An Atheist at Dinner

Here you are. You have been invited to a family, political or even social gathering where you share, with a more or less familiar crowd, food, drinks and laughters. Whatever the occasion is, you  let yourself being engaged in economic, political and societal debates with the people around you enjoying at every single opposition the opportunity to live and evolve in a country where free speech prevails...And here it comes, the cold and alienating call for prayer. Whoever you are, whatever your religious belief is, you are part of it now, and not submitting to this practice would cost you partial or complete rejection from the very people who were, until now, you dear peers...So here it is, the time to make a choice. Respectfully, your put your head down, your listen silently and you may or may not look around because you already picture too well your surrounding. And the crowd, this crownd that you cherish, releases a lifeless but powerful "Amen" as if there "final judgment" depended on it.

At that point, your choice was already made and the people at your table noticed your silence. Depending on how strong the religious belief of those who witnessed your affront to the "creator" is, you will receive a more or less explicit notification of interested about your choice.

Fortunately, my recent experience of being "an Atheist at dinner" went well but I thought, "what a useless pressure our growingly atheist society put on itself?" and "Isn't it the very essence of respect to challenge believers around me because I believe they are equipped with Reason and able to question their "faith" as we all did?"

As a very new member on this platform, I wished to throw this topic for us to share our experiences of being "an Atheist at Dinner" because I wondered how often do we challenge believers based on our respect for each other as earthlings and why do we sometimes take part in their routine.

How often do you ask: "What if you are wrong?"

Ivo