Posted by Ir (Helen) on: 06.16.2006 /
‘JP’ posted this response to Hemant (on Hemant’s site)
Just finishing up listening to the third talk at Parkview. I think you did a great job.
My mom was in the second audience and my aunts (and almost me) were in the first. I am “the atheist” in the family and they REALLY wanted me to go. I am not comfortable with Parkview’s brand of enthusiastic worship, and, frankly, the “ebay atheist” sounded like a Lee Strobel-esque gimmick to get me to go and get saved.
What I think you really succeeded in (which is all I try to achieve when I talk to them) is that atheism is another belief system, one just based on the inability to believe. And being an atheist does not mean you are a bad person (even if we are going to hell). Also that atheists usually study their religion more than some of them do, and not to find debate fodder, but to simply try and understand why they are so excited about it.
As hard as it was for me to hear (and I was scolding my speakers) Pastor Tim say how he “would be a completely immoral person without this book” (paraphrased) - I think it IS hard for many of them. Even GOING to church, they cheat, steal, lie, etc.
And you won’t win many friends in a room of blue collar folks explaining that the more schooling someone has, the less prone to Christianity they are. That just means they are one of the dumb ones.
But all in all, good job. You literally blew away my mom and aunt. They were quite stunned after each of their viewings, so much so that all they could say was “He’s really smart - most of it went over my head. You would have loved it!”
Apparantly, Pastor Tim is always looking for atheists to put on the stage, I have been solicited myself. You made his prayers come true.
:)