If you and I met, how long till I knew your religious beliefs (or lack thereof)?
(A) I try to make it clear as soon as possible.
(B) I don't bring it up, but as soon as you mention God, religion, or spirituality, I'll let you know where I stand.
(C) I'd avoid tell you until we were really good friends and I knew I could trust you.
(D) Other.
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
C, although it has nothing to do with trust. It has to do with knowing someone well enough to tell whether they are going to freak out and think I'm a devil worshipper or have a respectful reaction.
I'm much more timid in real life about it than I am on here. Nobody gets it. Everyone thinks I'm mad at god for some unanswered prayer, or something.
My mother and I went round and round this weekend over it and now she's all worried and upset and I'm wishing I had never opened my mouth.
Nightwind
D - other
I'm extremely comfortable sharing my beliefs with others. However, I feel no neee to advertise it. If it comes up naturally in conversation, then I will discuss it. IF we enter a religious discussion, I will certainly mention it. But just because you mention God or religion doesn't necessarily mean I'll mention my religion. It would entirely depend on the context. For example, if we narrowly missed being in an accident and you said "God must have been looking out for us!" there's no reason for me to contradict or debate you on the point. That would just be rude on my point and looking for an argument.
Danny H
We should share our beliefs with the world every minute of every day of our lives by how we live the Faith. If someone asks me a question, I'll answer as best I can. I do not need to preach, unless the situation calls for it. However, the Gospel is spoken everytime I do a kind deed for someone, everytime I extend a loving effort, or minister to a person's needs. It is the love of Jesus Christ that preaches to the world, that should permeate every fiber of our being. That's what will be seen, more than any words we could speak.
God bless.
Ophelia
C for me.
I live in a small farming town in the Midwest where folks are largely white and Christian(think WASPs). Everybody knows everybody else and gossip of any sort gets around fast.
If I opened my mouth and told folks that I was nonreligious, I'd be disowned by my family and would never be able to leave the house for fear of total strangers hounding me to get me to "repent" and "rejoin the flock".
People around here value conformity and sameness. If there are folks who aren't religious, they either pretend they are or do like me and keep to themselves(ie: let other folks think whatever they want and not discuss it one way or the other).
I don't let people know it right awayand I don't bring it up when folks start talking religion. That usually lands me in a stretch of uncomfortable silence for as long as it goes on, provided I don't make some sort of excuse to get the hell out of there so I don't have to join in and have them find out.
I only tell people when I've known them for a good while and know I can trust them to not judge me and have that immediate "OMG! Sinner!" sort of reaction followed by constant harassment and attack.
Currently, only my mother, husband, and a couple of RL friends know, and I've known them for years and know them to either be nonreligious or of a different religion than most, or very accepting people.
I grew up in a family where unless you agreed with everyone else and said the same thing, you got reamed. Since I've never fit in a day in my life and was very independent from childhood, I frequently got it on the nose for disagreeing with them in the slightest, even when I WAS Christian(ELCA Lutheran to be specific was my upbringing).
With that sort of behavior, I learned to get to know someone and really test the waters before opening my mouth. I had some painful stuff happen to me growing up and I have no desire to repeat it.
Christy ☪☮e✡is✝
(B) I don't bring it up, but as soon as you mention God, religion, or spirituality, I'll let you know where I stand.*
*But only if asked. I don't volunteer my religious beliefs when the topic is brought up unless I am asked about my opinions and/or beliefs. For example, I wouldn't say "I'm an atheist" just because you said "Happy Easter" or told me about a church function you attended.