Be glad they exist. a decent number of them (at least around here) are people who abandon the more irrational parts of their faiths. despite what some people say, they create a much needed buffer. besides, most of them are just beginning to knock on the door to light agnosticism-they just don’t realize it yet. but quite a few do move in that direction

Yup. that’s exactly what happened to me.

Thanks, James. You are right when you say that they are “knocking on the door to light agnosticism”. My best friends fall into this category, and that’s where my confusion comes from. They know me to be a good person, and much better read than they are(I submit this in humility), but they’ve come from good Christian parents and can’t bring themselves to wholeheartedly abandon the faith. They have also almost across-the-board done away with the concept of hell, and are accepting of homosexuals and people of other religions, so I do agree with you that it’s a step in the right direction, anyways.

My whole town is full of people like this. these are the kinds of xtians I grew up with. I never even heard of creationism till college when I met a “bible xtian”. It’s really not hard to make the jump from this into light agnosticism at all.

Religion, like the humans that make it, evolves.

I agree, good quote.

Actually, the fundies are much less confusing than these “progressive” or “moderate” or whatever Christians. You can tell what a fundamentalist believes by reading their bible-someone who claims to be a moderate really tends not to say much of substance concerning what they really believe.

Be glad they exist. a decent number of them (at least around here) are people who abandon the more irrational parts of their faiths. despite what some people say, they create a much needed buffer. besides, most of them are just beginning to knock on the door to light agnosticism-they just don’t realize it yet. but quite a few do move in that direction. My sister is, and I’m encouraging it. what they need to do is tell their fundie counterparts to back off more, so it’s not always secular groups doing it. I’m seeing this happening more, and it’s encouraging.

…Or, you know, commit mass genocide for your Jebus. Again.

Just b/c he asked a question doesn’t mean he’s going to committ genocide. both sides are going to ask and disagree and have to find a peacful way to live with each other, and the less hate there is the better. that’s just the way it is. atheists aren’t perfect either. no one is.

Oh, goodness, I forgot to mention, but when a more moderate Christian does share his or her true beliefs, it tends to follow along the lines of “Lying, stealing, cheating, killing, and rudeness are bad”, which is exactly what I believe. Humility is also a virtue to me, I am blessed, and I will never understand why anybody needs a creator to explain this to them, or how any of it ties in with the ancient mythologies of virgin births and all the rest. Talk about confusing! Well, obviously, the Cherry-picker card was my favorite.

yeah, that is confusing. I’ve noticed people cherry pick lots of stuff, not just religion. seeing how “wonderful” your significant other is while all your friends see the bad qualities you refuse to see is one example. it’s a remarkable human ability to compartmentalize.

Do atheists like magnifying christians flaws just so they feel better or something?

There’s not a lot of magnification going on. Go, investigate what your religion believes and how other believers act out their faith.

Religion has had thousands of years of protection from criticism, and I know it feels a little weird to have people pointing out the flaws of your religion after so long a hiatus. But you’re going to have to get used to it.

…Or, you know, commit mass genocide for your Jebus. Again.