One of the things Christian's love to give as gifts - especially to non-Christians - is books on Christianity. My own family, for example, does this all the time. And as my own belief in their religious views changed, they were only motivated to give me even more books on Christianity. But give them a single book on atheism to read - indeed, even if it is a book you yourself wrote! - and they will altogether ignore it, convinced that they know everything they need to know - amen.
This double standard should not be surprising, since Christians are, by virtue of their very beliefs, seduced by their own power of self deception. While I have read a countless number of book by C.S. Lewis, G.K.Chesterton, and other Christian writers, it is safe to say that the vast majority of Christians have never bothered to read a single book written by an atheist about Christianity or atheism.
Mind you, they've probably read lots of books by Christians like C.S. Lewis about atheism, but such propaganda only guarantees that the Christian never actually knows a single thing about atheism, except what some other Christian deceptively wants them to think. And since Christians necessarily safeguard their souls and minds against the threat of evil influences (i.e. the honest consideration that their humility requires), they stick solely to the intentional misrepresentations of those Christian writers who feel they are assuring their place in Heaven by lying through their teeth.
Such Christians only enjoy engaging in a conversation with an atheist, not because they (the Christians) have any desire to understand a world view that may be different from their own, but because they believe their only salvation comes from successfully manipulating as many unbelievers as possible, and thereby turning said unbeliever into one of them (cue the sound track from Tod Browning's 1932 movie, Freaks: Gooble goble, gooble goble, one of us one of us, we accept you one of us.")
Indeed, if Tod Browning's film was about anything, it was about Christians. But since Christians never read the books they are given by atheists, they would probably never watch such a movie either. After all, as far as they are concerned, the only thing they have to do to get into heaven, is read one book - for all of eternity!
This double standard should not be surprising, since Christians are, by virtue of their very beliefs, seduced by their own power of self deception. While I have read a countless number of book by C.S. Lewis, G.K.Chesterton, and other Christian writers, it is safe to say that the vast majority of Christians have never bothered to read a single book written by an atheist about Christianity or atheism.
Mind you, they've probably read lots of books by Christians like C.S. Lewis about atheism, but such propaganda only guarantees that the Christian never actually knows a single thing about atheism, except what some other Christian deceptively wants them to think. And since Christians necessarily safeguard their souls and minds against the threat of evil influences (i.e. the honest consideration that their humility requires), they stick solely to the intentional misrepresentations of those Christian writers who feel they are assuring their place in Heaven by lying through their teeth.
Such Christians only enjoy engaging in a conversation with an atheist, not because they (the Christians) have any desire to understand a world view that may be different from their own, but because they believe their only salvation comes from successfully manipulating as many unbelievers as possible, and thereby turning said unbeliever into one of them (cue the sound track from Tod Browning's 1932 movie, Freaks: Gooble goble, gooble goble, one of us one of us, we accept you one of us.")
Indeed, if Tod Browning's film was about anything, it was about Christians. But since Christians never read the books they are given by atheists, they would probably never watch such a movie either. After all, as far as they are concerned, the only thing they have to do to get into heaven, is read one book - for all of eternity!
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