To get annoyed with God-bothering status updates?

[Machadaynu]

As a young 'un I was taken to church, and thus became friends with quite a few other young 'uns. I am still friends with a few of them even though we're now old, and thus have them as friends on facebook.

Every now and again one of them will have some utterly banal platitude about God as their status. As you may have guessed there is a particularly bad one on my feed now.

AIBU to feel a bit disappointed in them for still not seeing it as platitudinous nonsense? I never comment on them, incidentally, but sometimes I'd like to.

I also get loads of 'God' adverts on Facebook even though I've listed myself as atheist. I think this is because I've sometimes clicked on links they have posted out of curiosity - that annoys me as well!

YABU. Presumably their religion is an important part of their identity so why would they not post about it on FB?

If I cared that much about FB updates I would be 'disappointed' with the following:

• male friends who post about the awesomeness of the latest video games. I hate video games. I think they are complete trash suitable only for cave-dwelling, smelly teenagers.

• female friends wittering on about 50 Shades of Grey. I find the use of pornography demeaning and consumption of poorly-written literature to be a bad reflection on the consumer's taste.

• friends who post sad pictures with 'like if you care about starving children/kicked puppies/blah'. Like that is going to make so much difference to the world.

etc.

NameChangeGalore their beliefs don't affect me at all: none of them have any power or influence.

However, their belief is a reminder that religion in all it's forms is rather powerful, precisely because so many people still believe in it.

By supporting their local churches, they give power to their leaders, and their leaders are not afraid to use that influence.

I don't think there is anyone who would disagree that it is not desirable for religions to have power. Some might limit that to some religions though.

Most of my friends and family in SA are devout Christians and constantly post inspirational/ religious status updates. I'm an agnostic, so I just tend to ignore it. It doesn't bother me and they're entitled to their thoughts/ opinions/ beliefs/ whatevers.

They know better than to try to convert me, though

TheJoyfulPuddlejumper

I have beliefs too. If atheism was not a belief, then believing in God really would be unreasonable.

I never have status updates that are essentially stating that I am atheist though, but I know enough about life to be fairly certain that at any one time many people who know me are weary of me :)

I don't want to hide their updates as usually it's just everyday news, which I don't mind. None of them are players of games or people who post 'Have this as your status for an hour or you are heartless' updates.

Just every now and again there is one that's just a bit grating!

I am a Christian and have a friend who is an atheist who frequently puts her views in her status update. She is my friend though, and our friendship is strong enough to survive a difference of opinion. I do not do 'religious' status updates, as that is not my way.

Mach, these religions will have power with or without an FB status. You are complaining about something you have the power to hide. You don't have to read their God posts to be reminded of it everyday. You choose to read them and then get on your high horse about how stupid these "friends" are to believe in such tosh. Does it make you feel better about yourself?

NameChangeGalore Gosh, you're taking this seriously!

Religions have power because people believe in them. It sometimes makes me a bit sad to be reminded (via the medium of FB) that even people who in all other areas of their lives are free thinking still believe in them. It sometimes makes me think that perhaps they will therefore be around forever.

It's the same as other people getting annoyed by the 'post this or you're heartless' posts.

Well you have taken this seriously enough to start a thread about it.

Why do you feel sad for them? I just don't get it. They seem like happy people yet you seem to be smug in the fact that what they believe in isn't true, so you feel sad for them. That's just ridiculous.

Anyway, don't really want to dwell on the matter. Hope you delete/block/hide these "friends" so you can save your energy for feeling sadness for people who blatantly deserve it.

I have quite a few of these on my FB, but they are all close relatives so I can't unfriend them. I just ignore the 'praise the lord for [something very banal]' ones.

What does annoy me is that the same people are the ones who are always hooked in to liking/sharing distressing pics of children with cancer etc posted by those scammy FB accounts which have no connection to the sick children, but are just using the pictures to get more 'likes' for their pages (and presumably getting advertising revenue on the back of it).

The relatives are all perfectly intelligent people, and it would be nice to think you can be religious without suspending all your critical faculties, but none of my other friends are quite so credulous.

Im an atheist and I think YABU to be so het up about this.

Hide the offending status or de friend. Peoples faith is very important to them,it shouldnt be mocked.

Are you disappointed in everyone who believes in something you don't?

Yeah, a few years ago they were all posting Laws Of Attraction updates

I ignore posts like that. If they post a lot of them and I ignore, Facebook decides I'm not very interested in those friends and downgrades them :)

God-bothering group suggestion was good. Thanks!

These days you unsubscribe from them. Then no more nonsense in your newsfeed. I do it all the time, if I find their updates irritating. Problem solved.

I'm a Christian and never get any of these adverts either.

However I have lists for all my friends and if I feel the need to do a really religious status update (very rare tbh) I actually customise to church friends only. So my Athiest friends do not have to read it

So in conclusion YAB a bit U. De-friend or unsubscribe, the power is in your hands

Actually there's quite an interesting thread going on over here you may enjoy the discussions in. I did read a lot of it the other day, but it's moved on a lot since then.

NameChangeGalore I didn't say I felt sad for them, I said I feel sad to be reminded that religion is still so powerful.