Coming to terms with religion and it's followers

[the_antithesis]

I was just wanting to know how many other atheists out there have "come to terms" with the fact that religion is a thing, people follow it, and now just don't really care that much about it?

Years ago I came to this forum with a fiery passion. I read all the arguments, all the rebuttals, participated in the debates, questioned every religious follower who came here, schooled some assholes, shared all the atheist-related information I could....and now I just don't care that much.

I mean, religious people aren't going away. And well, most of them aren't terrible people. I just....I just don't care anymore. People pray for me and I don't care. I'm not even offended. My mom tells me that god is working in our lives, even if I don't believe it, and I just don't care. Whatever.

Does anyone else feel like this? Like, unless you insult me personally or try to hinder my life, it's not a big deal? So what if you believe Christ died for you and you're going to heaven. Why would I bother arguing with that? Live and let live, right?

The simple fact is you can't live other people's lives for them. People will do stupid things and you can't stop them. To try and control them is to be religious.

[SilentFutility]

I was just wanting to know how many other atheists out there have "come to terms" with the fact that religion is a thing, people follow it, and now just don't really care that much about it?

I don't really give a shit about it other than when it influences policy.
I live in a largely secular country anyway.

[frosty]

Smartmarzipan, I am basically like that now. I have accepted, after years of trying to not believe it, that religion is here to stay. I am young, but it seems like we are going through somewhat of a religious revival in the western world. Every once in a while a Theist is extremely arrogant and insulting to me and my fiery passion comes back up. But I snuff it out, because it is not worth fighting something I really just cannot change.

People grow up, Atheists included, and I do think it is time for us all to grow up and just let the children play. The Theists will believe what they want and engaging them in confrontation only strengthens their resolve to cover their ears and scream as loud as they can.

And most people are not that bad I think. The Internet amplifies the voices of the extremists and loud-pottymouth barkers. Most people are moderate, and seem to prefer a somewhat secular state. The Internet sometimes makes everybody look like a screaming shithead which just isn't true.

[Lao Tou]

I was just wanting to know how many other atheists out there have "come to terms" with the fact that religion is a thing, people follow it, and now just don't really care that much about it?

Years ago I came to this forum with a fiery passion. I read all the arguments, all the rebuttals, participated in the debates, questioned every religious follower who came here, schooled some assholes, shared all the atheist-related information I could....and now I just don't care that much.

I mean, religious people aren't going away. And well, most of them aren't terrible people. I just....I just don't care anymore. People pray for me and I don't care. I'm not even offended. My mom tells me that god is working in our lives, even if I don't believe it, and I just don't care. Whatever.

Does anyone else feel like this? Like, unless you insult me personally or try to hinder my life, it's not a big deal? So what if you believe Christ died for you and you're going to heaven. Why would I bother arguing with that? Live and let live, right?

I only realized a few years ago that I was an athiest. Before that I really didn't give a shit for about 20 years. So I have never been a militant anti-theist. I live on the left coast and religion is not as in-your-face here as it is in more religious parts of the US, so that may have something to do with it.

I realized I am an atheist after a co-worker asked me if I believed in god. Without thinking I said, "The angry sky guy? No, that's bullshit." Then I started wondering if there are logical reasons to not believe in a god, and that led me here.

Most of my family is overtly religious (southern baptist), but I have farted off that stuff for years and they know it. My nephew is an atheist and my son is also. I took my kid to church a few times and let him have the kiddy books my super-religious sister gave him to "save his soul." I figured I'd let him hear about it and if he had any questions we could discuss it. He saw through it pretty quick. Now he is studying science in college, so supersition has no chance with him.

In just the last few years it seems to me that atheists have become more open and that frightens xtians. It looks to me like we're winning. So if you feel that you need to be forgiven, good for you. I don't, and I don't care.

[Lao Tou]

Well, the hideous magic underwear, for one. Those bitches need to hit up a Victoria's Secret.

Hey, if they do hit up Victoria's Secret then the REAL magic can happen. Grrrr.

[Lao Tou]

I'm pretty much the same anymore. I could care less my best friend is a christer. We seldom discuss it. He knows how I feel and I know how he feels, but we're still good friends.

I agree. When I rewrote my will last year I put a friend of mine in it. He gets the dog and cat and enough money to treat them well for their lives if my wife, son and I die. I would NOT let my sister have my animals because I do not think she would care about them as well as Mike will. Mike is an uber fundie pentacostal who home-schools his six kids. He is basically the opposite of me and my world view. But I have known him for 13 years and I know he is sincere, and he would really try to care for my dog and cat because he would feel it is a duty from god. My sister, who isn't quite to the snake-handling level of fundie, is basically a fraud as far as her religious faith. The way she lives and treats others does not match her professed faith. That might be why her son is an open atheist.

So yes, I would trust somebody I consider to be clinically insane but innocuous with my dog and cat rather than a relative who I know would not really give a shit.

And yes, Mike and I disagree on religion, but he is not an asshole about it.

[Lao Tou]

And most people are not that bad I think. The Internet amplifies the voices of the extremists and loud-pottymouth barkers. Most people are moderate, and seem to prefer a somewhat secular state. The Internet sometimes makes everybody look like a screaming shithead which just isn't true.

QFT

[Thumpalumpacus]

Long ago I made my peace with the fact that my family doesn't share my atheism.  It didn't make me smart or them bad.

If a person treats me decently, I don't care what they think about what is, in the end, a pretty irrelevant matter.

With every year, I am closer to being an apatheist.

[Rex Rgis Verum]

I have three close friend groups. They'll all talk to each other but I'm the common denominator in all three (i.e., if I went away, they most likely wouldn't associate with each other anymore).
Friend group 1: one atheist (me), three agnostics, two Christians, four Muslims
Friend group 2: one atheist (me), two Christians, one Muslim, one Hindu, one Sikh
Friend group 3: two atheists (me and this other girl), one agnostic, three Christians
Point is, none of us care what anyone else in the group believes. As has been said before in this thread, it's more a judgment of character than a judgment of beliefs.

I think moving to NYC helped calm me more than anything. The city forces you to interact with so many different backgrounds that you become tolerant of other people's cultures, customs, and beliefs. I've taken on a "live and let live" attitude. As long as religious people don't preach to me, I give zero damns as to how they go on about their lives. But when a religious person starts an argument, I will fight back.

[Cocoa Beware]

As far as I can tell, as long as they leave people alone and mind their own business then that is acceptable in most cases.

But when people push that their religion is superior, or if their religion compels them to hate on certain people, it irks me today as much as it ever has.

[Aupmanyav]

Even my family is atheist. No problem. But start a debate and I am at my best.

[FrankDK]

I wouldn't care at all if it weren't for the fact that one particular religion is making laws based on their own mythology, laws that effect me and my family.

If they kept to themselves, I wouldn't care what they believed.  If they try to force it on the rest of us, then I care.

Frank