Reply #388: One on one, a typical question will revolve around whether I feel a "void"

[riderinthestorm]

in my life where religion used to be. I DO actually politely respond that for me, believing in God would be akin to believing in Santa. I then go on to ask them if they feel any kind of void now that they no longer believe in Santa.

My kids are beseiged with offers to go to church/Awana/prayer groups/teen nights-at-the-church etc because of the area we live in. The Santa analogy is easy to understand for the kids, who usually pass along the comment to their parents, and I am inevitably tackled sooner or later by the parents who want to "save" me. I'm polite about it here as well.

Going wider, I've used the Santa analogy when I've pulled into the local high school parking lot following the car wash signs thinking I will be supporting a school organizational fundraiser and discover it is a Youth for Christ or other religious fundraiser. Those kids get downright nasty when I try to explain that I'm not interested in my dollars supporting their org. Here I am sometimes polite and sometimes aggravated but one thing's for sure, everyone understands my position.

Beyond the personal, Wheaton College is right down the street from me which attracts a lot of very intense Christians who like to demonstrate their Christianity in big ways. For example, they will put up the anti-choice pictures of ripped-apart fetus' 10 feet tall, placed every 10 feet apart. On the main drag leading to my daughters' grade school! I always get into it with these people when that particular demonstration comes about. Sound bites work well, and the Santa analogy is an excellent soundbite when someone confronts me about my atheism during these types of confrontations.

Every Republican candidate has come to Wheaton to campaign and I've protested at every appearance from Reagan through GW Bush plus all of the Republican candidates in-between who run for governor/Senator/Congressperson etc. This presents another fine opportunity to run into ardent Christians who are desperate for a confrontation with a real separation of church/state supporter like me.

It's an analogy. It's just a simple, easy way to explain why I don't believe.