Christians are not evil. They merely have another way that they try to use to be good. When one has been taught something without the aid of discovering it for oneself one’s reaction is exactly the same as when one was hypnotized into believing or doing something. The baseless behavioral pattern is the same.
In an experiment, a man under hypnosis gets suggested that he will fix his tie every time another guy clears his throat. Once out of hypnosis the psychologist clears his throat a few times while the man keeps fixing his tie and when asked why he does this, the man does not know, but his ego will not allow that answer so he comes up with a lot of fabrications as to why this is so and often when cornered the man will simply say “Because I want to okay?” or something similar.
The same happens when you try to corner a Christian in a rational argument about irrational belief. They will make up all kinds of fabrications to justify why they believe what they do and if they really don’t have an answer they will say something like “The bible is not a science handbook okay? It cannot be reasoned through.” And yet they will quote it at the next opportunity as if it is valid rational proof of something.
The sad part in all of this is that faith cannot be reasoned with even though it is powerful and it really works, it cannot be proven. So where to find the line between faith and dogma? Faith really works and it’s really good because it sets the law of attraction and the law of creation (personal) in motion to create what man thinks about. Faith can change the weather, and so can dogma.
In dogma, you create blindly what you were lead to believe by someone else whereas in faith you create with responsibility from innocence in the knowing that you can create anything. This is difficult for Christians to get their mind around. Christians do not know that they are creating for the ones who dictate reality to them. Thus they are slave creators in a manner of speaking.
There is no way one can debate or argue with dogma or emotion.
There is no reason in it and one needs a good reason to argue. Even when one can prove beyond any doubt that some belief is false, as I have many times. It does not change the mind of a dogmatic believer because then ego becomes the obstacle. Humble people will have minds open enough to reason but it’s hard to find humility in general.
Christians and most orthodox religions have semi brainwashed followers. I have no judgment or unreasonable preference about this and it is simply something one needs to bring into account when conversing with them.
The individual Christian person never went through the school of hard knocks to realize what is good and bad and what works and what does not. They were told what to believe through a religious system and thus they have no basis for their arguments other than hearsay. Take note this is not a blanket statement, there are some that are different but I am addressing the most common here.
Yet they have a commandment that tells them not to listen to hearsay. Most of their belief is based in a Bible that contradicts itself as far as it goes but they often don’t want to know about that even when one points the obvious out to them.
It is said that when a man is proven wrong against his will he will remain of the same opinion still. That is where the problem lies because people don’t want to be proven wrong. The ego does not allow for another to make a fool out of it unless it approaches the conversation with the humble mind of the student.
Cold logic does not work.
So first of all the atheist must keep in mind that he or she is going to argue with an irrational belief and that the arguments will be won by tradition and emotion and not logic at first. So then the atheist needs to become the politician and has to get the Christian to like him or her first and foremost without lying or selling truth out. The atheist needs to do as much as possible to open a closed mind before the conversation is underway.
Respect rules.
No matter how we look at it, we are all worthy of this reality. So keep your ego and your pride to yourself. You should not be bent on being right but rather on being kind. There is no blame in Dogma. The person was innocent and remains so. What they believe has been given them often since birth so it’s not their fault they believe it so strongly. It’s the system.
Converse
Remember to keep it a conversation, not a debate. A debate by definition means two opposing sides. Winning and losing. That will have everyone’s defenses up before a word is spoken. I take it that the atheist is trying to make the Christian mind more open. The mere mention of the debate will close it more being counterproductive thus.
Be unconditional.
An unconditional approach will work better than a conditional one. Remove desires for changing people and change will happen more but in its own time. Better than no change at all. This is a paradoxical spiritual rule that works. Everyone will eventually reach the ultimate reality. It does have to happen through your way. So relax the “should be’s” and allow for kindness and respect. Choose kind-ness over right-ness.
Converse with, not against.
Instead of opposing your Christian friend, simply tell him or her your view on the same topic in discussion. “Do you believe the moon is made of the planet? Good. I believe the moon is a creation of an alien race.” And then state your reasons why you believe so.
Ask the right questions.
Dogmatic people often have no basis for their belief and when you tell them so they will close down. So the best way is to get them to reason it out maybe for the first time in their life and reach the obvious conclusions for themselves. That way they are not opposing you but rather realizing something. So ask the right questions that lead to them realizing what you want them to realize. This way you don’t have problems with their defenses.
Listen……
Yes, don’t be so excited about your topic that you don’t listen to what your Christian friend has to say. Dogmatic people are not stupid, they can still be reasoned with but one has to invest the time to see things the way they see it before leading them to see it the way you see it, and then to leave them with that thought. So listen well to determine where they are before you bombard them with what you know.
No conclusions.
As far as possible you are sowing the seeds of new reason. They take time to germinate and grow on their own. The best teacher is the one who can take you to the threshold of your own understanding, and leave you to enter willingly. So don’t try to reach conclusions especially not ones that lead to right and wrong. Leave your Christian friend to figure it out. If your question does not get an answer then gracefully save your Christian friends pride and drop that line of reason. They will ask themselves that question later and in private come to the conclusion you hoped they would.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Most of all you have to demonstrate what you believe by living it. Be the best type of saint you can behold of yourself to the degree that others would aspire to be like you. Let the Christians say “I don’t know what s/he believes but it seems to be working wonderfully for him, for her.” So behave yourself unconditionally with gentleness, patience, and kindness. If the Christian gets egotistically excited and the argument gets hot, forgive him or her and rather step back and drop the subject in politeness, in kindness and talk about something else.
We are all the same.
In the end, remember that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience and no matter what, one day we are going to laugh about it together in the ether. Look at your fellow beings with compassion knowing that they all came here to experience this reality in another way. It does not really have to be your way. To detach from the outcome and have peace.
Your peace demonstrated will do more than words can do.
