Atheisim in your own words - what should Christians know

[A Christian Sceptic]

OK -

So I got mixed responses on the thread about whether I can quote you if I write a book.

Let me give everyone a chance for their say.
Here is what I would like.

I would like to include a chapter at the end of the book where I only post exactly what you write.

Only post in this thread if you give me permission to include your post in this section of the book (if it's ever written. ).

Question:

What are some things you wish Christians understood about atheism?


Disclaimer: Please verify I have permission to use your post. I may or not use it - but if I do I will simply quote exactly what you wrote (spelling errors and all, but I'll correct mine. ). Also - make sure to let me know if you want me to use your Screenname or simply quote anonymously.

[Rufo]

Do you want contributions from everyone, or only from atheists?

[A Christian Sceptic]

Originally Posted by Rufo

Do you want contributions from everyone, or only from atheists?

Well - I was mainly thinking that since many posters here feared I would misquote them I'd give them a chance to say something without fear of being misquoted at all - in fact I won't even comment on their posts - merely duplicate exactly what they write.

But, of course, I would love contributions from anyone else!

[Pato2747]

Looks good. If I have time, I might make up something in the future.

[fuelair]

There is no evidence of any kind (based on reality rather than word games/philosophy) of the existence of God, a god, a group of gods, a group of non-god god substitutes, etc. None.

[thaiboxerken]

The only thing they need to know is that atheism is the lack of belief that any gods exist.

That will make the book very short, but honest.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

I do not hold any belief in god.

That is all.

~~ Paul

[Frozenwolf150]

Write down all the reasons why you do not believe in the gods of other religions. Chances are that many of these are the same reasons why atheists do not believe in your God.

[Hokulele]

As the earlier posters have noted, atheism to me really only means that there are no gods for which I have seen evidence, so I do not believe any such god exists. What may be of more interest to you is what I feel atheism isn’t.

To me, atheism is not a philosophy, belief structure, or framework upon which I base my ethics or other routine decisions. Atheism does not define who I am. I do not refer to my atheism when describing myself, any more than I tell people the diameter of the thickest part of my large toe. If someone is interested, I am happy to share the fact that I do not believe in any gods, but I do not make it a point of pride anywhere other than maybe certain discussions on religion. Atheism does not dictate what I eat, what I wear, the people I will or will not associate with, which politicians I will vote for, and what I choose to do in the privacy of my bedroom, kitchen, living room, or other places (hey, you gotta do something on Sunday morning ). Atheism does not prevent me from learning about various religions and what their adherents believe. And since the topic comes up fairly often in this forum, atheism does not require that I need evidence to support my beliefs, skepticism does.

There is much I could tell you regarding my morals, my preferences, what I do and don’t admire in other people, but none of that is determined by my atheism.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by A Christian Sceptic

Question:

What are some things you wish Christians understood about atheism?

Bad question, and the responses so far say all there is to say:

atheism = lack of belief in deities. The end.

Feel free to ask more questions. Something a little more challenging would be ideal. "Atheism" as such, does not exist beyond the confines of that statement. Jesus, even in your short time here you must see how atheists refuse to be held under one banner.

Take this as a blanket statement to quote me anywhere, anytime, under either my screen name or my real name, Alan Charman.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

To me, atheism is not a philosophy, belief structure, or framework upon which I base my ethics or other routine decisions. Atheism does not define who I am. I do not refer to my atheism when describing myself, any more than I tell people the diameter of the thickest part of my large toe. If someone is interested, I am happy to share the fact that I do not believe in any gods, but I do not make it a point of pride anywhere other than maybe certain discussions on religion. Atheism does not dictate what I eat, what I wear, the people I will or will not associate with, which politicians I will vote for, and what I choose to do in the privacy of my bedroom, kitchen, living room, or other places (hey, you gotta do something on Sunday morning ). Atheism does not prevent me from learning about various religions and what their adherents believe. And since the topic comes up fairly often in this forum, atheism does not require that I need evidence to support my beliefs, skepticism does.

That's good. The easiest way to describe "atheism" is to say what it's not.

[A Christian Sceptic]

Originally Posted by The Atheist

Bad question, and the responses so far say all there is to say:

atheism = lack of belief in deities. The end.

Jesus, even in your short time here you must see how atheists refuse to be held under one banner.

I was thinking maybe people would want to correct any misconceptions and / or perceptions Christians may have about Atheism here.

[The Atheist]

Originally Posted by A Christian Sceptic

I was thinking maybe people would want to correct any misconceptions and / or perceptions Christians may have about Atheism here.

Well, the statement about atheism being merely a lack of belief in deities does just that. Once christians accept that it has no other meaning, all of their misconceptions vanish.

Good luck teaching them!

[X]

I don't believe in God. In my case, the lack of belief is a direct result of an interest and some research in theology. I am not "angry at God", I am not "searching for meaning", I don't "hate religious people", and I don't "worship the devil".
So long as religious groups don't try to push their beliefs on others or try to "save" me, I'm content to live and let live. I am human, as are you, as are we all. My atheism does not change that relationship.

Feel free to quote me anytime, ACS.

[skullerello]

Stop me if you've heard this one...
"Quetzalcoatl, Baal and Zeus all walk into a bar..."

[GreyICE]

I wish Christians understood that they're the ones making positive claims that need to be proven, and handwaving about faith is a joke. So many of them seem to think that atheism is something you have to prove. When, in fact, its pretty much the default position (you can argue weak agnosticism is the default position - i.e. "I haven't thought about it," but that's really as far as you can go.)

I'm actually what I believe is called an agnostic atheist, since I have heard several plausible ways a God-like being (a being possessing the powers attributed to the God(s) or as close to as to make no difference) could occur. I just haven't seen any evidence that one has, so I'm pretty sure they haven't.

[Robin]

Being an atheist means that I lack a belief in God or gods, simply because I have yet to see any evidence that would lead me even to the slightest suspicion that one may exist.

I am happy to look at any evidence should it be forthcoming.

My lack of belief has nothing to do with biblical inaccuracy, or with the supposed misdeeds of religious people throughout history, it has nothing to do with the theory of evolution or trying to change the world for the better.

I have a friendships with people of many faiths and do not think myself superior to them because I disagree with them.

I don't want our government promoting or suppressing religion, or having anything whatsoever to do with religion apart from guaranteeing freedom of or from religion.

I would be happy for the above to be quoted and attributed to me.

[joobz]

Originally Posted by Paul C. Anagnostopoulos

I do not hold any belief in god.

That is all.

~~ Paul

He does not hold any belief in god.

That is Paul.

~~ Joobz

[Wolfman]

"What Christians should know"?

Christians should know that I'm a Humanist. Not just an atheist. As noted by others already, being an atheist means absolutely nothing beyond the fact that I do not believe any god exists.

Being a Humanist, on the other hand, means very specific things. To summarize:

Quote:

The fundamentals of modern Humanism are as follows:

1. Humanism is ethical. It affirms the worth, dignity and autonomy of the individual and the right of every human being to the greatest possible freedom compatible with the rights of others. Humanists have a duty of care to all of humanity including future generations. Humanists believe that morality is an intrinsic part of human nature based on understanding and a concern for others, needing no external sanction.
2. Humanism is rational. It seeks to use science creatively, not destructively. Humanists believe that the solutions to the world's problems lie in human thought and action rather than divine intervention. Humanism advocates the application of the methods of science and free inquiry to the problems of human welfare. But Humanists also believe that the application of science and technology must be tempered by human values. Science gives us the means but human values must propose the ends.
3. Humanism supports democracy and human rights. Humanism aims at the fullest possible development of every human being. It holds that democracy and human development are matters of right. The principles of democracy and human rights can be applied to many human relationships and are not restricted to methods of government.
4. Humanism insists that personal liberty must be combined with social responsibility. Humanism ventures to build a world on the idea of the free person responsible to society, and recognises our dependence on and responsibility for the natural world. Humanism is undogmatic, imposing no creed upon its adherents. It is thus committed to education free from indoctrination.
5. Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogmatic religion. The world's major religions claim to be based on revelations fixed for all time, and many seek to impose their world-views on all of humanity. Humanism recognises that reliable knowledge of the world and ourselves arises through a continuing process. of observation, evaluation and revision.
6. Humanism values artistic creativity and imagination and recognises the transforming power of art. Humanism affirms the importance of literature, music, and the visual and performing arts for personal development and fulfilment.
7. Humanism is a lifestance aiming at the maximum possible fulfilment through the cultivation of ethical and creative living and offers an ethical and rational means of addressing the challenges of our times. Humanism can be a way of life for everyone everywhere.

If you want to say anything about "what Christians should know" about me, I'd say that the above is the most relevant and useful.

[sol invictus]

In a world without god there would still be religion. Feeling the need for reassurance, people would invent a powerful, loving paternal or maternal figure to worship.

Therefore the existence of religion is not a valid argument for its truth. But since there are an infinite number of possible beliefs about the world, there is then no longer a way to choose between them. Ergo, there is no god.

[dogjones]

I just think it's unhealthy to go around believing in things willy nilly. You end up being prey for scam artists and sales people. Getting suckered into buying an overpriced holiday is relatively minor. But buying into an entire worldview, with the corresponding loss of individuality and reason - now that's a SERIOUS ripoff. Why should I believe the proselytiser any more than the salesman? Particularly if either of their advances are unsolicited, as is so often the case? They both insult me, by judging me and finding me wanting - one in a "spiritual" sense and another in a materialistic sense. Their claims are preposterous, their motives questionable.

Of course, people can believe what they want. If people want to go and get stoned on baseless joy by clapping their hands like idiots, fine. I just wish they wouldn't involve me. But that's the problem with belief. They must share their Truth! "Why," they think, "can't more people understand the Truth?"

Their Truth is just themselves. The unknown exists. The believer projects upon the blankness his own little worldview, his own volitions, his own attitude. And voila! No more unknown - ain't it cosy. But lo! What's this? An Other who doesn't share his beliefs? Discord, uncertainty, fear! The believer feels attacked. The fanatic goes further; he reacts violently.

The atheist, on the other hand, is comfortable with uncertainty.

At least, this one is.

[jond]

Originally Posted by Hokulele

As the earlier posters have noted, atheism to me really only means that there are no gods for which I have seen evidence, so I do not believe any such god exists. What may be of more interest to you is what I feel atheism isn’t.

To me, atheism is not a philosophy, belief structure, or framework upon which I base my ethics or other routine decisions. Atheism does not define who I am. I do not refer to my atheism when describing myself, any more than I tell people the diameter of the thickest part of my large toe. If someone is interested, I am happy to share the fact that I do not believe in any gods, but I do not make it a point of pride anywhere other than maybe certain discussions on religion. Atheism does not dictate what I eat, what I wear, the people I will or will not associate with, which politicians I will vote for, and what I choose to do in the privacy of my bedroom, kitchen, living room, or other places (hey, you gotta do something on Sunday morning ). Atheism does not prevent me from learning about various religions and what their adherents believe. And since the topic comes up fairly often in this forum, atheism does not require that I need evidence to support my beliefs, skepticism does.

There is much I could tell you regarding my morals, my preferences, what I do and don’t admire in other people, but none of that is determined by my atheism.

As usual, Hokulele says perfectly what we're all trying to say. ACS: please be sure to pay attention to this post, because it really is important to understand this. And, please be sure to point out why you don't believe in Thor, but do believe in Christ.

[PrincessIneffabelle]

What would I want Christians to know about atheism? Hmmmm ... most importantly, I would like to point out that "atheist" does not mean what many theists seem to think it means. Despite the very negative baggage usually associated with the term, it is only a lack of belief in gods.

If you want personal interpretation or application of atheism, I'll gladly tell you that, too. To this humanist, atheism means:

Living without fear of supernatural judgement and severe punishment. I'm no longer being repeatedly (and rather gleefully) informed that I am going to burn in Hell and suffer Eternal Torment for my inability to achieve true faith.

Living without religious-induced guilt or shame for thinking the wrong things, not praying fervently enough, expressing doubt, or asking questions.

Living without religious-induced guilt or shame concerning consensual sex or masturbation.

No longer thinking that I am sinful, unclean, or subordinate by virtue of my womanhood.

No longer being encouraged to revile people whom the church openly condemns -- like homosexuals, feminists, intellectuals, or non-Christians.

No longer worrying about which church is the "right" one.

No more mental contortions in trying to reconcile biblical or doctrinal contradictions. No more blind dogmatic acceptance of religious absurdities.

Having a much clearer understanding about the world around me and the people in it.

Having an enhanced appreciation for the world around me and the people in it.

Having a humanistically moral, happy, positive life.

... and you can quote me on that! My personal realization of atheism was like waking up from a bad dream. It was like finally putting together a picture-less puzzle and having it come to life in Technicolor. It was like finding Waldo or finally seeing the matchstick in an I Spy image. It was, quite simply, the most breath-takingly liberating process I have ever experienced. Mental freedom rocks!





ps. you may find my post here helpful, too.

[kedo1981]

Embracing atheism isn’t a response to having a bad experience in church

[PrincessIneffabelle]

Originally Posted by kedo1981

Embracing atheism isn’t a response to having a bad experience in church

True.

Atheists aren't "just mad" at God, either.

[Moochie]

I pray to the patron saint of atheists daily.

M.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Originally Posted by skullerello

Stop me if you've heard this one...
"Quetzalcoatl, Baal and Zeus all walk into a bar..."

And they all say in turn, "Ouch. You'd think that, with us being Gods and all, the foolish plebs would clear things like that out of our way before we walk into them and get hurt".

[Beerina]

Originally Posted by Paul C. Anagnostopoulos

I do not hold any belief in god.

That is all.

~~ Paul

I do not hold any belief in god.

I also understand that a god who would throw people into Hell, torturing them, because they refused to believe in him without proof*, is not deserving of worship, but is, rather, a thug to be spit upon.

I find the religious person's sucking up to such a being to be contemptible. I encourage you, religious person, to join with me not just in disbelieving in god, but in finding the very concept, as portrayed by western religions, as vile and pathetic.



* Or with proof, for that matter.

[pgwenthold]

God who?

[Mister Earl]

Here's my question, as an atheist, to Christians:

Belief in a god demands that worship of that deity becomes the focus of your efforts and the main reason for your life. It is of paramount importance. Considering the level of impact this has on your life, it boggles my mind as to why you don't demand more proof. All you have to go on is a heavily modified, translated, and re-written book more than fifteen hundred years old, and the say-so of others. This isn't proof enough for me, why is it for you? If someone wanted to sell me a boat, I'd want to see it myself, or at least have proof it exists and as advertised before I gave over any monies. Why would you put more effort into checking into a small purchase than you do with your life's effort?

[Tricky]

This will probably cover some of the same ground as others have hit, but here's some things off the top of my head that are common misconceptions about atheists. I'm not saying you have these misconceptions, ACS, but we see them here time and time again.

• Most atheists don't say "No god is possible". Most say "I have never seen a believable description of a god." There are exceptions of course.
• Atheists are not mad at God. That would mean they were not atheists. Some atheists, however, are angry or deeply scarred by their experiences with people who believe in God. Theists would be well advised not to try to convince these wounded people that their church didn't cause their wounds.
• Most people who call themselves by the word "atheist" have thought about it very deeply, or they wouldn't choose such a label. It is likely they have extensive experience with religion. It is also likely that they know the Bible better than most Christians. Do not make the mistake of thinking they are simply ignorant.
• Atheists are no more likely to be immoral than theists. There is some evidence that they are less likely.
• There are brilliant atheists, dim atheists, dogmatic atheists, loving atheists, sarcastic atheists, generous atheists, a***le atheists, quiet atheists, loudmouth atheists... in fact, just about every human characteristic you see in other humans, you will also find in atheists. This is a consequence of them being human. It is just as much a mistake to stereotype them as it is to stereotype theists or other groups.
• Atheists understand things like love, beauty, a sense of wonder, wishing good things for another (that you may call "praying"), and being genuinely awed by the universe. They are just as likely to be creative and artistic as theists.
• Atheists do not feel like they "know it all". Just the opposite. However, they don't think you know it all either.
• Most atheists believe in personal responsibility and consequences for their actions.
• Atheists are not, as a general rule, trying to destroy your right to believe as you wish. They merely don't want your beliefs indoctrinated onto others or codified into government.
• Atheists are not all liberal. Check the politics forum if you doubt this.
• Occasionally (or frequently) an atheist will say something like "God knows what he was thinking..." or "I pray that you will reconsider..." or any of a number of phrases that have religious implications. This is not an indication that they hypocritically believe in God. These are just idioms they grew up with and say without thinking about them.
• Most atheists don't believe "The universe came from nothing". Most simply admit that they don't know how the universe came into being.
• Some atheists don't want you to pray for them. Some don't care. Some are happy for you to. Try to find out what they want before you pray for them. It may avoid a lot of unpleasantness.
• There are a whole lot of closet atheists out there, especially in the US. Because of the strong current of anti-secularism in the US, they may not reveal their position to you. For this reason, you would be wise not to assume everyone who looks like you and acts like you is a believer in god. Please do not make disparaging remarks about atheists in the mistaken belief that everybody is on your side. This is one reason why some atheists resent religion.

That's enough for now. I may add more.

[Upchurch]

As an atheist, I am not closed minded. I am perfectly willing to listen to someone if they think they can prove (or even show some evidence) that their God exists.

However, being open minded does not mean:

• I will accept the Bible as an authoritative source.
• I will accept famous believers as an authoritative source.
• I will accept anecdotal stories of personal revelation as evidence.
• I will accept my own momentary emotional swings during stressful times as evidence of anything other than that I have momentary emotional swings during stressful times.
• I will necessarily agree with them when they are done.

Yes, I am setting a high standard for what I will accept. That doesn't mean I'm closed minded. It does mean that I expect something to be pretty convincing before I will accept it as truth.

[Freethinker]

Christians, in particular, need to know that 2/3 of the world does not believe in their god.

[LordoftheLeftHand]

You have my permission to use this:

God is a joke, you are the punchline.

LLH

[slingblade]

Originally Posted by kedo1981

Embracing atheism isn’t a response to having a bad experience in church

No, but being abused by the religious can be an impetus for examining one's lifelong beliefs and ultimately rejecting them. Especially if one was reared within a religion, from birth.

If you're happy within your religion, there's little reason to question it.

Sometimes, for some of us, it takes "bad experiences in church" to wake us up.

[This Guy]

Originally Posted by Tricky

This will probably cover some of the same ground as others have hit, but here's some things off the top of my head that are common misconceptions about atheists. I'm not saying you have these misconceptions, ACS, but we see them here time and time again.

• Most atheists don't say "No god is possible". Most say "I have never seen a believable description of a god." There are exceptions of course.
• Atheists are not mad at God. That would mean they were not atheists. Some atheists, however, are angry or deeply scarred by their experiences with people who believe in God. Theists would be well advised not to try to convince these wounded people that their church didn't cause their wounds.
• Most people who call themselves by the word "atheist" have thought about it very deeply, or they wouldn't choose such a label. It is likely they have extensive experience with religion. It is also likely that they know the Bible better than most Christians. Do not make the mistake of thinking they are simply ignorant.
• Atheists are no more likely to be immoral than theists. There is some evidence that they are less likely.
• There are brilliant atheists, dim atheists, dogmatic atheists, loving atheists, sarcastic atheists, generous atheists, a***le atheists, quiet atheists, loudmouth atheists... in fact, just about every human characteristic you see in other humans, you will also find in atheists. This is a consequence of them being human. It is just as much a mistake to stereotype them as it is to stereotype theists or other groups.
• Atheists understand things like love, beauty, a sense of wonder, wishing good things for another (that you may call "praying"), and being genuinely awed by the universe. They are just as likely to be creative and artistic as theists.
• Atheists do not feel like they "know it all". Just the opposite. However, they don't think you know it all either.
• Most atheists believe in personal responsibility and consequences for their actions.
• Atheists are not, as a general rule, trying to destroy your right to believe as you wish. They merely don't want your beliefs indoctrinated onto others or codified into government.
• Atheists are not all liberal. Check the politics forum if you doubt this.
• Occasionally (or frequently) an atheist will say something like "God knows what he was thinking..." or "I pray that you will reconsider..." or any of a number of phrases that have religious implications. This is not an indication that they hypocritically believe in God. These are just idioms they grew up with and say without thinking about them.
• Most atheists don't believe "The universe came from nothing". Most simply admit that they don't know how the universe came into being.
• Some atheists don't want you to pray for them. Some don't care. Some are happy for you to. Try to find out what they want before you pray for them. It may avoid a lot of unpleasantness.
• There are a whole lot of closet atheists out there, especially in the US. Because of the strong current of anti-secularism in the US, they may not reveal their position to you. For this reason, you would be wise not to assume everyone who looks like you and acts like you is a believer in god. Please do not make disparaging remarks about atheists in the mistaken belief that everybody is on your side. This is one reason why some atheists resent religion.

That's enough for now. I may add more.

Pretty much what I wanted to say, only said better.

I would only add that the odds are if a current Christian had been born in another country and raised by parents that believed in another religion, there is a very good chance that the Christian would have turned out to be a follower of that other religion. Born in Iran, you might follow Islam. Born in India, you would most likely be a Hindu. Born in China you would probably be Buddhist. Most of the worlds largest religions are not fully compatible. They disagree to such an extent that they can not all be right. They can, however, all be wrong. Think about it

If there are any post of mine that you would like to use, you have my permission.

[FireGarden]

On behalf of all the atheists on this forum, I would just like to say that we have no spokesman.

No, not even that Dawkins fella.

[GreyICE]

Originally Posted by FireGarden

On behalf of all the atheists on this forum, I would just like to say that we have no spokesman.

No, not even that Dawkins fella.

Agreed. There is no Pope of Atheism, no matter what strawman people are putting together (though usually the theists use Stalin, because he's their shining example of how all atheists are).

[supercorgi]

OK I'll bite. Here's the post I sent someone who sent the following "Marine punches out atheist professor" urban legend. Here's the post I responded to:

Quote:

> A Good Marine
A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was a vowed atheist and a member of
the ACLU. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him;
knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the H*** is the matter with you? Why did
you do that?" The Marine calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid crap and act like a jerk. So, He sent me."

Here's my reply:

OK, sorry to be a wet rag, but I have to object to this story on two grounds. One, there's no evidence it's true (it's been circulating around on the internet for years in different formats). See http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/g/gods-helper.htm

Secondly, I'm an atheist. Yep that's right - one of the most distrusted minorities in the U.S. (http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/topnav...are_distrusted). But the thing is, you don't usually know if someone's an atheist. They're probably living next door to you, really nice folks, and you don't know it. That's because most atheists don't make a big deal of it. Atheism is just a disbelief in any gods - it's not a bandwagon we jump on. Most atheists would never disrespect someone's religious beliefs - faith is a personal thing and who am I to tell you that what you believe is wrong? I don't believe in gods because I see no evidence of any divinity working in this world, so in light of that lack of evidence, I choose to disbelieve. Might I be wrong? Hell yes, and I'll admit it if I see solid proof.

Most people don't understand atheism - particularly in the US. You see, there are what are called strong atheists (not many of these) and weak atheists. Strong atheists say "There is no god," weak atheists say "I do not believe there is a god" -- there is a big difference in those statements. Have you ever heard the term "you cannot prove a negative?" Well no one can absolutely prove that no gods exist - therefore it's somewhat of an absurd statement to say "There is no god." However, I personally choose to disbelieve in a diety - doesn't mean there is or isn't one - just that I haven't seen any convincing proof.. For other people that's different - they've found sufficient proof and therefore choose to believe.

There's a famous saying that goes to the heart of what atheism is:

"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."

So please don't cold cock me because I'm a disbeliever. I'm still a good, compassionate, caring person. I'm just a person that doesn't believe in god.

Your friendly neighborhood atheist,

[Autolite]

Originally Posted by A Christian Sceptic

What are some things you wish Christians understood about atheism?

I would like to suggest another approach. How about asking "What are some things you wish christians understood about christianity"? If christians did some honest research about the origins of christianity, including perhaps Mithraism, then the concept of Atheism would become self explanatory...