My uncle wanted a frank discussion about religion and he got it...

[cynatnite]

My family has been unhappy since learning that I'm an atheist. When there was a family gathering several months ago my uncle and I had an interesting discussion which involved politics and relgion. He's the born-again bush-supporting repub. He was okay and didn't go over the top. After the family gathering was over we began an email exchange. I think he was trying to convert me even though he denied it.

He didn't want to get into politics. He didn't want to discuss specific bible passages or issues. He didn't want to discuss Christian history, either.

Instead, he wanted to talk about what god did for him and all that. He was under the impression that I was pissed at god or something. That I turned my back out of emotion. I set him straight on that. He also got into how god talked to him. For example, god told him to go back to college.

Which I applaud him for that, but I did tell him that I have tough time understanding it. To me, it's his own voice he's hearing. I think that pissed him off and I haven't heard back from him.

He got what he asked for and he didn't like it.

[WillParkinson]

1. Never offer them food for thought...

Their buffet is generally empty as is.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. It is not that the buffet is empty so much as they claim not to be hungry

Rather than eat sensibly at the Food For Thought Buffet, they act like prima donna supermodels, claim not to be hungry, then go home and secretly binge on very unhealthy junk food for thought.

[trotsky]

2. Yep.

Those of us who grew up in a religion and then rejected it have generally analyzed the hell out of it - no pun intended. I've met more than my share of simplistic believers who think they'll try a bit of the "Hey, buddy! Have you heard about my friend Jeebus?" style of witnessing and are completely unprepared for the amount of intellectualism that goes into non-belief.

[Warpy]

5. They are also generally unprepared for the fact that we've

not only read the bible cover to cover (and they haven't) but that we've likely also read other things, from the Upanishads to the Popul Vuh, just to see if we'd missed anything.

Since belief or the lack of it is probably hard wired, no, we hadn't.

My own philosophy of dealing with believers is the one I developed in the mid 60s when I worked in a state hospital: never tell somebody else what is or isn't there. Just tell them whether or not you can see it.

[rrneck]

4. I've had discussions

about religion off and on for years with friends, relatives, and a few strangers and it always surprises me how easy their theology is to discredit. The degree of compartmentalized thinking is astounding.

I used to run a test just to see the reaction in people. You can try it if you like, (and if you have a lot of time, patience, and a handy exit route planned). If you think you are dealing with a dedicated wingnut christian, drop a few code words on them and see what happens. Say something like soul, forever, believe, heaven, Jesus, or anything like that and watch the lights go out. The change in mindset is like flipping a switch and if they think you are a member of the "believers club" (or would like to be) the entire conversation will take a turn for the surreal. Just make sure they're not between you and the door.

[ihavenobias]

6. OF COURSE he was trying to convert you.

He should've just been honest about that part.

[Strong Atheist]

7. Ah, well. People who DELIBERATELY start conversations with

atheist about religion deserve what they get...

[sarcasmo]

12. Exactly.

[and-justice-for-all]

8. I had a penticostal fundi tell me something similar...

"I was pissed at god or something" but he said "You read something in the bible you didn't like". Well, there is an endless supply of things in religious fairy tales to not like, but that was not the case.

Fiction is fiction is fiction...There is no invisible man in the sky and in the whole of the universe, we do not matter. Religion does not make one relevant to the universe.

[pauliedangerously]

9. That's pretty funny

I take a different approach. I like to go into a little rant about how I've been looking for god all my life but I just can't see it. Then I'll go into self-abasement mode and ask what could be wrong with me not being able to feel the glory of god and all that crap. I can usually keep a straight face, but sometimes I smirk a little bit. If they start blabbing a bunch of BS I usually start spacing out in about ten seconds and then pretend that I'm looking at an animal at the zoo.

I dunno, I don't really like talking about religion to religious people anymore. I've heard it all a million times over having lived in southeastern VA for fifteen years. Hearing that stuff come out of peoples' mouths makes the theme to Twilight Zone go off in my head so I avoid it as much as possible. I've had plenty of choice words with many wannabe children of god...HO HUM. Come to think of it, I probably got in a few shots at some religious people on DU back in '04 or '05. It just kind of bores me now. Religions will come and go, but atheism will always be there. Piss on them.

[sarcasmo]

10. You are a much better actor than I . There is no way I could keep a straight face.

[immoderate]

11. I just watched a debate between Christoper Hitchens and a theist, Prof Craig.

The debate, about the existence of god, was at Biola(?) University and streamed to a local church which holds "discussions" between atheists and theists. The ensuing discussion, as well as the debate itself was an instance of people talking past each other. Very nice people. No basis for communication, at least on this subject.

And so it goes.

--imm

[ThomCat]

13. Does he really believe he heard the voice of God?

If so, did you mention that he needs to see a Psychiatrist for that?