How would you react if someone told you that they didn't believe in god?

Question

How would you react if someone told you that they didn't believe in god?Seriously, if someone you either knew or didn't know told you they didn't believe in God how would you respond?

I'm only asking cause people have asked me if I believe in god and when I tell them that I don't they most often give me a shocked look and start preaching about how I'll go to hell cause I'm a non-believer, so I wanted to hear what other people had to say.

Answer 1

Why should that bother me? They have a right to believe as they believe. Besides, who am I to judge of another person's relationship, or lack thereof with the divine? Just because somebody says they don't believe in God, that does not mean they have no spirituality. It means at that particular point in their life, the concept of God doesn't make sense to them.
I ask you this: Would God be bothered? However, you perceive Him to be, why should He? What does God have to do with man's belief. Clearly, any such entity does not need the benefit of our faith, being perfect in and of itself.
We give too much attention to the external signs of religion. That is probably why so many people turn away in disgust. Religion (Actually I prefer the term spirituality) is a very personal, very intimate thing. You are not your brother's keeper.

Answer 2

Well, given the random nature of such a statement, I'd probably ask why. A lengthy discussion would likely ensue. Personally I currently run under the title agnostic because I'm still searching for a religion that suites me.

If not believing in God is a big deal for you, I would suggest you let him/her know. Faith can be very important to some people. Others, however, simply can't find it in themselves to believe in something without proof, or might just have problems with certain flaws within organised religion. While it may be hard on them in times of crisis not to have an almighty being to comfort them, they've made a choice and there's not a whole lot to be done about that.

Answer 3

My hardship for you may want to be that you're less than the false impression that spirituality is an all or no longer some thing proposition. in case you do end as a lot as fairly be Atheist, then that's impressive. no matter if, be unsleeping that there are dissimilar faiths that few "God" in distinct innovations. There are religions/modes of spirituality that do not actually have "a god" contained in the experience of a separate entity. Buddhism is a sturdy social gathering. My advice to you may want to be this: fairly than centred on what you do not trust, make an attempt to look interior your self, and in conserving with danger do fairly study on diverse modes of spirituality, to attempt to get a feeling of what you DO trust. to verify if there is a few thing previous your self that does contact you in a unique way. there are dissimilar styles of religiosity. There are modes of spirituality outside of the non secular. for most an important existence is so elementary as being an outstanding guy or female.

Answer 4

To each his own.

I would wonder why they did not believe in God but would not ask, it is too personal. I would not even ask family- God is internalized for many people, it is like asking "do you believe in kindness?" or "do you believe in trust?" These are innate elements in our experience of being human (I'd like to think all of them)- they are 'givens' so to speak; many people that believe in God feel that God is a given, it is a presence in everything they do and believe- not just a Sunday morning or holiday...this is why you get the questioning and disbelief/conversion stuff; it is unfortunate when people cannot simply accept that it is not their business why or why not you believe in something, however it is also your responsibility to respond to their reactions as you probably brought it up...I can't remember ever hearing someone out of the blue ask "do you believe in God?" Too personal. An appropriate reply would be "no, but I respect that many people do."
To each his own.

Answer 5

Quite frankly it wouldn't phase me but I would be curious about their belief structure, so I'd ask. I'm not really of any denomination but I do believe in a higher power, whether that's a god of some sort or simply respect for the universe I'm not sure.
However, I strongly believe that faith is inherently personal and that whether an individual believes in Jesus, Bhudda, Mohammed, Krishna or their next door neighbour's tennis partner, it's entirely up to them.

Answer 6

Everyone has their own beliefs in a higher power. Many Americans believe in the Christian God and because of that they believe anyone who does not believe as they do will go to Hell. As to how i would react, I am a very open-minded person and I beleive it is a persons right to believe in whatever they desire. I try not to pass judgement on what they believe and I try not to base the validity of their beliefs on my own.

Answer 7

A lot of the people that I know don't believe in God, and I am fine with that. I very rarley ask people if they believe in God but if I every did and they told me know it wouldn't bother me and I would proply just talk about whatever!! I believe in God but I'm not going to try and covert people who are happy with how they are.

Answer 8

This has happened to me. It was a girl I worked with at a real crummy job. I was taken aback for a second. She didn't seem like an atheist. Whatever that might possibly be. Then I asked her was this just a recent revelation brought on by the sheer suckiness of our daily drudgery.

Answer 9

Do you believe in God?
If you do, it would be nice if you had a little respect and used a capital letter.
People are entitled to their beliefs without being hassled by others.
Personally, I'm an agnostic.
........................................
You should be treated with respect due to you as a human being.
I've found the majority of Christians are NOT annoying people who want to convert you to their way of thinking. They show the true Christian spirit of respecting other peoples points of view.
There is a small minority who want to change everyone in the world into clones of themselves. They can just bog off as far as I'm concerned.

Answer 10

In response to the person who wrote that they would try to get to know that person and let them know that she believed in God and try to talk to them and blah blah blah... I don't care what she thinks. I wouldn't preach to her that "I'm a Wicca, let's get to know each other so that I can convince you that being a Wicca is the only way." I'm not Wicca, but I'm trying to find an opposite religion here for example purposes. I don't like the preaching Christians and I get tired of everything thinking that they're the only right people in the world.

My response would be to those people who think it's their business to get in my business is to tell them to learn the history of their religion and research it. No one nowadays is educated in the religion they practice. So they need to learn it themselves before they try to preach it to me. Christianity and Catholicism and Mormonism were all born from lies. Who wants to be a part of that???