I rarely discuss religion or any aspect of my being an atheist. Once in a great while I have had someone talk to me about their religion, and I always feel embarrassed for them. If they had impressed me as a reasonably intelligent person up to that point, I always feel disappointed and sad, hearing them talk about this absurd stuff as though it were real.
I find myself almost completely unable to respect them, once they have talked about their God or whatever, and while I don't exactly blame them, I just feel...limited, like I can't bring myself to take them seriously in any other matter. I never know what to say. If they ask me about my religion, I generally mumble something vague and change the subject.
I suppose it seems arrogant for me to feel sorry for them, and I am sure if they knew it they would find it amusing, but I can't help it. It just comes as such a disappointment to hear someone start going on about the Lord and such, I can hardly believe they are serious and I feel so lousy knowing that there is this gulf between us.
To be honest, if I already thought they were not very intelligent, then I sort of expect the religion talk to happen, so I am not very disappointed. I have some friends who I know are not atheists, but who are not overtly religious or at least haven't been too obvious about it with me. I have never managed to sustain a friendship with someone who spouts that creepy "what The Lord has done in my life" sort of stuff, and I have heard it from a few reasonably intelligent people over the years.
Have any atheists here managed to maintain a friendship with an overtly religious person?
I find myself almost completely unable to respect them, once they have talked about their God or whatever, and while I don't exactly blame them, I just feel...limited, like I can't bring myself to take them seriously in any other matter. I never know what to say. If they ask me about my religion, I generally mumble something vague and change the subject.
I suppose it seems arrogant for me to feel sorry for them, and I am sure if they knew it they would find it amusing, but I can't help it. It just comes as such a disappointment to hear someone start going on about the Lord and such, I can hardly believe they are serious and I feel so lousy knowing that there is this gulf between us.
To be honest, if I already thought they were not very intelligent, then I sort of expect the religion talk to happen, so I am not very disappointed. I have some friends who I know are not atheists, but who are not overtly religious or at least haven't been too obvious about it with me. I have never managed to sustain a friendship with someone who spouts that creepy "what The Lord has done in my life" sort of stuff, and I have heard it from a few reasonably intelligent people over the years.
Have any atheists here managed to maintain a friendship with an overtly religious person?
And the Lord God spake unto them, saying, "A Great Fire be bound within all things, and know ye that be it unleashed, its energy shall be as like its mass, multiplied by the swiftness of the light, and so multiplied again." And they were much amazed. --II Physicists, Chapter IV, verses 5-8.
