Why do so many atheists bring up the suffering of others, and yet do little to relieve that suffering?

The greatest measurable and lasting joy known to the human mind is helping out others. By the sheer fact that this brain buzz and high level of personal happiness is rewarded to the charitable, the act becomes off-set by the personal reward.

This is why many godless philanthropists have no problem living a life of sin and iniquity while they "make up for it" by giving to the less fortunate. In their mind it is how to be able to look in the mirror and not see a complete scumbag looking back at them.

When charity becomes vanity, the one gaining the most from the charity becomes arguable. When charity is an act of selfless love for God, the removal of vanity brings equality. You know in your heart what you are doing is by the power of God and not you. This is freedom. Charity is no longer a drug, it is the natural act of a saved soul.

Great question. Well framed.

Interesting that some of the Xians here claim no Christian has ever said such a thing but only atheist trolls do. Obviously, we are reading different message boards and know different Christians. Some Christians most definitely do seem to take delight in thinking of various people suffering for all eternity while they live on in paradise. Some so much as say they will be "up there laughing" at those of us burning in hell. What kind of heaven would that be? What kind of Christians? They do their own religion a great disservice when they say things like this, but they do show their true colors. Much, but not all, of religion is about feeling "special", "better than", etc. Many people really are only Christian in name, are just "cultural Christians", and have no idea what it even means to be "Christ-like", nor care to attempt to be better people. And even some of those very nice Christians can get downright ugly if you scratch the surface of their belief, if you challenge them to really look at their religion. It is completely emotion based so any attempt to get them to look rationally feels very threatening and then all that emotion comes out, and it's not pretty. ~Atheist, ex-fundie-Xian, former New Ager

I never use the suffering of others as proof of a lack of a deity. However, I believe a lot of atheists use it as proof that Christians are spending too much time and money on lesser causes. I'm sure a lot of money is going into campaigning against gay marriage and other issues that should be of very small concern to them in comparison to what's going on in the rest of the world.

Think of all the money, time and resources spent on building churches, printing shiny new Bibles, paying for uniforms of people who work in the Church... If God does exist, I highly doubt he would tell you to spend your money and time on these things over helping others.

I'm not going to tell you there is no God, that is what I believe, as well as not pushing your religion or lack thereof on others. But I am going to tell you that based on reading the Bible, my 9 years in a Catholic school and 17 years of going to church, if there was a God, most Christians are NOT following his word.

"So many atheists seem to use the suffering of others as a weapon"

What a load of Drama Queen boolshyt.

Where did you get those stats from?

Your lower orifice or your pastor?

"I just want to add my own "Well done!" to all of those who do volunteer to help others or to ease their suffering."

Oh, bully for you...

I don't need your permission to feel good.

You have NO frigging idea what I or any other person has ever done.

What do YOU actually do.. ?

Tithe to your church?

How much of that money actually goes to helping people?

How much is spent propping up the building or the pastor?

Sanctimonious finger-pointing judgmental xians give me the irrits...

~

>you conveniently leave out that perhaps pain, suffering and death are part of a plan that you just do not understand

That sounds like a horrible method of carrying out a plan and I can not think of any benevolent God that would intentionally cause people to suffer for any reason at all.

>Without first learning the opposites of pain, suffering and death no one could ever learn true self-less love.

That's actually not true at all.

You don't have to be deprived of something to learn its true value, thus making your argument moot and fallacious.

Although that was blatantly obvious from your wall of generic and fallacious responses.

" In their mind suffering is some kind of "proof" that God does not exist,"

It's proof that He doesn't exist in the way His followers claim He does.

"even though its existence says nothing about Him at all"

It says that He is either not omnipotent or He's not omnibenevolent.

"he largest group on the planet which contributes to disaster and starvation relief around the globe has always been the average Joe Christian :

Lie. That would be the Red Cross, which is a secular organization, not a Xtian one.

The inventor of the polio vaccine, Jonas Salk, was an atheist. I think that trumps a lot of hypocrites praying in their multi-million dollar church once in a while when it suits their schedule. Just for example.

EDIT:

Your comment: "Zapoid: Thank you for affirming one of my points. What have YOU done?"

Reply: I've done plenty, actually, but as scripture tells us, we are not to be exalted in our own good deeds. As for your own self-righteousness, why would you think that bullying and insulting people would attract more folks to your way of seeing things? Wise up. Kindness and compassion for others may not come easily, but it is ALWAYS possible. You have no valid excuse for not trying harder. Have a nice day, if you can.

Most atheists I know are volunteers helping their communities. Since there isn't an atheist church however, it is difficult to say atheists are doing this or that to end suffering of any kind. There are a couple of organizations that are atheist and have done charitable things. http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheist-sets-up-...

Atheists do their share of giving.

Funny you would quote the least religious of our founders. He attended Hellfire Club meetings in England. This was the group that Anton LeVey used as a partial model for the Church of Satan.

Mostly what we are pointing out is that if we were omnipotent and not a prick, we could and would change things.

Red Herring fallacy: The point isn't why don't atheists lend a hand, the point IS why doesn't God?

Also, these "statistics" you have mean absolutely nothing. You can't even provide a credible source ("Answers in Genesis" is not a credible source). I swear, Christians can't wrap their heads around what constitutes facts or evidence.

"Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer."

EDIT: Ya know what, your point is moot when you can't even prove this god exists. Why bother...