I've sometimes had the reverse situation... people who say they are Atheists who have asked me to pray for them. Prayer takes every form from the childish, "Dear Lord, please give me a bicycle for Christmas," to mature petitioning out of love or honest concern. There are people I pray for who I never tell because I think they would be uncomfortable about it. There are people who I know are Atheists or Agnostics who I know well enough to sense that they will appreciate that I am praying for them, not because they necessarily have some small uncertainty in their minds about whether or not God exists but because they know that I care about them and am concerned for them. I think the worst thing is when someone who you know by their actions is not a loving, thoughtful, giving person says that they're going to pray for you. Then it's just words, and you find their insincerity offensive. And want to get away from them before they draw you further into conversation. Not everyone who offers to lift up prayers has an honest spiritual life. As in everything else, you have to weigh people's words by the way they live their life. Hypocrisy isn't limited to Christians. People who say, "I'll be thinking about you," or "I really wish you well," may be no more sincere than some people who say they will pray for you who don't have a close personal relationship with God.

I guess part of what all of this boils down to is, if I don't find the fact that some of my closest friends are Atheists, why should people be bothered if I'm a Christian? I'm not trying to impose my beliefs on others. Atheism is a belief system, too. The closest friend I've had in my life is an Atheist, and we've both been very open about our beliefs. If something as important as faith is off-limits in a friendship, it can't be worth all that much.

I don't see Mudcat becoming a Christian community. I don't desire it to become a Christian community. I think that "pagens" should be welcome here, too. And respected as long as they aren't attacking others. Judge people by how they live.

Jerry