# Atheists: ever been dumped by a friend because of your atheism? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969 "2003-11-29T21:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969/41 "2003-12-01T02:46:28Z")
I’ve never been dumped, though “friends” have made it their mission to convert me, or to bring me to Jesus. They cease being friends pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969/42 "2003-12-01T03:05:36Z")
Never. One gave me an opportunity to explain my beliefs (she found out that I was an athiest a few months into our friendship) because she thought I was a good person. After a few weeks of flip-flopping, she became an athiest herself. None of this has changed our friendship at all. So, yeah, sometimes, good things can happen. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969/43 "2003-12-01T03:30:34Z")
In complete honesty, I can’t think of any religious friends or acquaintances I have. Maybe parents of a friend, or “that church guy on the 12th floor”, but I go day-to-day without encountering religious folk. I’d be flabbergasted if someone other than a close friend asked me whether I belonged to a religious faith. In fact, to confess a little prejudice, I would probably be a little startled if someone slipped in a reference to strong religious beliefs in our conversation. I’d probably inwardly react with a little distrust. I’d never discount a friend if I discovered they were religious, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to make friends with a religious stranger, particularly if they held socially conversative views. … so I guess the prejudice works in both directions. To clarify, I wouldn’t avoid friendship with a conservative religious person because of their faith _per se_, but I’d be quite aware of the fact that with time their views would probably come into conflict with mine. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969/44 "2003-12-01T03:31:36Z")
The worst part about someone rejecting you for your atheism is that if you tell the person rejecting you “go to hell!” they know you can’t meant it. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969/45 "2003-12-01T03:49:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alereon \* > \*\*I’ve never been dumped, though “friends” have made it their mission to convert me, or to bring me to Jesus. They cease being friends pretty quickly. \*\* A cousin tried it with me. I bring out the copy of The Gospel of John he gave me whenever I want to harass him, now that he’s converted to Our Side ™. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969/46 "2003-12-01T04:02:48Z")
Like some others in this thread, religion has never come up with anyone I know. None of my friends are very religious, although I know a couple of Christmas Christians and Orthodox Jews. I automatically assume people are atheist/agnostic before I meet them. Among the people I know at least, it’s seen as strange to be religious (bible study, church every week). Before I met him, a friend of mine used to be a part of a Christian youth group, which his friends found completely bizarre. I wouldn’t have any problems with a deeply religious friend unless all they could talk about was their religion. Just as I wouldn’t have any problems with a friend who liked photography unless they went on and on about it and kept trying to get me to join their photography club. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-ever-been-dumped-by-a-friend-because-of-your-atheism/215969.md?page=2)