Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or "you are mentally inferior for having a belief system"

If I ever thought that, I was wrong. Most people who believe have just not thought critically about it enough. Or they've buried their rationality under the pile of peer pressure that surrounds them.

And I would say something similar about atheists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or "you are mentally inferior for having a belief system"

If I ever thought that, I was wrong. Most people who believe have just not thought critically about it enough. Or they've buried their rationality under the pile of peer pressure that surrounds them.

Or they were influenced as a small child and haven't thought it through as an adult. or they like the idea of eternal life, so avoid thinking about how it doesn't fit with anything else they know about life. Or they just close off that part of their critical thinking because it's too threatening, or because the beliefs are so comforting.

Anonymous wrote:Or "you are mentally inferior for having a belief system"

If I ever thought that, I was wrong. Most people who believe have just not thought critically about it enough. Or they've buried their rationality under the pile of peer pressure that surrounds them.

Or "you are mentally inferior for having a belief system"

Anonymous wrote:See, atheists can judge with the best of them!

Oh we all judge. I just think we should judge each other from a rational basis, rather than "my God said what you are doing is immoral".

See, atheists can judge with the best of them!

Abraham Lincoln was atheist.

I also would loose a little respect for someone if I found out they were highly religious. Just like I would loose respect for someone who took Glen Beck seriously or fed their 3 year old Pepsi. I would never tell them, and while they might still be lovely people and I would probably still arrange play dates with them, I might not try as hard to foster a friendship.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:F. Say I am one, too and ask for another playdate. Plus think more highly of you.

This is exactly why I don't tell people I'm a Christian!

Recently found out that a friend is practicing Christian. Attends Sunday services and all. I have to admit, I lost a bit of respect for him. At this time I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was brought up this way and never questioned why he believes. It's not my job to confront him about it. He knows I am an atheist, I wonder if the feeling is mutual. Haha.

Atheist here. I swear most of the people who say these things are trolls. No other atheist has ever said anything like this to me in person and most atheists are married to people of faith.

I'm the PP who was sad to hear this, and I'm happy to hear you say it's probably not the case.

Of course, this PP would never tell her friend this, but she'd obviously think it, so I don't know.

Just as some Christians believe that all who have not accepted Jesus are going to Hell, some atheists have these sad views of people of faith, but as an atheist I like to think that most people who know me do not believe I am going to Hell.

I'm the PP that made the "lost a bit of respect" post.

Of course I would never reveal my feelings to my friend. It's one thing to feel something, it's another to confront someone about it. Friends can have different outlooks on life, politics, etc, and still remain friends. We don't all have to be 100% open, honest. By that same token, we can't expect to be 100% accepted by our friends. This is why I made the comment of "I wonder if the feeling is mutual. Haha." essentially making the observation that we all have internalized feelings about the people around us that we can't control. I can't help it if I think it's irrational to believe in God, and I am under no obligation to convince myself otherwise. Similarly, my religious friend can't help it if he thinks that I am going to hell or is not making the best out of my life based on his belief system. He is also under no obligation to change his private thoughts.

Frankly I am disappointed that making a factual observation on this fundamental aspect of human nature is met with derision on this forum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:F. Say I am one, too and ask for another playdate. Plus think more highly of you.

This is exactly why I don't tell people I'm a Christian!

Recently found out that a friend is practicing Christian. Attends Sunday services and all. I have to admit, I lost a bit of respect for him. At this time I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was brought up this way and never questioned why he believes. It's not my job to confront him about it. He knows I am an atheist, I wonder if the feeling is mutual. Haha.

I promise he feels sory for you.

Your response is a little self contradictory. From the tone of your post, it seems that you don't approve of me having "lost a bit of respect" for my friend due to his religious tendencies, right? Why then would you think that my friend behaves in this way towards me?

NP, but feeling sorry for someone and losing respect for them are completely different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:F. Say I am one, too and ask for another playdate. Plus think more highly of you.

This is exactly why I don't tell people I'm a Christian!

Recently found out that a friend is practicing Christian. Attends Sunday services and all. I have to admit, I lost a bit of respect for him. At this time I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was brought up this way and never questioned why he believes. It's not my job to confront him about it. He knows I am an atheist, I wonder if the feeling is mutual. Haha.

I promise he feels sory for you.

Your response is a little self contradictory. From the tone of your post, it seems that you don't approve of me having "lost a bit of respect" for my friend due to his religious tendencies, right? Why then would you think that my friend behaves in this way towards me?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:F. Say I am one, too and ask for another playdate. Plus think more highly of you.

This is exactly why I don't tell people I'm a Christian!

Recently found out that a friend is practicing Christian. Attends Sunday services and all. I have to admit, I lost a bit of respect for him. At this time I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was brought up this way and never questioned why he believes. It's not my job to confront him about it. He knows I am an atheist, I wonder if the feeling is mutual. Haha.

Atheist here. I swear most of the people who say these things are trolls. No other atheist has ever said anything like this to me in person and most atheists are married to people of faith.

Atheist PP here. I am the one at the top of this response.

No, I didn't say this, and yes, a troll did. I think more highly of people who are honest about their beliefs, not because they share the same ones as me. That was not clear from my post.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:A

But wonder why you are acting defensive.

+1

Because you don't believe the question, which said I wasn't being defensive? I'm confused.

That said, if someone is defensive about being an atheist in a country where atheists can't be elected president and many in the south think atheist = no morals, I wonder why you would wonder.

Wow. You ARE defensive, OP.

P.S. An atheist "can't" be elected president? Is that written somewhere?

+100

That's like saying someone with a non-anglicized name can't be president. Being defensive about it -- that won't want win someone an election.

BTW all except 1 president (Garfield?) are distantly related. So if you wanted to know your chances of winning a presidential election, check your genealogy not your religion.

NP - Come on now. All things being equal, people are more likely to vote for a gay or Muslim candidate than an atheist. http://www.gallup.com/poll/155285/atheists-muslims-bias-presidential-candidates.aspx

Is OP trying to get her child elected president or does OP want her child to have a friend? If you want your child to have friends, button up your issues, take the chip off your shoulder and stop acting defensive.

Don't move the goalposts. In the course of the conversation, someone claimed an atheist "can't" be elected president. Someone else challenged that statement. That's what my link was referring to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our young kids are friends or classmates. You find out I am atheist because someone asks a question about faith and I answer honestly, not defensively, with no disrespect to the faithful.

You . . .
A) Don't care
B) Think slightly less of me
C) Not B really but are less likely to be friends with me
D) Think your kids shouldn't play with mine
E) Think it's weird I said it even though I didn't bring it up

F. Say I am one, too, and set up another playdate.

Another F. I don't care what your faith is but prefer atheist if I have a choice.

See, another one. How sad that you'd not be friends with someone just because they have faith.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A - unless you are one to look down their nose at people who believe (Muslim, Hindu, Christain, Jew, Wiccan, etc.), or try to push an agenda (aka whatever the atheistic equivalent of evangelizing is).

My kid had a good friend from a very passionately atheist family who liked to prosletize. They openly mocked believers, rolled their eyes or acted like "awww, you still believe...how sweet" and evangelized their atheism to other kids. They weren't just that way with the Christian kids but the Jewish kids too.

If you or your kids are cut of that fabric then we would politely seek out other friendships for our kid.

OMG there are a-holes from all religions / non-religions. Shocking!

Want to have a long debate over which a-holes are the worst a-holes?

Or, you know, we could just be decent non-proselytizing people of all faiths vs. a-holes of all faiths...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A

But wonder why you are acting defensive.

+1

Because you don't believe the question, which said I wasn't being defensive? I'm confused.

That said, if someone is defensive about being an atheist in a country where atheists can't be elected president and many in the south think atheist = no morals, I wonder why you would wonder.

Wow. You ARE defensive, OP.

P.S. An atheist "can't" be elected president? Is that written somewhere?

+100

That's like saying someone with a non-anglicized name can't be president. Being defensive about it -- that won't want win someone an election.

BTW all except 1 president (Garfield?) are distantly related. So if you wanted to know your chances of winning a presidential election, check your genealogy not your religion.

NP - Come on now. All things being equal, people are more likely to vote for a gay or Muslim candidate than an atheist. http://www.gallup.com/poll/155285/atheists-muslims-bias-presidential-candidates.aspx

Is OP trying to get her child elected president or does OP want her child to have a friend? If you want your child to have friends, button up your issues, take the chip off your shoulder and stop acting defensive.

Before Obama did you tell your black neighbors to not care about whether a black person could get elected unless they personally wanted to be president? Do you tell your Muslim neighbors that now?

I am a woman and I don't assume nobody wants to play with my daughter because a woman has never been president. It's a playdate people!