A Cancer Survivor Designs the Cards She Wishes She’d Received From Friends and Family

[F4lconF16]

100. I don't lie to people to make them feel better.

I've found it's not very convincing or helpful, for one thing, and second, I don't like lying to people.

I did misread your post, so I take that other part back. Apologies.

Second, I think you still don't get it. I am not hostile towards them, I am hostile when they push their beliefs on me in a time of hardship. Yes, it is pushing your beliefs on me.

Most days, I go biking around Seattle for at least a half hour or more. There are churches everywhere. There is religion at big events. There is religion at sporting events. There is god inserted into speeches, into politics, into every last statement made publicly. There is god in the attacks on my rights as a bisexual man. There is god just about everywhere, all the damn time. Atheists are among the least trusted minorities in this country. I've been compared to Satan. People wouldn't trust me with their children. There's a pretty good chance my girlfriend and I will eventually have to split up over our conflicting beliefs, despite working well everywhere else.

This country is actively hostile towards me and other non-believers. It is far more alienating than you realize, and it really, really sucks.

Can you imagine, now, why the last thing I want to hear from you is how you're going to pray to the same god/gods that fuck/s me over in every other area of my life? Can you understand why saying "I'll pray for you" is a way of forcing your religion on me, intended or not?

Can you empathize with me?

Cause that's all this is really about.