Questions, questions & questions ...

[xxMaryJane]

I don't really understand why do I get so many questions all the time about atheism. And I don't see the reason why I sometimes feel like I'm the only one who gets all those weird questions ( I'm sure a lot of atheists probably feel like that too ). I KNOW I'm not the only one in my school who's an atheist. I know.

Sometimes I wonder if it's because I'm not afraid to say I'm an atheist? I know a lot of people prefer not talking about it too much in front of theists and so do I, but if someone asks me again if I have found God's love of something like that, I won't lie. I'm a honest person so if you want to know the truth, I'd like you to deal with it as much as you can instead of asking me who created all the beauties of the world, do you think atheism is your religion, do you hate religious people, how do you know what's wrong and what's right.. We all know those ones.

I mean, I'm don't question my religious friends about why do they think god is real, why do they believe it's important to go to church and to confess their sins, why they believe in heaven, hell...
I don't question them because in the end, whatever they'll answer, I know I won't agree. They have their own justifications to their beliefs and that's enough for me. I don't want them to try to prove me they're right. They shouldn't as well.. because they won't believe me neither! So I'm not interested in wasting my time, trying to prove them wrong as well.

Nooo, come on ! I may not agree with religious people on those questions but see, one of the main reasons why I don't ask my theists friends those questions, is respect. I respect them even if we don't share the same point of view on the subject of religion. So I'm not trying to make them feel bad because of that. At the same time, I sometimes wonder if some of them realize how they make me feel bad and how it hurts to feel like you're different, in a BAD way. I'm for sure not the only one who feels like that ( Well, I hope ) but I wonder if anybody here understands what I mean, feels like that too or can help me understand. I know I shouldn't feel uncomfortable with being an atheist but situations like I talked about in this post, really make me feel like a bad person sometimes.

[Whitney]

Maybe the other kids in school are just curious about your views since they aren't familiar with atheism yet aren't good as being polite in how they ask?  Since I quit being religious, I've been lucky and happen to be around the type of people who don't bother others about what religion they are or are not.  I say I've been lucky because I'm in Texas and apparently the norm is to have people ask what church you go to.  The last time someone asked me that I was still calling myself a Christian.  The only time I've had to deal with friends drilling me about my views was in high school when I refused to pray before sporting events not because I didn't believe but because I thought it was wrong to pray to win.  Hopefully someone can be better able to relate and offer you some advice on how to deal with it.  I think that I would point out why the phrasing of their questions seemed rude before I answered...that's what I do online when asked, but online isn't really the same as in person.

[AlP]

I sometimes get questions like that. To be honest I rather like the debate and I rather like being different. I'm not quite sure why you find it hurtful to feel that you are different. Is there more to these questions? Are they framed in a negative way that is hurtful? Or do you just not like being different?

You say you are in school but I don't know what kind of school. College or high school?

Anyway, it seems that there are two ways to avoid the hurt of feeling different: stop being different or change your values with respect to being different so that you feel good or at least indifferent about it. The first option in this case would mean abandoning atheism, which I hope you won't do. The second option isn't as hard as it sounds.

[iNow]

The simple fact is they cannot argue with your position on the merits.  You have chosen the more rational and reasonable approach to belief, and they cannot argue with that rationality and reasonability, so they instead try to make you feel bad for your choice, try to make you feel like you've done something wrong, and basically try to peer pressure you (instead of debate you intelligently).

That's their problem.  Not yours.  Never forget that.