Is religion or atheism like football/soccer teams? Do we have do defend t?

If you're an investment banker do you have to defend why you invest billions of dollars worth of peoples savings? YES!!!

If you're trying to lead a free country of many different people, by enforcing your supernatural beliefs onto them either through changing constitution, statute to violate their rights so that you can please the center of you supernatural beliefs?! Of Course!!!

If You're a rational person and someone tells you to ignore your reason, factual evidence and believe in what they are telling you without proof...Then pass you a collections plate- Don't YOU have the right to demand that they justify (defend) their claims?!

Yes people have a right to their private beliefs, but only so long as they stay private, if you position them on a public forum you are open to criticism. IF you position them as fact to be enforced in science, you better be prepared to defend it (honestly not through lies, misinformation or other deception). If you want to make laws & government policy that affects more than just yourself, you damn well better be prepared to defend it!

If you have to lie to defend your beliefs then they are not worth having and any rational person would change them for something that does not require delusional lack of reason and deception to convince yourself and others!

its because people are brave to talk trash behind a computer. I get a little pissed and respond if a Atheist disrespects my faith.... other then that.........

Everyone should respect each others beliefs.

edit... Steve is prob one to rant and rave , id say hes more like a ref .

Theists defend their gods -who are the atheists defending then?

It is more like hamsters trying to get to the end of the wheel first by trying to run faster than the other ones

well as a Muslim i believe we do not. god can defend his religion all we do is tell the people about the message that was sent froth.

your lord is one and worship him nothing is worthy of his worship except for he and Mohamed is his messenger.

>Truth does not need to be defended because it never ceases to be the Truth. Only untruths require defending.

Well religion needs to be defended... I don't know why atheists are on here, tbh

Where do you think the idea came from in the first place. Backing a team is like belonging to a church group.

No we don't have to defend anything, but some people feel so strongly about their belief, or lack of belief for that matter they feel they should. You'll find many people wont' say anything on the topic because they know that people have their own opinions and a right to do so. Thus they don't bring the subject up because if they are right or wrong doesn't matter because we all have the freedom to believe what we want.

1st Peter 3:15--But sanctify the Christ as Lord in YOUR hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of YOU a reason for the hope in YOU, but doing so together with a mild temper and deep respect.


So yes, Christians do have to defend it. Atheists can choose to attack or not as they see fit, but Christians do have to defend.

But you do bring up a good point...Christians are supposed to do that defending with a "mild temper and deep respect," and that does not always happen.

what are you trying to be....

an Umpire ?

I'm not totally sure what your asking, but what I believe is that if you have a religion you should be confident that what you believe is the truth and you should understand what you believe in. You should be able to defend your faith should you ever need to, however I think it is stupid how every aspect of religion is constantly criticized and nit-picked to death concerning every little detail, especially when the topis is the bible and/or God. To me it is kind of ridiculous! If you think about when you are/were at school, you generally trust your teacher or your textbook and accept that what they are teaching you is true. You don't nit-pick at every little fact they teach you and make them prove how it is true right down to the bone and if they slip up (because they are human) disregard everything they taught you as lies and call them a phoney! I suppose all I am trying to say is sometimes in life you have to have a little faith in people that when they are teaching you something or explaining something, they know what they are talking about.
As for me I have my own religious beliefs and I am confident that what I know is the truth and to me it is not so much faith as it is an understanding. At the same time I understand that there are many people in the world who would disagree with me and hence do not share the same beliefs as me and feel the same way about their religion as I do of mine. While I may not agree with their beliefs, I respect them for their beliefs and I am not one to try to stir up arguments over who is right.
So no, I do not believe religion should have to be defended, but should your beliefs be attacked, you should have enough knowledge about your beliefs to be able to defend them. If the attacker makes a valid point, it is probably worth your time to at least look into it before blindly rejecting it.

I also believe that nobody should be forced to change religions. You should only change religion based on an informed decision after seeing that the new religion better satisfies the spiritual hunger within you.