“Do atheists exist?” This Christian’s insulting answer

Christian apologist Frank Turek never fails to use overly-literal interpretations of the bible to paint non-Christians as psychologically broken and morally bankrupt.

Here I respond to a recent video from Frank Turek’s Cross Examined channel. Drawing from Romans 1, he explains his understanding of the psychology of atheism. It’s… rather insulting. From the unfalsifiable nature of his claims, to his apparent outgroup bias, to the fundamentalist-like literalism of his interpretation of the bible, issues abound in his video. This video isn’t meant to proselytize for atheism, but rather to call for complexity and empathy in interfaith dialogue.

Video on outgroup bias in dialogue on religion:
“Why Christian Responses to Deconstruction Are So Predictable”

Thanks to NonStampCollector for his contribution!

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This video contains 100% therapeutic grade skepticism.*

*This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA

[jsink]

Just imagine if the script was flipped: “You can’t really be a Christian, you are just projecting your own needs onto an imaginary being!”

[stillliving]

'If you're a genuine atheist, that's god's fault' is such a fun sentence

[SnakeWasRight]

Yeah, whenever I feel like committing crimes, I just pretend the cops dont exist so I can commit crimes because that makes sense right

[MrDalisclock]

I generally explain my atheism to apologists as "God can convince me he's real quite easily. He knows where I live, he knows my phone #. He knows how to convince me. The fact he hasn't bothered implies he's not there or hes fine with my atheism."

[antilopezmexicanos]

Ironic that an apologetic christian, asserts that Buddhism is about escaping accountability, when Buddhism, is about taking responsibility for your actions, while Christianity is all about Jesus, forgiving your sins and release you from accountability.

[hippipdip]

It’s really really funny hearing “disobedient to your parents” in the middle of that list with all the other heinous moral failings.

[arelyndis]

"You're stubbornly defending your God against all reason because it provides you with a substantial income and feeling of superiority. Am I right?"
All the blood drained from the apologist's face.
He was caught.
He was defending an ancient myth for money and self-satisfaction.

Huh, turns out we can do that too.
🤔

[dirtgon]

I love how you create an atmosphere where both atheists and religious people can learn and respond to your videos without any disrespect.

[charlieplue]

It’s interesting that he fully believes that non-Christian’s lives also revolve around Christianity. Very much the “everything orbits the earth” type of argument

[ledojaeger]

"You just want to sin!" is such a reductive line. I grew up Christian and came out as gay so I encounter it a lot. I have thin skin so it's actually tremendously hurtful. It cuts right over any consideration of my pain or struggle or thought process.

[michaelreindel]

“My book says you believe my god is real.”
“I don’t believe your god is real.”
“LIAR!”

[TheHigherVoltage]

Every time I hear a Christian say "non-Christians just don't want to face accountability for their sins.", my mind cringes. Accountability to a Christian is blaming Satan for being "sinful" and then absolving themselves of any conscience about it by demanding "Jesus's blood washes away my sins!" Christianity is literally avoiding all accountability.

[Billma]

I have been an atheist since about age seven. I’ll be 75 in March. I have reasons to believe that I might not be around that much longer. For the last few days, I have been binge-watching atheist programs on YouTube because they bring me a lot of comfort. This is the first thing I have watched of yours. Really like what you do. Subscribed so I can see more. Thanks.

[ProphetofZod]

"Oh no, I don't think you're disingenuous now! I just think you used to be so disingenuous for so long that now you're just sincerely horrible."

Thanks for the olive branch, Frank.

[MTTFRR]

They just made "Thank God I'm an atheist" into a real thing!

[MercsProduction]

I was raised by my grandparents. My grandmother was Lutheran and my grandfather was Catholic. After I was adopted by them, they made the decision to not give me any religious teachings unless I sought it out.
When I was seven, one of my classmates was talking about a God character. I asked "what is God?" and they gave me the simple childlike answer. "God is everything and everywhere."
I remember thinking that was stupid and denied that, and she understandably grew upset.
When I got home, I asked my grandparents what God was, and they decided to show me one of their Bibles and gave me a rough description of their beliefs, and I attempted to read, but ended up giving up reading. I did not feel interested and did not feel it was important.

Today, being more educated, I would describe myself as an agnostic atheist.

From my perspective, there was no truth revealed to me that a higher power exists, and I really feel that you have to have been raised in a dogmatic manner or have strong input from a believer in order to believe.

If God's existence is evident in intelligent design around us, then why must missionaries be sent to spread the word of God?

Surely, if intelligent design is evidence that God exists, then missionaries and conversions must serve no point.

[dusty]

I’m so relieved to find out (from Frank Turek) that I’m not lying, but just delusional due to my intense desire to remain a sinner.

[ycleptprof.]

I have said this before, and I'll say it again: Frank Turek is omniscient. He knows more about cosmology than cosmologists, he knows more about evolution than biologists, he understands human psychology better than any psychologist, and he even knows what you're thinking and why.

And what do you do when your interlocutor knows everything? Is it even worth having the discussion? His mind can't be changed. Frank isn't open to being wrong about anything, even if it's not asking much of him to correct some positions that he will admit don't present problems for his Christianity.

I know many lovely Christians. Whenever I talk to one about religion (which is itself rare), I'm more interested in changing my beliefs than changing theirs. I'm not advocating everyone be this way exactly, but let's all at least listen to one another if conversation means anything. There is no point in arguing with real people when you could argue with the ones you invent.

Please, Christians, atheists, Buddhists, everyone: Don't be like Frank Turek.

[mercyrose]

My boyfriend is an athiest and I am Christian. I adore having talks about the universe and philosophy with him. We don't argue and we both kind of teach eachother different perspectives. However...my Mother keeps driving in that I have to convert him when I have no plan to... Christians have this Savior complex and they think if they yell at u loud enough you will convert. Imagine a world where we just spoke to eachother. It would be lovely

[Leszek.Rzepecki]

Speaking as an elderly atheist who deconverted from Christianity over 50 years ago, I've never had a single regret about losing all religious belief. I grew out of it like people grow out of their belief in Santa Claus. As a child, each Christmas my parents maintained the Polish tradition that presents were brought by an angel on Christmas Eve - we were shut up in our bedroom while my father snuck out and rang the doorbell a few times while my mother distributed presents under the tree. Eventually I learned where presents actually come from!

Yet folk like Frank Turek want to have a go at people like me, because I grew out of my religious belief. He wants to claim I'm wilfully denying it, that secretly I know that Turek is right. But no, it's actually losing a need to believe in a god, because it adds nothing to my understanding of the universe and my place in it. And which god, out of the thousands that humans have worshipped?

I appreciate that some folk prefer the metaphysical security religious belief may provide them, and find it hard to understand how someone can live without it. But I'm atheist that same way I'm a cis gay male - it's an inherent part of my character and nature, and none of it was a choice. It's the path I had to follow, and couldn't deviate even if I wanted to. This is why I find the Tureks of the world cold and callous, the opposite of everything I used to think worthwhile about Christianity. And he thinks he's an ambassador and exemplar for his religion? Hah!