- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Messages
- 293
Well, this is a topic that may eventually end up pissing people off or sparking a giant flame war, although that is not at all my intention. While it pertains to religion, let's not get into whether Religion A is more true than Religion B is more true than no religion.
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I attend a highly conservative Christian college in the middle of the Bible Belt. As the only open atheist on campus, I run into plenty of prejudice, both conscious and unconscious. It's not usually any big deal as it mostly takes the form of being excluded from things, or people making snide comments, although I have had a couple of people publicly chew me out, hoping that would convert me. Perhaps they might try taking Chase's advice and applying it to their conversion methods. It might get them better results (actually, I ended up becoming great friends with one of those people after they got past the religion thing).
Anyways, I don't let it bother me, and I try to be both amicable and ethical in my interactions with other people. My lack of faith is something that is just part of who I am. I don't throw it in people's faces, but I don't hide it either. However, the one thing that has bothered me is how my lack of religion has affected my chances with girls on campus. I can't tell you how many times I have met a girl and had her completely enthralled by the end of our first conversation only to have her go cold when she asks where I go to church (a question so common here that it ranks second only to "What's your major"). My usual response is something along the lines of "Church isn't really my thing, change of topic." Of course, most people are curious as to why I don't go to church, and will press me on it to which I will reply that I am not religious. The few times I have made it past that point, I have eventually gotten the "unevenly yoked" line, even when I'm only bringing up something as simple as a date (the courtship mentality is pretty popular here, so a date to most girls is a pretty big deal). I'm fairly certain that it's not just an excuse because I do really well up until that point, and when I date off campus, I rarely run into this problem.
In spite of my differences of opinion, I am still a pretty popular guy on campus and can get compliance from just about anyone I want (of course, by the time I recover from the religion conversation, I am firmly in the friend-zone, so romantic options are generally out). In many ways, my atheism and disregard for many social taboos gives me a bit of an edge (like the one Chase was talking about a few days ago) which balances out the rest of my image as a warm, ethical, and non-judgmental guy. Outside of school this combination is killer, but with a dearth of options around town (the city is built around this campus and there are no real hangouts off campus besides the mall where only the middle schoolers hang out), I would like to be able to date on campus. With a 4:1 Girl/Guy ratio, this should be happening.
My question is, what options do I have to deal with the religion issue when it comes up, or how can I head it off before it becomes an issue? Have any of you dealt with this?
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I attend a highly conservative Christian college in the middle of the Bible Belt. As the only open atheist on campus, I run into plenty of prejudice, both conscious and unconscious. It's not usually any big deal as it mostly takes the form of being excluded from things, or people making snide comments, although I have had a couple of people publicly chew me out, hoping that would convert me. Perhaps they might try taking Chase's advice and applying it to their conversion methods. It might get them better results (actually, I ended up becoming great friends with one of those people after they got past the religion thing).
Anyways, I don't let it bother me, and I try to be both amicable and ethical in my interactions with other people. My lack of faith is something that is just part of who I am. I don't throw it in people's faces, but I don't hide it either. However, the one thing that has bothered me is how my lack of religion has affected my chances with girls on campus. I can't tell you how many times I have met a girl and had her completely enthralled by the end of our first conversation only to have her go cold when she asks where I go to church (a question so common here that it ranks second only to "What's your major"). My usual response is something along the lines of "Church isn't really my thing, change of topic." Of course, most people are curious as to why I don't go to church, and will press me on it to which I will reply that I am not religious. The few times I have made it past that point, I have eventually gotten the "unevenly yoked" line, even when I'm only bringing up something as simple as a date (the courtship mentality is pretty popular here, so a date to most girls is a pretty big deal). I'm fairly certain that it's not just an excuse because I do really well up until that point, and when I date off campus, I rarely run into this problem.
In spite of my differences of opinion, I am still a pretty popular guy on campus and can get compliance from just about anyone I want (of course, by the time I recover from the religion conversation, I am firmly in the friend-zone, so romantic options are generally out). In many ways, my atheism and disregard for many social taboos gives me a bit of an edge (like the one Chase was talking about a few days ago) which balances out the rest of my image as a warm, ethical, and non-judgmental guy. Outside of school this combination is killer, but with a dearth of options around town (the city is built around this campus and there are no real hangouts off campus besides the mall where only the middle schoolers hang out), I would like to be able to date on campus. With a 4:1 Girl/Guy ratio, this should be happening.
My question is, what options do I have to deal with the religion issue when it comes up, or how can I head it off before it becomes an issue? Have any of you dealt with this?