Many atheists and humanists are angry. We've been ostracized and left out. Hardly surprising, since, in America, as much as 80 percent of the population claims to be religious. But it isn't the mere presence of these people that incites anger. It's the way they use their religions to influence politics, laws, and the economy. And the costs of those societal controls are difficult to reconcile.
Next time you find yourself in angst because of something you hear in the news or when Jane at work tells you "she'll pray for you", try this: pity. Instead of trying to convince them their ways are flawed or instead of fighting fire with fire, try expressing pity that they needed to result to childish magical thinking to handle a real problem. But it is important that you do this publicly.
For example: I feel sorry for my stepmom, who is so insecure about her abilities as a parent that she pretends to believe "God had a plan" when anything bad occurs or when I actually needed her to be there. I pity her because, although her intentions may be good, nothing defeats I child's sense of security more than emotionally unavailable and incompetent parents.
Share your stories of pity in the comments below, I promise it will make you feel better.
Gabe
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