-by Atheist Hussy

There are many degrees in how religious someone is, how deeply they believe, and what exactly they believe. I'm not sure what specific group I'm referring to (probably a little bit of all), but I have had some odd experiences I'd like to share. I'm also interested in seeing who has encountered similar experiences.

From strong believers in the Christian faith to irreligious deists, I have found that some instantaneously work the defensive just by me merely stating something as simple as, "I'm an atheist". Some of those who are certain they believe, those who know there is a god, still immediately say "Well, you can't change how I feel" when I had no intentions of doing so. I'm the last person to try to change someone's mind when they are set in their ways.

Rereading the previous paragraph, it almost seems like I am leaving something crucial out, something else I said to make a believer be so defensive but that's not the case. The furthest I've gone was to ask someone what they actually believe because I'm truly interested; I have yet to encounter two people who believe the exact same thing. Just by stating what I don't believe or inquiring how they do believe, puts some believers on the defensive. Surely some like debate but I'm taking about those who generally don't. The ones who feel debate means you're trying to change them. The ones who feel so utterly strongly about something but when asked, they don't know what it is they so fervently believe in.

Maybe that's the "issue" with atheism. Surely not a real issue, but in the eyes of the god-fearing masses, its made into an issue. The mere mention of how I feel brings on a philosophical discussion without that being my intent. By someone saying he/she is a Christian and then the next person says he is a Jew and then the next Wiccan, its all good until... Until the idea of atheism, rationalism, godlessness, or a naturalistic world view is mentioned, then it becomes a discussion. Because believing in something, anything is so commonplace that just simply not believing is noteworthy enough to make it into an issue.

If one is so opposed to ever discussing anything about religion, then what does that say about his/her character? If a geometry teacher claimed to know everything about proofs and angles, but as soon as he was asked to explain and he refused... Well, he'd be one unemployed geometry lover. Oh, know but that surely can't be an apt metaphor. Undoubtedly, someone will say, "There are some things you just don't ever talk about: Sex, Politics, and Religion." And that's why all some people talk about is fashion, sports, and weather. That never gets boring?

Inevitably, sex, politics, and religion do come up. At some point, as humans, we have to figure ourselves out and know where we stand. I guess you can say that I just don't understand the thinking behind believers who refuse to discuss what they strongly believe in. Moreover, I don't get those who immediately assume the unbeliever is trying to change them. I don't experience that often; I only have a few times, but enough to make me wonder, "Do they even know what they believe in? And how strong is that belief?"