How "out" are you about your freedom from religion?

[Modem Butterfly]

I was raised without religion (well, my mother's something of a New Ager, but that doesn't really count) and I've always been pretty open about being an atheist. It was difficult sometimes in school, for instance, when other kids found out why my brother wasn't in the Boy Scouts or standing up to pressure not to sing religious songs at graduation, but since I grew up on the west coast, it was pretty manageable. When I moved to the south, things got considerably more difficult. I found that acquaintances were quite judgemental about the fact that I didn't at least pay lip service to a diety and didn't even feel guilty about it. Once I actually got fired for being an atheist. Now, I'm at the point where I don't bother trying to hide it but I don't go out of my way to mention it either, unless someone comments on what kind of Xian I am, which happens quite a lot since my partner and I do a lot of volunteering. Pretty much everyone who knows Will (my partner) and I know that we're atheists, and while not everyone approves, it's usually not a source of stress.

So how about you? Do your friends and family know that you are an atheist or agnostic? If so, how did they react when they found out? Or do you feel like you'd be risking health/safety/welfare if certain people found out? Or is this a stupid question and anyone who makes a big deal out of their lack of religion must be a (insert flame here)? Let's talk about it.

[phantom power]

1. My close friends and immediate family know. In fact, I think I

may have influenced my parents to "commit" to abandon practicing christianity. My dad seems to have embraced some kind of post-modern animism.

For the general public, I more or less adhere to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. On the other hand, if anybody asks, I'll tell.

[fshrink]

2. Culture shock

I was raised in France in the 50s and 60s, a place and a time where the weirdos were the weirdos were the believers. Believe it or not, the question never even crossed my mind for the first,say, 12 years of my life! Now, when I set foot here about 12 years ago I immediately felt it was going to be a whole different ballgame. People look at you as if you were missing something, or lacking something. So I just learned to shut up. Why piss people off? Why draw to you these endless attempts at conversion? I behave like a slacker anthropologist. The down side is that there are way fewer people I can really interact with, 'cause, I'm sorry, but you quickly reach a point where you have no choice but to branch out. Most people don't ask, because they know that I'm weird anyway (coming from France...) and I let that fly by itself. Don't ask don't tell type deal.

[EricL]

20. May I ask...

...where you were in France.

It's true that secularism is stronger here than in the US.

Being atheist and telling it is not a problem.

But I don't really know a place where the weirdos are the believers

Unfortunately that is ;)


:hi:

[fshrink]

23. That was Paris... The old revolutionary city

who died somewhere in the repugnant 70s. And, yes, when I was about 7 or 8 (i.e. circa 1960), friends who were going to the after school catechism were about 10%, and didn't like that a bit. We looked at them as unlucky to have such weird parents!

[EricL]

25. Thank you for your response

Please note that I absolutely didn't want to imply that you were not telling the truth.

It's just that even if it's declining there are still about 70% of people in France who says they have the feeling to belong to a religion.

Rethinking about it if we take half of the nationwide number for a major city and 30% actually practicising, the 10% you mention are not that surprising.

[fshrink]

26. And, starting in the 70s

we had pretty much the same reactionary movement towards religion. Ours came out of the woodwork as well. There still is a very strong, vocal and, if necessary, violent portion of the society who clings to the old "republican" (european sense!) principles. If things get a little too far, young or old, they are in the streets.

[Mr. McD]

3. Completely open

I am not an evangelical atheist but if anyone ask me about my religious beliefs I tell them I am atheist. I find most people really don't care.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Completely out

[YankeyMCC]

5. About 75% out

It's not usually a topic that comes up with many of my friends but most know or I'm sure would not be surprised.

My mother only just recently came to the realization that I don't believe in God the way she does.

We live in Mass. and I was talking about the same sex marriage thing and along the way she said something like "You're not an atheist."

I said, "Well, if I explained to you what I believe I'm sure you'd consider me an atheist." Yes I hedged it a bit with language so maybe she's not sure, and in fact I'm not sure atheist is the best label for me either but so far it's the best I have.

There hasn't been much fallout. Seems to have become by unspoken agreement something that's no longer talked about.

[leftofthedial]

6. I'm loud about it

and persuasive

[goddess40]

7. I'm out there and loving it

I've always known that the whole god thing was a myth, I think even before I knew about Santa. My mom made me go to Catholic teaching crap - not school just Wed. night or Sat. morning and dragged me to church every week. In my Sig line is the link to, I can't remember his name, a guy who explains my position exactly and when I first saw it I sent it to everyone in my e-mail address book.

Edit: I guess our sig lines are missing right now so here's the link;
http://www.inthelifetv.org/1402_player.html
His name is Harvey Fierstein.

[displacedtexan]

8. Me, too!

I belong to the Unitarian Church, But I'm very open about telling people that I'm not a worshiper. I go to church for the fellowship. I'm on several committees (including Social Action), and the people are one big family.

[ResistTheCoup]

28. That was so excellent!

Thank you for that. I sent it out to (almost) everyone in my email address book!

What Harvey is saying reminds me a lot of Eric Schwartz's song, "Keep Your Jesus Off My Penis"




www.positiveblasphemy.blogspot.com

[NoodleBoy]

9. I don't hide it

most people who know me know where I stand, and the people who don't know my philosophy are the ones who don't care.

I'd rather tell people straight up then beat around the bush. most people don't seem to be bothered by it, but there have been a couple guys weirded out by it, neither of them who were religious anyway. one of them, later on, was asking other people I knew if I was Jewish (seems that alot of people here think Judaism = atheism). Another guy who I talked to about politics with--he was just getting interested in it-- told me one day he was starting to think about religious stuff (doubting and such), and after I told him I don't believe in any gods he's talked to me less. Eh... seems that for alot of people, they don't care about politics or religion until something that they really do not agree with looks them in the face, then they get weird and defensive.

[immoderate]

10. I tell when I'm asked.

I try to ask myself, "What good would it do?" before I lay it on somebody. I usually say, "I don't believe in anything supernatural." That usually elicits questions and then I can say what I believe or don't believe.

--IMM

[JNelson6563]

11. Proudly announce "I am heathen"

all the time.

Julie

[phantom power]

14. Doesn't "heathen" refer to pagan, or other non-christian, religeons?

[PassingFair]

29. Nope.

Heathen = Godless
Pagan = Foreign god/gods

[Blue Gardener]

33. I like "godless heathen"

Nobody ever really knows how to respond. It's kind of fun.

[Cobalt Violet]

12. I once told a judge I couldn't swear to god because...

I'm an atheist and it would mean more to me to swear to my cat.

[phantom power]

13. Interesting. When I did jury duty,we were not asked to swear

to God. As I recall, it was something like "do you solemnly swear to do your duty.."

Just "swear", not "swear to God".

[Cobalt Violet]

15. I was a hostile witness for the prosecution.

The defendant was found not guilty.

[Biased Liberal Media]

16. I'm not as open as I should be

I don't want to face any problems in my town and with my family. I only don't want to deal with the flack I would receive from my family, who are predominantly Xian and Catholic.

[Carla in Ca]

17. I am proud of who I am

How I am judged by another person really depends on the importance THEY put on religion as a 'qualifier' of worth.
My Christian husband of 26 years has never once thought lesser of me. In fact, my atheism has made him realize good and bad is not based on religious beliefs, or the lack thereof, as he was taught in Catholic school.

[Gelliebeans]

18. funny you mention it

I had surgery about 10 days ago and I was sitting in my doctor's office yesterday waiting to see him. I was in a great deal of pain and the wait was extraordinarily long (you know how HMO's are) I had tried to close my eyes and nod off until I was called.

My son and my mother were with me, she read while he was quietly trying to do his homework so he would be done by the time we left the office.

These two annoying women were discussing Jesus, Israel and the bible (quoting scriptures and "amening" one another.... sheesh) but the REAL problem was they were talking 3 feet away from one another and they were loud and went on for approx ONE hour.

My son would look up at me occasionally just waiting for me to explode. Finally after the pain medication wore off and the sheer agony of waiting for the doctor to remove the stitches from my stomach, I stood up and shouted "OH FOR CRISSAKES SHUT UP WILL YA" "NOT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM GIVES A RATS ASS ABOUT JESUS"
My mother and son burst out laughing and I felt better then ever. Luckily one of the women was called in to see the doctor soon after my tantrum and the other woman sat there in silence until she was called.

I guess we all have our limits.

Since I was raised by hippies in California, things haven't been much of a challenge for me to be "out" but I think most of the time I don't wear atheism on my sleeve but if someone asks, I admit it proudly.

[progressoid]

19. That's Hilarious!

[nickgutierrez]

21. I just don't make a very big deal about it, as with most things

If someone asks me, I respond honestly: I'm an agnostic becuase I think that's the only intellectually defensable position. Not too many people ask, so the only ones that I'm sure know are my closest friends. I doubt even my immediate family is entirely sure.

[BlueEyedSon]

22. I have been more out lately. I feel the polarizing effect of the

religious right wackos.

But I think I freaked out some of my lefty theist friends. The seem a little more distant with me now.

So I have backed off a bit on the out-y-ness.....

[robbedvoter]

24. Been living a sheltered life. Nothing but like-minded people around

I have yet to meet anyone who thinks differently. In person, that is.

[BlueHandDuo]

27. Brought up atheist...

...and was told, "But you can never tell anybody outside the family, because they'll think we're bad people, and we're NOT!"

Lovely.

I found it too difficult to come up with not-really-lies to keep telling people, so I started just telling the truth when asked in high school. Got into some trouble about that. School (public) called my mother with the horrific revelation, and she acted all shocked. I got punished for telling, too.

I've never minded singing religious songs. I like music and accept that the lyrics don't have to be what I'm actually thinking. I mean, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" doesn't particularly reflect my personal reality either, but it's kinda catchy.

[Darranar]

30. Anyone who brings up the subject will be told. I don't hide my doubts.n/t

[HawkerHurricane]

31. Very.

everyone in my family knows I actively distrust Organized Religion.

[really annoyed]

32. Somewhat

My best friend and I are pretty open to each other about our dislike of religious institutions.

My parents don't care - and I don't mean that in a bad way. They never told me what deity to worship or what church to attend. They gave me that decision. I think both of my parents are somewhat non-theist but they still believe in Christianity being in our culture. They know my sister doesn't believe in "Hell," and they are not upset about it!

I haven't really been in a position to be open about my beliefs anyway. I don't feel the need to be "chatty" about my personal beliefs. And they are personal to me. I don't mind sharing experiences on message boards like this, but in real life I am very quiet about it.