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LINK Dear Believer: Why Do You Believe?

A friend of mine sent me a religious greeting so in response I shared this clip. Was my action right,wrong or neither? I wouldn't characterized it as a conversation. Neither one of us was asking. Was it fair? Was I proselytizing? Just trying to put myself on the otherside's perspective? What do you think?

malayang-isipan 5 Dec 17
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I can't judge, and without knowing more about your relationship and the particulars of the interaction...I don't think anyone can. Me personally...I would have sent back a generic "Happy Holidays" - or "Go Festivus Yourself" message, instead of trying to make it a theological issue. That is only b/c I know it is a very unique situation where you can talk about your lack of believe in religion and be effective. Most don't want to hear it, just as you wouldn't want get a video telling you why Jesus is what Christmas (and your life in general) is all about. My 2 cents...

EDIT - the fact that you are on here asking complete strangers to pass judgement on a situation we are ignorant about, I will guess you feel it was wrong, at least a little - and that is the important thing, esp. if you feel you wronged a friend.

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I'm going to take a leap here not everyone will be able, or willing, to take with me and say that it was wrong. Basing my opinion on the following assumptions:1. You called this person a friend not acquaintance, which to me infers some sort of relationship outside of christian witnessing. 2. Being a friend, I also infer some level of respect. If I'm wrong on those two counts, please disregard what follows.
Otherwise, I find the response to be disrespectful. Not all Christians or believers are dumb arses, and not all atheist are arse holes, and I chose not to perpetuate that generalization. Your friends intention was likely a benevolent one (as you called it a greeting, not an invitation to be saved), and you basically gave them the finger. My mother is uber religions and though she has ceased trying to bring me to jesus and most of our conversation is sans religion, I still have to swallow a lot of religious undertones. When she talks about praying for people, what I hear is that she's sending good wishes to the stars for them. Awesome. Who in this world can't use a little positive mojo thrown their way? Many believers seem to find it difficult to not include religious undertones in their communication and while it may be annoying as f#$k, you are still responsible for your own intentions and should consider that when choosing your response. I admittedly used to be much more snap judgement and in your face with my responses to such greetings, but find a much more sustainable peace and fulfillment in my own life when taking greater responsibility for my own intentions before responding.

@malayang-isipan DUDE, clearly you don't want to hear an opinion that differs from your preferred perception, so please do carry on without me. Perhaps you shouldn't have posted the question if you didn't want honest response. I chose tolerance. You're free to make your own choice.

@malayang-isipan You asked which part of @Amzungu2 's comment I agreed with.Well, all of it. My own way of living is to do to others as I would have them do to me. If i wish someone well, I would not like a criticism of my lifestile to be the response. And if some one wished me well in their own terms I would accept it as a goodwill gesture and reply in kind. If I wish to discuss and compare religion/philosophy with anyone on a private level then I would ask them if they wanted to take part. It's only a matter of manners in my opinion.

@malayang-isipan I'm very sorry for offending you so terribly, certainly not my intention, but I refuse to engage on this level with you. I do not owe you a rebuttal to your 15 point derogatory response when all I did was honestly answer the question you posed.

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Depends on your friend, really. If they embrace you and your atheism, then I am sure it is fine. If they do not, or if they view you as a project for "saving" or some other form of conversion, then their response may be different.

@malayang-isipan I would agree with you. We try to know each other, but often cannot. I in no way meant to dispariage your friendship.☺

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Given the amount of proselytizing that religions do, I think that your small act is a long way from even balancing the scales, and you did not (hopefully) use any social pressure to compel him to accept any of this, therefore you are only stating your case, which is not proselytizing.

Thank you for posting this it is one of the best short essays I have yet seen, on what i think is the most important argument.

@irascible Yes its so sad, and "if you don't use it you loose it".

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