(September 26, 2013 at 11:30 pm)Ivy Wrote: While I can't understand why on earth an atheist would convert to a religion, I won't discard the possibility. It does irritate me when people tell me I'm not really an atheist because a real atheist would... (add something stupid here).
When I was in high school I had a group of friends (five atheists, and I was the only Christian) that I always prayed for, invited to church, etc. They were very polite and never teased me or told me that I wasn't really a Christian due to the fact that the religion was passed on to me by my parents. They respected me. Years went by and one of them fell in love with a Christian girl. All of a sudden he says, "I realized I have been very mean to Jesus. I gave my life to him and I repent." This was beyond ridiculous in my point of view (I was now atheist), but I didn't tell him this. I asked him why he believed and encouraged him to think about what he was saying and how it sounded, but I didn't say, "You are not really a Christian."
Keep in mind, this is a student with whom I have a good rapport. I treat all my students' beliefs and philosophies with respect. I talk to my Mormon students about Doctrine and Covenants (good stories in there) and this year I have a JW student and we share favorite Bible verses. I really enjoy talking to my atheist students because they are so open to considering so many different view points. I even have good conversations with my Republican students.
