hawkeyefan
Legend
Earlier in this thread, the analogy of football (American football of course) was mentioned and I'd like to expand on that analogy a bit if I may.
I'm a huge Seattle Seahawks fan. Have been since the Warren Moon days of yore. Now, say I happen to wander down to the local sports bar to watch a game. Sitting beside me, also watching the game is a Dallas Cowboys fan. Now, of course, the Cowboys fan is wrong, that's axiomatic. He's self deluded and rather sad. So, words are exchanged, possibly getting quite heated, but, before I can land my most telling point upon the end of his nose, in walks a stranger.
The stranger loudly proclaims that American football is all a load of hooey and not even a real sport. It's full of testosterone filled morons who are only pretended to play a real sport and we'd all be better off watching test matches from India.
Lowering my glass to the bar, I look into the eyes of the Cowboys fan, noting the hint of shame, because, after all, of course there is shame in those eyes, and we both proceed to chuck out this interloper on his cricket playing arse.
Which brings me to the point. A cleric of Corellon and a cleric of Lolth are enemies. They will gleefully kill each other. But, even then, there is still a recognition of the pantheon. We're enemies because our respective deities are enemies. Our faiths want opposite things and we're pretty much at war with each other. But, when faced with someone who is basically saying that our faith is false, and our respective deities are not worthy of the name, how would you expect those two clerics to react? Would you honestly expect either one to willingly adventure, putting their lives in the hands of, some madman who is denying reality? Would either one go out of their way to help that individual? Would either one honestly ally with that person, who they would both agree is entirely mad?
Would you willingly hang out with someone, call them a friend, who tells you that playing D&D is for children and it's a stupid past time and your time would be better spent playing real games? Sure, you'd take them to a hospital if they broke their leg, but, would you spend more time with this person than you absolutely had to? A co-worker might belittle your hobby, but, you have no real choice about going to work alongside them day in and day out. But, would you regularly go for a drink with them?
I have non-gaming friends. Of course I do and I'm sure we all do. We just don't talk about gaming. But, that's a different thing altogether than what we're talking about. I'm talking about willingly and deliberately spending extended amounts of time with someone who will tell you, numerous times, that your hobby is stupid and a complete waste of time.
How is this unreasonable that a theist character would want to have little or nothing to do with an atheist character?
Regarding your football analogy...you've presented two options...devoted fan and rabid opponent of the sport. There are more than two views.
So in answer to your last question, it is not unreasonable for a theist character to want little or nothing to do with an atheist. That is certainly a valid interpretation.
It's simply not the only interpretation. Many examples have been provided of reasons for believers to work with non-believers.
There's more than two options. To go back to the football analogy...there are devoted fans and people who hate the sport...then there are also casual fans, folks who don't really follow the sport, but who don't mind it, there are folks who aren't really fans but whose living is made from the sport, there are people who only watch the Super Bowl. There are all manner of people and all manner of opinions about football.
