Athiests, when do your religious family members start getting annoying, is it just the born again preachy ones
373275
Ya, just the born agains.  The only religious conflict I've had with a family member is when my mother started rambling on about an atheist coworker who was not being a moral person.  She extended that to include all atheists, so that kinda pissed me off and she got an ear full about morality and not being able to generalize one group based on the actions of an individual.
154572
PLEASE, right now you are going overboard. It's not nice to be insulted, and I simpathize. But best thing to do now is ignore those writing bad comments. If you stopped fighting back(I know it's hard) it would show these people that you have self-control, and that you're a mature Christian that leans on God and doesn't get taken in with these questions. Please, please stop this foolish fighting, if GypseyQueen reads this, please just agree to disagree stop antagonizing each other!
721528
No! they can't even have a brother who isn't a fundamentalist because my sister's "Praise the Lord's" and "washed in the blood of Jesus" stuff drives me round the twist ... I cannot bear to hear any more of it so we don't communicate any more.\nShe has learned it recently from church groups, it is all very American style and sounds ridiculous as I knew her before all of this obviously.\n\nIf she didn't lose her temper so dramatically when I ask her not to speak like that in my presence I wouldn't mind but she accuses me of attacking her religion and hating Jesus which is nonsense as I don't even acknowledge Jesus exists ...it's not possible to hate somthing that doesn't exist.
385799
It depends on the attitude of the person I'm speaking to.  As long as they're not trying to convert me I'm open minded but as soon as someone tries to hand me a copy of watchtower or asks me to consider taking jesus into my heart after waking me up at 8am I get rather defensive.
345499
Absolutely not. That's ridiculous. I think there's a LOT they don't understand. I'm the only Christian one in my family, if I was intellectually lazy I wouldn't believe in God at all, just like them.
269643
I can more than understand your frustrations with your fellow christians.  I get a tad frustrated with other atheists / agnostics when they jump down christians' throats.  But I am starting to just let it go and not get too heavily involved, if at all---there will always be a few christians and a few atheists/agnostics who will continue this eternal throat-jumping sport.  \n\nLet them.  I try hard not to listen (or read) to the christians proselytizing harshly anymore and I stop listening to the atheists/agnostics once they start name-calling or putting each other down.  I just don't listen and skip over the answers that involves name-calling, putting-down or proselytizing. \n\nSimple as that---stop reading, stop listening.  I just let others know that not all christians or atheists/agnostics are like that to those who are worried or wondering why, like you just did.  :-)   *hug*
494293
WOW!!!! People are crazy and very rude when they apply their beliefs to how they judge others. \n\nWe (atheist) are not sad, lonely imoral people. We did not chose to become atheists because we were angered or felt abandoned by a god. We became atheists through years of thought and understanding. We do not get worried when you say it's our stubborn choice to not believe in your god and that we are going to burn in hell.\n\nPlease quit thinking this.
870645
You have my sympathy, God Botherers cause so much trouble in the world, even not counting the wars, the intolerance, the mind numbing boredom of hating ranters like Paisley, Bin Liner, Pat Robertson, etc. \n\nI never, ever approach people and start bringing them the good news that there is no God, so no need to worry, just be peaceful and good to your fellow man.  But the God Botherers have no such inhibitions, and bore us all rigid with their hatred.\n\nBack to your bells problem.  Must confess I rather like the sound of church bells.  From a distance.  At about 11am or 3pm.  In your situation I don't know what I'd do - earplugs ?  \n\nMaybe find out where the bell ringers live, and on your way home on a saturday night, knock loudly on their door until they wake up.  They will have gone to bed early in order to be up at sparrows fart and start clanging.  When you have woken them, ask them (innocently) what time the bells start tomorrow morning.  They will be delighted at your interest, and that you have taken the trouble to wake them up especially to tell them about it! :)
991689
Athesits behave cause of fools like you.. they think people who follow some religion will talk like you idiot.
486495
It makes them think there is hope and keeps uncontrollable idiots from causing havoc to the world...the more scared they are(believing in consequences for actions by god & what not)...the more behaved people will be.I don't need religion or anybodies beliefs to guide my way of life.\nAlso,Atheists are idiots...they argue with religious people and try to sway people into their beliefs...\nJust trust your heart and be your own man!!!!!Let everyone else believe what they want!!!!!!\nIf ya want to say "god bless you" to a religious lady after she sneezes then be my guest...just try to stay neutral...it's less stressful & less complicated!
1059437
It's a crazy cycle. They go to church and worship their deity, and then go home and tell a lie, or cheat on their spouse. Personally, I think organized religion should be eradicated. They're putting their faith in to one man behind a podium reading off scripture, and speaking FOR god, and yet he's a less than perfect human being with flaws of his own.
513591
Amen - they remind me of little kids who cover their ears and yell "la la la la la la" until whatever is being said isn't being said anymore. And then they go right back to doing what they were doing, trying to provoke the parent or caretaker into trying to talk to them again... so they can cover their ears again.\n\nYou could probably speak to this as well as anyone, but I really believe that they have a void in their lives, a deep longing for someone to say something that will take away their pain, or their anger, or their lust for revenge or whatever it is that is troubling them. They have to keep denying what they know to be truth, otherwise they fear that they will be taken in by the truth of our discussions. \n\nMany of these people are ignorant, also, of the beauty and truth and simplicity of the Lord's message for us all. They think that they will be shackled by rules and regulations or the like, when what they don't realize is the joy and completeness that comes from being a servant of the Lord. They are so insecure about their own beliefs, they feel that they must be loud and beligerent on behalf of their own empty arguments. \n\nWhat they need to do is "Be still, and know that I am God."\n\nGod bless you, and thanks for a great question.
760115
I have all but quit going to church.  People have made me quit going not God.  I thank God daily for all the things he has given me and pray.  I still believe in the power of prayer.  People have just made me stop going.   Sometimes I find the most hateful mean people are the ones at church.  But, there are those people at church who are really good decent people but the mean ones are the ones who drive others away.
62900
I wasn't aware there was a fuss, but it basically  comes down to a few  things. They don't want light shed on them which makes it harder for them to condemn others. They don't want recognize that religious familes are plagued by the same problems as other families. Could be that they just need somethign to cry about until the next big topic arrives.
448327
In answer to this... - "if their beliefs are that strong shouldn't people who doubt or disagree with them not really matter?"\n\nThe people do matter to them, but their particular stance at a given time should not be seen by them as harming. The fact they feel insulted, or harmed by others, is evidence that their need for other people is profound, but not understood by them.\n\nThis out-lashing is a natural response, and not a divine one, like that of a child which knows its dependence on their parents, but they are unable to know how to behave perfectly since they haven't learned, and don't even know they haven't learned...\n\nNow the divine response is more like that of the parent, knowing what's best for the other/child, and acting accordingly. \n\nThe problem comes where the child thinks they have the knowledge of the parent, but can't act for the other's benefit, so prove they didn't have understanding to act on, but instead show their need for the world to conform to their desires, or else they'll throw a temper tantrum. Demonstrating themselves to still be a child and not as a loving parent, or even older sibling.\n\nThe divine action is when someone is truly helpful to you, for your sake, whether or not they agree with you, as a loving parent knows the child will mature. Only children will condemn another as being a child forever, because their concept of time is distorted.\n\nThe parents and the older siblings teach only what is conducive to the other's greatest life, if it is a knowledgeable family, and do so with patience.
253943
Many many times.  It's the bane of my existance.  Some insist that I am still a christian.  I explain my views in detail but it must be very painful for them to listen (they're religious).  The one closest to me at this very moment is staring at me mutely.  I don't believe he understands a word I'm saying ;P .
1094602
if it got them to leave, and made them shut up, hell yeah!\n\ni might try that the next time some "convert to our religion" ppl come to my door. they all say they can teach me to be "happier". i never thought of telling them i dont want to be happier. i'll bet they dont have any response planned for that answer. lol. GGOD WORK!