Questions: atheist/theist friends

[fr0d0]

If they care nothing for me in thinking that I need to change for their benefit.

They think you need to change for your benefit

[Foxaèr]

They think you need to change for your benefit

I know what is best for my own benefit than their delusional fantasies.

[fr0d0]

Hopefully you do.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

Since their practices mean absolutely nothing to me because I don't believe in fairytales, the only way it could inconvenience me is through time-loss. If a theist friend wanted me to take part in some fairytale bullshit, I'd probably do it, as long as it's under 20 minutes.

lol that's a pretty good rule. this one cost me an hour.

[fr0d0]

I wasted a couple of hours doing some fairytale bs for an atheist friend! Christenings and weddings. Tradition. Who needs it. "I am the godfather" :p

[Cyberman]

No kidding; I'm a godfather as well, to my friend's youngest. Oh yes - another recruit for Satan's atheist army! Can't wait to begin his indoctrination!

[Doubting Thomas]

It all comes down to what I called "silly little rituals" that religious people think they have to do just right in order to please their god. When I was catholic I used to participate in those silly little rituals unquestioningly, because well, everyone else was doing it and we'd all done it since birth. I remember having a religious teacher teaching us the "proper" way to genuflect, and any other way was wrong.

I'm so glad I'm not saddled with all those silly little rituals any more, but unfortunately I'm surrounded by people who still do practice them. So I often have to be inconvenienced by them.

[Tonus]

So my question to you all (theists and atheists alike), is this: do you mind if your friends have religious practices that inconveniences you? do you find it slightly less convenient to be around theists (theists: of your own religion, and of other religions)? if you were in my shoes, what would you have done and would you mind?

That isn't something I can give a blanket answer to, because it depends on a number of factors.

I put up with all kinds of inconveniences from certain family members because I love them and care about them. I have no doubt that they do the same for me, even knowing that I don't believe in god. My older sister and her daughter pepper Facebook with religious-themed pap, but they're both awesome people and I have no desire to cause them any grief over it.

I have a relatively few close friends, the sort of people who are not (or would not be) fazed by my lack of belief. The sort of people who'd go through a wall for me, knowing I'd do the same. I'm willing to inconvenience myself for them because I know they'd do the same for me. Among the religious ones I wouldn't ask them to compromise their beliefs for my sake; they're good people and I'm not going to lay something like that on the conscience of someone who has been so good to me.

Everyone else... it depends. I'm generally a pretty accommodating person and willing to respect other people, occasionally even when they don't return the courtesy. But there's a line there somewhere, where I'd make it clear that whatever they're demanding isn't going to happen because being a nice person doesn't give others a license to be a fuckwad in return. Unless you allow it, anyway.

[Faith No More]

I've never had a religious friend, and that's not something I sought out to do on purpose. I guess I just have a personality that gravitates towards non-believers.

I do have a religious wife, however, who is practically a non-practicing Catholic. I say "practically" because she goes to church on Christmas and Easter, mainly just to please her grandmother, and she did want to have our son baptized, which I agreed to allow. When you throw a kid in the mix, it changes the dynamic, because things I would normally object to I won't in order to save my capital for religious complaints for when the situation is more important, like what to teach our son. The baptism was painful to experience, but it was worth it if it allows me to more boisterously object to things like sending him to Sunday school.

[pocaracas]

Ah, well.... Christian wife, goes to church every Sunday morning... All you can appreciate how inconveniencing that can be!!
One of the two mornings in the whole week when you can stay in bed for a little while longer... and she just leaves...
She goes to church... I stay at home!

When it was just the two of us, I'd go with her, on occasion... if you listen to the priest carefully, you can find some nice facepalming expressions that they use!
Some priests like to talk about the non-believers a lot...

Apart from that, I can't complain... she does her duty as a wife.