http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/20 ... glais-.php
Je citerais une remarque de Sylvain Poirier particulièrement appropriée ici:
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Un point essentiel là est de lire dans le texte l'ensemble des critiques telles qu'elles sont effectivement formulées par les opposants à la doctrine chrétienne, au lieu de faire semblant de les considérer en se fiant pour cela au compte-rendu du prédicateur de service, ne prenant que les questions mal placées, naïves et celles qui les arrangent dans un but d'"éducation" aux fondements de la foi et en les tournant comme ils veulent pour les minimiser. Pour cela, ils ont beau jeu d'exploiter la maladresse des athées qui n'ayant pas saisi la signification de l'existence de Dieu et de la vie après la mort croient bon de chercher à réfuter ces points et en font leur cheval de bataille préféré pour se donner trop facilement raison les uns aux autres en supposant que cela puisse appuyer leur cause contre les religions, démarche qui est bien sûr une catastrophe.
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http://spoirier.lautre.net/foi.htm
J'ai envoyé la lettre suivante à l'organisation canadienne qui récolte les fonds pour que des affiches athées fassent leur apparition sur des bus canadiens, en espérant que cela leur fasse prendre conscience de certaines choses:
I’m a french student, and I apologize for the mistakes. I grew up in an evangelical family, but for a few years I doubt of my faith, and finally I lost it. But I didn’t become an atheist. I criticize religions that claim they are “the truth” and we must believe in it in order not to go to the hell, but I don’t argument that there is no god, or nothing else than the material world, or nothing after death. My website about my experiences is http://www.anti-religion.net , but at the time there are very few translations into English.
Then I was sad because born again Christians were the one who reached the people, they made publicity in the underground, they talked to people in the street, they made a lot of incredible disinformation, but nobody was here to answer them. So most people heard just the evangelical propaganda and not another point of view. So it’s a good think that unbelievers begin to react. But I think, the bus campaign should concentrate on the problems of religions instead of arguing there is no god.
Arguing there is no god can be contra-productive. To many people believe that “the alternative to the Christian faith is the negation of God”, and that makes religion stronger. Lots of people can’t stand atheism. They think, life looses all meaning if there is just this world and we just die at the end. What about friends and family members who died? We will never see them again. What about our death? We will then have no conscience, as if we never lived. There is no soul, but just physical-chemical processes in our brain that obey deterministic laws. Most people can’t stand such a horrible view of life, and that’s the case with me. Lot of people are Christians (or Muslims in Islamic countries) just because they can’t stand atheistic view, and they believe “atheism is the alternative to Christian (or Islamic) faith”.
But in fact there is a multitude of different views of life. Someone who found that the Bible or the Quran is not “the truth” doesn’t have to deny God or a life after death. He doesn’t know anything about it, he just discovered with facts that his religion is a human rip-off and not “the truth from God”. Not more. Then, if he wants to denounce it he has to criticize the content of his former religion. Nothing about the existence of God, the life after death, etc… , that’s another subject. He eventually have other reasons to believe in a life after death, for example the NDEs (Near Death Experiences). NDEs are very dangerous for religions like evangelical Christianity or orthodox Islam, because if they are real, it would mean that our destination after death doesn’t depend on the beliefs we had, while after the Bible just born again Christians are saved, and after the Quran, just believers in Mohammeds message. And NDEs can destroy what missionaries needed to propagate their religion (fear of death,…). They can become a concurrent spirituality that is based on facts.
But if people believe “the alternative to Christian (resp. Islamic) faith is atheism, deny of a life after death”, they will think that Christians (resp. Muslims) were right. On Youtube, most of the videos about NDEs are now from born again Christians, because they believe that “the other side” atheists are and the NDEs give them right.
It is very important that people understand that the alternative to their faith is not atheism, but rather there is a very big number of different views of the world. And when unbelievers answer to Christian (resp. Islamic) proselytism, they shouldn’t deny the existence of God and spirituality, but they should just concentrate on the problems of these religions.
So, I think, something like “There’s probably no god, no stop worrying and enjoy your life” could be contra-productive. Rather, I propose critic of the Bible and the Quran, exposition of the view of born again Christians or orthodox Muslims that these believers don’t want to be known, caricature of these views.
Examples:
“Jesus loves you. But if you don’t believe in him like he’s described in the Bible, you will suffer for eternity! Believe in him now, that’s your last chance!”
“Jesus is the only way to the father. All other religions are lies from Satan that let go to the hell”
“You believe, your faith were the only way to God. You were “saved”, whereas members of other religions were “lost”. Some people believe it too, but they have another religion. How do you know that you’re right? What are the reasons you believe?”
“You believe, your faith were the only way to God. Some people believe it too, but they have another religion . After their “holy scriptures”, they are “saved”, and you are “lost”. How do you know that you’re right? What are the reasons you believe?”
“Good new: if a friend of you or someone of your family that was “unbeliever” died, he won’t go to hell. Sectarism of Bible and Quran is not the truth! Show at this website: …”.
Of course, these slogans have more chances to be refused, but these are just examples. One can criticize religion on different way without mentioning the existence or non-existence of God. And personally, I think that, if it is not allowed to write “the Bible is not God’s word, ” on buses, then it should also be not allowed to write “Jesus is the light, the Bible is God’s word”.
I thank you for having read me,
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