Conversations Between Atheists: I don’t want to believe.

Socio-Political Rants

“My friend told me how when she was ten, she said, “I adore lasagna,” and her cousin replied, “No, Sarah, you can’t adore lasagna, you can only adore god.”

“Ergh..”

“Yup. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering we are actually in the minority.”

“I know, and sometimes it’s hard to stay that way. Things were going really badly for my girlfriend Sammy. I felt so bad, I even thought I might pray for her. I kept watching her do it every night, and I thought maybe I should join her.’

“Did you?”

“I couldn’t.”

“Why didn’t you? She would have really appreciated it for sure.”

“Because I thought what if things get better? Then I would have to believe.”

“That would be a little difficult. I suppose you could have done it in private?”

“I thought about that, but then, what if it did? Would I then have to tell her I did?”

“But did it?”

“No, but then I felt a little guilty because maybe I should have.”

“Then what did you do?”

“I waited… for a few more days.”

“And then?”

“It still didn’t.”

“But what if you did, and it did get better? What if it worked?”

“Well, I figured even if things did improve, I could never prove it either way.”

“That’s true. But it would have been an interesting experiment.”

“On the accounts of my world view.”

“Yeah, but what if praying does work? Would that be a trip.”

“I know, but I kept thinking if I did pray, there was a turn around, I would think, it might have happened all on it’s own. And everything I believed in would have to go because for one weak moment I turned to Jesus.”

“I suppose that might point to the reason for his popularity, there really isn’t any empirical evidence on whether praying helped and if god had a hand it in.”

“And the time frame just stretches, no matter how much later it happens… it’s still attributed to god. Which is why it’s called a "Belief."”

“Well I believe things generally do get better, in the long run.”

“That’s why I kept delaying my plan to pray.”

“Did things get better?”

“Eventually.”

“After you….”

“No, I never did.”

“Huh.”

“I was so relieved.”

“That things got better, or that you didn’t pray?”

“Both.”

“So you out waited god.”

“Trust me, it was a battle of wills. Between myself and…. er.. .

“Society’s belief system.”

“It was hard.”

“I am sure.”

“But not as hard as if I had to spend the rest of my life, believing in god.”

“And going to Church every Sunday.”

“Sometimes it’s just better not to play with fire,”

“We’re such scientists.”

“Or just refusing to see something else might be out there.”

“Well, you can start praying now.”

“What on the MTR?”

“Well, no, as a daily routine.”

“No, thank you, if I could bet my girlfriend’s happiness against it, I think I could wait a little bit longer again.”

“Yeah, tell me if you ever do.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Neither do I, but if I pray and it comes true, well I would promise I would tell you about it.”

“Actually, please don’t.”

“No, no. I would! Really we can believe in god together. Get all dressed up and go.,.”

“I don’t even remember when was the last time I walked into a church.”

“But what happens if you get married? Will you have to go to Church?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What if you have kids? Would you let them go to Church?”

“I think I would have to.”

“Your kids would grow up Christian!!”

“I know! But I have to respect Sammy’s believe system, and it would make her very unhappy if her kids grew up without knowing all that.”

“Would you go with them?”

“Sometimes, I can see myself going.”

“What would you do?”

“Keep quiet. Look at it as an anthropological experience.”

“I get it now. You know how you hear people say,it was their mothers who really believed in god,”

“Yeah, yeah, their fathers never said anything or just potted around the house on Sundays?”

“That would be you!”

”Funny. That would be exactly how it is.”

"We are fast becoming our parents."

"My parents never believed in god."

"Only half of mine did."

"Ha Ha."

"Don’t laugh. That’s going to be you."

“Or that my kids are going to be you.”

“I would start praying now.”