is going on in this region (many stars are forming in a sort of "nursery"), in my opinion makes searching for truth through scientific study that much more worthwhile. Searching for knowledge and answering difficult questions about nature is joy.

Antiplastic

It's hard to say. I have an inquisitive nature, and a very low threshold for the tolerance of bullshit artists, obscurantists, poseurs, windbags, blockheads, and browbeaters. Irrespective of the contents of religious beliefs, which are themselves often quite wicked, there is an underlying contempt for truth and the processes of free inquiry that I find only in religious people, and that drives me up the fucking wall. My vision of a better world is one that, by the time I check out, is one that has just a little less patience for bullshit. That's not the only reason I come to places like IIDB to argue against religious people, but it's one that I keep coming back to.

Disco Fingers

Are you addressing me?

If you *had* to choose, would you take truth or joy?