A curious Orthodox Christian [2/2] - The Atheist Experience #635

(Part 2 of 2.)

Charles from Austin, Texas (another Charles than the first caller) is a Greek Orthodox Christian. During the second half of his call he talks about cognitive dissonance and open-mindedness.

Segment of The Atheist Experience #635 of December 13, 2009, with Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Topic: Live calls.

This entire episode can be watched on Blip.tv:
► http://blip.tv/file/2975117


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[Horathgar42]

Easily the best caller i've heard to date.

[dutchbb1979]

What I don't get is how reasonable guys like this one can still believe in a god without proof. To me that's even stranger than the crazy Christians. At least I can explain them, they're just idiots. But why does this guy still believe in this religious nonsense? Weird.

[infernalone666]

@infernalone666

and tries to emulate him (taken from robin williams calling episcopal 'catholic-like')

baptist: the forgettable middle child who doesn't really stand out amongst his brothers

mormons: the runt of the litter who comes up with the bizzare ideas and the extreme elements to make a name for himself

if i missed a few, tell me them and i'll find their role in the christian 'dudley family' (and i'll get a lot more people who can't take a joke to hate me)

[infernalone666]

@infernalone666

if anything, there is a bit of a 'dudley family' to christianity:

orthodoxy: the traditional and rule-abiding eldest who fancies himself the leader

catholicism: the frat-boy enforcer second-child who compensates for not being the oldest by smacking his little brothers about

protestantism: the bullied middle-child who comes up with all the technicalities on why the frat-boy older brother is wrong to cover up

episcopal: the one that looks up to the frat-boy older brother

cont'd

[infernalone666]

Before i became an agnostic concerning gods, i was a greek orthodox - and i still have lived the first 20 years of my life as one while living 3 on the 'other side'. I am not sad I left. even though orthodox are a bit more reserved and less of a pain in the ass than the other christian denominations, that doesn't make it perfect or the people better. the orthodox are merely subtler. orthodoxy has waged their campaigns in the past and are responsible for the first organized christianity.

[Antimanele104]

@dutchbb1979 do we Orthodox ask you atheists why don't you believe in God?Of course we don't,so please,no more bashing on us or our religion.We respect every other people and their beliefs,because man was born with free will.Not to mention that Orthodox Christians had never tried in their whole history to convince anyone,not even by inssisting speeches to leave their faith and embrace their own religion.

[DaToNyOyO]

@dutchbb1979 Can you say "brainwashed as a child"?

[forrestschaeffer]

Dear Charles, you are what religious people think they are. Kudos. We should be friends. 

[96lazar]

i live in the ortodox christian society, Serbia. And people there have different arguments, and they are more open minded. I was ortodox christian but now im an atheist... becouse i can not accept something simply on faith. Charles shows how most of the ortodox christians behave. Its very interesting to talk to them or to the priests. But in the end all of them say i dont need an evidance , i have faith.

Sorry for bad grammar, english is not my native language.

[GlumLotDrums]

I am an Orthodox Christian, and I really like that this conversation exists. I agree with you Charles! Great points.

[Loiginer]

@dutchbb1979

I think that there is no weird, do you know Orthodox Christianity?

If atheists are so "open mind", so open mind to really study the history and doctrines of it, or be intolerant as many fundamentalists...

[Peristerygr]

...I mean in the East at least four Great Gods died and came back from the dead -Hermes, Mithras, Dionysus, Osiris so people were already accustomed pretty much to many of Christianities preachings! But for the Western and Northern tribes "Resuraction" was something completly new -especially for the common man- at their first contact with Christianity and they had just to bubble the weird and hard to understand Gospels quickly so they won't lose their heads from the Christian taliban overlord!