Dear Michael C*******,

I don't know where you get the idea that I am closed minded.  Is it just because I know there are no gods?

Of course people should not be free to believe what they want to.  That would be disastrous if we allow that to the extreme.  There are a lot of U.S. citizens with guns that think that way.  They should not be allowed to shoot me just because they believe that God wants them to shoot atheists.  Their right to believe stops where my freedoms begin.

With your "no consequence for their actions" theory then up to 31% of the people of my province (BC) would be in jail because that's how many don't adhere to any religion.  Are you saying that the millions of atheists that are in the world don't do good deeds and would be killers?

Darwin Bedford
www.atheists.net



At 05:39 PM 10/14/2002 +0000, you wrote:

To Mr.Bedford
  Okay, there is a difference between what you are doing and the jehovahs witnesses are doing. People go to your site, looking for something while the JWs go out to tell people what to believe. But the bigger difference is that JWs are not as close minded, if you don't want to join they leave you alone because they let people believe what they want to believe.
   How can you tell me that they are acting upon 'untrue' beiefs? You cannot come up with one peice of untainted proof that there is no god, nor can they come up with one bit of untainted proof that there is a god. I don't believe that there is a god, but i won't be closes minded and say that there is no way that god does not exist.
    If you truly believe that people should not be free to believe what they want to, then are probably the most intolerant person i know. People believe what they want, and there is war about it. But just think, in a world where everyone was atheist, there is the potential to be even more war-torn. For example: if some guy was getting harrassed everyday in his highschool, and wanted to kill everyone, then he would go and do it because there is no consequence for his actions. He won't go to hell, there will be no jugement for him. But if he were catholic then he would consider something else that his god would like. People need this kind of ruling in their lives. Christians go out and do good deeds because they are following the ways of jesus, thats the motivation. I also go out and do good deeds just because i know its the right thing to do. But lots of people don't just know, they need to be told 'jesus fed the poor, now you should go feed the poor'
     To live in a society where people are not allowed to believe what they want to believe, is a society where our freedom is taken away. It would be another nazi-germany all over again.

Feel free to reply, i would like to debate this further

Michael C*******

From: Darwin Bedford <Darwin@atheists.net>
To: Michael C*******
Subject: Re: [WEB-20021010.726463] Message to Darwin
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2002 23:20:45 -0700


Dear Michael C*******,

There is a big difference from what I am doing and jehovahs witness coming to your door.  The JW's are a cult that are spreading untrue ideas, whereas I am cautioning people not to act on faith but to act on reason.  People should NOT be free to believe what they want to believe.  If this were true then there would be even more killing going on.  What people believe needs to watched, criticized, and regulated.

Darwin Bedford
www.atheists.net


At , you wrote:

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Date and Time: Thursday, October 10, 2002, 15:26 PST
Source URL:    http://www.atheists.net
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From:
  michael C*******

Message:
  Hey man, this is a good site. I share the same common belief as you, god was created out of ignorance. I have written many essays and have done some very intellectual thought processes in the feild of god and other such nonsense.

  But i feel that you are kind of close minded. People should be free to believe what they want to believe. You are shoving atheist's beliefs down pepoples throat. Your shirts and posters are all very christian bashing, which is not what atheism is all
about. Its about not beileving in some god or spiritual being, not 'shove your cross up your ass' Atheism should not be a negative thing, it should be positive, 'believe what you want. just don't try to change my ways' Think about it, by flaunting your
belie
fs and trying to change others in such a negative way you are no better than some jehovahs witness coming to your door and try to get you to join them, and your no better than some christian person who is intolerant of our beliefs. You both act the same
, just believe different things.

  If you want to e-mail me back with any reply at all, i would appreciate it.

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