Comments on: What do Christians do Better Than Atheists?

By: Mark J. Seydel

Mark J. Seydel — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:43:29 +0000

Lie to themselves. Denial

By: simple z

simple z — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:17:10 +0000

HappyNat

Thank you

By: Dale McGowan

Dale McGowan — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:52:33 +0000

I’m encouraged by the thoughtful comments here. I’ve noticed a tendency in many freethinkers to be self-congratulatory and pretty thin-skinned when it comes to critiques of our own movement. Someone’s busily tearing me a new one in my post’s comment thread as we speak.

Maybe it’s a sign of movement maturity if we can get out of our defensive cultural crouch long enough to take a few swings at each other.

By: Dwight

Dwight — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:10:42 +0000

Form communities. I’ve seen various secular groups over the years but churches are a bit different animal: baptizing kids, coming of age ceremonies, funerals, being with a group of folks over one’s life through thick and thin.

There used to be secular equivalents. The socialist movement in the early 20th century was good at this: from summer camps to having their own lending agency to their own choirs and socialist sunday schools. But I can’t think of anything like that today.

I actually am encouraged when I saw the piece on atheist sunday school (there may be lessons to learned with folks who do UU programs) and summer camps because those things more than a knock down argument from Hitchens (no pun intended) is key.

By: Should I Really Use My Real Name?

Should I Really Use My Real Name? — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:41:03 +0000

They also make great movies…..

Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Apocalypto); Denzel Washington; Ralph Winter (X-Men movies, Lost); Howard Kazanjian (Raiders of the Lot Ark, Return of the Jedi); Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hellraiser: Inferno)…

Of course, Christians can also make really, really , really bad movies… Left Behind, Omega Code….. oh my.

By: Laramie

Laramie — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:25:05 +0000

Hmmm… The positive ones may all be covered… Gotta head to the other end of the spectrum. (Cynical, yet sincere…) Inquisite, crusade, exorcise, slow/delay progress of civil rights, violate the First Amendment (especially separation of church and state), interpreting sacred texts, killing in the name of, creating names (have you ever looked up name etymologies?), combining open mouths with closed minds… I think Julie’s answer takes the cake for “most painfully true.”
___________

Hey now, how come your spell checker doesn’t recognize inquisite? You’re not employing The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, are you? =) Geeeez – it’s not even on Onelook. Whatever; it’s right here in my unabridged dictionary…

By: Greta Christina

Greta Christina — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:59:02 +0000

Contemporary classical music.

Seriously.

Disclaimer: I’m not even remotely an expert in the field, and this is all strictly IMO. But the secular contemporary classical music I’ve heard has largely been uninspiring and soulless, intellectual exercises with little or no emotional impact. The good stuff is the religious choral music: Part, Messiaen, etc. Gorgeous, stirring, haunting. Totally kick-ass.

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:05:35 +0000

Christians are better at getting elected to public offices.

By: HappyNat

HappyNat — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:48:24 +0000

What do Christians do Better Than Atheists?

Ummm . . .pray?

By: TXatheist

TXatheist — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:55:13 +0000

Thanks Hemant and Dale. I remember that study by Campbell and Yonish but couldn’t locate or remember enough details to find it. I don’t think we atheists organize as well or unite in causes as well and some atheists can’t remember names of guys that provide valuable studies.