to ask how you feel when someone is at the opposite end of the faith spectrum?

[Morphene]

I've recently discovered two separate people I have been getting closer to (professional/friendship wise) are at the other end of the faith scale from me. I have actually felt a little upset and unbalanced by it.

IABU? I mean I know I am, but do other people get this? Does it make a difference if you are the one with or without faith?

I am sure I will still get on just fine with them, but I feel a little sadness that in this important respect we are very far from each others wavelength.

Anyone who tries to force their belief or lack of belief on others is a dick. HTH

Never bothers me unless other people are trying to shove their beliefs down other people's throats or unless their beliefs perpetuate some sort of prejudice/hate/inequality.

I am often surprised by people's beliefs, however.

I wouldn't care as long as it wasn't shoved down my throat. Religious beliefs doesn't come up in convo very regularly with me and my friends.

I believe in God and generally follow Christianity but am not totally sure of what I believe and only mention my faith if it comes up in conversation. It wouldn't bother me if I found out that a friends was on an opposite end of the faith spectrum so long as they don't bang on about how my beliefs defy logic.It's okay for them to have those opinions but if my faith means that they suddenly loose some respect for me, then that's a deal breaker .

Why is it a problem. My DH is at opposite ends of belief spectrum to me as are many of my friends and family. Can't imagine it coming between us - it's all about respecting and celebrating people's right to be different.

Well I do know of a couple. I've no idea how they square religious non proven beliefs with the science why practice but that's entirely up to them.

If they were going round denying evolution I would be very .

The one I know of that does apparently has a very interpretation of the bible and perceives women as lesser due to them being made second. again. (Yes he really did say this at work) He may ofcourse also just be a bit of a twat. Thankfully I don't have to work with him.

They practice*

One of my best friends is very religious , so much so that she lives in a church with her family but I'm the opposite . It's not a problem at all . We respect each other's views and she has never once tried to convert me . I'm genuinely interested in it so we have good in depth discussions but we leave it that I think she is bonkers and she thinks I'm bonkers for not believing it ..

Oh I know there are a lot of highly successful religious scientists. It still looks and feels a little inexplicable from the outside.

I'm actually quite interested in why some people's neural nets throw up the internal sense of God and others don't. For me that's a totally separate issue to the actual existence or otherwise of God. But I guess I worry about offending people by thinking that!

I couldn't date someone who wasn't also an atheist, but beyond that I don't care. As long as they don't impose their beliefs upon me (and no one I know does), it's fine.

Well dating is a bit different. I couldn't date with the potential to share my life with someone who doesn't share similar values to me. Religious or otherwise.

Sex on the other hand..

hmm it seems on average that the non-religious find it slightly harder to cope with the religious than the other way around. I suppose the religious have the privilege of being in the majority to help them be magnanimous....

I suppose the religious have the privilege of being in the majority to help them be magnanimous....

Are they?

I've often been the solo Christian in my workplace.

Are religious people really the majority in the UK ?

I know many now would still identify as Christian culturally but don't practice nor have set beliefs. I guess religious people must be the majority still. I'm surprised actually - I know so few religious people.

The fact that you're close, get on well and have similar views show that you share some values. Those values might come from different teachings or schools of thought but you share them. That's a great basis for a friendship.

I understand how you could be feeling uneasy about this. I have found though, that there's something really nice in developing a positive and close relationship with someone whose views are completely different to your own. If you can still treat each other with respect and enjoy each others company, then that just means that you're both fundamentally nice people whatever your beliefs are.

I couldn't care less about it. My beliefs are mine and theirs are theirs...as long as they aren't extremists

I know tons of very religious scientists. Several are lay ministers also. Just be respectful of each other's beliefs and go about your day as before.

Really Morphene? Do you think you're a minority?

purple well maybe not in my work place...but in the country, yes. Those claiming to be Christian are in the majority, let alone when you sum up all faiths.

In the world, the religious have it overwhelmingly.

I know a militant atheist who likes to bang on about how faith is a mental illness. I constantly point out that a) he is being an ass. b) given mental normalcy/ illness is determined by majority in the population its us that would be deemed mentally ill if anyone was.

I am not a religious person, but religion doesn't bother me at all and it generally doesn't bother me what other people choose to believe in. I will quite happily chat about people's faith, I find it an interesting topic and they won't get any judgment from me, but at the same time I am not happy if someone decides to tell me that I'm a bad person for not having faith.

I know what you mean as I find it a bit upsetting if I realise I have quite opposing views from someone I consider a friend. However, oddly enough, on faith I don't struggle so much. I am a practising Christian with heaps and heaps of agnostic/atheist/other friends. As long as they respect my beliefs it's fine. If they ask, I tell. If not it's just not an issue.

What I find more upsetting is a best friend who's become vegan and continually posts stuff on fb that implies I (and any other non-vegan) are cruel and heartless, and haven't thought through their food choices.

birds I think its a bubble thing. I thought almost everyone I knew was atheist, but actually a lot of them aren't, and anyway a uni science department isn't likely to be representative.