To the Atheist members of vgchartz

[DanneSandin]

pokoko said:
I struggled with being religious growing up. I live in the bible belt and literally everyone I knew was Christian or claimed to be such. Even as a kid, though, I had major problems with the bible, with god's behavior, and with the answers I was being given--the most common being to "pray about it". It was a very stressful experience, really, looking back. Everyone, including myself, was trying to shove my thoughts into a particular shape and it just wasn't working. Books played a major role, as well, like Dan Simmons' "Hyperion" novels and Tom Robbins' "Another Roadside Attraction". I remember putting those books down and arguing with myself over what they were saying.

Eventually I was able to find myself enough that I felt comfortable with not believing what had been pushed on me since I was a toddler. However, It's not something I talk about openly. Only a handful of people know my true thoughts on religion; everyone else just assumes I'm a Christian, which is fine with me. Around here, openly admitting you're not a Christian can be a pain at best and lead to people treating you differently. At worst, It can close off jobs and relationships.

I don't consider myself an atheist, though. No one has proven anything to me one way or another. I'm just not going to believe for the sake of believing.

Isn't it ironic that religious people, preaching about openness and forgiveness, sometimes are the most intolerable?