Lately, I feel as though I'm being bombarded by "powerful" messages posted to facebook profiles by my Christian friends. I don't use the word bombarded because I'm particularly offended by what they post, but rather, I'm frustrated by the double standards. If I post something of an atheist nature, or something that is even remotely perceived to be so, I am attacked by a wave of offended people, telling me that I shouldn't be posting this to my profile, because it offends them. I've NEVER told ANYONE that they should not share something because I disagree with them. Ever. So why am I not given the same respect?
Anyway, I decided to post this one to my facebook for a change. We'll see what kind of response I get. I would definitely have to challenge any Christian who claims to be offended by this, because as a former Christian myself, this is pretty much exactly what we were expected to believe. How can you be offended by the truth?
This is a "powerful" video, that I believe gives an interesting perspective on what Christianity is. It speaks volumes about the fact that we are merely born into the traditions of our parents, and their parents before them, and their parents before that. When does a tradition become nothing more than a bad habit?
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I kinda get tired of this idea that we only believe what we believe because our parents push it on us. It seems to belittle the beliefs that I hold as my own by reducing them to an unfortunate circumstance of time and geography. I believe what I believe because I took the time and effort to decide for myself what is true. Yes, I was influenced at a young age by the home I grew up in, but I had to decide to live my life the way I do. And yes, I intend to teach my daughter what it is we believe, but so do 6 billion other people in the world and billions more who have gone on before. This isn't some looming social issue that needs to be addressed, it is atheist evangelical propaganda. Yup, I said it...why else produce these sort of videos but to try to convince others that your way is better...isn't that a major beef atheists have with christianity? See, I still think atheism is as much a religion as any other. It has missionaries! Hahaha...
ReplyDeleteSorry Dan but I have to disagree with you on this one. You are a Christian mainly because of the faith of your family. If you were born into and raised by a Muslim family, your belief would be that Yeshua was simply a prophet of Allah before the coming of Muhammad.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to raise Addie in another faith and reinforce that it is the one true path to god(s), she would adhere to it. Children are like sponges and have no reason to question what their parents teach them. Do you remember the day you found out that Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy weren’t real? You were heartbroken because you learned that a wonderful fantasy was a lie. Most of us don't start questioning faith until our early teens. We don’t have the cognitive capacity to accept the facts that contradict our beliefs. By that time, the message has been reinforced repeatedly and it takes a lot for one to break free of the conditioning of their environment.
There is no atheist evangelical belief system. Most atheists in North America refute Christian arguments because that is the faith most of us were raised in and know the most about. It is the faith that tries to influence policy and has an agenda in our immediate surroundings. Atheists don't have a universal way of living. We have a lack of belief in deities. Atheists who choose to live a good life do so because they are good people. Those who do not live morally, do so because they are bad. It's pretty straight forward.
Those who take the time to produce materials such as this one do so in the hopes of showing, rationally, that belief is something that comes naturally from ones surroundings. Religion is the application of a concentrated means of persuasion or repeated suggestion, in order to develop a specific belief.
This video could be modified to embody the core beliefs of any religion and still get the same message across. Religious beliefs are passed on from one generation to the next. Very few individuals stray from the belief systems of their families. We are lucky to live in a democracy where such action is merely looked down upon by believers. Some theocracies still impose a death penalty for apostasy.
Peace. :)
Lots to say about this. I'll TRY and keep it brief and to the point (no promises. haha).
ReplyDeleteFor starters, the atheist religion/not religion debate is one that has grown old for me. I really don't care if people want to call it religion. Some atheists don't believe in god, and leave it at that, while others have what you would call an agenda and do tend to fellowship, or congregate (online or offline) around their "beliefs" or lack thereof. Personally, I don't consider my atheism a religion, for many of the reasons that Rob has already covered...rather, I would call it a cause. I'm trying to put "my" message out there the same way that I'm also trying to spread awareness about our planet and the damage we are doing to it. I don't call being an environmentalist a religion.
This video is as much propaganda as a lot of the christian videos with a message are. I think it's important for atheists to start being more outspoken about these issues, because we have a lot of loud christian voices to compete with.
As far as the actual issue that this video presents, I agree with Rob, that geography has everything to do with the religion that we are drawn to...but I also have to agree with Dan to a point. Growing up in a Baptist church, we were never told that we were "born" Christians. We were encouraged to make that personal decision when we felt ready, and ask Jesus into our lives and become born again. This was followed by the encouragement to make that decision public and be baptized in front of a congregation of our peers. If I'm not mistaken, catholics have a similar tradition of "confirmation" (Rob, you can correct me on this one if I'm wrong, as you would know better than I). My point is that it's still a conscious decision at some point to continue the traditions and beliefs of your parents...AND we can't neglect to mention that many people come to be christians despite being brought up in a non-religion setting.
When I post material like this, my intention is never to spread the belief that THIS is the only way to think about an issue, but rather to spark thought about it, and begin conversations such as the one we're having right now.
Haha...thanks for the feedback guys. Truthfully, I was sort of intending to ruffle some feathers on that one.
ReplyDeleteI really don't want to debate the atheism/religion thing, but I guess it does highlight a point. The reason I said what I said about spreading a message is this: I believe that all people suffer from the same fundamental problem. I believe that no matter how certain we are of our beliefs, we all have a part of us that needs to know that we are right about our place in the universe. I think we all want to know that someone else believes the same things we do. And no, I'm not suggesting that's the only reason Christians evangelize is to prove we are not alone, but I think we all wonder, that's human nature.
I will take honest exception to one thing in that video...Christian doctrine does not require that we are repentant in the death of Christ, I find it odd for them to say that. Seems to me that whoever made this video has picked apart select verses without looking at the Bible as a cohesive work. I would hate for us to start judging religions based on fragmented bits of scriptures. The Bible is a complete work, and it is hard to understand one part without knowing the rest.
Anyways, there is probably a lot more I could say on this one, but I won't...hahaha.
Oh one more thing...when I was 15 I completely re-evaluated my beliefs and decided I didn't want to be a Christian just because my parents were...then I encountered God and decided that I would follow Him because I believed his message and wanted to follow His will for my life...and it has been amazing. It is not the repressive fear based thing that some people want to make it. I am living the fullest life I could ever live. I guess that's why Jesus said
ReplyDelete"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
That doesn't sound too ominous to me.
Obviously I was born into a Christian home, and that would influence my decisions...but I too made that decision on my own at one point. It wasn't about not wanting to blindly follow my parents, it was about not wanting to blindly follow ANYONE. I didn't just want to take my pastor's word, or sunday school teacher's, or friends, or family, etc. I wanted to find the answers for myself. I dove into my bible...spent countless hours in prayer...and where Dan found a closer personal relationship with God, I found troubling unanswered questions.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that everyone wants to know that that someone else believes the same thing as they do, although I was a quiet atheist for years, somewhat content in the knowledge that I was done trying to be something that had never felt right. I decided to start being more outspoken about it when I realized that people were stuck in the same question asking cycle that I was years ago, and that perhaps I could help them move that process along. I spent a lot of long devoted years wondering where God was...and why he wasn't there when I needed him. I think that a lot of my mistakes could have been avoided if I had come to this conclusion sooner....or perhaps it's because of those mistakes that I'm where I am today. Either way, I have no regrets, and I'm a happier person now than I've ever been.
Thanks for your input, Dan. Love ya bro! <3
I think people get offended at videos like this because they are truly a lie about the Christian faith. A lie would offend anyone. I think if someone is to make a video discussing/almost attacking a certain religion, they should actually study the religion first. Perhaps read the Bible. I am a Christian, and I would love to discuss anything with any person, especially those who post videos like this. My opinion, the video is nothing more than a false message. Im on Youtube, Paradigmshifter29.
ReplyDeleteI was a Christian for over 20 years. I have read the Bible. I have studied it. I've asked questions. I've done homework. I still agree with the message that this video is portraying. Even if you eliminate the element of having a religion passed on by parents...the message that this mother is conveying is still very much what I was taught growing up....in a nutshell. You may not like the way it has been spun, but if you break it down, is this not the truth of what you believe?
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I'm glad you decided to come check out the blog. I try to avoid the drama of commenting on YouTube. People there don't seem to be interested in civil conversation.
@ undulant33
ReplyDeleteI'm curious as to which portions of this video would identify as lies. Upon review, I find it to be very consistent with biblical scripture. If you could identify which portions are lies, I would love to discuss them.
@ Rob
ReplyDeleteThe video, in my opinion is false because of many statements that are made. I watched the video again a wrote down a few of them. First, when a person decides to follow Jesus, he or she does not say I am sorry for murdering Jesus. That person understand what Jesus did for them and is very thankful. In return they are also sorry for the sins/bad decisions that were made.
Second, the video states that God would never reveal Himself. I believe this to be wrong. God reveals Himself in different ways to different people. Some hear His voice, some see a glimpse of His glory.
Third, the Bible was written in Hebrew/Greek, at least the earliest versions we have. But the "child" in the video now has access to the Bible in any different language and in any different translation. Biblegateway.com
Fourth, praising God without end in heaven. Tell me, how long does eternity last? Once we enter into eternity, everything that we do is eternal. Confusing but I do not believe our finit mind can grasp an infinite entity.
My list goes on. These "conclusions" about the Christian faith are what i would expect from a person that does not understand what Jesus was trying to communicate with the world. At least, from a person that did not study the New Testament.
Sarah, I appreciate the invite to discuss on here. I will periodically check your blog to see any responses. I hear you, Youtube is a tough place to hold a decent debate. God Bless.