Okay. So Happy New Year. And walk your path...

[Trueblue Texan]

..but do you have to sit next to me and tell me about it?

I'm only writing this because it's a safe place here. I live in the Bryan-College Station area in Texas. Super conservative, right? And super Christian. So I'm part of a dance community here. A very nice group of people. I don't know their politics, but chances are...well it's a conservative community so I'd assume most are pretty conservative, but I don't ask.

So one of the local studios had a New Year's Party...a studio that at least 50% of the dance community is active in. Nice party...So somehow, it turns out that I'm sitting next to Billy Graham. He admitted he isn't much of a reader but he'd read some book that opened his eyes about the Lord. Oh Lord. I'm an Atheist, ok? But I respect everybody's path. (And Jezusss Fuckin' Christ, the man read a BOOK!) I was once a Christian and I had to go down a similar path as he is on to get where I am today, so I'm tolerant. I listen. I try to say the right things to let him know his path is important because it's his pursuit of truth. I don't commit to being Atheist to him because I just really don't want to discuss it with him. I know who I am, what I am, and why I am what I am and don't expect anyone else to understand and don't really have the energy or the patience to explain it to him. I managed to survive the conversation long enough to be completely captivated by a song that I just HAD to dance to. He went on to witness to someone else.

Then later in the evening, I was telling a fellow dancer how much she and her husband seemed to have progressed in their dancing and she began "witnessing" to me that she had to learn to "let go" and let her husband lead, and had also learned that the same concept of letting go and letting God take the lead in her life was a new discovery that was working for her.

Oh my.

If only they knew they were speaking to an Atheist. But I'm a tolerant Atheist, as I suspect most are. But Geeze. On New Year's Eve? Where is your decadence, people? You're not preaching to the fucking choir, you're preaching to an Atheist who thinks you're a baby in consciousness! GROW!!! PLEASE! You are old enough! Think about all this shit a LOT more! Seek the TRUTH and it will set you FREE! It did me. But I didn't say any of this stuff because...well, what for? They are where they are... and it's meaningful to them. But I wish they wouldn't tell me this shit.

Thanks DUers for being this safe space for me to vent this. And happy New Year to you all too.

[lillypaddle]

2. Thanks for sharing

you are more tolerant than I am.

Happy new year, Trueblue.

[TexasTowelie]

3. Happy New Year from Wharton, Texas.

The last time that I dropped into a local business to apply for a job the owner told me about how I needed to put my faith in God regarding my future. I kindly took the application form and didn't return. While my belief in God has wavered over the years, I wouldn't be able to endure an overtly religious boss like him for too long. It's not like it was a great opportunity anyways.

[dembotoz]

4. It is an odd world

Thanks for this post as a reminder how very odd it can be

[Delphinus]

5. Good job!

You did very well. I usually grit my teeth only so long before I have to say something that would out me as a non-believer or find a less-than graceful way to extricate myself from that situation.

Happy New Year - may 2019 be kinder to us.

[llmart]

6. This is what bothers me the most about these religious people.

I'm an atheist also but I have no problem with anyone, whatever the religion, to believe and practice their religion. However, why do they have to proselytize to everyone they come in contact with? I always want to say, "Who are you trying to convince - me or yourself?" They bring it into every situation possible.