Monday, April 2, 2007

How Christians view Atheists

Even though my mom and my sister have treated me poorly and have for a long time I sure much of it has to do with the fact that I don't share their faith or religion. Why is it that Christians feel they can treat atheists with contempt and actually feel quite smug about it? With strangers it's barely understandable, but it really hurts when one's family does it. There's that underlying feeling of "I'm so much better than you and I'm not going to even remotely feel bad for treating you like shit, even though you seem to be a nice person." Does their religion actually encourage them to feel this way?

In my own family I get the feeling that they think I have no morals. They think that I suddenly became an atheist so I could lead a life of debauchery and lust. To be honest, I have little proof they think this way except for a few things that have been said to me or about me. When I mentioned to my sister that I'd love to have her son spend a week with me she immediately got defensive and stated that she didn't want her son exposed to my kind of thinking. I've also been accused of trying to take God away from an uncle when my only crime was correcting some email hoaxes that Christians like to forward.

Being a godless liberal my philosophy is to treat everyone with kindness, no matter what their background, religion, race, sex, etc. One thing I must guard against is getting an attitude toward Christians because of how I know they view atheists. I realize that not all Christians are like this and that some people do want to learn about other viewpoints and treat them with respect, but I am on guard around those who spout talk about Jesus too much or seem to have ultra-conservative views. It means to me that they are closed minded and not tolerant to other views. It means I have nothing in common with them.

So that's where I'm at with my sister and my mother. If they decide to include me in their lives that's great, but until then I'm backing way the hell off.

2 comments:

tina FCD said...

I think my family assumes I am a christian because they are. It hasn't been brought up yet, as to what I believe or not believe.But I think my family would be the same way towards me if they knew I was atheist.

Sean Wright said...

To be very general (with the dangers inherent in being very broad)I would argue that Christians see you as outside of Church and having turned your back on God, and that they can act in anyway toward you as they will not be punished by god.