Friday, January 21, 2011

Atheist tracts?

When I was interviewed for the radio station, the interviewer told me that he goes down to Mill Avenue (one of the main thoroughfares going through Arizona State University) to spread the Gospel, and when he does so he often runs into activists atheists who engage in atheist evangelism there. I asked him if they passed out tracts, and he told me they did.

I always thought the Outsider Test for Faith was eminently tract-able. You could even make it look like the Four Spiritual Laws. Then you could walk up to some unsuspecting believer reading their Bible and ask them "Have you taken the Outsider Test for Faith?"

Remember when atheists used to say they weren't trying to convert anybody?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

What? Dontcha know atheists have their own church?

Anonymous said...

The proselytizing or attempt of conversion of any subjective viewpoint is wrong under any circumstances. If one were inclined or compelled to follow the perspective of another let them do so under their own elective admission.

Jake Elwood XVI said...

Crimson it's sounds at best you proselytisiHattiehat subjective viewpoint of yours. At worst it's sounds authoritative.

Bobcat said...

"What? Dontcha know atheists have their own church?"

Are you talking about the Church of England?

Mike Darus said...

Crimson,
lol
You are doing it.

The Uncredible Hallq said...

>Remember when atheists used to say they weren't trying to convert anybody?

FWIW, I will admit to trying to convert people, but don't think it's worth my while to try very hard.

On an unrelated note, I nominate Bobcat for the winner of this thread.

Mike Darus said...

Hallq said, "don't think it's worth my while to try very hard"

My first reaction is this should be the logical non theistic attitude, but I would not want to speak for all. The sad thing -- it is the non-logical attitude of many theists.

Tim said...

Bobcat -- cha CHING!

M! said...

Yes, and here they are: http://www.betterthanfaith.com/tracts

Morrison said...

Who said atheists weren't trying to convert anybody?!

They were heavily into that in the past century, although it was an EPIC FAIL!

Gulags, diagnosis of believers as Delusional and forcibly giving them drugs, putting them in "mental treatment" facilities, torture, dismemberment, slow death...

etc.

Heck, we even have some of them even today using the "delusional" canard and even writing books with that in the title.

Some things never change.

And they will fail again, just like they did before...even when the had all the power of the state and total control of the education system.

Anonymous said...

@Mike

Yes I know, but at some point words need to resort to the rhetorical in order to give weight to the substance.

@Jake

I have no idea what you just said, but to your second point that I can understand, how was I being authoritative? Subjective yes, as any viewpoint that is not directly data derived is. Proselytizing translucently, intentions not laid on the surface. But authoritative? Where is the demand?; enforcement?; conceptual conciliatory effect?; or reproach of disagreement?

Jake Elwood XVI said...

Thanks Crimson for your reply.

Alas due to my lack of careful editing, my poor grammar and trying to change some Yankee spellings my iPhone wanted to use made my comment unreadable.

I was trying to write
Crimson it's sounds at best, you are proselytising in regards subjective viewpoint of yours. At worst it's sounds authoritative.

Due to the brevity of the blogging medium when people state their opinions so succently as you did, the inflection comes across as either proselytising or stating a command or both. This can be particularly felt in the finality of your comment 'is wrong under any circumstances'. It implores that as you see it there are no reasons to act but accordance to your stance.

Thanks for clarifying that it is not a command. My inference of the meaning of your words may be due to cultural differences. However It still sounds to me like your are proselytising your position. This though bemusingly is quite at odds with your actually statement.

Blue Devil Knight said...

Outsider Test for Faith doesn't need a tract, because a bumper sticker, t-shirt, or mug is enough.

Matt K said...

I think I prefer Cthulhu tracts to either.
http://www.fredvanlente.com/cthulhutract/pages/
http://www.librarything.com/topic/61539