Having religious friends when you're atheist

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Religious differences here really aren't much of an issue.  I may have told this before:  Shortly after we moved in, a neighbour couple came over to introduce themselves.  In the course of the conversation, they invited us to their (Methodist) Sunday services.  My wife explained that, as we weren't believers, we would have to decline.  After the barest of pauses, Mr. Neighbour said, 'Well, maybe we could all go to the cinema sometime.'

Turned out to be wonderful people.  They've since move to Invercargill (about as far from us as you can get and still be in NZ), but we stay in touch.

Boru

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I had a sky pilot tell me "I'm your friend." I told him to come back when he meant it. Never spoke with him again.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I had a sky pilot tell me "I'm your friend." I told him to come back when he meant it. Never spoke with him again.

'I once worked with a guy for three years and never learned his name.  Best friend I ever had.  We still never talk sometimes.' - Ron Swanson.

Boru

[fredd bear]

I was raised in an Irish Catholic house. My father was easily as bigoted and dogmatic, about everything, as the most extreme Christian I've seen here. I left home at 18, and went to work interstate. I returned fora few months before I was conscripted, and lived at home for 6 months after I was discharged. My father and I established an uneasy truce, which lasted for the rest of his life. We did not talk about religion or politics.

My mother, at 92, remains a devout Catholic. ( acutely aware of and terribly distressed about the child abuse scandals) Mum and I have always been close. A major reason is that she is what I call a small 'c' Christian ' She has always given witness to her faith the way she has lived; a kind and compassionate person, who has quietly helped dozens of people in her lifetime.

In contrast to my mother, I consider the majority of the alleged Christians on this forum "big C" Christians. They carry their faith on their sleeve, always ready to convert others, always willing to tel you, aggressively, what they are against. They are be happy to show you how much they know about scripture, but in doing so, reveal how little they actually understand.. I have heard little of their attitudes towards love, compassion, acceptance or forgiveness, about being' other centred' which is implicit in the teachings of Jesus.

With the single exception of Tacky, I have found this little group to be ignorant, bigoted and hateful. That explains, but does not justify my intolerance of them.----as far as I'm concerned, the moral qualities implicit in practising christians are merely the moral values of a good person. Christianity has no monopoly on common decency. I consider myself as not an especially bad person, rather than an especially good one.

[GrandizerII]

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?

Religious as in seriously devoted to their religion? Can't say I'm currently close to any such people.

But otherwise, if by religious you mean they merely believe in God and probably go to church or something occasionally, sure I'm close to a couple of people who are. And no, I'm not the type of person who for no good reason goes around telling people close to me what they believe is bullshit. That would actually be a dick thing to do. So long as they don't try to act intellectually arrogant with me, and/or impose their beliefs/standards on me, I don't really care. A theist who tells me they believe in God but accept there's no evidence is very cool in my book. But a theist who believes in God and is confident it exists but nevertheless doesn't bug me much about it and listens to reason most of the time is also cool in my book. Happy to be friends with such a person, provided they have the type of personality I am ok with.

[fredd bear]

Just the one.

Became friends with an old fart at the mens group I attend. We got on real well. Then he started saying some weird things. The penny dropped when he spoke of "not eating blood'

A sad old man with a Catholic background, the JW's have go their hooks into him. Hasn't ruined the friendship for me as he hasn't tried to convert me..I'm just a bit careful about what I say to him, and change the subject if he comes over a bit JW. He's still the same decent bloke I like.

I have never had a problem with with religious people, as long as they keep their beliefs to themselves. If not, then there was a problem,. At work the problem took the form of the harassment officer.