You did all you could ...you can’t reason with blind faith. He didn’t like your turning around his question because he has no proof of a god and you can never prove a negative and neither can he. It is uncomfortable for them to be faced with the reality that their faith is purely an accident of birth and that he could easily have been born into another belief system entirely! Maybe you will have siwn a seed of doubt in his mind, probably not though, but his impertinence was just what his ilk usually show towards truth seekers and freethinkers.

The next time you get a chance Pee in his beer!

I'm not as subtle as you. I have no patience for this kind of nonsense. I don't care if he was family. I would have told him that him and his god can go fuck each other. Also solves the problem of this being a reoccurring issue because I doubt we would ever speak again.

I cannot imagine handling this any better than you did. But in your reading I saw myself. Not religious... But the smugness. When I hear someone going on about religion I usually hold my tongue. If anyone who knows me is around me when this happens... They usually look at me expecting me to say something. When I hear someone go off about how great God is... I usually feel sorry for them and think them an idiot. My mom used to say, "What can you expect from a pig but a grunt?" That about sums it up for me.

I'll sometimes ask religious people if they believe of life on other planets in the universe... It's a big place out there. I'll go over the numbers... Billions of galaxies, billions of stars in those galaxies, etc. Most will agree there must be a lot of other life out there and when I have switched them over to science mode... I ask them if Jesus died for the alien's sins also. No two people react to this the same way and I urge you to try it!

Nothing you can really say to a willfully ignorant closed mind.

Ignore him. He isn't trying to understand, he just wants to lash out at you. Don't let him do that. Next time he brings it up, tell him you are now a believer... In superman lol

I don't argue with wing nuts.
I ignore them whenever they bring up religion, act bored, and walk away. I only pay attention to them if they are speaking on neutral subjects.

If I'm trapped and can't leave, I say, "That's you, not me," then act bored and distracted, and keep mumbling "Um-hum..that's nice," while glancing at my watch.

You can quickly train relatives to avoid talking about religion with this method, since nobody likes being ignored.

You did great!

And yes it's going to bother you that he can't respect you using logic and reason to make a choice for your own life.

Wish I had a magic wand for all of us!

You're over 21 now and entitled to your own opinion? Belief is beyond opinion. In no way are they the same thing. Besides which, what does age have to do with opinion? You can't force someone to have a belief or opinion without brainwashing. By implication, he's in favor of brainwashing? Especially those under the age of 21, because they don't have a right to their own opinions and beliefs?

You did well. I think you were lucky he was open minded enough to say you have the right to your own opinion. Imagine how bad his response could have been if he were a real god nutter? Holy water thrown on you? A cross pressed to your forehead while he cast out your demons! Lol

Stop at the next bus stop and let him out.

Kat he sounds like a man determined to save a soul by lecturing you on your perceived wayward ideas...

Maybe you should have asked to touch base with him again but tell him it's to persuade him to leave the church..that you want to spare him from living a lie and wasting his life on nonsense....

Trust me he will never try to convert you or even bother you again. The nerve of some people!

Gawd tells him he must make the attempt to "save" you......

Tell him you appreciate his concern but your satanic lord and master does not permit his followers to know the word of god or Jesus

Actually your response was probably the best one, none. Like the quote often attributed to Mark Twain, "there's no point in arguing with an idiot, they only drag you down to their level, and beat you with experience", I think your relative was trying to save you before he went in the ground, and his condescension, was an idiot's way of saying you're stupid. You should write him a thank you note with some of these points, but.....he'll only think like an idiot, soooo...never mind.

"If God wanted me to believe in him, he would know exactly what to do to convince me, wouldn't he?"

"What kind of God is so insecure that he demands and requires my service?"

"God made me this way, sorry!"

Thank you all for your comments, suggestions, and comradery!!?

You could have told him that he was entitled to his own delusion.

But seriously, what do you need a comeback for? Don't feed the trolls. Just cut yourself loose from this anchor and be free.

I think come backs are so-named because most of us have a moment when we realize what would have best fit the moment and wish we could come back to it. You did fine! Nothing unusual about emotions jumping into a situation and derailing some of the best chances for a good reply. This person had no case up which to stand and put the onus on you, only to say they didn't like any of your answers, after copping out to the intelligent design excuse. As you say, he did no research himself, which means to me he wants an easy way to the truth. Therein lies what should have become the heart of your debate - how do you arrive at answers The answers you have found work for you. Tell him as much and let him do some heavy lifting to find the answers that work for him.

Lol that's a good story

Next time, question why they want to meet up with you again, and meet at a public space, seperately. Never allow yourself to be willingly cornered by a crazy person! Your response was on point, though. Glad you stood up to him.

you're okay. you didn't need a comeback. he wouldn't get it anyway. there is nothing you could say that would get through to him more than you already did.

g