People trying to convert you...

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Probably because he tried praying and nothing happened. And for the record, looking at statistics along with other things you find that extremely few prayers are 'answered'.

F**k statistics. Have you ever prayed, zorp?

There have been a number of blind studies where it was shown that prayer doesn't have a measurable effect on the person "receiving" the prayer when the people praying are strangers and when the person isn't aware of the fact that people are praying for them. On the other hand, there are loads of studies that show that a person's mind has all kinds of effects on their health and so if a person is aware that people are praying for them, their awareness may have a measurable effect.

Though I think one study actually showed that they were more likely to experience complications when the medical condition in question was a coronary bypass. I suspect the reason for that is because when they hear that all sorts of people are praying for them, it makes their awareness of the risk of a heart bypass more acute and increases their anxiety about the situation.

The plusses or minuses may depend a fair amount on the condition being prayed over and how that affects the person's emotional state (anxiety levels, etc).

But if I remember correctly from what I've read, prayer does often have positive effects also for the people who are doing the praying, particularly when they're praying for someone they know, because it gives them a feeling of efficacy that even if illusory still helps calm their own anxieties which has its own set of health benefits for the praying person.

So although it may not have the effect you'd like it to have, even from a scientific standpoint, it's disingenuous to say that prayer has no effect.

I have actually prayed before my teens, simply because I was told to and did not know better, but I was sincere in my prayers and they did squat. And I mean real prayers, like please help my friend who was getting treatment for leukemia. My friend died.

That was one prayer out of many, it doesn't do anything. Prayer is just another word for hope. You can hope as much as you want for something, but there is no guarantee.

I believe christians could argue that whatever happens is God's will and that the miracle does not take place because He decided that way. I do find that problematic, considering the amount of faith one would be having when praying, although I don't understand the concept exactly, I used to assume the faith was about having an absolute certainty of said miracle to take place, but if one christian has to consider that God could decide not to, I find that problematic to grasp.

One time I was walking down the street just cause I had nowhere really to go, and some guy picked me up and we went to a coffee shop. Then he got all "I want to talk to you about Jesus" on me, and it was extremely uncomfortable. It was pretty pathetic, basically all he did was rant about Marilyn Manson and ask me if I saw that Matrix movie or the Chronicals of Narnia. I mean damn, the second a movie comes out with a character that remotely resebles something Jesus supposidly did just by coincidence every christian jumps on it like it's some kind of new prophecy. (at least the creators are laughing all the way to the bank )
I felt like reminding him the fact that the only reason his religion still exists (especially in the intensity that it is) is because all of Europe was forced to believe in christ for countless generations, where the church was in control and it was in fact illegal to believe in anything but christ. ("offenders" of this law usually died a horrible death as punnishment or something else of equal rediculousness), which caused free thinkers to be too afraid to express their findings/inventions (which put everyone in a huge knowledge deficit for many many generations). For a long time christianity was forceably combinded with religions that existed before it to start it off, and get it drilled into peoples heads. So of course, after forcing absolutely everyone into a religion, everyone will continue to believe in it for many generations. However, fear and hysteria still reigns surpreme in the christian world to this day, which is something humanity can't afford to waste time on anymore. We have more important things to think about and act on. If you deny this, you are bsing yourself. Even when I gave up on christ a long time ago, for a couple days after I was sort of afraid "what will happen to me now? will I be punnished?" with that kind of stuff. But then I just had to look at it's existing general corruption alone, and immediately feel better about my situation. After a few days I felt great about it, without fear. At last I had broken free of its chains.

Christians have given me that argument as well, but what I don't get that if it's god's will and he is going to do what he wants, what is the point in praying? And if he answers your prayer, what is it that makes you more special then the christian down the road that did not have their prayer answered.

It's pointless arguing with them, because it just gets annoying. They always have an answer for everything, and each time it makes less and less sense. The sad part is I think they are aware of this, but they are too afraid to change their ways.

For example, there have been a few times when they have pressed their little logics on me, so I pressed back and they realize my point and get all shakey and go home to drill their heads with christian music so they won't think about it anymore.

I don't find it annoying at all. In fact, I rather enjoy these kinds of discussions. It gives me a chance to talk about my own views.

Something actually happened recently. I was walking through the hallways at school (DeVry) to go to the exit and go home, and these women come running up to me, and the conversation went like this:

Them: Do you believe in god?
Me: Yes
Them: (they start going on about how I should join their church)
Me: Sorry, I'm Jewish
Them: You need to accept Jesus Christ as your savior blabla bla bla bla
Me: (runs away)

Yes, I seriously ran for the door, I heard them still talking behind me... I've even had one of my best friends try to convert me. It seems many Christians believe it's their mission to convert people. It gets on my nerves... I respect your beliefs, now you respect mine.

Well it is the duty of a Christian to spread out God's Word so that those who might listen might follow. As Jesus said to His disciples "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

All we can do is present our beliefs to people in the hope that they might convert. God gave everyone free will, to either choose Him or their own path, which will lead to destruction.

I won't deny that some Christians may let their beliefs control them to the point where they think themselves superior to non-believers, but the Bible warns about not judging others, although it is very hard not to find fault with other people.

As for why Christians are so adament about converting people, let me use an analogy:

Let's say that you knew someone very close to you was going to die a terrible death, let's say your best friend, and you knew exactly how he was going to die. Wouldn't you warn him, because you want to save your best friend's life? And wouldn't you be frustrated if you told him and he laughed at you and didn't believe a word you said, all the while knowing of his imminent destruction?

The same principle goes with Christians and non-believers. Although there isn't that "bond" that the best friends had in my analogy, the same principle applies. Christians try to convert non-believers because Christians know what happens to non-believers if they don't accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, they go to Hell for eternity, which is much more worse than death itself. No one wants to go to Hell, and knowing that God loves mankind enough to try and save non-believers, we are supposed to carry out the message We know what happens (and you may merely say "You think you know", well that's your opinion, I'm just explaining why), and as Jesus came into this world to save souls through His death on the Cross, so are we to carry the message so that whomever might listen might come to accept Jesus.

Atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Hindis, Buddhists, Satanists, Jews, anyone can be saved from eternal damnation in Hell if they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. That alone is reason enough as to why we try and convert people.

Well I tell this to any christians who (forcefully-and they all do, meaning they get mad at me and begin to call me names and call me evil and all sorts of stuff) try to convert me-I tell them to shove their bible up their ass

yeah but using your analogy is waaaaaaaaay different
if I knew someone was going to die from cancer-for example-thats a lot more evidant then some doomsday theory
cancer is a real thing, christianity has no proof-no grounds, nothing-just some stupid old book

if God loves everyone as he claims too-I would highly doubt he would make millions of people and have other religions in the world and kill billions for no reason
and if he does-he is as sadistic as I have always thought
and if I am gonna have to go to hell because of my thinking-then so be it!
I will defend my way of thinking to the end, and have never regretted it so far

i actually have a funny story of a prank I pulled on some "jo ho's"

Actually yes, every night when I was a young child. I started to figure out though when I was around eight to nine years old that whether I prayed or not the day would still go as it was going to go and when I lost something whether I prayed to St. Anthony or not I'd still find it. So naturally I stopped praying.

Some christians do it to me all the time. Also jehovahs witnesses.
When will they learn that i'm strictly atheist?
I must say, I know and am friends with many christians, even a strict catholic family. But if they try to impose their beleifs I tell them blankly that I do not beleive and they are wasting their time. usually works.
and just for the record, praying is to me, a waste of time. Too many people praying at once would cause huge earache for the big person in the sky (honestly, I don't say man or guy because if there was a god he would not be male or female. period.)

Can you blame them? They believe your going to spend an eternity in Hell if you don't accept Jesus Christ as your saviour. That's part of thier beliefs. They don't want anyone to go to Hell. No one should be suprised by this.

Why is "respecting other people's beliefs" so important? Shouldn't we instead be trying to figure out what's true and what's not? If your beliefs are so fragile that you can't stand to have them examined, questioned or critisized then perhaps it's time to consider that your worldview isn't very well considered and needs to be developed. Everyone needs to sit down and figure out exactly what it is they believe and come up with real justification for these beliefs. Otherwise, I don't see any reason at all why I or anyone else should "respect your beliefs."

If Christians examined their beliefs, they wouldn't be Christian.