serious question for Atheists and Christians?

You're right that some people don't know how to share Jesus with others. The bigger problem is Christians who DON"T CARE about other people who are going to Hell for Eternity. How can you tell that someone doesn't care?- If they don't do anything to share Jesus with others. That's who I was, until a few months ago! I was too afraid of what people would think. I watched something on youtube called, Mark Cahill speaking at Taylor University. It changed my life forever!

Yahoo Answers is a Great way to share Jesus with others, even if you're shy! There are so many hurting people opening their hearts up here! Let's tell them the Good News about what Jesus did for them! He died on the cross for our sins, so we don't have to go to Hell! If we believe that, and ask him to forgive us, and trust in him alone to save us, He will! He will never let you down. Go to livingwatersuniversity on youtube to show you how to share Jesus with people!

Hi- I have been going to church since I was a kid so I have pretty much believed in God all my life. I still think it would be nice if some would just be like this- okay, I am an Atheist and if you believe, that's up to you but I don't and we will get along fine if we do not discuss religion. That is how the Atheists at my husband's work approached him about it. They all get along fine and have helped each other out in times of need also. I guess I just do not see the point in cutting down what people believe or do not believe, it would be nice if some others felt the same way. That includes some Christians as well by the way. Have a good day.

That was not so in my case. I've never had bad experiences with anyone religious, and my very best friends happen to be deeply religious people. We all accept each other's beliefs and don't try to change what works for us.

My parents did not want to impose any belief system on their children, and rather encouraged us to find our own answers wherever they might lead. As a child, I attended church and Sunday school by invitation of my friends.

Even at a very young age it always struck me as odd that my friends should believe stories that were just as fantastic as the fairy tales and other fiction I enjoyed reading. Writing something down in a book and saying by definition that it is holy and therefore true doesn't make it so.

As an adult, my instinct was replaced by logic which only solidified my beliefs and I am thankful that I was not brainwashed into being afraid of questioning things that don't make sense.

Not at all, I was raised Roman Catholic, it wasn't forced on me. I don't believe in God because the only evidence "believers" give toward the existence of God is 'the Bible says so,' and 'because there is no way all of this could have happened by chance.' The reason i don't believe is because Science has proved to me that if you would just read something other than the Bible, you might actually find out why things are the way they are. BTW, that book you swear by was written by Men, and edited by Kings, so i will never understand why you put so much stock into the Bible.

No, I can never remember believing in god, why would one mythological being be more real than any other. My bad experiences with Christianity came about after I had decided to become an atheist.

And no matter how you preach the gospel the vast majority of atheists will not be impressed as their minds cannot gloss over or ignore errors, illogicality or contradictions, as believers do.

There is a lot of wacky things out there, even in Christian circles! The track record of the past- people being burned and tortured for not bowing down to the Holy Mother Church... the weird pagan stuff in that church, the riches, etc.

To today's strange things in the other denominations, the snake handlers, the VERY weird Televangelists and their circus show, the money- grubbing! The insanity, the clown acts!

The Westboro extremists, the KKK claiming to be followers of Christ.

You wonder anyone finds the real Christ in the middle of it all.

Athiesm amd Christianity are both completely different animals. Not all Athiests are driven from Christianity. And the belief difference doesn't always have to do with the "pushiness" of others.

For most people, religious or not, it's an educated decision, driven form what someone learns over time, their own decisions and their preferences as to what to believe.

Keep in mind, both religion and the lack thereof is considered a belief.

Why do you think that every atheist has had a bad experience with christians or christianity? Are you really that much in love with your religion that anyone who disagrees with has to be some sort of traumatized freak?

I used to be christian even taught sunday school. I had no bad experiences whatsoever. I grew up in normal house where religion was not pushed down my throat. Yet, I still became atheist. Why? Because I grew up and the more I learned and the more I thought about religions I realized it was man-made, adaptable, fallible, and simply outdated.

Christians had nothing to do with it. It was more of a philosophical intrigue and exploration.

The evangelical aspect of Christianity is one of the worst parts of the religion and will eventually be its downfall. You can't force the whole world to believe something when you're in the minority.

But I am not a former Christian because people forced me to believe. I just realized the whole thing was silly and now I'd feel foolish if I went back. No one turned me off to Christianity; I was just turned on to a more tangible and visceral realization.

This was not the case for me.

My religious upbringing was loving and generous. I enjoyed going to church and participating in the life of the congregation.

So actually I know that aggressive, belligerent Christians are the exception and not the rule. For the most part I find their wackiness humorous and not frustrating or off-putting.

For me, rejecting Christianity was all about the propositional content. The Christian claims just stopped making sense.