Wait- one more please!
Here's the thing about (non)belief systems- when someone disagrees with us, that act in itself can feel like hostility sometimes. Take for example my vegetarianism. When people find out about it, there are the curious, the derisive, the angry, and the kindred spirits. (Sound familiar?) None of these reactions/feelings have anything whatsoever to do with me. They are a reflection of how that person already feels about stuff. It's annoying to deal with the negativity and the feeling attacked, but I had to stop taking it so personally for my own sanity.
I think sometimes we just need to alter our thinking about stuff. Like, I used to be really annoyed dealing with drivers who were trying to get to their destination like it was the Indy500. Sometimes their selfish behaviors made me super angry. But then one day I decided to imagine those race car drivers were rushing somewhere really important- like their first child's birth or their mother's deathbed. So now, instead of being angry, I wish them only good thoughts as they speed away from me.
So- for example- when you see someone giving a 'warning: Christian content ahead' instead of feeling sad or ashamed by it, remind yourself that the OP is just trying to be gentle with others here who are incredibly angry at their God and might wish to read/say nothing about the subject. They are just trying to save someone from an extra layer of pain- and where's the shame in that?
I am someone who is not naturally an optimist. I have to work at it by forcefully switching a negative thought to a positive one and it truly has made my life easier when I manage it.
I actually quite liked this thread even in all it's messiness.
