Living in an atheist world

[fifi669]

Anyone else find it difficult at times? My faith is unfaltering. I just find other peoples attitudes a bit draining sometimes.

I had a woman at work taking the piss out of Christians to me so I told her I was one. She looked at me like I had two heads. (She'd obviously not noticed the crucifix).

Constant stupid questions such as do you believe in the tooth fairy too? Come about once religion is mentioned. Sigh.

Unless asked a relevant question I keep my faith to myself and don't shove it in peoples faces. I don't see why people can't do the same with their atheism.

[exexpat]

Fugacity - actually, people have always been persecuted by other people for what they believe - this is certainly not confined to Christians. Perhaps atheists in Europe should feel fortunate that expressing their lack of belief is not a capital offence, as it is in some parts of the world: Atheists around the world suffer persecution, discrimination

Though of course in the past, Europe wasn't exactly tolerant of atheists or other non-Christians either, or even of the wrong kind of Christian - remember the Spanish inquisition?

And atheists in the US are still treated with suspicion and disdain - I found this article startling and worrying, coming from the more tolerant UK: Atheism in America.

[headinhands]

I have more respect for an out and out Christian than a 'my religion is personal to me and nobodies business' seeing as Jesus called his followers to preach the gospel. I used to be a Christian and people I knew knew it too! I even knocked on all the doors in my street once and personally invited them to my church. (Most people were out or pretending to be out) No one was ever rude to me. None of them ever came though! I honestly don't think I'd be rude if someone did that to me now. I'd appreciate that their intentions were good. If someone had been snidey or rude when I was doing my round I wouldn't have felt persecuted though.

[DoctorTwo]

Thanks for those references JeanPaget, I shall look out for those. I used to love reading Tacitus, but don't recall why.

All religions, as far as I'm concerned, deserve mockery, not respect. Religious people deserve respect, I know a fair few and we get on, in the main.

[thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts]

The recent bomb in Peshawar in Pakistan was just the latest in the persecution of Christians world wide. At least eighty five dead and over a hundred wounded. That is persecution.

[Kewcumber]

I take exception to anyone being rude to me. I think you are mistaken if you think people are only rude to Christians.

Take a tip from Ja-ja Binks "How rude!"

It doesn't need to turn into a theological debate.

[exexpat]

Christians are persecuted by Muslims, Muslims are persecuted by Christians and Hindus and (currently in Burma) Buddhists, Hindus are persecuted by Muslims, Jews are persecuted by everybody, some Christians persecute other Christians, and yes, before anyone mentions it, some religious groups have been persecuted by atheists, eg Tibetan Buddhists by the Chinese state.

As far as I'm concerned, the world might be a much nicer place without any religion, except then people would just carry on killing each other based on ethnicity, territory etc, which is actually what a lot of the 'religious' persecution actually boils down to.

But by no stretch of the imagination is someone being a bit insulting about your beliefs 'persecution'.

[fifi669]

I never said I felt persecuted. The UK is a very tolerant country in the whole. Individuals though can show a lack of respect for others beliefs whatever they may be. I started a thread to get advice from other people of faith about how they dealt with such situations and amongst other comments got a splatter of negative attitudes.

I'm not telling you what to believe, I won't tell you you're wrong to not believe the same as me. I have no problem talking about my faith, it's justifying it to people that's draining.

[Gingerdodger]

headinhands Christian loving values are very simple 'love one another as I have loved you'. Loving values are in no way exclusive to Christians but I was speaking in the context of an outward expression of Christian faith.

Curlew I disagree that I would not have my views changed of another person living life by loving values, on the contrary I have learnt lots about others way of life by observing how they live their lives, again Christian, of other faiths and none. It might not have made me decide to follow another path but it has certainly allowed me to learn more and value and respect those perspectives.

[headinhands]

So ginger, if people can have loving attitudes to those around them without religion, why should anyone attribute those that 'do it in the name of religion' to the supernatural?

[SlaveToRuthMiskinPhonics]

"I keep my faith to myself and don't shove it in peoples faces. I don't see why people can't do the same with their atheism"

In my experience, those with faith don't keep it to themselves so what you experienced is by no means a suffering that only the religious amongst us have to contend with. So as annoyed as you have every right to be with this rude woman, I'm sure that for every offended Christian there will be an offended atheist out there. Rude is rude and people are ignorant and offensive to others regardless of their religious beliefs.

[technodad]

Has anyone ever had a knock on the door from someone who wants to convert them to atheism?

Enough said.

[sashh]

I totally get the people looking at you with two heads because I don't celebrate Christmas. People do not get it.

But you are not living in an atheist world. How many Christian festivals have a bank holiday attached? The main ones, Easter and Christmas certainly do.

How much is your life impacted by atheists forcing you to do or not do things?

On December 25th I cannot go to the cinema, go shopping, have my hair done or even catch a bus/train. When does an atheist stop you doing any of those things on a day that is not a religious one.

Even other faiths do not have this privilege, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and Muslims - none of them have any religious days as an automatic bank holiday.

And as for Pagans - well take a look at the Halloween threads.

I'm sorry but because you belong to a religion with such privilege people are going to ask you to justify the privilege as well as your faith.

I find it difficult to sympathise with you.

[Gingerdodger]

Interesting question head. This is where openness in faith comes in. I am open about trying to live my life in accordance with Christian loving values. It's a sort of framework for me to live in. Whether others see this as down to my faith or otherwise will be their own view.

And I must add that it is about trying to live my life by those values. I am human and fail - often!

[sonlypuppyfat]

Thing is, when you have faith you want to share it . My friend went to a funeral and the vicar said if you don't believe in Jesus this is it for you the end. Wouldn't you want to save people from that.

[technodad]

Maybe atheists want to help save people from wasting their lives on something pointless.

[sonlypuppyfat]

I've got nothing to loose.

[mrsravelstein]

i don't shove my atheism in anyone's face. whereas all manner of religious people try to shove their religion in my face, from the jehovah's witnesses who keep knocking on my front door despite being asked politely to stop doing so, to my childrens' non-faith state schools telling them nonsense fairy tales about jesus. we do not live in atheist world, more's the pity.

[Rosieres]

Technodad - I haven't had an atheist knocking on my door wanting to change my views, but I've come across an awful lot of them on the internet who want to do so.

[Yougotbale]

Sonly - if it makes you happy then that's fine. If this is your only life then you will lose your life on Christian mythology, I'd say the same to a Harry potter fanatic.

Plus, the other 'gods' tend to treat atheists better on judgement day than they would a Christian. Maybe you aren't playing the odds well enough

[technodad]

Rosieres

What is your point? You choose to click on a web page, and read the content, that is your choice.

I sit in my lounge and get a knock on the door...

I send my kids to school and have them brainwashed...

I listen to thought for the day and hear a load of ole...

I can't send my kids to the best local schools because I am not willing to lie and pretend we believe in god...

I couldn't (until recently) send my kids to scouts with his mates without encouraging to lie during the promise...

I can't sing the national anthem without lying...

I don't even agree that the monarchy should have privilege...

People from religious groups represent me within the House of Lords...


Waaaaaa, I clicked on a link on the Internet and people said some words I don't like... Wahhhhh wahhhhh - discrimination!! Wahhhhhh.

[technodad]

Rosieres?

You still there, or are you writing to your local politician about how you have been offended by the film Pulp Fiction and how you watched it all the way to the end and hated all the violence?

[Annagramma]

I agree Technodad

Should also add that my friend who moved with her parents to the US (should add, they were American too) when I was a teen, recently had to 'come out' as atheist.

She is now not a part of their will, or, to them, their family. She has been shunned by her (ex) collegemates, by the local shopkeepers and by neighbours. Her door has had 'devil' spray painted across it.

Because she's atheist and lives in a small enough village that word gets round quickly.

As a Christian, I think what we are 'suffering' (by having many schools, often the onl schools in some villages, devoted to our religion, by having compulsory daily worship for our religion, by having holidays based around our religion and so on) is pretty small fry compared to atheists, even those living in the UK and not facing the same sort of discrimination as in some Middle Eastern countries, for example, or in the US.

[worldgonecrazy]

sonlypuppyfat I would love to save people from ignorant vicars.

[technodad]

Sonly.

What is wrong with death being the end?

[1919]

sonlypuppyfat I suggest you watch this to see why your argument is flawed