How come theists take offense so readily, and how to avoid offending them?

I guess I've always been my own person, although there used to be a time when I gave more consideration to the expectations of others. I've grown into it, because over time I realised its simpler to cater to my own expectations rather than adapt to everyone else's. I think it requires a degree of confidence in your own beliefs to stand up for them. I wasn't always convinced about what I believed. But I realised a long time ago that being an agnostic is an intellectually lazy position, because it doesn't require you to take a position as such, at least it was unsatisfactory for me and I find theism more logically consistent with my overall personal philosophy of life.
 
SAM -

Are you a member of a religious community? Do you regularly go to the same mosque, meetings organized by a religious community or such? Do you have many/mostly Muslim friends?

I have found that it is easy enough to be a "lone ranger" kind of believer, not having an affiliation with any particular group within one's own denomination.
It is something completely different though to actually function in a religious community.
 
Signal said:
SAM -

Are you a member of a religious community? Do you regularly go to the same mosque, meetings organized by a religious community or such? Do you have many/mostly Muslim friends?

I have found that it is easy enough to be a "lone ranger" kind of believer, not having an affiliation with any particular group within one's own denomination.
It is something completely different though to actually function in a religious community.
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Thats difficult to answer. Part of my family is very religious and conservative, into religious meetings, mosques, prayers etc. Part of it is laissez faire. Both sides believe in live and let live and have friendships and dealings with people who are not of our "community". But as happens, most of our day to day dealings are within the community. Our butcher, baker, candlestick maker etc are from the "community". They are so close to us after so many decades of dealings, that when we are not at home, they can be trusted to look in on us and make sure we are okay. But all the same, we are not religiously affiliated all in the same sense. Living in Bombay is not like living in a small town, it is possible to be immersed in your own community without being obligated to them. But being in a community means that you have relations with people from the whole spectrum of society - there are people who are so poor that when they invite you for lunch, you compensate them for it and others so wealthy that you don't invite them home for lunch.
 
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I cannot relate here. Whatever affiliation I might have with my potential religious community would be strictly for religious reasons and nothing else.

I am at the bottom of the hierarchy, I have no rights, I am a guest there at most, barely anyone ever talks to me, and when they do, they usually talk down to me like I can't count to three, they seem to be displeased if I initiate conversations, and at the same time I live with the constant threat of offending someone there - and they seem to take offense so easily.

If I wish to make spiritual advancement, I have to get their approval. By now, I see no way anymore to ever get to that point.
 
Then perhaps you need to find likeminded people for religious guidance. I have a friend who joined the Unitarian Church [United Church of Christ] due to her impatience with evangelists. Have you considered something of the sort?
 
I might have to ...

The problem is that my religious interests and values are so narrow and so specific that there isn't really any other religious organization or community that would be a match.
 
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