I was at my parents house last night, having dinner. I was really tired from staying up too late the night before, so I crashed in their spare bedroom for a few minutes and my mom came in to ask me about religion (again). I've never been 100% clear with her on where I stand, so I figured this was the point to do it.
She started out telling me about a couple of Catholic books she's just read about people who have converted, etc. I've told her in the past that I've read the bible and I'm even more unconvinced about religion after reading it, so she was saying that if I have questions about the bible I should call this and that person. I said I have no questions, it's all very clear. The bible is brutal, god is a narcissistic, cruel being that demands worship and adherance to arbitrary rules. She tried to go on about the concepts in the bible and the main message is love. I disagreed, saying that the old testament in particular is vile and brutal and many people are slaughtered at the behest of god.
Then we got into literal vs. symbolic in the bible, and she pointed out that the story of Noah isn't literal, it's a methaphor about justice. "Justice?!" I said... God murders everyone in the world except for one family in the name of justice? How could that story be about justice?
She asked me if I believe in god and i said no. She said "what about all the people who have prayers answered?" I said "what about the six million people murdered in gas chambers? Their prayers weren't answered." Her response "you can't understand why god does things."
I'm not trying to convert her or change her mind, but I just can't argue with people about religion - they refuse to look at it with any logic.
This is just sort of a rant of frustration - not that I want her to change her mind, just that I couldn't think of one argument she could make to bring me back to religion - but she keeps trying.