I know what you mean

Because I've had those same conflicts.

I certainly wouldn't want to be destroying anyone's faith in .... shall we say ... "life." If Jesus is ALL that someone is living for, who am I and what am I trying to do ... by knocking out that person's foundation? Isn't it better for someone to hang on to something at least ... than absolutely nothing?

Conversely, what if someone is an alcoholic? If I take his alcohol away, what ELSE has he got to live for? Is it fair to knock his crutch out from under him? What am I TAKING AWAY from the alcoholic by taking away his bottle(s)?

What am I taking away from a Christian believer by exposing him to the truth?

Well, exactly what IS IT about Jesus that keeps the Jesuaholic going? Is it the belief in Jesus' existence only? Or is it something else? If it's something MORE than the existence of Jesus, just what is that something else?

What does the Christian believer believe about Jesus? That Jesus loves him and forgives his sins?

Well what if I can convince the Christian believer that he doesn't NEED any forgiveness because he's already a complete human being with full potential to experience life just as abundantly as an atheist. What if I can convince him that he is ALREADY a loveable human being who merely needs to open up and CONNECT with others in order to experience the connection of God?

I know that from my own experience, I had a revolutionary awakening when I started to attend a support group for people who have/had problems with being violent. This was a totally secular group where -in fact- the Bible was discouraged from being brought into the discussions. (Believe me, I tried!~). So, okay, I respected their rules and refrained from putting my beliefs forward.

Over the months though, I found myself so totally "fulfilled" in this group, I began to wonder what in tarnashin was a goin on anyway? I was seeing EXACTLY what I'd always looked for in church fellowship .... being demonstrated right there in that secular setting! I realized then, that what Christian believers are ACTUALLY longing for is TRUE and honest CONNECTION with others. They don't want the pleasantries or the fake happiness or the religious platitudes -(which they already know instinctively are faked)- to pump them up temporarily; they want to know that others are real and are sharing themselves in reality and truth.

Ok so ... that's what Christian believers are wanting in all honesty. They want connection and honesty from others. But what about themselves?

Well, I think this is the real litmus test of where their belief is at and what they expect FROM it.

For those who are self-centered and are looking to GET ...

A bottle of booze is about the same as their own personal faith. Either one of them allow an artificial escape from reality and give them a false sense of worth.

For Christian believers who've grasped the concept of extension and empathy -who understand that other human beings are every bit as important as themself- it won't matter one bit whether anyone tries to "undermine" their faith by exposing the truth about the falseness of the Bible ... because .... they aren't into it for selfish reasons in the first place. They already instinctively "know" and feel that ... "God" means connection with other humans, life and nature.

So getting back to your question ....

Is it justified to knock out the crutches of selfish people?

I don't think so. If they don't have their crutches, they'll have to find some other way of getting around, won't they? Maybe they'll "grow" as a result.

Besides, selfishness is destructive ... not only to self but to others too.

When I see Christians vacant-mindedly supporting the bombing, killing and maiming of other human beings simply because they never give a thought to the rightness of their own country's agenda ... I quickly lose all feelings of guilt for attacking their beliefs. They deserve to be heavily clouted about their ears. At LEAST they should take the time to THINK about right and wrong in terms of spiritual extension to other humans.

So no ... in the final analysis, you can't hurt someone by exposing them to the truth. They may have "uncomfortable" feelings about it but in the long run, they'll get over that and possibly ... even become better human beings for it.

-Vince