Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Angie Jackson on March 29, 2009 at 10:05pm

My three best friends (all from different parts of my life) are all in denial about my non-faith. Let's call them A, C, & D (their intials).

Me: I've come to the conclusion I can't believe in God anymore, and I feel really good. I'm an atheist.
A: What are you so mad at god about?
((This drives me especially nuts as she's a lesbian who was in the closet for 12 years and suffered awful xtian "orientation therapy" and guilt, but she still loves jebus))

Me: I'm an atheist
C: No you're not. This is a phase.
(six months later)
C: Are you still on that whole atheism kick?

Me: I'm an atheist.
D: I've had trouble with faith too. Do you want me to pray for you?

I don't know if these qualify as "funny" but since they all sincerely love me, I choose to be amused rather than offended, even by their sometimes condescending attitudes.

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Permalink Reply by Hank Fox on July 5, 2009 at 11:13pm

I'd have to say it's more like they love the person they THINK you are. The real you is invisible to them, because they don't want to see it. It's a lonely way to live, and eventually you'll have to make some decisions about whether you want to go to the trouble of trying to make them see you, or cut your losses and go off in search of people who will.

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Permalink Reply by New Atheist on November 7, 2010 at 8:19pm

Wow. I never thought of it that way. That's really depressing, but true.

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Permalink Reply by Ann N. on November 3, 2011 at 11:29am

You can keep the old friends AND make new friends. Have your cake and eat it too! You'll have twice as many friends as your Christian friends. Really. :)

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Permalink Reply by New Atheist on November 7, 2010 at 8:17pm

Did she do the "orientation therapy" voluntarily? She must be heavily indoctrinated if she did and that would explain why she reacted so unsupportively. Guilt loves company.

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Permalink Reply by Rob Steele on April 14, 2010 at 10:41pm

All responses to atheism are funny, they tend to show the ignorance of the ones making them.

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Permalink Reply by Jenn Oh on May 29, 2010 at 9:44am

Not all responses are. I've had some people just take it, just an "Oh" and keep moving on. That actually happened with three or four different people that I told.
Not everyone is as intolerant as they might seem.

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Permalink Reply by Merelen on April 6, 2009 at 6:43pm

I came out about my atheism during my senior year of high school. Other than the usual conversion attempts, I did have one amusing conversation with a friend online. I forget how we got on the topic, but she proceeded to try to convince me that there was a god.

Friend: Imagine there's an all powerful, all knowing being.
Me: Umm....Ok
Friend: So this all powerful being could create life and the universe, right?
Me: I guess.
Friend: See! You admit that there's a god!
Me: No. I agreed that if a god existed it could do those things. You've provided me with no proof of god.
Friend: But you have faith that you're talking to me right?
Me: Yeah, you're typing at me.
Friend: Well you're wrong. I'm her sister.

She didn't seem to notice that she'd just given a good example of why faith isn't reliable. I haven't spoken to either sister since.

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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on May 30, 2010 at 1:53pm

That's a pretty good example of Theistic circular reasoning. I'd ask the person back;

"So, imagine 'Harry Potter' is a true story."

"Ok."

"Ha! You admit Harry Potter is real!"

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Permalink Reply by Maja Petrovska on March 21, 2012 at 6:53pm

LOL! This is priceless! :)))

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Permalink Reply by Ann N. on November 3, 2011 at 11:30am

LOL! Good one.

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Permalink Reply by Alethias on April 12, 2009 at 1:42pm

Common conversation for me:

Them: "So...where do you go to church?"
Me: "I don't"
Them: "What?"
Me: "I don't go to church anywhere... What about you?"
Them: "Uh....new life...What do you mean you don't go to church????"
Me: "Well, I don't exactly believe in any god or gods, so going to church seems kinda silly to me. You think i ought to go to church even though it seems pretty silly to me?"

How it goes from there all depends on how truly stubborn they are. I've had a few want to get into theological debates with me; I'm game for that since I spent quite a few years as a bible teacher. The vast majority wait for a moment in embarrassed silence, and then say something like "Well, how about them Broncos? (this being Colorado Springs, Colorado and therefore Denver Broncos Country). Gives them a graceful opportunity to end the conversation.

I think of this city as the whipping end of the bible belt; or maybe the star in the buckle of the bible belt. I seem to strike most as pretty bizarre, hehe.

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