@Deconverted Man Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these matters. You have obviously spent a lot of time thinking through these things. I am wondering a couple of things. You seem to be actively on the lookout for ways to lead people out of belief in God. Why is it that belief in God is such a hot topic for you? Did you have some kind of negative experience with it? If you did, I am very sorry for that. Sometimes Christians are not very good at living out their faith.
My second question is based on this thought. Christianity is not just about whether or not I believe that there is a God. It is a framework for living a life that is loving, meaningful and sacrificial which I believe our world would agree is a positive ideal. The framework that I am using now gives me all those things. So, if a person would believe what you are saying, you would in fact be leading them away from that particular framework for living. My question then is, what alternate framework for living do you offer? What do you offer a person on the verge of divorce, or the parent whose child was born with Down Syndrome, or the person who received a diagnosis of cancer, or the person on the verge of death? What help do you give the person who suffers from injustice or anxiety or fear? If I am to leave one framework, I must have another that is proven to work. Otherwise, why would I leave it? What do you offer? Christianity is not just about whether God exists, it is also is about how to live a life with all the struggles that exist in it. I have never heard such an atheistic framework presented. I have only heard discussions about whether God exists and the validity of evolution. If there is such a framework, how do you live it out each day and what do you offer people in the struggles of life?
I would be interested to hear your answers to these questions. Thank you
@Algoma Baptist Responding to your comments/questions:"...ways to lead people out of belief in God." I can not lead anyone out of belief per say - as the journey of each person is there own to make. My goal, broadly speaking is to educate on logic - the arguments that have the most logical errors are typically those made by apologists/religious people. I value the truth. I want people to use good reason & logic.Here is a bit of knowledge I've gained thanks to logic.There is a difference between a belief statement and a regular statement, "I believe in (X)" has no burden to prove it, after all we can not read minds - and thus we grant that most likely, the person / group that said the statement does in fact believe in (X). This also applies to not believing in (X). No proof need be offered. no defense need be given. Joe says "I believe in leprechauns." I just shrug and say "Okay."However saying that leprechauns exist - well now, there is a whole other matter. The person that makes the claim has the burden of proof. So (X) is true, prove it!~"Why is it that belief in God is such a hot topic for you?"Its a great topic to talk about even if there is no "God" thing out there. I enjoy talking about that, and other beliefs people have.~" some kind of negative experience with it?"Nope. In my book "Caught Between An Infinite Hope And A Finite Despair" (available on amazon! self plug!) I write in detail about my experience of religion. I also speak about it on my channel in my video "My deconversion story and some mussing" but the book goes into greater detail. ~"...My question then is, what alternate framework for living do you offer? "That is not something I or anyone can provide for you, in fact I would say that it is part of why I object to religion - it tells people (or tries to tell people) how to live. This is up to you to learn for yourself. Its up to you to learn about ethical systems, logic, science, history - you give your live value and meaning, not anyone else. You are the one who works hard, and you are the one to thank or blame for what you do or do not do. Sometimes random things happen to you or people you know. Sometimes events are out of our control, sometimes we try to do good and get bad as a result, sometimes we do something bad and get a good result, this is life, and it is your life that we are speaking of, you must assume full control of it, you have the wheel, Jesus doesn't know how to drive so why give it to him? Why give it to anyone else? You know things I do not, you have ideas I do not, those ideas can be shared with others, your friendship, your hopes, your dreams, your love - you are the master of yourself and no one should ever take that from you.~"What do you offer a person on the verge of divorce? or the parent whose child was born with Down Syndrome, or the person who received a diagnosis of cancer, or the person on the verge of death? What help do you give the person who suffers from injustice or anxiety or fear?"Logic & reason.Also:A good lawyer.Medical science x2Mortality sucks.Many good lawyers.A therapist.~Atheism / skepticism is not a world view. It does not offer a "way to live"This is why perhaps it has been called "Free thinker" as you are free to develop your own way to do such things.
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