"She has been supportive of discriminatory secularism laws and has been very open about her disdain for religion and her belief that religious people are foolish and misguided. I am an atheist too, but I'm more of a live-and-let-live type. I respect others' beliefs, and I think everyone should be free to practice their religion as long as they're not harming anyone else. Over the years, I've pushed back against her more extreme anti-religion views many times."
"However, I am also deeply annoyed. I have no problem with someone changing their mind, but this complete 180 has been bothering me for reasons I can't fully articulate. I'm struggling to be supportive and interested in conversations about her new church, when just a few months ago, she was, frankly, kind of an asshole about religion. I know she was terrified to tell me about her change of faith for exactly this reason, so I don't want to tell her how I'm feeling."
A longtime friend who was a staunch, anti-religion atheist and supported discriminatory secularism laws has converted, joined a church, and become very involved and happy. The friend previously expressed disdain for religion and called religious people foolish and misguided, prompting repeated pushback. The writer is also an atheist but tolerant and now feels annoyed and conflicted by the friend's abrupt reversal and past hostility. The writer wants to be genuinely supportive but is struggling with judgment and irritation. The only clear obligation toward the friend's newfound faith is to listen when she talks about it; active participation is optional.
Read at Slate Magazine
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