Substitute "Santa claus" for "gawd" and it makes exactly as much sense!

IF I say anything in those instances. I say their god is a sadistic asshole and he has a lot of suffering to answer for, and they can take their god and shove him up their ass.

I have no respect for people who choose to be ignorant and live in a fantasy of imaginary friends, nor do I care one bit what they think of me.

My response keeps them from bothering me ever again.

I straight up tell them if there was a God, I would not have to wear glasses. If there was a God then why do people get cancer? So he purposely is messing with us humans to test us. I call that a abusive relationship. People get mad when I say well you love this God person but I don't. I don't like strawberry or chocolate icecream but you do. Same shit right, it's just an opinion. Some people think I am a great person till they find out I am a bisexual atheist in an open marriage. I ask what changed and they say God allows the Devil to test us and I am wearing a costume and know how to twist my words. I laugh and tell them nay, thats 15 plus years in retail training. Catch me at home and I am smoking a blut and knocking a few back. When I am not getting paid to be nice, the real Alicia comes out to .

When my divorce was underway, my brother in law suggested I find god. I suggested he grow a brain.

I just tell them that maybe it's not. Don't attempt to disuade me and I won't try to disuade you.Take responsibility for your own feelings and don't expect some entity to do it for you.

Religious people often times believe we have nothing to live for. It is hard for religious people to understand that we have everything to live for. We live without holding back for every day, and most of us learn to appreciate people more as we don't judge out of a religious perspective, but outof the good people do as a human being. We don't have a filter in what we see or experience, therefore we don't judge based on a believe, but based on our norms and values in life. I respect each and everyone, religious and non religious people, no matter their choices. It doesn't mean I have to agree with all of them.

I just say I have no interest in anything they might have to say about their invisible, imaginary mind games.

I've never had anyone say anything like that to me. Maybe life is different in a secular country like Britain. Coming out with stuff like that would just get you weird stares.

I don't tell them what to do, therefore they don't get to tell me either.

I have struggled with depression and anxiety in the past. Secular treatment protocols are far and away the most effective tools to address these issues.

Try changing the subject to something totally unrelated to religion. Such as Aunt bessie bought a new couch and go on about its texture, color, quality, comfort. They might get the point that you are not interested in their comments about god.

I would advise not discussing problems with hardcore believers and quickly try to change the subject if it arises.

Unfortunately if they won't stop and keep at it you may have to firmly tell them you are not interested and if they continue it could have a departmental effect on the relationship.

I walk away. I have found that there's insufficient wiggle room in the conversation if the other person's goal is to convert me.

Its burden of proofs shifting. When you ask them about hell,they shrug it off, it’s hard “truth”. Well, I don’t accept myths as true because I feel bad or want a shoulder to cry on. Preying on sentimentality is exactly what con artists use to get us in every other walk of life, I don’t consider it a virtue in religion.

Your answer is fact based. Not on feelings or beliefs. In rural Texas you then walk away from religious folks facing them so if they through something at you. You can sidestep the projectile.

I say... if you look up the Germanic term God you will find the term traces its etymological roots to the Latin term for God,... Deus. Which inturn traces its etymological roots to a ruined city at the bottom of mnt. Olympus. The city was named Dion, you can travel there to this day. It was built for the worship of Zeus.

God = Zeus

When I was about 16, the pastor of my local Baptist church committed suicide. What was interesting was that nobody at the church ever faced up to this. According to them he died from a heart attack (he was actually super-fit). I found out the truth many years later. The problem for him was not the lack of belief in God but the complete inability of people within the church to discuss mental illness as a real treatable disease that you can't simply pray away.

I suffered from depression and anxiety from my late teens to my early thirties. What worked for me was recognizing the problem and seeking professional help. Had I been in denial like my former pastor and relied on further self-deception to save me, I am certain I would no longer be here.

Most everyone I know would never say anything like this to me because they know I'm an atheist. But..if someone did, I'd just smile sweetly and shrug my shoulders before making a quick getaway.

Depends on the person, but mostly I more or less ignore their advice by just giving them a polite "thank you" for their "concern" just to get them off my back. I think one time this happened the concern was real. All the other times it appeared to be someone using an opportunity to try and get in some mean digs.

No god can help you if you can't help yourself. If you're going through depression/anxiety probably you're are not able to control on you overthought and deep emotions. Make yourself strong, believe in yourself that you can make things rights, it just a matter of time. Good luck

Hahahahahahahaha...i....can't....hahahahahahaha....I gotta go...hahahahahaha

I just tell them that I have a hard enough time believing in myself, and that false hope from a god doesn't fix my problems.

I'd respond with, " Maybe the problem is i've surrounded myself with people who think there is something wrong with me and their answer is to make up a giant excuse instead of surrounding myself with people who give me a sense of motivation and worth?"

Thanks for all of the input. It helps me to hear that I'm not crazy for being a little bothered by this. I've read every comment and took a lot away from this. So, thank you!

Well, to start with, why would they think I have a problem? I mean, besides not believing in their fairytales... I am a happy person and fortunately very healthy too and I don't have a perfect life but it is far from being bad or complicated, so...