[Sonart]

.

Quote by: Winter wind Again, you seem to dump Christians into one big pile. I'm not like that am I?

You spoke of common practices, one of which is that if an individual happens not to be guilty of a vice common among their peers, they don't think anyone should be complaining. If you're not guilty of being bigoted against atheists, then good for you. but that doesn't change the reality.

I suppose I could compare it to life with my Japanese-American wife. As long as we lived in Hawaii, everything was cool... race was never an issue. But when we moved here, she began to feel, for the first time in her life, bigotry from a racial majority directed against her, some sublte, some not so subtle. Within 5 or 6 years it had made her very angry and radicalized politically. Worst of all, whenever she needed to vent, there I was, the symbolic White Man. But using your argument, Winter, never worked... that being, hey, I'm white and I'm not like that and I'm not the problem.

At times she'd see the dilemma I was in, so I'd ask her... "I'm white and that's not going to change...What would you have me do?" With sad understanding in her eyes, she'd say, "Just try to stand up to racism wherever you see it."

Which, as those of you who know me on this board, is what I've steadfastly tried to do. And that's all I can tell you, Winter Wind.

Quote by: HelioPrime Do theists proselytize much on this forum?

What's the topic of this thread, Helio? "Root of Christian/Atheism disagreement". Well, I just told you the root... at least from my perspective. We don't see much proselytizing here because we all accept that it's a forum for open debate. Outside of this board it's a whole different world, and I am very careful with whom I share the fact of my atheism, even with members of my own extended family.

Quote by: Morality Games Atheists and theists disagree because there is a sizeable difference in the logic behind their standards of truth, at least on the subject of God.

Methinks it goes beyond that... some atheists feel that Christians base their harsh judgements on rigid dogma that is, to say the least, out of date.

For example, among most Christians, discrimination against gays is, or certainly was, considered a moral family value, for no more logical reason than it's in the Bible. I consider discrimination against gays, who harm no one, to be unjust, cruel and deeply immoral.

Likewise with the concept of Death with Dignity. Christians see life as sacred above all else. I find it cruel and immoral to force people to endure, through artificial means, lingering deaths of pain, suffering and indignity.

I see embryos and fetuses as proto or potential humans, with no self awareness or soul. I think it's cruel and immoral to force women to bear the burden of children they're either incapable of loving, or incapable of raising properly. Humans have surpassed the dogmatic need to "Be Fruitful and Multiply" simply because God says to.

Etc. etc.

.