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Why did you even ask me?

I have a fundy relative who was at long last curious as to what I believed. She was already aware that I wasn't a fundy, but she wanted to know the specifics.

"Well, I want to know because after all, you know all about Christianity."

I said, "You'll just be insulted. It's the opposite of your religion."

She said, "Nah, nah. I want to listen and learn."

"Okay, then. I believe that Jesus was a human just like any other who preached and then died. He's not better than anyone else who lived."

She's infuriated. "How could you say that! Jesus is God!"

I told her she would be insulted when I told her what I believed. And guess what, she was insulted.

Has something similar happened to you? I always giggle when I remember this.

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Permalink Reply by Jesus Lied For You on November 15, 2009 at 12:16am

My aunt and I got into a similar conversation. Basically, it ended when I demonstrated a superior understanding of the very religion she claimed to believe and challenged her faith. In lieu of testing or questioning her faith by my probing questions, she just disengaged from the dialogue. I haven't heard from her since. It's okay, though.

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Permalink Reply by Turtle Poser on November 15, 2009 at 5:15pm

I wonder, too. She always believed my beliefs were atheistic anyway. At the time, I actually believed in God, albeit in an extremely different way than she. I was a strict monotheist who believed in God, but didn't believe that it would've been necessary to have God send a "son" to prove His existence and save us. Now, I don't believe there is a God because no one has proven to me that it exists.

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Permalink Reply by Фелч Гроган on November 15, 2009 at 3:48am

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Permalink Reply by Turtle Poser on November 15, 2009 at 5:17pm

When I was a child, Jesus lived door to me with his wife & children.

Love the shirt.

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Permalink Reply by Tarquin St John Sh'gn'sty on November 15, 2009 at 7:41am

She said, "Nah, nah. I want to listen and learn."

"Liar liar,pants on fire" just popped into my head, I don't know why.

Over the years, I HAVE had people say;"now promise you won't get upset"

My response; "NO, I will not.If you think I will be offended, either don't say it or be ready for my hostility"

Guess what? They usually don't believe me,----then THEY get upset when I say something unkind about their intellect or parentage..

I cannot guarantee my emotional reactions,nor can anyone else;such reactions are involuntary.

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Permalink Reply by Turtle Poser on November 15, 2009 at 5:21pm

I could tell on the other end of the phone that she was already getting upset with me. I should've just held my ground & said I have nothing to say or prove to her. The truth is, you don't have to justify your beliefs unless you're trying to push them on others.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Elle on November 15, 2009 at 5:34pm

I wrote a story on another networking site about the Universe and how amazing it is, somewhere in there I referred to my Agnosticism, later that day I had an email from a random fundie on a bible bender..

"You think the Universe is amazing? But you don't believe in GOD?!?! Who the heck do you think made it all?!?! IDIOT!!!!!"

Yeah, that was interesting lol. Things like that happen often to me on other websites, its usually amusing but sometimes the ignorance is just disgusting.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Elle on November 15, 2009 at 5:52pm

Thats what I was thinking, it must be sad and pretty boring having all the answers, them being all so simple, "god did it".. Yikes, glad I don't think that way.

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Permalink Reply by Louis on November 15, 2009 at 6:14pm

Yes. My mom knows that I'm an atheist, my Uncle is a spiritualist who believes in all religions -- no, I don't know how that works. My mom wanted me to talk to my Uncle, so I did.

My Uncle asked me why I didn't believe in God, and I told him that the persistence of the suffering of children not only leads me to believe there is no God, but also that if there was one I wouldn't want to worship it.

Then he asked me if children really want to be well. I knew and I suspect he knew that it was a snap counter that in retrospect didn't make sense. The conversation kind of ended there with everyone thinking that I was just a 'doubting Thomas' -- how deliciously patronizing.