In my experience, people who have faith (who also take issue with our atheism) feel sorry for us, and consider our lives to be empty. Their digs at us are more often than not coming from a place of concern and love, though from our side it always sounds disrespectful, at best.
When someone tells me they 'are praying for me', I raaaaage over the fact that they think they are helping me, the fact that they honestly believe it - but the important thing to remember is that they actually ARE helping - to them, they are helping in the most caring way they know how, and each person has different ways of showing love. We should graciously accept their words in the spirit they are given, they are showing us their love.
So my advice would be (using your own thread title words), continue to be the bigger person - by definition alone, you are doing a good thing.
I think religion is a beautiful thing for humanity - it's just not for me. I've made arrangements to make sure I am cremated and not buried (as my parents' religion dictates), and until then I will attempt to live and let live as best I can. We don't need to feel angry or ostricised or ignored or disrespected, we just need to accept our own decision and the problems which sometimes may come with it.
Re: I'm tired of being the bigger person
When someone tells me they 'are praying for me', I raaaaage over the fact that they think they are helping me, the fact that they honestly believe it - but the important thing to remember is that they actually ARE helping - to them, they are helping in the most caring way they know how, and each person has different ways of showing love. We should graciously accept their words in the spirit they are given, they are showing us their love.
So my advice would be (using your own thread title words), continue to be the bigger person - by definition alone, you are doing a good thing.
I think religion is a beautiful thing for humanity - it's just not for me. I've made arrangements to make sure I am cremated and not buried (as my parents' religion dictates), and until then I will attempt to live and let live as best I can. We don't need to feel angry or ostricised or ignored or disrespected, we just need to accept our own decision and the problems which sometimes may come with it.