You see, when a Mommy and a Daddy love each other very much …
My daughter is engaged to a German guy. His mother was quite concerned that, being Americans, we were religious fanatics. She was quite relieved to learn that we were atheists also.
That falls under the heading: What Would Jesus Do?
You are aware that Christianity derives from a guy by the name of Christ, right? “Christian” is properly capitalized, just like “Keynesian” or “Lovecraftian”.
My family was never that religious until my grandfather died and my grandma found out I don’t believe in God; she cried and fell to her knees begging me to see reason because she wanted me to be able to go to heaven. Of course I couldn’t tell her I didn’t believe in heaven because her husband of 50+ years had just died.
My husband’s family however were very strict Christians. So strict in fact, that they kicked him out of the house on his 18th birthday because they found out he was an Atheist. How Christianly.
But yeah, my husband and I have both gotten the whole, “What stops you from doing bad things if you don’t believe in God?” To which I always say, “I don’t not do bad things because I’m afraid of Hell, I don’t do bad things because I have morals and a conscience, and I take responsibility for my actions.”
I’ll admit I’m agnostic, but won’t go so far as to call myself an atheist. I also don’t get to combative about it until you get in my face.
Several years ago, a well dressed couple came around the neighborhood delivering these nice full color pamphlets. I talked to them for a few minutes before accepting the literature, and they seemed nice enough. No harm no foul. We were all getting along until they handed me the pamphlet, and I saw in big bold print on the front, THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING!
I said, “Shit! Is that this week?! Thanks for letting me know!” At which, they promptly turned around and left. I was expecting more of a fight. I guess they didn’t really want to save me after all.
I’ll take the thread in a different direction and say the best reaction has been my Father-In-Law, who loves Jesus, but has pretty much left me alone on that topic since I explained that I don’t share his interests. He’s been great about it, even admitting to my wife (when preaching to her) that he doesn’t bring it up around me because I told him I don’t want to hear it. She’s jealous and wondering how she can get in on the program.
Some of my co-workers know I’m an atheist. There’s one who is curious (and a christian) and we often have conversations. We were talking one day when a few other folks walked up. The first said “you can’t be an atheist, you’re so nice!”. Another said she would be interested to know how I came to that conclusion. The other one backed away and said “I don’t want to hear that”. I thought it was interesting that she was scared to have it even spoken of in her presence.
I have found that quite a few are scared of it. I think maybe they are questioning their faith and are afraid that even thinking about it will push them right over the edge. Or something.
Christ is another word for messiah, not a name.
This came up in a discussion with a classmate. She was witnessing a bit to me and to a few other classmates. She declared that “it takes more faith to believe in EVOLUTION than it does to believe in GOD!”
Uh, no. No, it doesn’t. Do you actually know what “faith” means? Do you understand what evolution actually is?
Her witnessing was not well received by anyone within earshot. She also told one guy - a vet - that he had no idea what “hell” would be like for him since he was not a believer. He got a little - heated- in his response. He explained he had been in hell already and that SHE had no idea what hell was.
“Haven calling…!” 
Isn’t it funny how one person’s apathetic turns so many other people apoplectic?
(…could you imagine how much money we could raise for charity if they only had saddles &quarter slots?) 
I lead a fairly conventional lifestyle, so many of my friends assume that I must be a bible-thumper.
One day, a friend of mine went on a venomous rant against some fundamentalist who had ticked her off. It then segued into a rant against Christianity in general. Then she noticed that I was in the room.
"I’m sorry if this offends you, I know you are a Christian, but . . . "
“No, I’m not.”
“What are you?”
“I’m an agnostic, secular humanist, social Darwinist.”
It took her several seconds to process that, and it kind of killed the momentum of her rant.
Why would someone’s beliefs or disbeliefs be of any concern to anyone else?
I was told that it must be horrible to live with no hope.
What exactly is “Social Darwinist”?
I don’t know, but it evedently does come up… 
I had made a new friend at work when I was with the FBI as a contractor. We had lunch, talked about stuff and she even introduced me to South Park. One day she asked me to church and I said I don’t go to church. After more questions she found out I did not “believe”.
She said, “I’m sorry for you.” The next day she said she had prayed on it and could not be my friend anymore. She never spoke to me again. Ever.
Wow. That’s a sad story. 
Social Darwinism is the belief that some races (e.g. white people) are more evolved than others. That might be the reason that ended the conversation, not the atheist thing.
Um, not exactly.
That’s not even remotely close. Social Darwinism is a human society version of survival of the fittest. In a very strict sense it is technically correct, in that our species is subject to evolutionary pressures like other species. But a more typical use of the term would be to say that a Social Darwinist is the rough equivalent of a Libertarian, someone who doesn’t believe government should intervene to protect the vulnerable against the more, er, predatory elements of society.
you guys need to read a history book. social darwinism has a very ugly background.