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My problem.

Hello.
I am brand new to this site, I stumbled upon it on google but I found it to my liking. So, just like the rest of you, I am atheist. I attend High School, but often times there I am repeatedly asked to "come to church" by a Christian who will not stop. Each week he comes to me. I repeatedly, and assertively, refuse every time. I have tried to explain to him my Atheism, asked him multiple questions about how God can exist (the problem of evil, etc.) and he either refuses to think about them for fear of angering his God (which goes agaisnt the religion itself in a way) or he just doesn't understand. He, like all other Christians I have spoken to, refuses to see my way, although I have looked at Christian beliefs and classified them as foolish.

Help? How can I get him to stop coming to me? It is beginning to get frustrating and extremely annoying. Thanks in advance.

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Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on February 13, 2009 at 8:15pm

A Christian like that one seems to be playing out the role of missionary...trying to convert members over to the "Jesus side". I feel bad for you that all the reasonable discussions on your part are falling on deaf ears. Somebody like this seems to be willfully blind. And trying to force his ideas on you without respecting your right to think differently. This sort of person will continue to harass you until he or she finds another person to focus on.

It all sounds very annoying. Stand up for your principles. Back up your arguments without getting overly emotional about it. Look at this as a way to learn and develop your debating skills maybe?? Accuse him of hogging the dialogue...genuine dialogue allows for the other person to SPEAK and be UNDERSTOOD. Otherwise it's a monologue, right??

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Permalink Reply by Jude Johnson on February 13, 2009 at 8:54pm

Maybe you could tell him you have "atheist meetings" every Sunday.

No really, that's a tough one. I'd probably try to tell him directly and firmly that nothing he says is going to get you to church and that his pestering is making you uncomfortable.

After a polite approach such as the above, if he still persists, I'm afraid I would have to resort to rudeness.

Good luck to you!

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Permalink Reply by Rickr0ll on February 14, 2009 at 1:14am

Well i'm glad someone else found alternatives. Then my "kick ass" approach won't be necessary it seems lol.

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Durden on February 14, 2009 at 8:38am

I get the strange feeling that we've met somewhere else...lulz

Anyway, at least your friends are asking you to go to church instead of shouting "FAG!" every time you mention that you're an Athiest. My guess is that he thinks that by taking you to church with him, you'll be "enlightened" by God. Just tell him that you didn't feel anything and maybe he'll quit. He might still think you can be "saved" or something, but at least he won't keep asking you to go to church with him. I remember back when I went to a Catholic school and Church was an elective...*shudders* back then I was young and impressionable. Tell him that you respect his beliefs, even though you disagree with them, and ask him for the same. If he's a real friend, he'd back off.

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Permalink Reply by Blake on February 14, 2009 at 1:14pm

Heh.
Well actually, the close friends that I have either are atheist or don't really care whether I am or not. This one kid is the only one who really gives me any problems. I have a feeling he might be laying off, though, because he didn't come to me this week.
But yea thats exactly how he is. He wants me to be "enlightened" when the last time I went to church as an atheist I fell asleep.
So hopefully it sticks this way and he doesn't bug me.

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Durden on February 14, 2009 at 2:02pm

Oh, if you REALLY wanna stir something interesting, go with him, and question the priest on everything he says. But clarify that you're athiest first. With any hope, you'll get excommunicated!

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Permalink Reply by Blake on February 14, 2009 at 4:40pm

ROFL! That would be awesome.

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Permalink Reply by Angie Jackson on June 4, 2009 at 4:41pm

Oooooh, I want more questions from Nano!

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Permalink Reply by cj the cynic on February 14, 2009 at 9:38pm

Tell him that you need permission from Satan, the Dark Lord, before you attend any gatherings. Satan is on vacation in the Bahamas and will not be able to review your request for 3,486 human years.

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Permalink Reply by Michael on February 15, 2009 at 2:41pm

Tell him you lost interest in religion after you read Malachi 2:3
He won't know what it is, so let him find it for himself.

In that text, God tells those who fail to give glory to his name: "Behold I will corrupt your seed and spread dung upon your faces."

My guess is that he will stay away for a while (until he figures out a response)
That response might be that the text is "symbolic"
So now ask him to explain what it symbolises.

Or you could throw bible contradictions at him.
Ask him to verify that Matthew 5:22 says that whoever calls somebody a fool is destined for hell fire.
Get him to explain exactly why it should happen (and that it must happen because it's in the bible).

Once he's dug the hole deep enough, hit him with Psalm 14:1 where the psalmist says:
"Fools say to themselves There is no God. They are all corrupt."
Now ask the believer to explain the obvious contradiction

There hundreds of bible contradictions here:
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/
Enough to keep the believer on the backfoot for a long, long time

Never let the believer change the subject. Insist that he explain each contradiction or absurdity to your satisfaction before moving on to something else.

This procedure serves two purposes
It hones your debating skills
And it demoralises your opponent to the point where he gives up and stops bothering you.

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Permalink Reply by Blake on February 16, 2009 at 12:15am

Thanks for the site link. If he ever decides to bring up a religious subject as a conversation (likely this week), I'll make sure to use your strategy.

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Permalink Reply by Mohamed Zaki on May 29, 2009 at 6:54pm

I deal with this everyday but as i am living in a muslim country and my name as you see is Mohamed, so i have people always asking me to join them for prayer, OFCOURSE i will get killed if i say i am atheist so i found a way of not going to pray, i tell them that i haven't prayed for a long time and i will feel myself a hypocrite if i pray just because i am with them, and i actually backup my sentence with a verse from the quran. I don't like the way i respond but i really can't say the truth.. makes me angry big time, but what should i do, crazy muslim theists all around...