Personally, to me this implicates that I will soon be leaving an IT job that pays well to aid the poor and destitute and show them love that perhaps they have never known at the expense of a much lower salary. An athiest might have the same passion, and I admire that, but the difference is that their motives are personal fulfillment while my motive is to bring glory to God regardless of personal expense.

BTW, most Christians come very far from living the way the Bible would have them live (including myself). As Gandhi said, I like your Christ but not your Christians. I would ask that anyone considering Christianity look at Christ first and His followers second (and Bush last lol).

So, please check it out and provide feedback.

Jim i agree with, the best part of being a Christian is it is a choice, you are not forced. With that being said, Jim, we don’t not have to prove anything. If you need to proof feel free to Google it, I’m sure you’ll find something. But if you have serious questions about Christianity, I would be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

You’ve missed the boat: atheism isn’t about a “belief” of any kind. It’s about a LACK of belief. That’s where you are losing track in your discussion of these issues. Just as I’m sure you don’t believe that Santa Claus, Tom Sawyer, Bilbo Baggins or The Green Lantern are real, I don’t believe that “God”, “Allah”, “Aphrodite” or “Thetans” are real. That isn’t a belief, that is a LACK of belief. Pretty much the opposite of “faith” which is the basis of most religions.

Claiming that atheism is a religion, or that it is based on faith of any kind is just absurd, and betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the atheistic position. As I said earlier (and you really don’t appear to have parsed the information), atheism is a response to specific claims, not an independent position of its own. Without theism – without people who make claims about the existence of god – there would be no atheism. It’s not a belief, it’s a response to a claim (i.e. just as doubt or bewilderment or agreement or curiosity could all be responses to claims, but they are not religions).

However, I’m sure you’d agree that without atheists, believers would still exist. That is because theism isn’t a response to a claim, it is a belief – a faith in the nature of the universe, the meaning of life, etc. Followers of various religions practice shared belief systems, cultural leanings, etc. Atheists, on the other hand, have no such common ground. The only thing atheists have in common is a rejection of the claims made about various supernatural beings. Beyond that, there is no common thread of values, beliefs, etc.

The claim that atheism is a religion is misguided at best, disingenuous at worst. Many religious people consciously use that absurd notion as a tool of argument in an attempt to dismiss criticisms some atheists make against religion (i.e. if atheism is a religion, then atheists can’t credibly criticize “other” religions). That’s just posturing and deliberate misrepresentation for political gain.

People have a right to discuss the merits/problems of religion just as well as they have the right to discuss anything else. Generating false representations of your rhetorical opponent in order to appear more credible is for amateurs. If you truly want to discuss the issues from a rational, respectful standpoint you have to put away such dishonest tactics.

The claim that atheism is a religion can also be arrogant and myopic. It often stems from the assumption that god(s) is/are real and that atheists are “choosing” not to believe. Theists claim atheists are making a “leap” of faith that such things don’t exist, because for theists, the existence of their god is self-evident, and any atheist who doesn’t accept their god must surely be rejecting it while simultaneously realizing that god exists.

That’s the most ridiculous position of all the anti-atheistic ones, and ultimately crosses over into crazy-land. It’s of course impossible to have an intelligent discussion of an issue if one starts from the unwavering assumption that their position is correct and unquestionable. In such a situation there can be nothing to discuss. When someone is arguing from that position, there’s truly no point at all in engaging them in discussion, because they are incapable of understanding the atheistic position from even a hypothetical standpoint.

As Bertrand Russell said, there is no sense in trying to have a rational discussion with someone about a view they did not arrive at through reason. Therefore I really don’t see anything that can be gained by attempting to discuss this further with you. And no – you definitely cannot have my email address.

* Many christians I’ve met have some reasoning skills and a comprehension of the basic concepts necessary to discuss these subjects intelligently.

By the way, can you send your reply to my e-mail address directly? It’s more convenient for me to reply you directly from my mailbox… Sorry for the haste.

With Love,
Johnson.
johnsoncn005@gmail.com

By the way, can you send your reply to my e-mail address directly? It’s more convenient for me to reply you directly from my mailbox… Sorry for the haste.

With Love,
Johnson.

Well, what more could I say? You have deliberately chose to ignore everything I said. I don’t have to prove God’s existence. He is already there. There are tonnes of evidences that can prove God’s existence, you just have to open your eyes to see them. But if you still failed to see them, I can’t help any further.

Surely I can’t force my religion into your brain, for the conversion of a heart is not my job, it’s God’s. I salute your strong believe in the gospel of Atheism, and if I have met you before I have become a Christian, I would make you as a Guru.

Before I end, please allow me to answer several things that you have deliberately shot me… I forgave you for doing that, but that doesn’t mean that I am agreeing what you are saying. Ok, here we go… Ready?

“You lost all your “atheist credibility” when you took up religion, so saying that you used to be an atheist so you are now some kind of expert on atheism is not only absurd, it’s insulting.” (Quote from your statement)

Indeed I am no longer an Atheist, but that doesn’t disqualify me from expressing what have I learned from Atheism. I used to embrace Communism and used to be a strong believer in Humanism, and I am dare to say that no people hated Christian or other religion practitioner than I did in the past. Please visit my website at http://johnsoncn005.multiply.com for more of my history. But before I come to know Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour, I have already understood the folly of Atheism (no offense, this was what I realized at that moment, if you want to accuse me as a heretic in Atheism, you are free to do so). Face it, Atheism is a form of religion, and this religion there is no God, or any big figure like Buddha or Muhammad, but the core believe is based on human himself.

I dare to say that Atheism is a form of religion because you have to believe that there is no God, it requires a step of faith. Before you can be an Atheist, you must BELIEVE that there is NO GOD!!! For me (I said, FOR ME), the element of believe has already enough to make a substance as religion. Well, whether you like it or not, I also want to say so.

Because I value freedom, that why I never present any “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so” kind of things. All I am trying to do is to tell you that although I respect you as a disciple of NO-GOD RELIGION, but that doesn’t mean that I am in the same line with you. I can be at peace with you, but I will never shut my mouth to tell you that there is God in this world. You can either choose to accept or to reject, but I’m telling you anyway, just like the Atheists telling me that there is no God, even though I have reject them, but at least I allow them to finish their words.

With Love,
Johnson.

PS: God does exist, you just don’t see Him. Just because you don’t see Him, doesn’t mean that He is not exist. Open your eyes and open your ears. (Please shoot me with all the criticism you have, because I’m eagerly want to talk to you about this subject matter.)

Religion is based on faith that that which they can’t prove exists does in fact exist.

Whether I believe your god exists or not doesn’t matter to me, but apparently it does to you.

Atheism is nothing more and nothing less than a response to the claim that a deity exists. That response being “there isn’t sufficient evidence to support such a claim”. There is no other doctrine or belief aside from that. There is no “core value” that human beings are the most superior beings on earth. In fact, most atheists would tell you that there’s no inherent superiority in any being, human or otherwise.

As to the claim that the statement “there is no god” being a fact – it’s a fact based on the evidence that has been presented so far. If or when there is any hard evidence that a deity does exist, most atheists would be happy to accept its existence as reality. The scientific method is based entirely upon the notion of falsifiability of claims and revising our understanding of things based on new information. Many atheists support the scientific method as being our current best means of expanding our understanding of the world around us.

I know it’s difficult for many religious people to grasp that some people don’t need the security of feeling they know everything. Many of us are perfectly happy accepting that much is unknown to us and will remain so. That is why we are comfortable in accepting ideas which are substantiated, and dismissing ideas which aren’t.

As for what I believe – what I believe is entirely irrelevant. Belief is a personal thing that each individual will approach in their own way. That’s as it should be; freedom of conscience is essential to any civilized society. However, when the ideas of any one group of people are used to dictate how others should live, that’s an entirely different story.

If religion is facing a backlash these days, it’s simply because there are many people who do not want to live their lives based on the dictates of uncivilized, uneducated people who lived thousands of years ago. We recognize that ethics are not dictated by ancient writings, rather they are dictated by integrity, compassion and personal responsibility.

Finally, if you truly are writing from a perspective “with love”, then please be so kind as to not attempt to claim some sort of dominion of authority or understanding about a position you admit you do not hold. You lost all your “atheist credibility” when you took up religion, so saying that you used to be an atheist so you are now some kind of expert on atheism is not only absurd, it’s insulting.

I used to be a christian, yet I’m not sitting here claiming I know what you stand for or believe in. I realize that since I no longer believe, I can no longer claim to have special insight into the inner workings of christianity. To claim to do so would be presumptive and disrespectful. And decidedly un-christian.

Atheism is a religion by itself.

Let me elaborate that for you, if you are so ignorant to analyse that. Religion is a set of beliefs and values. Every religion has their own sets of beliefs and values. Like Christianity, their core belief is salvation through grace, redemption by the death of Jesus Christ. And their core value is equality of all mankind, regardless of believer or not.

Atheism itself is a set of beliefs and values. The core belief for Atheism is that there is no deity, and the core value is that human beings are the most superior species on Earth.

Of course you can choose to deny all of the above by choose to say something like “The statement ‘God does not exist’ is a fact”. But what dictates as ‘fact’? In the most simplistic manner, fact is a statement backed by proof. If you are going to say that, please proof to me that God does not exist.

About your claim that the statements that Atheist made towards religion is not offensive, I would want to challenge you to count among 198 comments above, how many of those made by Atheists are not containing any offense? So far I only spotted a positive, out of many of those which are negative.

You have to know that I am not againsting Atheism, I was an Atheist before. Because of that, I can say that Atheism is a religion. Please be clear of your belief. Oh, please let me tell you what’s your belief — You don’t believe in any religious values, you only believe in your own. That itself is a religion.

With Love,
Johnson.

Timeless principles, like honesty, integrity, trust, authenticity, commitment, telling the truth, work for everyone, whether you’re Christian, atheist, or anything else.

Living a principled life in all arenas, including the financial arena, leads to success.

Does religion teach these values? I think so. Can they be learned outside of religion also? Absolutely. Do we need to get hung up on whether a person is speaking from a Christian standpoint or an atheistic world view? No.

Each individual has their own language, many times we’re using different language for the same thing. Just translate what the person is saying into language you use and you may not get so worked up over it.

It was interesting that one of the comments I read was from someone who said he unsubscribed because of this post, which is unfortunate, because we are expanded when we read and are exposed to what we don’t necessarily agree with.

Anyway, I’m an Interfaith Minister, and have no religion. I accept all people and all faiths. And if a person doesn’t have a faith, that’s fine too. It doesn’t take anything away from me.

Be blessed,
Valerie Love

While the “be kind to each other” philosophies are very important, you don’t need religion to be good and honest to each other.

Watch this free documentary about Christian (and other religions’) origins, we’re lied to about the 9/11 WTC attacks, and the Federal Reserve scam.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
or else on Google video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1817848131611744924

On the subject of tithing, we don’t give to get in return. Some people believe this lie and then say tithing doesn’t work, but the problem is they fail to do their part and reduce their spending.

Something to think about from someone who has seen both points of view.

A general summary of religious texts as “respecting oneself and others” should be a solid foundation for financial intelligence, in my opinion.

I read at the top that this was going to be a post about how religion affects personal finance, so I expected a post about HOW RELIGION AFFECTS PERSONAL FINANCE. I decided to read the anyway. Anyone who wasn’t interested in “why religion is an important part of personal finance” could have easily skipped this post.

I’m sure religion does affect personal finance to a degree, and the author explained his point pretty well. He didn’t offend me in any way while doing so. He didn’t say anything offensive at all. The atheists bashing Christianity were the ones who were intentionally offensive! Although, in general, I agree with what they were saying, that was completely uncalled for.

So, really truly seriously, just shut up.

[3] Gen. 28:20-22, “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, IF God will be with me, and [if God] will keep me in this way that I go, and [if God] will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; THEN shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shall GIVE ME I will surely give the TENTH unto thee.”

Wow! This one Scripture pretty much contradicts 99% of all sermons I have ever heard on the subject of tithing! This is the very first Scripture in the Bible that gives an account of someone giving a tenth or tithe of his personal possessions back to God. But, oh how different it is from the teachings of most Christian Churches.

First Jacob truly recognizes God as God. He then begins to proposition God. He states that “IF” God will do this and “IF’ God will do the other things, “THEN” Jacob says, “shall the Lord be my God.” Jacob concludes his proposition to God, should God meet all of his requirements, by saying that of all the things that God will first give to Jacob, Jacob will give God back a tenth.

There is so much more to say on this subject. I was teaching people Dave Ramsey stuff as a non-profit to groups of people and his preaching about tithing BUGS ME – I don’t teach his stuff anymore and have developed my own program (quite successful so far!). I have personally talked to disabled elderly women fleeced out of 10% of their SS check by these religious crooks “in the name of God or in fear of God (the Malachi hoax) and it boils my blood. I am on a personal crusade against these flim-flam artists who “devour widows homes” and I hope I have presented enough for you to start reading the bible from the end of your own finger….and help spread the gospel TRUTH!

God Bless you and those you touch.

There is not one example of anyone tithing MONEY to anyone in the entirety of the Bible!

Unfortunately, most western churches have no idea what the Bible says about this subject. Many preach tithing firstfruits of MONEY when in fact the ONLY mention of money related to the tithe (Deut. 14:24-26) was if you have to travel a long way to the storehouse you were to SELL your tithable commodities (grain, livestock, herbs, etc.) at your local market and then PURCHASE the tithes at the local market near the storehouse. MONEY was NEVER a tithable commodity.

Next, few who have ever read accounts of tithing in the OT will quickly realize that tithing was from ABUNDANCE. It was the 10th sheep to pass under the staff that was tithed – in other words, if you only had 9 sheep you DID NOT tithe.

[7] Deut. 14:22-29, “Thou shall truly TITHE all the INCREASE of thy SEED, that the field brings forth year by year.”

[4] Leviticus 27:30-33, “And all the TITHE of the LAND, whether of the SEED of the land, or of the FRUIT, of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the TITHE of the HERD, or of the FLOCK, even of whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it…”

The greedy church would prefer you not know the following:

The tradesmen who made the baskets for harvesting, did not tithe.

The cobblers, who made the shoes for the servants of the field, did not tithe.

The carpenters, who made the wagons used for harvesting the fields, did not tithe.

The potters, who made the jugs for carrying water to the servants in the fields, did not tithe.

The women, who made the garments for the field-workers, did not tithe.

And certainly, the servants who worked in the fields for wages, did not tithe.

Here are the simple facts regarding the Biblical teaching of tithing:

ONLY LANDOWNERS TITHED

ONLY PRODUCTS OF THE LAND WERE TITHED

ONLY LEVITES COULD RECEIVE THE TITHES

TITHING WAS A LAW OF MOSES

CHRISTIANS ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES!

By the way, Jesus Christ was a carpenter by trade, and as such, JESUS DID NOT TITHE!

One note to everyone here – as mentioned above, please don’t confuse religion and morality. The ‘Christian’ values mentioned are universal to all religions and many atheists accept them as well.

For me personally, I do believe in God, as a Hindu, and so far, all of the words in the Hindu scriptures are yet to be proven wrong. They, like the scriptures of many religions, clearly state why saving and generosity are important. They also make a simple rule for saving and generosity: that desire, not just money, is the root of all sin, and to be sinless, you should avoid all desire and temptation. Now think about it: if you don’t focus on wanting that $499 iPhone, you’re going to save the money not spent on it! (Or do anything rash and sinful to get the money, for that matter.) It also mentions that unselfish generosity, where you don’t expect anything in return, is particularly important to help others as well as to be happy and to live a moral life. After all, you won’t sit there angrily glaring at a charity organization for being unable to mail you a tiny, worthless gift or decorate a plaque with your name on it in return for your donation.

In Christ,
Joshua