Recently, I received an email from a Christian who took issue with one of my columns. Here's the text of the email:
I just finished reading your explanation of the "Virgin Birth". How do you explain away the hundreds of other prophecies of the Messiah? Perhaps you might want to start so that when your Judgement Day comes, you'll be prepared to explain your reasons for not being a believer. There's more to this life than you'll ever know. How do you want to spend eternity?
As I always do, I quickly typed out my reply:
What other prophecies? You name 'em and I'll explain 'em. The prophecies of the Bible are no more accurate than the prophecies of today's so-called "psychics." As for eternity, I plan on spending it free from bozos who have nothing better to do with their time than send proselytizing emails to those who don't wanna hear it, thanks.
It wasn't until after I'd clicked SEND that I realized the person who sent me the email was too chickenshit to use a real email address, and instead had used an anonymous remailer service. So he/she never got my reply; it was simply sent to my own email address again.
This is just so, so typical. There are many Christians out there who are secure in their faith only when they're not directly challenged. They'll sit there and send their haughty emails to me and other online non-believers, but are too cowardly to let us reply.
I, on the other hand, have an email link at the bottom of every single article in the Attic. I'm absolutely fine with hearing from nimrods like this one. I welcome challenges from them, because I'm not insecure in my views. As many Christians who've emailed me can attest, I'm happy to engage in lengthy, polite exchanges about religion and atheism.
Most Christians who email me rarely respond to my replies to them, even though my emails are generally polite and inviting (except my replies to the outright flamers and proselytizers). Just ask some of the many with whom I've exchanged dozens and dozens of emails.
I'm not entirely sure why most of them don't continue. I mean, if you're willing to take the time to email a stranger to take issue with something he's said, why aren't you willing to continue the exchange?
I suspect it's because these folks just want to spew out their own beliefs, condemning others in the process. They don't want to hear contrary opinions, don't want to have rational discussions. (Frankly, most are incapable of it.) All they really want to do is thump their Bibles and tell us we're wrong, that we're damned, and be done with it.
How immature. How pathetic. But what's truly sad is that this behavior is so common that it's what I've come to expect of the average Christian email.
Now, before other believers reading this article get their knickers in a twist, I know full well that the vast majority of Christians do not engage in this sort of behavior. I'm not making blanket statements, here. I'm just pointing out that such behavior is not at all uncommon amongst the "faithful."
Still… using an anonymous remailer… that's reaching a whole new level of cowardice.
