I keep waiting for someone to say to me, “Jesus paid for your sins with his blood (or life).” So that I can reply, “…for everything else there is MasterCard.”

Died way before I was born (if he even existed). I didn't ask him to. Knew nothing about my "sins". Can't pay for them. I refuse this "favor".

The scapegoat system is the ultimate in immorality. Asking someone else to pay for your crimes is moral cowardice. We mere humans would never accept the idea that someone could go to prison in place of another, serving the sentence for something they did.

The only reason Xians accept this system is that they also believe in a tyrannical, incredibly unjust God person whose retribution for the most minor infraction is eternal torture.

Yes, I do cringe. I also wonder how they can believe this while bring rational in other aspects of life.

Cringe? not quite. I've come to a point in my life when I'm gripped with incredulity, that I don't bother to hide anymore, look them in the eye and say "Prove it." To date they have not. When they press me citing the bible as the irrefutable source, I tell them about Mohammed's Miraculous ride across hundreds of miles of desert in the course of a single night(I think I'm capturing the salient points). When they inevitably challenge the reality of my claim I hold of the Qur’an as my proof and point out I have just as much evidence as they do.

It's so funny how much some are willing to believe when its their repository of apocrypha. One day I was arguing with my mother(a staunch Catholic) about the validity of the claims she was making. I brought up the Mormons, a group she considers a cult, and pointed out the similar ratio of evidence to claim. My sister butted in and with great emphasis told me "Sean you NEED to think about being more open minded!" I was proud of myself because without missing a beat I responded "Have you read the book of Mormon?". And with the look of someone who had just been asked if they had ever ate raw frog legs said "No!". I mentioned I had, though I preferred the Orson Scott Card version, and asked her how I could be more open minded.

So this got a little away from me and I’m sorry, but no, you are not the only one. I know they typically mean nothing but well. They have been told from day one that they are saving you from an eternal fate of infinite punishment for a finite crime by an all loving deity. If they know your an Athiest, or anything close, I think they are offered a toaster oven in heaven as a prize.

It does not bother me to hear anything religious people say relating to their biblical beliefs. I know it is just nonsense and let fly right on by. However, hearing them say absolute lies about how things are is another story. e.g. "America is a Christian nation and the Constitution is founded on biblical principles".

I'm fine with people saying it, but it is what led me to renounce my Christian bases. If god knows everything, he know lucifer would rebel, he knew eve would eat the fruit, and if he is so powerful why does he need to send himself and sacrifice himself to himself in order to forgive us for what he could have prevented. Sounds like a really bad way to go about being benevolent and all loving.

I got queasy just reading that.

I try not to be condescending by just rolling my eyes and taking a deep breath.

I always have the strangest look on my face when I hear that. Perplexed, because it is so ridiculous!

If my stomach is full at the time - hearing that makes it difficult to keep the food down !

It all creeps me out. I think religious people have to "wear" their religion like a badge to prove just how "good" they are. Sometimes i think religion makes one feel superior.

That one doesn't get me nearly as much as, "God had different plans." I don't know why, but that one drives me bat-shit insane.

It's a good thing that a few people I know don't have paint brushes... I would be covered in buckets of blood....

I cringe internally. No point in making a public display of disdain.

I am cringing constantly around such people - don't get many of them here .

Not any more because they know not what they say, They follow blindly and state the same ole stuff time after time. As one comedian said, imagine jesus coming back to earth and seeing everyone wearing a reminder of the time on the cross. He would say hey , it was better than this you idiots. Why do you remind me of something you idiots do not get.

When I was religious, I also cringed during communion when the pastor said “the body of christ shed for you” and “the blood of christ shed yor you.” That was sooooo goolish.

"God willing" or "by God's grace" are probably the two I hear most often, earning an eye roll.

I hear that kind of talk daily. I usually leave the room before I say something that will get me fired. I spend a lot of time at other people's offices.

That's like when somebody survives a plane crash where everyone else dies and people will invariably claim by the grace of God they lived it was a miracle and I'm just wondering so I guess God didn't like the other 200 people

I cringe at all of that bullshit.

Im with you on that. Anyone I hear thank you jesus I assume that person is far too detached from reality for any good to be had on my life. Im like "no thanks. Next!"

I really kind of chuckle inside. I did quickly lose interest in a charming lady a few months ago when l overheard her talking about having Jesus in her life. I don't really like to share someone with another man, especially him. I am afraid his influence would be to strong.

As far as I know, they were not my sins.