Atheists, what is it that you want in a good answer?

Question

As a Catholic, I'm asking you this so that the next time I tackle a question posted by one of you, I can make it as satisfying to you as possible. Obviously, if you don't want me to try and convince you about God, if you don't want me to quote from the Bible, or if you don't want me to say "I will pray for you" I will not.

I am a Christian but I'm also a realist, like the majority of you. I believe in concise, evidential, and real answers to hard and deep questions. And in fact, I'm a firm believer in the theory of evolution, which I believe IS compatible with religion.

Whenever I give an answer, I never insult the asker, and before I ever quote from the Bible, I back it up with real proof. I never tell anyone that they're going to h**l or that they're deluded, because I don't know whether they are or not. Sometimes I make a point to encourage them to keep asking questions and looking for answers.

Any way I can improve on this or change anything? Your thoughts are much appreciated.

Answer 1

Sources, logic & internal consistency or any kind of supporting evidence would be nice.

Answer 2

Well, some actual evidence there is a god might be nice.

Then we could move on to rather it is your God in particular.

Answer 3

They want so much from us, yet they provide us with

*drink* comments and the same old drivel.  Enlighten me, oh so called enlightened ones

Answer 4

I want an un-patronizing  answer, alot of the time I get the feeling christians think they're better than you which is really kind of annoying.

Also a balanced argument and possibly a sense of humor? (something religious people seem incapable of possessing)

Answer 5

Give me something that can make me think, don't go with overused and over consumed statements and expressions.

Answer 6

Consider this

Mysteries In Science

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zTXxpXOo...

The Young Age of the Earth

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

The Origin of Man by Dr. Duane Gish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3FZDysZK...

The Origins of Life

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

Evolution: Challenge of the Fossil Record - Part 1 of 6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NkO6fQvy...

Skull Fossils - As Empty as the Evolutionary Theory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yu5jN897...

Neanderthals - Smarter Then We Thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxL636n3w...

Dinosaurs: Those Terrible Lizards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVvGByvp1...

Atheist's NightMare: Evolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udqoCGPnV...

Our Solar System: Evidence For Creation

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

Answer 7

you sound like a person who can answer questions in a rational manner for a change. (I do not doubt that you understand logic and I do not doubt that you also understand Faith).

An open mind is always welcome, here or elsewhere. You will find equal amounts of ill conceived, ill logical, and simply mindless, sophomoric arguments among both extremes here (mind washed by sects and mind washed by television and the internet . . . .however, on rare occasions a real dialog actually occurs . . .  .

now, let's talk hermeneutics shall we?

I will look for your questions as well as your answers. Thanks for the encouragement

Answer 8

Okay, given you're a thoughtful person and that rare Christian on YA! that takes seriously the responsibility to evangelize and who is not ego-driven to insist on the rightness of your beliefs and the h**l-bound perverseness of all who doubt them. Christian grownups are rare here, so that alone gets my attention.

It truly isn't so much the beliefs themselves that sets me off as when they are uncritically held by someone who if brains were gasoline they couldn't fuel a pissant's motor-scooter. They'd be the same thoughtless religious zealots for Mohamed if they'd been born in Mecca.

The basic issue for me is the claim of revelation. Most all religions claim to have been revealed by God to some special person or persons chosen to carry the message because God is somehow incapable of multi-casting his message or setting up a conference call. And there's the fact that all of these supposedly revealed-by-God revelations contradict each other and aver each other's source as Satan or some other demonic entity.

So that's the thing for me. When you offer more than the mere claim that the revelation you have received is exclusively true and all others exclusively false, or nebulous ramblings that you interpret as prophetic, and when you can provide more evidence than your really strong emotional commitment to your beliefs, something more than just your say so or that of some ancient anonymous writer, you have something meaningful to share. Otherwise it's umpteenth verse same as the first, and a waste of your time and mine.

Answer 9

Something intelligent, which doesn't quote the bible as "proof" of something.

e.g. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

p.s.  Your question makes me think you will make a good atheist some day.

Answer 10

If I ask a question regarding religion - I want an answer that makes sense not just "This doesn't affect God" or "Jesus is the Lord". Something thought through. Or if you don't know, just say you don't know.

x

Answer 11

The acceptance of logic, cause and effect ad scientific methodology: oh, and sense!