My friends

Living in a large city has many advantages that small city life doesn't have. One thing is the level of anonymity is quite high, even among people one has known for many years. I'm involved in a team sport here in Houston and run into people I know everywhere I go. The thing is we all socialize on a superficial level and don't really know each other intimately. Because of this it's rare whenever religion is discussed.

Once in a while I get to talk politics or religion with someone. It's been a long time but the response I got from a friend when I revealed I was a non-believer was surprise. It was interesting but I never got a chance to explore it further.

My best friend is a Christian and we get along great. She had some experience dealing with atheists with another good friend so with me she set a boundary. We can talk about anything under the sun, but no religion. She stated that her faith was important to her and not a topic of discussion. I was a little disappointed but I realize she is comfortable for whatever reason and this is actually none of my business. My problem is I want the best for her and I think her religion is holding her back. What I am able to do for her is steer her away from woo-woo stuff whenever I can. She recently thought "The Secret" was a cool thing and I quickly intervened. When one is able to rationalize a reason for faith then it's easy to accept other things with no evidence.