I don't hide my beliefs, ever.
But sometimes its best to keep those beliefs to yourself.
There are times when you must consider other people, and their comfort. For instance my old roommate wouldn't play her Christian gospels to me because she knows they make me feel uncomfortable, since I've had some pretty bad run ins with Christians in general.

You shouldn't be ashamed but at the same time be mindful.
And if anyone teases you for your beliefs well, they aren't really worth it anyway now are they?

Lol... excuse me? I don't think I've EVER in my life seen or heard of a Christian person being forced to hide their faith. And I have to say that I do not see Christian people as warm and fuzzy. I see them as what they have shown me in throughout my school life - as awesome until the talk of religion begins. Then Christian people become an army of disapproval and condemnation. People like me (atheists) are given cold stares and knowing smirks, like "Ha, I know something you don't know, and you're going to hell for it..."

I remember someone at my school was stabbed outside of school simply for being Muslim. Luckily, the boy that stabbed him was alone and possibly drunk (we never knew for sure), so he didn't hit anything vital. However, the point remains that I've never heard of any Christian person having this kind of threat against him or her. (Perhaps Mormons or the Amish have such threats against them because they are seen as being so different from the rest of the Christian community, despite their beliefs in the same god.)

Nonthreatening Christians? Christianity is the world's biggest religion in terms of people who follow it. Christianity is history's most violent religion as well - consider the Crusades, the Reconquista, and even the more recent Holocaust. I am sure there is a reason why some are called "Jesus freaks." And it's not because they want to give out food and charity to everyone in their class.

@SerenaDante@xanga - "Jesus freaks" do give out money and food to everyone in their classes. I was one of them when I was in Year 7 and 8. Everyone loved me because of how I sang to them, draw comics and write poems to them and gave them one or two free meals when there were things we ought to celebrate about. Now, I know that the money didn't come from me, so I shouldn't use it that way. But I used less money than most other classmates. They spent so much money on fashion and accessories, on computer games, on movies... I only spent my money on food...

...I personally hide my atheism and call myself Jewish just because people treat atheists like crap around here.  Although the treatment of Jews leaves much to be desired.

I personally don't think that Christians lead a rose colored life, nor are they particularly soft hearted.  I think to make a generalization for the entire secular worldview is a bit ridiculous, since it IS a rather diverse group.  I would think that secularists would include Christians as well, actually.

 Just because you turned down your Christian music and other CDs doesn't mean you were weak.  It just means that you turned down something that your room mate may not have liked.  I mean if I turned down my music when a room mate came in, would I be being weak or considerate?

Christianity IS for the weak.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great
revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But
he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about
my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That
is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I
am strong.

but i understand the premise of the post, and i agree that hiding faith is a temptation that many succumb to because of fear of being seen as weak, or "less than."

great post!

@bentbrokenandtorn@xanga - To admit that you are weak, is an action only the strong can do. The truly weak is someone who is weak but does not admit that he is.

@misswonderj@xanga - So, do you like your room mate? Just a personal question though and it means no harm...

@nowayout001@xanga - If everyone loved you, then you weren't called a Jesus freak, I'm assuming. And if you were, then it wasn't meant negatively, as the writer of this post is using the term.

@nowayout001@xanga - it does take strength to boast about weakness. i just thought of that verse when i read the title. =)

@SerenaDante@xanga - Yeah, that was so shocking indeed, I can't believe that someone can be that immature. Everyone has a reason for who they become of, so please don't generalise and hate all Christians heeheeeeee...

Haha, another person who I can add to my list of great Christian athletes.  Now my list is at 2! Tim Tebow+Michael Chang! :D
Great encouragement from the great icons in the sports arena. =)

@nowayout001@xanga - I'm sorry to hear that, and I can empathize with you because I too had a rather long period of being suicidal in my early years. However, I think you sort of missed the point of what I was saying... there are some Christians who, unlike you and your kind ways, would want to kill people for being different from them. That is a "Jesus freak."

@SerenaDante@xanga - Oh, I thought the writer meant those who always get bullied and not fight back because they obeyed Jesus by offering to be slapped on both cheeks lol~