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Now Christians are going to get all upset about atheist trying to get people to come over to our way of thinking, while they have no problem whatsoever trying to bring people to the feet of Jesus.
It's about educating people. Once people have a basic understanding of atheism, it's not a scary or bad thing.
Yes, I think education is absolutely key. The cultural indoctrination people receive early that is strongly reinforced by powerful others (parents, teachers, ministers, the community, etc.) is difficult to change once it has become reified.
Framing a perceived "force" using the metaphor of a benevolent father by the ancients evolved into fixed beliefs based on patriarchy. For example, it evolved from a tool used to draw analogies and share ideas, into a fixed belief that the priesthood be from the house of David and have male genitalia in Catholicism.
That in turn was reinforced due to the printing press being used initially only to print books of indoctrination, like the Bible, and those books being used to teach literacy.
Some personalities tend to fixate on positions rather than be open to new ideas. That's useful for holding institutions together, protecting writings and traditional ideas so they survive, and maintaining a stable culture over time.
Other personalities tend to fixate on a more ideal future rather than preservation, and thus (oversimplified) value change over the status quo to some extent.
Southern Baptist leaders recently decided they'd gotten away from the ancient teachings of Paul. They suddenly regressed, and embraced the past, which resulted in a "regression to the mean," and cataclysmic change to an earlier state of belief. Women lost professorships in their colleges because of a single statement by Paul. We also saw this occur in Iran with Khomenei's rise to power and subsequent regression to ancient Islamic beliefs.
Recent studies suggest certain areas of the brain are activated in religious fervor that are similarly activated by non-religious situations. Also, deconversion may not be just a choice made based on questioning underlying assumptions, identifying inconsistencies, etc. Individual personality may predispose one to even be open to the idea that a choice exists.
"Recent studies suggest certain areas of the brain are activated in religious fervor that are similarly activated by non-religious situations."
Mystic experiences tend to share the same are of the brain as music.
However the fact that certain areas of the brain that show activity during religious and non-religious situations doesn't prove that religious experience is invalid.
The ONLY way athiests can win converts from Christianity is to recruit those that do not know their faith. Period.
Clearly, that is not the only way. Atheists don't necessarily need to do anything. Often times Christians deconvert because of the actions or statements of other Christians.
Ampersand.
Christians who KNOW their faith-- as in the doctrine do not let others that do not know their faith influence them.
When you have true faith and knowledge in the Almighty through the Catechism, you would never give anybody that kind of power to sway you from that which is pure love, light and truth.
And others deconvert because they know their faith too well and start noticing contradictions within the doctrine, which requires no influence from other people.
Again, they do not know their faith if they convert. Simply because we have the teaching magisterium of the Church that tells us how to read the Bible (Dei Verbum). We also have Apostolic Succession and we learn there may be contradiction when taken out of context, but there is no contradiction in the entire message.
"Again, they do not know their faith if they convert."
Again, you don't know WTH you're talking about. Some are apostates BECAUSE they know their faith.
Then they never believed in the first place. And were more than happy to assume a religion of atheism where "I" am God and there is nobody above "me".
I don't believe you're qualified to judge what or whether they believed.
But you are?
I never said I was.
I happen to know a few atheists/deists whose deconversion began only after they learned more about thier religion.
As far as their *faith* goes - I know only what they've told me. *If* there is a god, their faith is a matter between them and it.
"Often times Christians deconvert because of the actions or statements of other Christians."
Not to agree with Locky here, but Locky's twisted view of Christianity and Catholicism has strengthened my own understanding of the Gospels and Christ's actions. Especially towards the poor and marginalized. So the hateful statements of other Christians (or other religious fanatics) doesn't necessarily mean one will embrace the faith of atheism.
"Now Christians are going to get all upset about atheist trying to get people to come over to our way of thinking, while they have no problem whatsoever trying to bring people to the feet of Jesus."
It seems somewhat hypocritical for those who always bitch and moan about Christians trying to convert to try and embrace conversion.
V for Vendetta =P