My Former Bully is Trying to Convert Me to Christianity, Even Though I’m an Atheist
I’m in seventh grade now, but last year in sixth, I had a friend from fifth grade who turned out to be really unpleasant over the summer, so I distanced myself from him. He comes from a conservative, Christian Nationalist family, while my family is progressive. At school, most students have issues with the LGBT community, but I don’t. Also, I’m an atheist, even though my family isn’t. He would call me names like “faggot” and “furry,” even though I’m straight. I just support others and don’t interfere in their lives, but it seems to really upset him. One time, during class, he shouted from across the room, “Hey (my name), are you still gay?” I don’t even remember how I responded, but the teacher didn’t intervene, despite always saying, “If you’re bullied, come to us right away! We have a ZERO tolerance policy on bullying!”
After speaking with my parents and the school, they eventually sorted things out, albeit poorly, and he received just one detention. To their credit, it did make him stop for the rest of the year. Now that I’m in seventh grade, things were fine until the third quarter, when he moved to my lunch table with a friend, I assume because the friend got in trouble or something. Yesterday, he said, “Yo, (my name), I have a book you need to check out,” and then he put a Bible on the table. I didn’t think much of it, but when I was talking to a friend, he waved it in my face. I took it from him and tossed it back on the table. If he tries that again on Monday, I might just toss it across the cafeteria or tear out pages to see how he reacts.
He has another friend who once tried to convert me to Christianity, but I swiftly countered all his arguments. It doesn’t feel like outright bullying anymore; it’s more like he’s trying to annoy me on purpose, but I’m worried that the bullying might start again. For context, he’s a few inches shorter than me (maybe 5 to 8 inches), but I’m not very strong and want to avoid any type of violence. This is just a rant, but I’d appreciate any advice! Thanks!
It sounds like you’re dealing with a really frustrating situation, and I totally get why it’s bothering you. It’s tough when someone tries to push their beliefs on you, especially when you’ve already had issues with them in the past. It’s understandable to feel annoyed and anxious about it all.
Since you’ve already gone through some bullying with this kid and you’ve involved teachers and your parents before, it might be a good idea to keep that line of communication open again. If he continues to annoy you or if it escalates, you could talk to a teacher or a trusted adult about what’s going on. They should be able to support you and help prevent it from happening again.
As for the Bible situation, it’s totally your choice how to handle that. Ignoring him might defuse the situation, but if he keeps pushing your buttons, it’s okay to express that you’re not interested in his beliefs. You can be firm without being disrespectful. Maybe try a simple, “I appreciate that you care about your beliefs, but I’m not interested. Can we just drop it?”
If you do feel like throwing it across the cafeteria could be satisfying in the moment, try to think about how it might affect you afterward. You could end up in trouble or escalate the situation further, and that’s not what you want. Staying calm and collected might be the best way to show him that he doesn’t get to control your reactions.
Remember that you’re not alone in this—there are people who can help you, and it’s great that you reached out. Stay strong!