Keep It To Yourself

One retort I often get from believers is some version of this statement:

"Fine, I get it!  You don't believe anymore!  Why can't you just keep that to yourself?!"

And they say this with a straight face.

Could they be less self-reflective?

Could the irony be less obvious if delivered with a baseball bat?

To be told to keep your ideas to yourself by people who belong to a religious group that:

• has a church on practically every corner in America
• befriends people for the sole purpose of getting others to go to their church
• floods the airwaves with religious TV and radio stations
• makes really bad movies and then tries to drag us to them
• creates religious versions of corporate logos and then slaps them on T-shirts
• sends missionaries all over the globe 
• works diligently to make sure the religious message impregnates the public square
• designs programs to channel children and young people into religion
• influences politics to favor their faith and force others to heed their dogmas
• this list could go on and on...

Against that backdrop, they state that my occasional declaration that life is good without gods, that one can be happier without religion, and that religious dogmas and practices are rife with harm - is something that I should keep to myself so they do not have to hear it... this is the epitome of irony and dark comedy.

To expect silence of others, while your message is trumpeted through every possible venue, just shows the extent of your religion's self absorption.