I can see the dilemma here!
Fortunately, I only know one religious person, my oldest friend. He became AOG(Pentecostal) a number of years ago and then a pastor. We only communicate on the 'phone these days and I found I had to set some ground rules!
In addition to being a Pentecostal pastor, he is homophobic, racist, misogynistic and I sometimes wonder why I'm still friends with him!
Some years ago he began preaching to me and I very quickly let him know that I was an atheist, but if he wanted to believe then that was his choice. He told me that he was concerned for my soul because I was an atheist, I replied that I was concerned for his sanity because he wasn't. He had previously mentioned that god had sat alongside him in his truck!
So, while I have no answers for you, I realise to some extent what you have to suffer when listening to people whose views are entirely different to you own.
Fortunately, I only know one religious person, my oldest friend. He became AOG(Pentecostal) a number of years ago and then a pastor. We only communicate on the 'phone these days and I found I had to set some ground rules!
In addition to being a Pentecostal pastor, he is homophobic, racist, misogynistic and I sometimes wonder why I'm still friends with him!
Some years ago he began preaching to me and I very quickly let him know that I was an atheist, but if he wanted to believe then that was his choice. He told me that he was concerned for my soul because I was an atheist, I replied that I was concerned for his sanity because he wasn't. He had previously mentioned that god had sat alongside him in his truck!
So, while I have no answers for you, I realise to some extent what you have to suffer when listening to people whose views are entirely different to you own.
There are many intelligent Christians, no doubt, but an "intellectual Christian", is surely an oxymoron.
