[Serious] Religious people of Reddit, what are your honest opinions on Atheists?

Probably gonna get buried and sorry for the long read

I mean I am born and raised Muslim in Pakistan/Australia but I feel like my answer changed based on what time of my life you asked me. See being a small kid and wrapping your head around the fact that people who didn't believe what you did were going to hell was kinda harsh. I remember that I would pray to Allah to send all humans to heaven. Like to me I knew it was not possible but I was like if anyone goes coz of the prayer then it was worth it.

I remember when I was in kindergarten I would kinda go to other kindergarten kids and try and explain to them what Islam was being like they will totes convert I just gotta convince them hard enough. If you would have asked me then what my opinion was on Atheists then you would have to explain the concept of an atheist obviously coz my child mind thought everyone was some religion but I would have answered that I would like them to convert so we can go to heaven together.

As I grew up I got into a fairly radical mindset. Like in my mid teens I was super religious and like I wouldnt say radicalized but quite qutie right in my views (IDK if right is the correct one but you get what I mean). Well I mean I wasn't like a lets kill infadels mindset but I certainly had a mindset where I was like everyone talks about the religion and none of these hypocrites practice it correctly like I do. I had a kind of self gratifying pride in myself that I never admited at the time but it was there. However I gotta say I had this one religious but moderate friend of mine who ensured I was in line and he was someone I had and have massive support for and yeah I guess thats a story for another time perhaps. But I mean if you would have asked in that time I might have said probably said I wish I could be them and be allowed to convert. During my slightly radicalised stage I might have said that they are doomed to hell. But once I got reeled in I would have probably said I wish I could be them and be allowed to convert (In Islam if you convert you basically start from a blank slate so all sins forgiven by god). It goes by an idiology my friend hammerd into me which is that think of every muslim above you because you dont know what good deed they may have done to give god's good favour to them and consider every non Muslim above you because they could convert at any time and would defacto have a blank slate and a pass to heaven.

Then Now a days I would say live and let live I mean I am in Uni and in Computer science I dont have time or effort to discuss this stuff but sure I mean to each their own right. Probably not the answer you were looking for but sure I mean I have been in many many different stages of religious belief so yeah thought I could share some :)

/r/AskReddit Thread