Hi,
I was raised as a christian and was 'saved' (the opposite concept of
the
christian idea of 'saved') when I was about 14. It wasn't
through
outside pressure, though, and I'm not sure how anyone can take you
seriously when, as it seems, you're trying to push some other ideas
on
people. I was saved because my mind was open enough to
realize what
was going on. since then I've been studying religion in my spare
time
simply as a historical perspective. I mean, anything that has
dominated
human thought and action for so long needs to be studied
carefully.
I have also witnessed better ways to get an idea across than
critisizing
current ideas. For Example, I have been a vegetarian for about
4
years, and that idea, too, I came up with on my own.
Since then, I
have read countless volumes supporting the idea for reasons such as
health, morality, evironmental soundness, etc.
But I do not push this idea off onto anyone. I tried, but found
that
people do not like to hear that they are wrong about anything.
ESPECIALLY people who are already insecure (ie: followers of
religious
faith, or nutritional faith).
However, when I found that I simply kept my practises to myself,
quietly practising vegetarianism, people started asking
questions....
they were no longer offended by my comments, but rather
intrigued. At
this point, when questioned, I simply kept to the reasons why I was
vegetarian, and never telling anyone why THEY should be. Since
I
started this approach, seven of my friends have become vegetarian, as
compared to zero before.
My point is, If you quietly practise your beleif (or
non-beleif),
those around you who are ready will approach YOU about it, and those
who
aren't, won't.
On a broader scale, when humanity is ready to accept atheism,
it
will. Applying outside pressure can never open someone's
mind. The
ONLY thing that opens a mind is that mind's desire to do so, and when
it
is ready, it will. Outside pressure only closes it
more.
-please email me a rebuttal