Atheists: Can You Still Accept X'n Friends?

[Patrick33]

I remember moving to Jakarta for work. Eager to make friends I was pleased to meet a nice couple and we seemed to be getting on well. Then it emerged they were Christians and everything changed for me. A whole topic of conversation was now to be avoided, there was mutual judgement of each other and I knew we'd never share an evening down the pub together drinking too much. Yes, I have Christian friends, but I'll never be as close to them as I will others...

[rado84]

Though I guess not everyone here is an atheist, I am. I'm finding it harder and harder to remain friends with believers.
This question is directed at other atheists. So, if you reply, please state first whether or not you are an atheist. If an atheist, please also state if you are a Type 1 or Type 2 atheist, as defined below. :-)
Question:
As an atheist, do you find you are still able to be friends with believers?
What I've found is that there are 2 basic types of atheists:
1) Simply don't believe in god, but don't mind if others do
2) Don't believe in god because they think it's a dangerous fairytale

I am in the second group. My hunch is that people in the first group can still be friends with believers. 
So, more specifically: If you are a 'Type 2 atheist,' are you still able to be friends with believers? If so, doesn't it cause significant 'cognitive dissonance' (mental confusion/stress)?
Thx, D

I'm a Type 3 atheist - a combination of Type 1 and Type 2. I have 3 believing friends - one is a christian and the other 2 are muslims. They don't give a shit I'm an atheist and don't feel the need to convert me and I don't feel the need to convert them, so we get along just fine with them.

[Disciple]

[Little lunch]

Actually, I look around and find myself unworried by x-tians and muslims.
It's just that it can be hard to maintain friendships with these people when we don't have as much in common.
Some of us find it hard to respect someone who believes in such nonsense and respect is something that good friendships really should include, is it not?

[Disciple]

Actually, I look around and find myself unworried by x-tians and muslims.
It's just that it can be hard to maintain friendships with these people when we don't have as much in common.
Some of us find it hard to respect someone who believes in such nonsense and respect is something that good friendships really should include, is it not?

Hey there.  Its hard to maintain friendships with individuals if you don't have much in common for sure. I'm almost positive my atheist friends I mentioned certainly don't respect my belief in a creator.  Its just how they see things. Its perfectly ok with me. Not a big deal at all really.  I guess what I was talking about moreso was rejecting a whole group of people based on a single facet of their belief system.  Just because you don't respect something about what a person believes on a single issue to me, doesn't mean you cant respect them as a person. Or viewing a single person as if they were  a group of people rather than an individual.  Oh, and if you aren't concerned about the invading hoards, you aren't living in the right part of your country.
 And also a side note. The way you guys type out the word Christian kills me lol. Xtian? really?    You know Crips and Bloods do that too right? For example, if a member of a blood gang is talking about Compton, he pronounces it bompton haha. Or if a Crip is making is  making graffiti and should need to use a letter B in his spelling he will substitute an x for it. Its pretty childish really. I consider myself a pretty childish dude so forgive me if I may borrow your idea from time to time.  Its pretty funny.

[Pat Mustard]

Though I guess not everyone here is an atheist, I am. I'm finding it harder and harder to remain friends with believers.
This question is directed at other atheists. So, if you reply, please state first whether or not you are an atheist. If an atheist, please also state if you are a Type 1 or Type 2 atheist, as defined below. :-)
Question:
As an atheist, do you find you are still able to be friends with believers?
What I've found is that there are 2 basic types of atheists:
1) Simply don't believe in god, but don't mind if others do
2) Don't believe in god because they think it's a dangerous fairytale

I am in the second group. My hunch is that people in the first group can still be friends with believers. 
So, more specifically: If you are a 'Type 2 atheist,' are you still able to be friends with believers? If so, doesn't it cause significant 'cognitive dissonance' (mental confusion/stress)?
Thx, D

As long as somebody isn't trying to shove their religion down my throat, or say they are better people simply because they believe in god(s), then I've no problem being friends with them. I've catholic friends (including those in holy orders), I've protestant friends (mostly anglican or other UK originating sects), I've buddhist friends, I've muslim friends, and I've got lots of friends who have a vague feeling that there is something out there looking over us but not really caring either way(pretty much the default Irish belief these days).

[Jesster]

Though I guess not everyone here is an atheist, I am. I'm finding it harder and harder to remain friends with believers.
This question is directed at other atheists. So, if you reply, please state first whether or not you are an atheist. If an atheist, please also state if you are a Type 1 or Type 2 atheist, as defined below. :-)
Question:
As an atheist, do you find you are still able to be friends with believers?
What I've found is that there are 2 basic types of atheists:
1) Simply don't believe in god, but don't mind if others do
2) Don't believe in god because they think it's a dangerous fairytale

I am in the second group. My hunch is that people in the first group can still be friends with believers. 
So, more specifically: If you are a 'Type 2 atheist,' are you still able to be friends with believers? If so, doesn't it cause significant 'cognitive dissonance' (mental confusion/stress)?
Thx, D

I'm a Type 3 atheist - a combination of Type 1 and Type 2. I have 3 believing friends - one is a christian and the other 2 are muslims. They don't give a shit I'm an atheist and don't feel the need to convert me and I don't feel the need to convert them, so we get along just fine with them.

I'd have to go with this answer too. I'm dating a Christian and I'm not trying to convert him in any way. I've also fallen in love with his very Christian family. As long as others don't do anything to make me uncomfortable about how they use their beliefs, it never really bothers me. However, I am also very aware of religious people who are potentially causing me harm. There's the obvious harm I see from politicians in my own country who want to make my existence illegal as well as the more violent behaviors I see overseas. Even more closely, my own parents want nothing to do with me anymore simply because who I am is against their religious beliefs. I'm also aware that if I went near most churches I'd likely receive a fair share of harassment. I don't take belief like that lightly.