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If that person is truly a "dear friend" then they should respect your "Spirituality" and not try to make you follow him straight to "his/her" church.
He/she has been indoctrinated to spread the word that their religion is the only "real one". Once you give in and ask him questions about his religion he then must get you to come to his church if you want to get to heaven.
Most Christians show their Christianity with few words. They are your unconditional friends
Yes L have lost friends and close family over religion because I finally chose NOT to continue to follow them.
Not really . . . rather, it was more like I didn't really build a friendship with someone to begin with because I could tell that their efforts to "convert" me would not make any potential friendship work out. My friends respect my views and I respect theirs.
ive ghosted people over religion. they always talk about god n stuff, and eventually we just hang out less and less until we don't hang out at all. I don't care if youre religious, but don't constantly talk about it like it dominates your life. that nonsense just gets on my nerves. im agnostic bordering on atheist. if people start talking about religion, I let them know right away that I am not really into it. usually, if people want to get into a religious discussion with me with the intention of getting me to convert my "faith", it is shut down right away after I laugh in their face and make references to a flying spaghetti monster.
Let's be honest here, your friend loves you and has great concern. He is of the belief if you neglect this message you may be eternally lost. In his heart this is so very important to him. You need to thank him for this love for you but you know what you believe and to please not bring it up further.Don't react as many do by being rude,hateful.
Entertainer Penn Jillette, atheist, touches on this subject in this short video. I think he has a very healthy prospective on this topic for both believers and nonbelievers:
(paraphrasing)
Quote:
I don’t respect people who don’t share their faith. If you REALLY believe that people can go to heaven or hell and you DON’T share what you truly believe regarding this because if might be socially awkward (for example), then you must really hate that person or not care about them.
I have a dear friend who is Christian. I'm Agnostic. I understand how much his faith means to him and gives him comfort, etc., and I respect that, which I've told him.
I've made it clear that I am an Agnostic and not Christian. Although, I read spiritual books as part of my morning meditation, etc., which I've told him.
We speak on the telephone at least once a week. Unfortunately, it seems that he's on a mission to convert me. I've told him many times that I respect how much his faith means to him, but that I don't share it.
I think it's time to tell him I don't want to discuss it any further and to please stop trying to "help me find my God," etc.
But, I worry it's going to be a friendship ender. Since he's convinced that his God is real and that I'd be happy if only I "knew Him," etc., I worry that he won't give me the same respect I've given him regarding his religion, with an equal respect of my lack of one.
I'm spiritual, but I don't like organized religion. I've told him this, but he seems intent on converting me.
My experience with organized religion has taught me that most are cult-ish. You are believers, or you are under the influence of the dark side. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of acceptance of non-believers.
Have any of you lost a friend over religion?
Maybe you just want to gently say, "Your own faith does not teach that you win hearts by badgering people. It has to be something a person feels in his own heart. I've heard your words and I appreciate your concern, but I do not feel a connection to the same faith you love so much, and it would be wrong for me to pretend I do."
I don't know if that would stop your friend. It might not. But maybe it would make him think.
I have a dear friend who is Christian. I'm Agnostic. I understand how much his faith means to him and gives him comfort, etc., and I respect that, which I've told him.
I've made it clear that I am an Agnostic and not Christian. Although, I read spiritual books as part of my morning meditation, etc., which I've told him.
We speak on the telephone at least once a week. Unfortunately, it seems that he's on a mission to convert me. I've told him many times that I respect how much his faith means to him, but that I don't share it.
I think it's time to tell him I don't want to discuss it any further and to please stop trying to "help me find my God," etc.
But, I worry it's going to be a friendship ender. Since he's convinced that his God is real and that I'd be happy if only I "knew Him," etc., I worry that he won't give me the same respect I've given him regarding his religion, with an equal respect of my lack of one.
I'm spiritual, but I don't like organized religion. I've told him this, but he seems intent on converting me.
My experience with organized religion has taught me that most are cult-ish. You are believers, or you are under the influence of the dark side. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of acceptance of non-believers.
Have any of you lost a friend over religion?
I go to church with a whole group of extremely religious people, and they are probably the kind of people who would end a friendship over faith. Try to be understanding. Some religious people are just OCD about their religion. Treat it like what it is. If you have a friend who is obsessed with trucks and only talks about those, how would you deal with it? Ask a few questions, pretend to be interested, then change the subject. If your friend persists, tell him that you have something to do and will talk later. If he doesn't get the message, tell him bluntly that you are not interested in converting, unless you are. Then, try it.
Real Christianity is in the heart, not the head. People did nothing but ruin Jesus's teachings when they set up huge churches and declared whole nations "Christian." Real Christians are rare and seldom found in churches, and to make things more complicated, there are millions of deceivers who claim to be what they are clearly not. Unfortunately, those are the people who so often call themselves "Christians."
I go to church with a whole group of extremely religious people, and they are probably the kind of people who would end a friendship over faith. Try to be understanding. Some religious people are just OCD about their religion. Treat it like what it is. If you have a friend who is obsessed with trucks and only talks about those, how would you deal with it? Ask a few questions, pretend to be interested, then change the subject. If your friend persists, tell him that you have something to do and will talk later. If he doesn't get the message, tell him bluntly that you are not interested in converting, unless you are. Then, try it.
Real Christianity is in the heart, not the head. People did nothing but ruin Jesus's teachings when they set up huge churches and declared whole nations "Christian." Real Christians are rare and seldom found in churches, and to make things more complicated, there are millions of deceivers who claim to be what they are clearly not. Unfortunately, those are the people who so often call themselves "Christians."
When he tries to convert you, change the conversation to trying to convert HIM to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and offer to get him a collander for his head. Or tell him you are too busy waiting on Santa, or the Easter Bunny.
Although Dr. Lewis Wolpert did not use the word "flying spaghetti monster", he used "special computer" in place of it. As a result, Wolpert refuted himself! Dr. William Lane Craig has dealt with the flying spaghetti monster before, and refuted it here:
ive ghosted people over religion. they always talk about god n stuff, and eventually we just hang out less and less until we don't hang out at all. I don't care if youre religious, but don't constantly talk about it like it dominates your life. that nonsense just gets on my nerves. im agnostic bordering on atheist. if people start talking about religion, I let them know right away that I am not really into it. usually, if people want to get into a religious discussion with me with the intention of getting me to convert my "faith", it is shut down right away after I laugh in their face and make references to a flying spaghetti monster.
Unless your religious friends have a good sense of humor (or are somewhat dense) you will only upset them by talking about FSM, goblins, or fairies as if they are a valid religion. People have faith for a reason. It's a very strong influence. I know, because I was there once. I wish I could go back there, really. Sure, I didn't know as much as I do now, I suppose, but I was happy, and I had people who thought a lot like I did. I didn't lose my faith by simply questioning it, either. People drove me away. I still think I believe in Jesus, but I wouldn't consider myself "Christian." You'll make yourself crazy if you try to become a Christian yourself; wait for God to make you into one.
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