Guilty Pleasure
For me, have to admit that it is a guilty pleasure to argue with fundamentalist religious believers in situations when I probably shouldn’t. I try to be good and not to start the discussion, but I admit that sometimes I will passive/aggressively get them to start the discussion. Sometimes however, I try to be good and to not do that either.
Let me give an example: I was at a wedding over the weekend and I knew that someone there was very religious. It was very tempting for me to start a religious discussion. But I knew that this was not the time or the place for such a discussion and that such a discussion would distract from the event. But I still have to admit that the desire for such a discussion was definitely there.
It really isn’t hard to get such conversations started because usually the fundamentalist religious believers will don’t feel the guilt and so they start these conversations without me even having to passive/aggressively nudge them in that direction.
I feel the guilt. I know that I shouldn’t pick a fight with these believers in certain settings. I also feel guilty because I know I know more than they do and that they are ill-equipped to defend their ridiculous beliefs. It is sort of like me being a bully in a sense and that is why I feel so bad when I get into those conversations in those settings with those people.
But it is so much fun. They are just so cocky and so ignorant of reality… not to mention so ignorant of their own Bible and the history of their religion. Not in all cases mind you, but usually. I try to be good and not get into those discussions in those types of settings. Sometimes (like this weekend) I am successful. Other times, not so much. ];-)
Related articles
- Gallup: One third of Americans are non-religious (examiner.com)
- If We Don’t, Who Will? (dangeroustalk.net)
Filed under: argument, atheism, conversation, Personal