johnm214 said:

Say what you want, its conversation.  You have no duty not to offend her.  If you don't want to be a dick I wouldn't preach to her though- which is a very condescending and annoying trait amongst people of both the atheist and religious faiths I've known.

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I think I'm going to take that advice, it comes off as the one that makes the most sense.

Lake, this is not a ploy for sex, we are talking because it turns out we have a lot in common (mormon religion, bipolar mother, high achiever, etc).  I already made it explicitly clear that I'm not sexually interested in her.  And I do believe I included ethics in the thread title, so I'm one step ahead of ya

Growing up in the mormon religion is a unique case, so it is something to be bonded over in my opinion.

Quote:

you don't need people to join it so as to confirm that you are on the right path.

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johnm214 said:

Say what you want, its conversation.  You have no duty not to offend her.  If you don't want to be a dick I wouldn't preach to her though- which is a very condescending and annoying trait amongst people of both the atheist and religious faiths I've known.

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Ferris said:

Ok, so here's the deal.  I'm talking to this 17yo girl that I met randomly on the net, and it turns out we're from the same religion.  I'm now an atheist and she seems firm but unsure about her convictions.  Since this is basically a stranger and I cannot be sure of the consequences of my actions, would I be ethically obligated to follow my beliefs or to withhold such guidance until I can talk to her more on the phone.

Specifics are irrelevant here.  I thought this situation represented a larger ethical argument, or I would have posted it in the Pub.

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