Landon Freeman[
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Landon Freeman is a very intelligent young man and talented writer with quite a few interesting things to say on a variety of topics, so I’ve invited him to share some of those thoughts here at my website. I hope you will enjoy reading his articles as much as I normally do.]
I frequently encounter and converse with atheists on my Facebook group, “Evidence for Creation”. I have to say that, unfortunately, most atheists that have been in the group have since been banned.
It is rare for a Christian and an atheist to have a reasonable conversation. If they do, it usually doesn’t last long, turning into a vitriolic shouting match after awhile. Why is that, though? While I do have to deal with troublesome Christians quite often as well, I’m amazed at the attitudes and the anger many atheists display.
There are usually three types of atheists I encounter on Facebook. The first is usually made up of those content with not believing. They may argue with Christians or other theists, though they are usually respectful and present arguments in an attempt to build a strong case for their position. It’s usually rare to encounter an atheist like this, however.
The second group is made up of atheists who may be respectful for the first few comments and/or posts. However, soon after they begin behaving unnecessarily aggressively, usually mocking Christians while presenting no valid argument of their own.
These atheists are quite common.
The third type of atheist is usually a troll from the start, not even attempting to present their position in a reasonable and respectful manner. This type is a little less common than the second type. I also encounter some agnostics who most closely fit the description of the first type mentioned above. I have often pondered why so much of the modern atheism movement has devolved into such a mockery-filled, anti-intellectual tirade against theists (namely Christians) and religion (namely Christianity).
The issue with the attitudes of many online atheists is that their position is seemingly built upon emotion. Emotion can be a great thing. However, if not controlled, emotions can get in the way of logic and reason. This goes for everyone, both Christians and atheists alike. For instance, while I completely disagree with the key tenets of both Islam and Hinduism, I see no need to troll Muslim and Hindu pages because I’m confident in my belief system and I believe both the Muslim and Hindu positions to be incorrect. I may argue with one if the event arises, though to convince anyone of my position I should be respectful, courteous, and understanding.
While many Christians definitely aren’t as polite and understanding as the should be, Christian apologists overall take a much more professional and intellectual stance when conversing with atheists and people of other faiths. This is something many atheists have yet to begin doing, besides a few more prominent atheists who have partly argued in a professional manner, such as the late Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris.
In the past, a Christian would expect to hear actual semi-reasonable arguments from atheists such as Nietzsche and a variety of others. Today, however, most of my encounters with atheists are anything but reasonable, thought-provoking discussions.
Through my numerous interactions with trolls, most of them atheist, I have concluded that the reasons why they are against Christianity may be more personal, rather than evidential. I know, this will likely anger some atheists, but many atheist arguments are filled with emotion, and are directed more towards God’s morality than the existence of God Himself. Some Christian apologists, in contrast, usually begin by discussing evidence for God’s existence first, and then move on to discuss morality.
Many atheists also mention how they used to be Christians, which is impossible, but I won’t be discussing that right now. It definitely seems possible that many atheists have had bad experiences with Christians, which has led to anger, bitterness, and resentfulness towards Christians, Christianity, and God. Some of the atheists who do present arguments tend to present arguments built upon the hate of, or at least a major dislike of Christianity. I’m not writing this to demean and mock atheists.
Not at all. I’m pointing out the issues with the tactics many modern online atheists use. If you are an atheist reading this, I and many other Christians will be glad to have reasonable discussions with you regarding all aspects of faith and evidence for God’s existence, treating you with love and respect along the way. However, approaching a Christian with preexisting anger in your heart and an us vs. them mentality won’t lead to anything positive (these criticisms do apply to the attitudes of some Christians as well), and you can’t expect Christians to listen to you if you shout them down and mock them at every chance you get.
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