Many of us here still had that lingering fear. I had been an atheist for a couple of years before I actually got on line and sought other atheists. I kept quiet outside my college campus and the Unitarian Church I attended later.
After 9/11, a moth or so later, I read an AP opinion article out of Chicago that went nationwide in local papers. It was from an atheist, and nurse who asked the question "Why are atheists being left out of the national mourning process". It was because of her opinion, I got online and sought other atheists.
I can still remember having a feeling of "What if I am joining some sort of cult?" But it took me less than a week to finally go "What he hell am I worried about, we are people too." I haven't looked back since.
The baggage of religious people, is their baggage, not yours. Now, that doesn't mean in every context, every minute of your life you have to make it a fight in all your personal relationships. It merely means you don't have to be someone's doormat.
Like others have said here, it does get easier over time. You are not alone. And when you debate remember that, if you get stumped, don't throw up your hands in the moment and go "I don't have a counter argument in the moment, they must be right", pass it by us, we will be happy to rip the argument to shreds. And believe me, I have been debating online almost every single day for the past 15 years, every religion makes the same arguments, they just play word salad on the details.
After 9/11, a moth or so later, I read an AP opinion article out of Chicago that went nationwide in local papers. It was from an atheist, and nurse who asked the question "Why are atheists being left out of the national mourning process". It was because of her opinion, I got online and sought other atheists.
I can still remember having a feeling of "What if I am joining some sort of cult?" But it took me less than a week to finally go "What he hell am I worried about, we are people too." I haven't looked back since.
The baggage of religious people, is their baggage, not yours. Now, that doesn't mean in every context, every minute of your life you have to make it a fight in all your personal relationships. It merely means you don't have to be someone's doormat.
Like others have said here, it does get easier over time. You are not alone. And when you debate remember that, if you get stumped, don't throw up your hands in the moment and go "I don't have a counter argument in the moment, they must be right", pass it by us, we will be happy to rip the argument to shreds. And believe me, I have been debating online almost every single day for the past 15 years, every religion makes the same arguments, they just play word salad on the details.
