Dear Queenie,
I am not sure whether I believe in God, so I do not believe in churches. I try to obey the Ten Commandments, except the ones about God, because I think they are good guidelines for living an ethical life. I also try to obey the Golden Rule and I am kind to animals and I try to protect the environment.
I would never try to argue anyone into sharing my beliefs (or lack of them) and I am disgusted with people who try to “save” me. Who the hell (if there is such a place) are they to tell me how I ought to live my life? I notice a lot of them don’t live up to what they claim to believe!
Queenie, what can I say to these religious nuts to get them off my back?—Agnostic
Dear Agnostic,
It depends on how polite, or rude, you want to be to them.
Polite answers: “Thank you for being concerned about me,” or “I’ll certainly think about what you have said.” Then change the subject, or walk away if necessary.
Much less polite: “How do you know? Did God tell you personally?” Then walk away, fast.
And for those who tell you you will go to hell if you don’t adopt their own particular religion: “Well, then, I’ll be seeing you there, won’t I?” Or, you could quote the old song: “Ev’rybody talkin’ ’bout Heaven ain’t goin’ there …” You probably won’t have to walk away, as they probably will, but you may have to duck a clenched fist.
