My dear Christian Friends - some of us are Atheists for different reasons . I would like you to see why I am?

[Urology]

I've been researching on the ethnic back round of my people, and from what I can tell, we are christian for exactly the same reason you are atheist...(those atrocities) only so we don't get religiously persecuted by the Christians, as well as racially.

[Uriah]

God is love, but He is also judge of our actions.

[Urology]

So ... you don't believe in God because some people haven't done what God commanded?? Do you believe in your country even though some people who claim to be its citizens ignore its laws??

[urrrp]

And I suppose no other people in history besides Christians have commited any atrocities. Give it rest.

[Uriah]

I disagree with you, but totally understand. The Bible says that this stuff happens because of man and is right. Governments and churches kill those who oppose them because they arrogantly consider their lives more important than those who they are meant to serve. It's sad and I wish these horrible atrocities would end. One of the reasons I used to be an atheist is because of the horrible things churches did/are doing. I have my own reasons for believing in God now. If renouncing that there is a God meant the world would be peaceful, I'd do it. But you know as well as I do that greedy, ignorant, and crazy people would still be causing violence and killing those who oppose them with or without God being here.

[Uriah]

This is an indictment of Christians and their failings, though I understand why you would think a belief in God ought to produce better fruit than this. I worked for a missions education program for several years; this is accurate history, but old history, and it only tells the negative side. I didn't read the whole website, but do wonder if it mentions that many, many indigenous languages would have been lost by now if missionaries hadn't recorded them and created written translations. I am biased, Slave. I've known missionaries who were beaten, raped, and murdered all because they went to serve as doctors and nurses in war-torn areas or to serve among poor people. I know that our missionaries now go through extensive cultural training before being assigned. The fact that those who represent God sometimes commit atrocities does not mean there is no God, just as the fact some of our soldiers commit atrocities means there is no honor or goodness in our military. (((Slave)))

[Urology]

Okay ... wait just a minute. I am not a Christian, and I am not an atheist. I hope you don't mind me commenting ... what strikes me is that those are all things that happened in other generations. And even if I missed a few modern day examples, I doubt if any of the R&S users here participated in any of that. In the religion I follow, we are taught that no person can be held responsible for the sins of another. How can you hold the Christians here responsible for things other people did ... for things that were obviously not something a Christian should be doing? It's just not fair.Thanks for listening )

[Urology]

You are beautiful, And you want this place we call earth to be beautiful too. Don't blame God. We don't learn or grow from perfection. We are here to grow. Bad , Good it is all connected. Pain, Peace all connected without one there is not the other. and yes God, the creator is in tthe midst of it all. Our time here is short Thank God, Love while you can this is not all there is.

[Uriah]

I understand why you feel that way. There is a reason why many people have the same concept of God as you do, but there IS an explanation. Here is some literature that will help you to understand what is really going on in this world.......http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/print-bk.cgi?action=print_item&category=Booklets1&item=1 140203084&print=yes http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/print-bk.cgi?action=print_item&category=Booklets1&item=1 104339431&print=yes

[urrrp]

Ah, but we've been told, only very recently..."Being an Atheist is just so you can have justification in your sin and it lets you sleep at night." (URL)(I did invite the lady to discuss this amazingly sure knowledge of my motivation with me, but she hasn't.)The history of the church was one factor, but far from the only one, in my becoming an atheist.The existence of bad Christians, even hordes of them, doesn't disprove Christianity. But it is something to note alongside everything else.Such as why do so few Christians know their own bible, or history?