How many atheists do you know and consider them to be a "good" friend?
No idea, I look at actions and behaviors. Obviously I know some people who go to church/temple but other than that, no idea.
Of my two best friends, both of whom I've known for about 30 years, one was raised Jewish but is an atheist and the other was raised in Xianity and is a devout Xian but he's a great guy. Both friendships have worked equally well over decades.
Go figure.
None who call themselves atheists.
Several who are non-believers in Christian dogma, but do not turn their non-belief into a major campaign.
Here in the Bible Belt, it's rare to meet a thinking person (atheist).
I have three good friends who are atheists, but only one lives here.
Do you sincerely believe that anyone who is not an atheist is not a thinking person? Is your opinion about religion the only correct one?
Some of the most brilliant and creative people throughout history have not been atheists.
In the South 5% say they are atheists or agnostics while for the country as a whole it’s 7%. Big deal.
<a href="https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/#geography" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="forumlink">[pewforum.org]
@WilliamFleming Some people compartmentalize their brains. At school and work they do some serious thinking. But then on Sunday Mornings, they stop thinking, and they exercise blind faith in mythology. So, you are correct. Some faithful people are thinking people in other aspects of their lives.
But if they were CONSISTENT thinkers, including on Sunday mornings, they would soon discover that the religious mythology hasn't got a leg to stand on.
@BestWithoutGods Yes, I agree. Some thinking people pay no mind to the myths but they think deeply about the mystery of reality and our place as conscious beings.
i have no idea! i didn't even know what, if anything, my parents believed (apart from being secular jews) until, as an adult, making a long-distance call from 3,000 miles away, i was prompted to ask them by someone who casually asked what my folks believed. i didn't know the answer so i had to ask! mom said she wasn't sure but she thought she believed in god. my dad said he wasn't sure but he thought he didn't. both of them asked why i was calling long-distance to ask such a silly question! so... i don't know. i know some who have declared that they do and some who have declared that they don't, and some who have not shared this tidbit with me. it doesn't matter to me since if i don't know it means they're not pushing their beliefs on me, right?
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The only true friend atheist I ever knew was my dad. I miss him.
My good friend's adult son is an atheist. He's cool. And smart. But, I wouldn't consider him MY friend.
I used to ride with a group of motorcyclists and there was a guy who was an atheist. We are good acquaintances, but I wouldn't consider us good friends.
I only know about 3 atheists and none are close friends .I do not really know what most of my friends views on a god are because I honestly do not really care . I do not choose my friends according to this criteria.I very rarely talk about this subject .
The only one I know is my brother. Many people are moderate Christians and some even oppose organized religion (although even they are heavily in the minority). I remember one of my undergrad friends specifically mentioned she wasn’t attending a Micheal Zimmerman lecture about the confluence of religion and science that our biology department sponsored because she said that topic had already challenged her faith enough and that she didn’t want these 2 ways of thinking to mix (I suspect because she knew which one would have more credence, but that’s just wishful thinking on my part).
It's funny, but most of my friends haven't really explicitly told me what their views are regarding God. And I don't have many close friends to begin with. Some are nonreligious, for sure, but that doesn't necessarily equate to atheist. I don't think any are hard atheists, but whether they're soft atheists, as I consider myself to be, or more traditional-agnostics or ignostics or apatheists… I really don't know. (shrug)
I try to Mind My Own Business, and prefer others to do the same. WTH would I pry?
Have about fifteen to twenty that I call close friends and another twenty who are friends.
Lucky you!!!
@Blackthought73 Not luck, worked hard, agreed to disagree and planned hard to have a good time!