Atheists, why do you sometimes call Paul that evil name, Saul of Tarsus?

Question

Saul of Tarsus was the bad man, hence the reason Paul was givin a new name. Paul is the good, Saul is the bad, and it's disrespectful to call someone that did a lot for the world something that he isn't anymore.

But anyway, why do you do it?

2008 Year of St. Paul.

Answer 1

Same reason Frodo started calling Gollum by the name 'Sméagol': because at the heart of the matter, they still refer to the same person.

Answer 2

how can a name be evil isn't evil a verb

Answer 3

Dude, we really don't care about Paul.

PS: Just because you change your name, doesn't mean you're still not the same horrid person. Call it excrement, f***s, a bowel-movement or sh*t, I still wouldn't wanna cuddle it.

Answer 4

uhhh, they are the same person...

learn your own religion why dontcha...

EDIT: dude...its wikipedia...you know the free online encyclopedia... learn to use a computer along with your own religion.

Answer 5

Why is that an "evil name"?  Paul is just a Romanized version of the Hellenic name Saul....it doesn't really have anything to do with his claims of a transformed life, just a change in his geography and cultures...St Paul's evil-ness and goodness are like the evil and good in our own lives, and we are mixture of both, hopefully tending to the good

Things like being honest involve being good - which includes to stop pretending you know things that you know so little about...

EDIT:  You don't like to read things against your beliefs?  How do you expect to learn anything?  Do you simply live inside your own head?

Has somebody made you so scared that your brittle and ill-formed beliefs can be shattered by a single blow?  Who puts that kind of unhealthy fear in a person?  

Not God, that's for sure....

Answer 6

Is this a joke?  Do you honestly think atheists care what the fantasy figures in your mythology are called?

Answer 7

And again I entertain your notions here. Can you give us an example here? That would be a start. I have never questioned Paul. I could easily say that I think he is a repressed closet homo from what I read. And I have that right. Because that is my conclusion, he hated women and cited the few examples of g*y anything that surfaced through the Bible.

Aside from that, I make no claims.

Answer 8

so we don't have the freedom to call him saul?  just because you said so?  if you're faith in saul is strong enough, you wouldn't be on here whining about it.  you don't see us getting our panties in a bunch when xtians tell us we're going to h**l.  get over it and get over yourself.

Answer 9

You need to realize that he is still Saul

like the Yin and Yang, black and white swirling

create a whole circle, a whole person

Answer 10

Saul was his Hebrew name. Paul was his Roman/Greek name.

Same with Peter/Simon, Joseph/Yoseph, Mary/Miriyam, and many others.

You don't get out much do you.

Answer 11

Because it's only disrespectful in face of the silliness of changing one's name. Like P. Ditty.

Answer 12

Most people who call themselves "Christians" are actually "Paulians" because they follow more teachings of Paul than they do of Christ.

Why did he change his name, anyway?  He would have been just as effective as Saul as he was as Paul, because your name does not determine what kind of person you are.  I have always wondered about that.

Answer 13

Saul/Paul WAS evil.