Are you nervous about telling people?

[stacey bo bacey]

What's funny is I think atheism can sometimes get such a disrespectful response from people, one they would never give to a religious person.

Person 1: What do you believe in?
Person 2: Well, I'm an atheist.
Person 1: Why???

You would never, at least I don't think, hear another person flat out ask "WHY?" someone is Catholic or Muslim or Jewish, etc. because then you're offending their god or something. The conversation would go about in a different way I think.

Anyways, the only person I'm not comfortable telling is my mom and her side of the family. They will never know. If they did, they'd try to drag me to church to exorcise the demons out of me or something crazy.

 

[Storm]

I shouldn't have to feel weird...and I want them to know that.

ITA, but what made you realize that?

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

ITA, but what made you realize that?

It's become important for me to show people that its not only acceptable, but commendable to question, and in many cases criticize, social norms. I want to encourage people to find their own path in life just as I am doing. I try to awaken people from their daylight sleep through the use of blatant, unyielding expression and part of that expression comes in the form of being open about my a-religious views.

 

[3.14]

if people wern't afraid to say there atheists i bet we would have alot more, i know alot of people who only practice religion because of tradition not because they belief it

 

[Storm]

It's become important for me to show people that its not only acceptable, but commendable to question, and in many cases criticize, social norms. I want to encourage people to find their own path in life just as I am doing. I try to awaken people from their daylight sleep through the use of blatant, unyielding expression and part of that expression comes in the form of being open about my a-religious views.

Ah, now that's the answer I was looking for. Thank you.

So, would you say it's analogous to gay pride? Because your first sentence describes exactly how I feel about that.

 

[Magic Man]

I do feel a little weird. I don't usually tell people because it doesn't usually come up. It is sad that it has such a negative connotation. I don't hesitate to tell people, but I do fight the urge sometimes to elaborate.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Ah, now that's the answer I was looking for. Thank you.

So, would you say it's analogous to gay pride? Because your first sentence describes exactly how I feel about that.

You're very welcome.

I would say very analogous, yes.

 

[Mathematician]

I'm nervous when around older generations, although there are quite a few young and impressionable individuals who think it their duty to convert me. The best responses come from those who find the idea of not believing in god absolutely foreign.

 

[darkendless]

I get the feeling People automatically think less of you if you don't believe in God. It's as though for some divine reason, religion makes you better than everyone else. What a sad world we live in.

 

[Surya Deva]

In my thead, "Why it is irrational to believe in god" I have literally been swamped with personal attacks for being atheist The irony is nobody has still been able to provide a single rational reason for believing in god.

I proudly assert my belief that there is no god because I know I have the support of rationality and logic. There is absolutely no valid reason for believing in god and no means of knowing that such a being exists. You should not feel ashamed of asserting this, rather those people should feel ashamed that criticise you, that themselves believe in something from primitive times during the dark ages, rather than modern science.

 

[Storm]

In my thead, "Why it is irrational to believe in god" I have literally been swamped with personal attacks for being atheist The irony is nobody has still been able to provide a single rational reason for believing in god.

I proudly assert my belief that there is no god because I know I have the support of rationality and logic. There is absolutely no valid reason for believing in god and no means of knowing that such a being exists. You should not feel ashamed of asserting this, rather those people should feel ashamed that criticise you, that themselves believe in something from primitive times during the dark ages, rather than modern science.

Nobody is attacking you because you're an atheist. I would clarify further, but the forum rules prevent me.

 

[darkendless]

Nobody is attacking you because you're an atheist. I would clarify further, but the forum rules prevent me.

He's being attacked for being straight up with people about what he thinks. I think the world is a better place because of people who have the courage to speak their mind. In a way he's saying what some atheists are thinking, what we usually say is just a fabrication on his opinions.

 

[Surya Deva]

Storm, just saw your thread "Discrimination against atheists" isn't it ironic you have been discriminating against me from the very start of the discussion, just because I am atheist. If somebody reviews this thread they will clearly see you initiated personal attacks against me out of sheer frustration that you could not refute my arguments.
I have, relatively, been a lot more politer than you.

 

[Storm]

I don't discriminate against atheists. Ask mball, TurkeyOnRye, or Father Heathen. Your attitude got you your treatment, nothing else.

 

[Surya Deva]

Your attitude got you your treatment, nothing else.

I am sorry but I was not the one calling people pigeons, that was you dear I am not going to lie and say my attitude was perfect, but at least I didn't call you a pigeon and then encite others to gang on up you. You simple got frustrated that you could not answer my arguments.

You still haven't given a single valid reason on how you could gain knowledge of god if there was no religion.

Instead you resort to personal attacks, misrepresentations and equivocations.

I think you are just peeved that I have not let you get away with giving invalid counter-arguments. I have engaged virtually every single point that was made, in contrast my points were sometimes not engaged at all and were just laughed at.
It is clear discrimination against atheism.

 

[Storm]

You want to know what actually ****** me off? You ending every post with "Give up." That kind of pretention just gets under my skin.

 

[Father Heathen]

I've been on this forum for a while, and no one (safe for a very small handful) has ever "discriminated" against me for being an atheist. It boils down to mutual respect and civility, so what you deal out you usually get in kind.

 

[gnomon]

You probably wouldn't guess it by reading my posts on this forum, but I'm not entirely comfortable with talking about my beliefs with strangers.

That's the only conclusion I've been able to reach after reviewing what happened the other day, when a nurse at a routine check-up inquired if I identified with any "religious or cultural beliefs". I said, "Ummm....no." Why? I'm not exactly sure. She was extremely kind, I liked her a lot. She had said earlier that I was "very blessed", and perhaps that intimidated me. If she's very religious, will she think less of me?

Perhaps what frightened me was the reaction: I can imagine myself saying with a smile, "Oh yes, I identify myself with atheism". Then I see her smile fade--just a bit--and her friendly, easygoing manner gives way to the stumbling words, "Oh....okay." Or perhaps I say "Secular humanism" and she doesn't know what that is; she wonders perhaps if it's some kind of cult, or far-out nonsense. "Oh....um, how do you spell that?"

Any similar experiences? Do you feel comfortable telling someone you're an atheist?

I had the same experience at the hospital. Prior to my surgery a couple months back the nurse asked about my religious affiliation. I said none. She asked non-denominational? I said no that I am an atheist. She didn't seem disconcerted.

I only have some issues with my family because I try to avoid any confrontation their. Which sucks considering I'm the only atheist among a large extended family of baptists on my mother's side, my father's side and now my in-laws have introduced non-denominational and very much god worshiping Christian/Buddhism.

Outside of family I have no problem telling people I'm an atheist. Don't really care how they feel about it.

 

[Worshipper]

This thread makes me very sad.

No one should ever feel uneasy about plainly saying that he's an atheist. And no one (especially including family members) should ever treat anyone who does do that in any less friendly or loving a way for saying it. And yet, of all religious/philosophical stances, atheism is probably the most maligned of all, and the atheists the worst abused.

This thread has opened my eyes to a significant problem in my society. Thank you, Mr Sprinkles, for sharing your story. This makes me want to help my fellow theists see the light!

 

[BucephalusBB]

And yet, of all religious/philosophical stances, atheism is probably the most maligned of all, and the atheists the worst abused.

Can you explain what you mean, my english fails me on the word maligned.