Christianity Vs. Atheism. Is it really worth it?

[United Timelines Outpost Number 99999999]

Alright, so my topic is twofold:

One: What are your opinions on the side opposite to yours (What are your opinions on atheists if you are Christian, and vice verse.)

Two: What are your opinions on arguing with the other side about religion? Who do you think are the instigators the majority of the time, do you think there is misrepresentation of the other side within your own party, etc.....

I am open to any opinions, but if you're just here to start a flame war, then, well....... Fine. Might as well get it out of your system. Just make it quick. Not like I can stop you.
This being my first topic, I hope it's okay, and isn't biased towards my particular position on the issue.
Addendum:
This topic is meant to be open to interpretation. Feel free to talk about/represent either Christianity in the broad sense, or a specific group.
Also, if you feel that a particular group is being misrepresented by the over-generalization of this topic, then say so. Just remember that I am, contrary to popular belief, human.

*EDIT* Thank the Admins. It's over. My thread can finally quietly die. This thing was just here for me to test the waters, but I was never expecting such an enormous response.

[Ifreann]

I have no particular opinion about Christians. Way too large a group for that.

[Big Jim P]

I have no particular opinion about Christians. Way too large a group for that.

Pretty much this. I take each individual and sub group as they come.

[United Timelines Outpost Number 99999999]

I have no particular opinion about Christians. Way too large a group for that.

Pretty much this. I take each individual and sub group as they come.

I suppose I did kind of generalize that a bit. I was concerned that might be an issue. It would make sense to discuss opinions on the most.... vocal of the groups. I am going to let things develop before making any additions for now. I was expecting a rough start anyhow.

[Genivaria]

I have no particular opinion about Christians. Way too large a group for that.

I DO however have a rather poor religion of all the Abrahamic religions.

[Wintersun]

Christians to the lions.

[Big Jim P]

Christians to the lions.

Hate lions that much?

[Threlizdun]

I don't dislike people simply for holding religious beliefs, though I hold a strong distaste towards religion itself.

[Stovokor]

Based on my experiences while living in the lovely state of Texas, most of the Christians with except of a few are an inherently irrational and illogical lot who use their faith as extensions of their lives and as a means to perpetuate a social agenda based upon biblical law as well as use it as a means to rationalize their irrational hate against several facets of our society.

As you can imagine, my opinion is not a positive one.

[Wintersun]

Christians to the lions.

Hate lions that much?

Yes. The Lion King was a rip off of Kimba the White Lion and ever since I found that out I've hated lions.

[Lollipop Torture Force]

I do not consider myself to be agnostic, atheist or religious/spiritual. That said I believe both sides poke and prod the other out of fear that they will be drowned out. I believe this to be a pointless exercise as they can never accept where the other is coming from and disprove one or the other. This conflict that is unable to reach any conclusion simply encourages the other side to further entrench themselves as they perceive they are under threat. That was my response to point two. To point one I say everyone is a paranoid fucker terrified if they are wrong.

Also I like trains and I don't understand why i'm the only one.

[Cvtopia]

I'm agnostic, and I don't give a fuck.

[Varijnland]

The poll options are not for me. Anyway, I'm atheist. And why is this just about Christianity?

[Meridiani Planum]

Even though I see Christianity as a mixed bag of good and bad, I'm not an anti-theist. Everything in the world is a mixed bag, even that which is secular.

So, I would prefer to get along with Christians, but that requires a lot less anti-atheism on the part of certain factions among them.

[Dystara]

All of the above.

Also, I favor a ban on "vs." in thread titles.

[L Ron Cupboard]

Hate lions that much?

Yes. The Lion King was a rip off of Kimba the White Lion and ever since I found that out I've hated lions.

Wouldn't it make more sense to hate Disney? It wasn't the lions doing the pagiarism.

[Sorgloss]

Christian here:

I don't really think atheists exist. The ones I've met at least are more deist than anything. If there really is one out there I would believe not evil, but terribly mistaken.

The secular left relates to the Christianity closest to to their political needs and tend to view religious doctrines pertaining to anything except social justice as unnecessary (since the State replaces those things).

We can all get along sure, so long as you're not suggesting relativism as it is logically impossible. Someone is right and it can't be everyone.

The uneducated religious right, sure. The educated religious right, not so much.

"Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble." (James 2:19)

I voted for "I like trains." Why? See previous dissection of options.

[Cvtopia]

Christian here:

I don't really think atheists exist. The ones I've met at least are more deist than anything. If there really is one out there I would believe not evil, but terribly mistaken.

The secular left relates to the Christianity closest to to their political needs and tend to view religious doctrines pertaining to anything except social justice as unnecessary (since the State replaces those things).

We can all get along sure, so long as you're not suggesting relativism as it is logically impossible. Someone is right and it can't be everyone.

The uneducated religious right, sure. The educated religious right, not so much.

"Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble." (James 2:19)

I voted for "I like trains." Why? See previous dissection of options.

ROFL

[Atlantic harbor]

Listen....I'm Christian and I'm gonna state why. Now....lets go to the beginning. Now try to picture nothing. Do it. No not darkness. Just nothing. It's impossible. Cause darkness is just dark matter, which is a particle. That's something! If nothing is really impossible, then something has always been here. Also..why is the world so perfect? Our nose smells and its located in a good spot. So our eyes. Our organs work perfect. Nature itself works so well. Think about how life works and grows. It's so perfect isn't it. Also, a lot of my family had near death experiences. They seen demons and heard gods voice. A lot of people have died and come back and said they saw either heaven or hell. It's true!

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Christian here:

I don't really think atheists exist. The ones I've met at least are more deist than anything. If there really is one out there I would believe not evil, but terribly mistaken.

The secular left relates to the Christianity closest to to their political needs and tend to view religious doctrines pertaining to anything except social justice as unnecessary (since the State replaces those things).

We can all get along sure, so long as you're not suggesting relativism as it is logically impossible. Someone is right and it can't be everyone.

The uneducated religious right, sure. The educated religious right, not so much.

"Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble." (James 2:19)

I voted for "I like trains." Why? See previous dissection of options.

ROFL

It's certainly a unique approach.

"Don't believe in God? Well, I don't believe in YOU! Take THAT!"

As a Christian, I believe in goodwill towards men and so forth. I believe it could be summed up thus:

I don't have any particular hard feelings towards atheists in general, primarily because I think that religion is a choice you have to make on your own. You can present information, discuss various aspects, but attempting to actively persuade an avowed atheist (or Christian) one way or the other generally has the opposite of the desired effect. Real faith is a choice, and an unconscious one at that.

I believe that covers the second point as well.

As to who instigates arguments most of the time, I believe that honor goes to, variously, zealots, idiots and trolls. All three of which exist in both the theist and non-theist camps.

[Srboslavija]

I have no issue with atheism itself, however some of its 'adherents' are incredibly difficult to deal with.

[Nationalist State of Knox]

Listen....I'm Christian and I'm gonna state why. Now....lets go to the beginning. Now try to picture nothing. Do it. No not darkness. Just nothing. It's impossible. Cause darkness is just dark matter, which is a particle. That's something! If nothing is really impossible, then something has always been here.

"Nothingness" isn't impossible. The Big Bang (if it did indeed happen) occurred when the Laws of Physics were non-existent along with principle of time, therefore you have no basis on which to state that it was impossible or not.

Also..why is the world so perfect? Our nose smells and its located in a good spot. So our eyes. Our organs work perfect. Nature itself works so well. Think about how life works and grows. It's so perfect isn't it. Also, a lot of my family had near death experiences. They seen demons and heard gods voice. A lot of people have died and come back and said they saw either heaven or hell. It's true!

The positioning/function of certain organs is not the creation of intelligent design, it's a few little things called inherited characteristics, natural selection and epigenetics. If your world is "perfect", then explain war, natural disasters, famine, and also explain why, if your God truly created everything, why so-called "sin" exists. Members of your family have seen demons? They're either lying or they had hallucinations. Until there is empirical proof of the existence of demons, I think we can discount the testimony of "your family".

[CTALNH]

This is what I believe:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist‒Leninist_atheism

[Tsuntion]

I don't think this is a useful question as currently put. There are people I agree and disagree with, to different extents, on both sides. There are also people who are jerks and people who are nice on both sides. I have met more nice religious people than nice atheist people, because I hang out with more Christians than atheists. At a higher level, I see more religion-related jerkassery than atheism-related jerkassery; atheism is the default and not all issues are related to religion.

I don't really think atheists exist. The ones I've met at least are more deist than anything.

In which case you haven't actually met an atheist. I'm sure there's a number of Generalites who would be happy to introduce themselves to you.

[Tsuntion]

Also..why is the world so perfect? Our nose smells and its located in a good spot. So our eyes. Our organs work perfect. Nature itself works so well. Think about how life works and grows. It's so perfect isn't it.

Wouldn't life be so much better if we had eyes on the back of our heads? What if we had an actually good sense of smell -- and sight? I wouldn't object to more pressure-sensitive nerve endings in my fingertips so that I can feel things in more detail. For that matter, why didn't God give us more arms? I'm sure we've all wanted them at some point! We really need another pair of eyelids that are transparent so we can see underwater properly, too. How about two elbows instead of one? Who here would like 99.9% efficiency of the digestive system? Hm, I'm cold; maybe God should have given me more layers of skin, or better yet, some nice warm fur. That'd save on clothing costs too.

And so on. Saying our bodies are perfect and this is evidence of a creator doesn't work. There's also the issue that, well, of course the world works. Things which evolved and didn't work died out.