AIBU to find this slightly odd behaviour from atheist friends?

[handsandknees]

I am an Evangelical Christian. People who know me well know that. I am happy to talk about it if people want to, but I don't go on about it.

Last Easter one of my friends posted a long status on facebook basically ranting against the Christian Easter message and saying that she didn't want or need Jesus to have died for her, thank you very much. Up to her what she writes of course, but the tone was very aggressive and I wondered why. I didn't comment but later she sent me a personal message asking me what I thought of her post.

Then this week another friend posted a photo on my wall which said "Proud to say I'm an atheist". I haven't responded but just wondering why would someone do this? I am not offended just find it a bit strange.

Why do you think they would do this?

hands I think that there is no issue with posting what you believe in on FB as long as you know that you might invite very strong comments from other people, incl 'friends' and people you don't know about.

However, a PM asking 'what did you think of my rant on Easter as Christian religion?' when the person knows you do believe in God etc... is . It actually makes it look like that person WAS looking for fight on the subject and that you had the best reaction to have in that case ie say nothing.
I have to say, I would not be offended by anyone posting things that are gong contrary to my own beliefs. A bit like on MN tbh. Everyone should be able to post on the subject they chose.

Just ignore any posts of theirs like that. As long as you aren't posting similar messages to them then they are being a bit odd. And rude.

Yes Escape I agree she was looking for a discussion. We have had quite a few discussions in the past and both enjoyed the argument so maybe not that surprising. I was just a bit taken aback by the angry tone.

No definitely not posting anything like that, unless "Merry Christmas Everyone!" counts.

That's the issue with FB. Getting the tone right in your posts and when reading them is extremely difficult which is why you should never ever engage in that sort of argument on that sort of media.

ah ok if it was own her own wall that's different I agree.

Atheism is a belief system. To believe that there isn't a god is just as much a "belief" as to believe in one. Neither is open to scientific "proof".

I am an evangelical Christian who used to be an university Chaplain. Although now retired, I retain links with the university, being also a biologist, as I lecture on the topic of Human Evolution (despite what many atheists would have you believe, it's quite possible to be a Christian and believe in Evolution).

I have got on well with most of the Atheists I have come across. There are people in all groups - Christian, Moslem, Atheist, whatever - who are kind, open-minded, and tolerant. There are also people who are arrogant, narrow-minded, intolerant, and look down with contempt on all who disagree with them. Despite their supposed allegiance to free thinking, I have come across as high a proportion of the latter amongst Atheists as I have amongst the "religious".

Agnosticism - "don't know" - is a different matter. It, and not atheism, is the basic default position for non-believers.

Ah. So now I'm not only being told what I think, but also being told what my 'default position' should be. Lovely. And atheists are the intolerant ones?

And, there is also no proof that the universe wasn't created by a giant shiny fucking teapot. Is not believing in that also a 'belief'? Or is it just 'not believing'?

Creation myths are not an essential part of a belief system Wallison, so your straw man of the shiny teapot creator is irrelevant.

Oh and I didn't mean to characterize you as one of the aggressive atheists - discussions on mumsnet or elsewhere and aggressively prosletysing on facebook as the OP's friend was, or in the pub or street is what I was characterizing. So apologies if you took it personally, not all Atheists are aggressive (or evan have) a converting zeal.

if you don't beleive in God but do come at it from a religious, doctrinal framework of belief, are you an atheist?

Oh hello again Cote - as gracious as ever I see.

Just for your information my son does have all the other things predicted: He cannot walk, has no use of his right arm and great difficulty speaking

I'm also no stranger to the loss of a baby

So I don't think I'm as smug as you seem to think. But then you've always had a high opinion of me.

It's not irrelevant. I am talking about the nature of non-belief, which for some reason you seem to find impossible to grasp. There are all manner of things that I don't believe in - ghosts, magic, God, fairies, angels. This does not mean that I 'believe they don't exist' - I simply don't believe in them. You can tell me until you're blue in the face that it's a belief, but it isn't. I should imagine that you have your own reasons for wanting to frame my thoughts in this way although I would never presume to do this to you.

It is not even a matter of creation myths. I could say, for example, that I don't believe that a duck-billed platypus will judge my eternal soul at the moment of my death. I could also say that I don't believe the flower at the end of my garden is going to shower me in glory if I keep the slugs from it.

By saying that lack of belief is a belief, you are giving credence to the believers. You are saying that there is something - however you want to define it - to be not believed in. I am saying that there is not. You are saying that there is a question that needs to be answered. I am saying that there is not.

so Wallison, are you saying that you don't beleive in anything, you have only knowledge? I'm not having a go I am just interested.

ethelb to say you don't believe in something is sort of to imply that it exists or that there is some possibility it exists.

So in order to not believe something exists you would have to know it does not exist. Am I right?

sorry disregard last post. I mean in order to not have a belief in something you would have to know there is nothing. Does that make more sense?

I'd just tell them to FOAD.

I am not going to delete my friends over this. I posted because I am puzzled - why should it matter to them that I believe something they don't? Can't they just think I'm wrong?

Thanks, I can let it go. I've just been thinking about it all which is why I posted.