Having religious friends when you're atheist

[Bahana]

I'm curious how many atheists here have close friends that are religious. Are your religious friends evangelical and try to convert you? That can make it difficult because they always have some underlying agenda. I'm trying to work on being better with people and I try not to talk about my atheism most of the time because I know my beliefs about religion would be offensive. How do you handle relationships in your life with religious people?

[Yonadav]

In general, I avoid having imaginary problems with others.

[bennyboy]

I'm curious how many atheists here have close friends that are religious. Are your religious friends evangelical and try to convert you? That can make it difficult because they always have some underlying agenda. I'm trying to work on being better with people and I try not to talk about my atheism most of the time because I know my beliefs about religion would be offensive. How do you handle relationships in your life with religious people?

I treat religion as a cultural experience.  I get to see a side of people that may not be around a hundred years from now, and as absurd as it is, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Also, I like free cake.  So there's that.

[zebo-the-fat]

I have no idea about the religious beliefs of most of my friends and co workers, in the UK the subject seldom comes up.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'm curious how many atheists here have close friends that are religious. Are your religious friends evangelical and try to convert you? That can make it difficult because they always have some underlying agenda. I'm trying to work on being better with people and I try not to talk about my atheism most of the time because I know my beliefs about religion would be offensive. How do you handle relationships in your life with religious people?

The most important person in my life when I was a teenager went to mass regularly. He asked me if I wanted to go once. I said "no" and that was the extent of our religious discussions. Years later than made me respect him all the more. His was the last funeral I ever attended.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Most of our friends are religious, at least as far as we know.  It really isn't an issue for us or them, but I can imagine that if they tried to convert us, they would no longer count as friends.

Boru

[Cod]

Not an issue for me, I have no friends.

[brewer]

I'm not sure I have close friends. My wife is catholic.

Most people I interact with are religious/christians. Those that know I'm atheist have stopped talking religion with me. Those that don't know and try to talk religion with me usually very abruptly stop.

[EgoDeath]

I'm curious how many atheists here have close friends that are religious. Are your religious friends evangelical and try to convert you? That can make it difficult because they always have some underlying agenda. I'm trying to work on being better with people and I try not to talk about my atheism most of the time because I know my beliefs about religion would be offensive. How do you handle relationships in your life with religious people?

My father is constantly still doing this even though I'm a 25 year old man (you think he would've given up by now). He'll take an idea that I talked about a week or two ago and then relate it to something in the Bible or some religious concept in some transparent attempt to show that I hold views similar to what's espoused in the scriptures and he does it in a way that makes it seem like he thinks I forgot that we talked about that idea recently.

It's so blatantly obvious that I don't even bother to call it out. If I were a little less intelligent (not saying I'm intelligent in the first place), I would probably be at least a little duped by this. But luckily, I'm aware enough to clearly see what he's trying to do and quickly change the subject. I sometimes wonder if my father sees it as some kind of goal of his to convert me. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but who knows? And honestly, who cares? I'm not going to argue that his intentions are good; I think they're entirely selfish, to be honest. But I don't think he's aware enough of that selfishness for it to be considered actively malicious.

That being said, I can't say I have any close friends who are religious. I never sought out people who aren't religious but it just so happens that all of my friends are atheists or, at the very best, agnostic deists; some of them think there's "something out there," whatever the hell that means.

But honestly, no. No religious friends. It wasn't by design, but that's simply what it is.

I can't imagine it would be some huge issue if I did have a religious friend, so long as they didn't try to push it on me constantly. And even if they did, so long as they stopped when I asked, I really don't think it'd be a big deal. I think the most important question to ask is would this friend be willing to have an honest discussion about it? Because if you're a theist, you're certainly not going to like my views on religion. That I know from experience.

And if you're going to get butthurt when I tell you what I think about god when you have no issue pushing your views on me, our friendship is certainly not going to work out.

Honestly, I can't see myself being friends with a very religious person, though I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea. I certainly cannot see myself dating a very religious person, where religion might be much more important in how I interact with them.

[Mr.Obvious]

Some colleagues, Some friends and Some family members are believers. In varying degrees.

S all okay. As long as you don't expect others to agree with you and allow uncourtious Exchange of ideas. Not every believer is a fundie. Belief in and of itself does not dictate values. Common values are much more important than common beliefs.