Evil Atheist Thread

[Eran of Arcadia]

Most kids 12 and under go where their parents are going whether it is church or the grocery store or anything like that.

 

[Andrei_V]

Even if they asked you straight out?

You'll feel compelled to make something up. For example, if you visit a nearly 100%-Christian town in Texas, they'd usually ask you what church do you go to. So, you say something like: I don't go to any church, but I am spiritual.

If you don't do that, many of them would think you have sex with children.

 

[Mandeville]

Most kids 12 and under go where their parents are going whether it is church or the grocery store or anything like that.

Except in the grocery store I don't have to sing, kneel for bread, or drink less wonderful wine.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

You'll feel compelled to make something up. For example, if you visit a nearly 100%-Christian town in Texas, they'd usually ask you what church do you go to. So, you say something like: I don't go to any church, but I am spiritual.

If you don't do that, many of them would think you have sex with children.

That would be their fault, then.

I am not trying to say I am better than anyone, by the way. There have been situations where I could have told someone my religion, based on context, and haven't. But I wouldn't pretend to be devout in a faith I don't accept just to avoid arguments.

 

[Bill3000]

Do you think their psyche is so fragile that it would cause them severe anguish to know this about you?

And besides, as I said, I don't think it is right to take part in a religion's rituals if you don't believe in them, and they are the sort of rituals that require faith.

I was forced by my parents against my will to be confirmed despite the fact that at the time I was already heavily agnostic leaning on atheist. And my parents are extremely tolerant people, far much so than their parents. So yes, I do think their psyche is fragile.

 

[Mandeville]

I was forced by my parents against my will to be confirmed despite the fact that at the time I was already heavily agnostic leaning on atheist. And my parents are extremely tolerant people, far much so than their parents. So yes, I do think their psyche is fragile.

Of course. I mean look, if you're going to go through life thinking your either going to heaven or hell you'd be pretty mentally screwed if your kid told you he wasn't going to either. Which of course to you means hes going to hell. I wouldn't tell them either. Why bother?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I was forced by my parents against my will to be confirmed despite the fact that at the time I was already heavily agnostic leaning on atheist. And my parents are extremely tolerant people, far much so than their parents. So yes, I do think their psyche is fragile.

So not even your parents know?

 

[GenMarshall]

I would have to say that not all atheists are bad. I just realized this after a smack of bad karma bit me in the buns.

Sorry again if I pissed of any atheists because of my judgment.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

See, now, I knew that.

Granted, I know very few atheists in real life. Just one for sure, and if the last few posts are any indication, any number who pretend not to be. But I also know of plenty of nonbelievers who strike me as decent, upright people.

 

[Andrei_V]

That would be their fault, then.

Exactly. But that "their fault" leaves you few options: either live as a hypocrite, or screw your life up. An I am pretty much sure few atheists would prefer to screw up their lives because of somebody else's fault.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

How would it screw your life up, completely? Just because your parents don't like you? Okay, let's say they disown you, and they are rich, and now you are cut out of their will. Would you rather live a lie?

 

[warpus]

Well, welcome to my world! I'm in a position where only three people, two of my closest friends, know, and one teacher. Not my family, and none of my other friends, many of whom I would consider very close.

My senior year of high school (public) I was in a sociology class and two speakers came in to talk to us. Both of them, near the end of the speech said, and I quote, "you have to have God in your life. You're nobody without God. You're not human."

At the time, my teacher was the only one in the class who knew I was an atheist, and it would stay that way. We had marriage come up at anotehr time, talking about marriage between different faiths, and people didn't eprceive how an atheist could marry anyone. Lots of comments like "that would be weird," "how would that work" etc.

You leanr to learn with it. One of my best friends is a pretty die hard Christian; goes to church every Sunday, no premarital sex, doesn't say "God Dammit" or anything like that. We're really close, and I know that if I told her I was an atheist that she would still like me, but there would be a chism. Interestingly, I'm the only friend of her's who has never drank, had sex, etc., but who cares. I worry about my relationships if people knew, and I think that I am justified in that.

I feel for you man..

But I can't relate or even imagine relating to something like that. I can't imagine a society that would produce that sort of atmosphere.. and yet.. here I am, less than 100km from your border!

And I say this having been brought up in a society in which over 80% were practicing Christians.. that's weekly church goings for 4/5 people. AND as someone who went to a Catholic elementry and high-school here in Canada.

I don't mean to demonize the U.S. or anything, but when I first heard of things like that happening, I thought it was a joke.. you know.. something that might happen in Iran,... certainly not the U.S.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, being told by a motivational speaker that I am not human wouldn't really destroy my life, to be honest, or even being told in class that I am weird. It's once you stop being able to not practice as you choose (assuming you want to stop) that it counts as restrictive.

(Granted, I do think comments like that are dumb. But then, when people talk about not having God in your life, half the time they don't mean atheists anyways. They mean the average American who believes out of inertia or culture, but doesn't do anything about it.)

 

[Bill3000]

So not even your parents know?

My parents know, and respect me for the same reasons other religious people respect me on the boards, because of my deep respect for religion despite its particular flaws. But my parents arn't that religious in the first place; we havn't gone to church in ages. My grandmother, on the hand, is a devout catholic.

 

[GenMarshall]

See, now, I knew that.

Granted, I know very few atheists in real life. Just one for sure, and if the last few posts are any indication, any number who pretend not to be. But I also know of plenty of nonbelievers who strike me as decent, upright people.

I just feel very bad passing bad judgment that I don't intend to and ticking off a bunch of atheists. . Yet again, I feel even more alienated because of my judgment this afternoon.

 

[Andrei_V]

How would it screw your life up, completely? Just because your parents don't like you? Okay, let's say they disown you, and they are rich, and now you are cut out of their will. Would you rather live a lie?

Visit IIDB board, they have a forum called 'Secular Lifestyle'. There is an 'atheist testimony' thread, as well as many 'how to tell my parents I am an atheist' threads.

Find out what happened to those who came out of closet.

It did not happen to me, I'm a life long atheist from former USSR, I just have many friends, including a few 'out-of-closet' atheists. That is, I am not in the position to answer your question properly, but you can find many people who can.

 

[El_Machinae]

It's like if you're married and you bang another chick. Would you tell your wife? ...probably wouldn't help at all. You should probably keep it to yourself.

I don't think it's anything like that!
It's more like lying to your wife about her snoring.

Anyway, about the teaching Sunday School. Any qualms about telling the kids the Bible stories as truth?

I'm running into a bit of a problem there with my daughter (she goes to Sunday School) because that place is mixing her up about history. I'm not too concerned, because she survived the "Santa truth" just fine. But still, you know.

 

[Andrei_V]

I just feel very bad passing bad judgment that I don't intend to and ticking off a bunch of atheists. . Yet again, I feel even more alienated because of my judgment this afternoon.

Don't feel too bad. It seems like you asked a honest question, and it counts in your favor, not against you.

 

[Bill3000]

I don't think it's anything like that!
It's more like lying to your wife about her snoring.

Anyway, about the teaching Sunday School. Any qualms about telling the kids the Bible stories as truth?

I'm running into a bit of a problem there with my daughter (she goes to Sunday School) because that place is mixing her up about history. I'm not too concerned, because she survived the "Santa truth" just fine. But still, you know.

What in the...
You have a daughter!?

 

[El_Machinae]

What in the...
You have a daughter!?

and a son, yep