"Am I a bad person for being weary of people talking about God as if everyone else in the conversation believes in their particular deity? I'm thinking of declarations such as "God moves in mysterious ways," and "God has a plan for all of us," and the countless other religious platitudes that people trot out. As an atheist, I certainly don't assume that everyone I'm speaking with shares my nonbelief."
"Why don't religious people make similar allowances for nonbelievers? It really gets to me, and I feel guilty about it-or maybe not guilty, but as if I'm being ungracious or petty. I quite agree: Cloudy talk about plans and mysteries and the winding ways of Providence can be rather irritating. Especially right now, when most of whatever happens next would seem to be determined by arbitrary and despotic centers of earthly power."
An atheist feels alienated when others speak as if divine belief is universal, especially with phrases like "God moves in mysterious ways" or "God has a plan for all of us." Such platitudes presuppose shared faith and can come across as rude or presumptuous in mixed-belief conversations. Standard theological responses to suffering, such as appeals to greater goods, often seem inadequate or insulting to reason. Social norms make secular explanations feel impolite, producing guilt or self-censorship. The mismatch between religious certainty and secular doubt creates interpersonal friction and questions about empathy and presumptuousness.
Read at The Atlantic
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