Returning to the delightful discussion we had a good while back, I have just discovered that the lady I am currently seeing is a bit religious.

I escorted some Year 10 students out the school to various places today, one of the places being a nursing home. It was really depressing. A musty smell of some sort of meatpie and old people who didn't even know where they were. Literally, one kept saying 'where are we?' and another kept replying 'i don't know'.
All of this reaffirmed the idea that I want to go before I end up a senile fuckwit. This led me telling my girlfriend over the phone that I was going to be killed by police after I had hurled molotov cocktails at parliament in celebration of my 50th birthday. She replied that, if she was walking by, that I could kill her and then we'd have a massive row in heaven. I thought she was joking about the whole heaven thing but it turns out that:
-She went to Church on Easter Sunday and she is Catholic, although not strict
-She believes that there is an after-life
-Any time I want to argue about it, I can 'bring it' because she is comfortable with her faith

What the fuck do I say to that? I suppose I have two questions for you folks.
First, would you 'bring it' and for what purpose? Would you argue for the sake of arguing or would you want to convince your partner that their belief was ludicrous and hope that they rescind their beliefs? Alternatively, would you 'leave it' because however comfortable a religious person say they are with their faith, the odds are they don't like a massive dressing down about it. Especially when you're ultimately testing their ability to think in a logical and rational manner.
Second, could you go out with someone who was religious and how serious could it become? Ultimately, how much would it conflict to be a non-religious person involved with a religious person.

I don't know what will happen with this long-term but we're not very serious at the moment and I hadn't noticed before so I will allow. However, if she comes along to a gig to hear me scream out such STD ballads as 'Anti-Religion' and 'The Pope is Fucking Dead', I do wonder how long it can last.

By the time I'd reached the end of the first sentence of that post the words 'dump' and 'her' had sprung to mind...

STD_Caps wrote: However, if she comes along to a gig to hear me scream out such STD ballads as 'Anti-Religion' and 'The Pope is Fucking Dead', I do wonder how long it can last.

Shit. Well I'd try and avoid it as much as possible, but er.. maybe you should tell her your major problems with her religion before she was ever planning to go to one of your gigs.

Great post Caps.

First, would you 'bring it' and for what purpose?

I don't think this sort of issue is worth 'bringing' unless it has a noticeably detrimental effect on a situation or person. I find for most people that it's just an aspect of their lives that makes them feel better, so to that extent it's not worth raising at all.

So it's pretty much your point: "because however comfortable a religious person say they are with their faith, the odds are they don't like a massive dressing down about it." This is how I would approach the issue with a religious family member for example - what's the point mentioning something that for most people is a benign aspect of who they think they are (however irrational)?

On the other hand, if someone is being loud-mouthed and preachy, and so effectively 'bringing it' themselves, then by all means a non-religious perspective deserves to be voiced just as strongly.

"Especially when you're ultimately testing their ability to think in a logical and rational manner."

This is a really tough one - sometimes I do feel like that is all I am doing with this issue; I'm not chasing the big questions because I honestly feel on the brink of salvation, I'm merely curious as to why some otherwise intelligent people believe these things, and want to push it into the realm of debate - so if that is the main motive, then I guess the main outcome will be bad if you're trying to form some sort of relationship with the person.

Nonetheless, even if it is quite academic I think there are situations when the issues should be questioned and discussed. It doesn't matter if you're arguing on purely logical/rational grounds if it is an issue which affects the wider world in a way you care about; e.g. education of children, sexual oppression, or anything else.

Could you go out with someone who was religious and how serious could it become? Ultimately, how much would it conflict to be a non-religious person involved with a religious person.

I don't think it would be a huge issue for me, but it depends on how far it dictates their lives and their attitude towards others. Lots of religious people are nice, good people in every way, they just happen to believe in a particular doctrine. Others will be totally shaped by it and expect others to be; those are the ones I wouldn't want to spend any time around.

Tread the water with it, don't be aggressive about your arguments as that is a sure fire way to no sex.

Other than that i guess it depends on how much it bothers you.

Make is 70 anyway Caps, 50 isn't old.

James wrote:Great post Caps.

Woo! Cheers. I think I am pretty much in agreement with your argument. I will approach sensitively and will let my views known. I'm not intolerant of faith by an means so I'm not going to shit stir just to upset her and leave me out of a relationship I'm enjoying. Like I said at the end of my post, I hadn't noticed before so it doesn't appear to be an issue. If, however, it does end up causing problems later because of conflicting views then the issue is much bigger than her labelling herself a Catholic.

On the plus side her faith's spiritual leader on earth looks like that bloke from Star Wars so not only is she catholic but a Sith in disguise!!

I'll get me coat....

Not this again.

There's no such thing as God. END.

I will answer for them then, prove it.

Your reply "Prove God Exists"

Stalemate for eternity.

I can prove God doesn't exist. It says in the Guiness Book of Records the longest hide and seek match latest three weeks. Gods been playing a lot longer, so it must be a fib.

Either that or he is just really really good at it.

He'd be in the record book though...

Not if they couldn't find him. It can't go in until he is found i would imagine.

If it's longer than three weeks, it'll go in regardless.

As what, longer than three weeks?

They need the exacts details yo.