RE: Walking the a/theist line with family & friends
December 4, 2013 at 11:20 pm
(This post was last modified: December 4, 2013 at 11:35 pm by atheistmama.)
Bad Wolf - Some know. My husband knows but asked me long ago not to tell his mother and other family members. I did tell one of his sisters. She mostly shrugged. The others wouldn't.
As for friends... My closest friend knows. My other mommy friends are really more acquaintances. I'm not sure when or how to bring that up. People down here in North Carolina generally assume you're Christian. It's sort of weird to say, "Hi. I'm J and I'm an atheist." If someone asks me what church I go to I usually say, "I'm not a Christian, so I don't have a church." Few people go beyond that.
~~~Edited to correct a misspelling.
Oh BTW, not all christians think that the devil causes all problems. The Lutherans (in my experience) don't seem to blame things on the devil. I'm not sure how they rationalize the "bad things happen to good people" thing. I haven't asked. It seems like it would be a very difficult question. But they generally aren't big on the devil.
I will never, ever, ever understand praying for something good to happen. I am absolutely sure that everyone in my husband's family prayed as hard as they could for their dad, for their siblings. My poor SIL suffered so much at the end. It just breaks my heart. Where was god then? How do they explain that? I don't understand it. I suppose I should have an honest conversation about that with my husband at some point, but that's hard!
As for friends... My closest friend knows. My other mommy friends are really more acquaintances. I'm not sure when or how to bring that up. People down here in North Carolina generally assume you're Christian. It's sort of weird to say, "Hi. I'm J and I'm an atheist." If someone asks me what church I go to I usually say, "I'm not a Christian, so I don't have a church." Few people go beyond that.
~~~Edited to correct a misspelling.
Oh BTW, not all christians think that the devil causes all problems. The Lutherans (in my experience) don't seem to blame things on the devil. I'm not sure how they rationalize the "bad things happen to good people" thing. I haven't asked. It seems like it would be a very difficult question. But they generally aren't big on the devil.
I will never, ever, ever understand praying for something good to happen. I am absolutely sure that everyone in my husband's family prayed as hard as they could for their dad, for their siblings. My poor SIL suffered so much at the end. It just breaks my heart. Where was god then? How do they explain that? I don't understand it. I suppose I should have an honest conversation about that with my husband at some point, but that's hard!
