RE: What do athiests do in there every day lives?
August 31, 2010 at 7:44 pm
(This post was last modified: August 31, 2010 at 7:52 pm by Entropist.)
Of course, it depends a lot on where one lives. When I was a child, my parents, though Catholic, didn't drag me to mass very often and as a result a lot of it I didn't even really comprehend (it didn't help matters any that my children's Bible was placed next to a several-volume set of children's books on myths and legends. Up until I was age 13, I was fairly unaware of religion-- until we moved to northeast Lousyana-- the buckle of the Bible Belt.
The day we arrived (in December of 1983), on page one of the newspaper, with a full color photo, was a church burning rock records and care bears (and the rock wasn't merely the standard Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, but ABBA and Lionel Ritchie. Seriously.). I had never seen anything like this. I thought we had moved to the village in Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery."
At school I was constantly approached by other bible thumping students quick to pounce on the new prospective convert (sadly, in 1990, in a state of deep emotional insecurity, I actually gave in and joined the Church of Christ for a few years). I have so many personal encounters in Lousyana (outside of the Church of Christ even) that I cannot recount them all here.
At the funeral of my ex-wife's brother's mother-in-law's funeral, the minister came directly up to me, out of the blue, saying "Son, are you saved?" To be honest, I don't remember what I said (I somehow married into a family of religious fundamentalists-- my ex-wife was the only one who was at least somewhat skeptical, to her credit).
Today I am stuck in Arkansas (out of the frying pan and into the fire?). Last year at the hospital where I work we had a series of big meetings and the CEO "led us in prayer." While people around me feel free to talk about religion, its a topic I stay out of. Only twice have I mentioned to two fellow employees (when asked), rather mildly, that "religion just isn't my cup of tea." The first time I said this, I was told "Oh, no-- you aren't one of those atheists are you?" and went on this weird tirade about how atheists are destroying the US. I managed to steer the conversation elsewhere and have avoided her since then. Another fellow employee I said the same thing, insisting that I needed to have (her) god in my life. I don't dare just come out and actually SAY I am an atheist here. Not that I even want to-- but I shouldn't have to hide the fact when asked either-- and I do hide it for fear of losing my job (my manager is a fundamentalist herself as well and can be quite irrational on a lot of things-- I don't want to rock the boat).
I prefer all this to be a private matter with fellow employees and people I generally don't know too closely. What I'd like to ask these people though is "What is your favorite sex position?" Its just as nosy, and just as offensive to me. I'm not really interested in advertising my lack of belief to those around me. I come here mainly to vent and because, well, I'm in Arkansas (not much to do here but go to WalMart!).
When I was in New Zealand for the three months I was there (living in Christchurch), I never once met anyone that stuck their nose in my business in that way. Ironic, considering the name of the city.
--And as far as evolution is concerned, its not really something I think much about. Contrary to what one (now banned) individual says about atheists, I tend to be a head-in-the-clouds, left-handed, right-brained, creative type more interested in music, art, poetry, and literature than science (not that I dislike science).
Of course, I'm aware of evolution, and understand the basic principles behind it and science in general, and certainly is interesting (I love Carl Sagan's Cosmos, both the book and TV series). But science is not really my primary motivation for being an atheist, so it doesn't occupy my mind at all-- at least not until some schmuck on the news is pushing for creationism in schools. But that has to do with science, not atheism per se.
The day we arrived (in December of 1983), on page one of the newspaper, with a full color photo, was a church burning rock records and care bears (and the rock wasn't merely the standard Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, but ABBA and Lionel Ritchie. Seriously.). I had never seen anything like this. I thought we had moved to the village in Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery."
At school I was constantly approached by other bible thumping students quick to pounce on the new prospective convert (sadly, in 1990, in a state of deep emotional insecurity, I actually gave in and joined the Church of Christ for a few years). I have so many personal encounters in Lousyana (outside of the Church of Christ even) that I cannot recount them all here.
At the funeral of my ex-wife's brother's mother-in-law's funeral, the minister came directly up to me, out of the blue, saying "Son, are you saved?" To be honest, I don't remember what I said (I somehow married into a family of religious fundamentalists-- my ex-wife was the only one who was at least somewhat skeptical, to her credit).
Today I am stuck in Arkansas (out of the frying pan and into the fire?). Last year at the hospital where I work we had a series of big meetings and the CEO "led us in prayer." While people around me feel free to talk about religion, its a topic I stay out of. Only twice have I mentioned to two fellow employees (when asked), rather mildly, that "religion just isn't my cup of tea." The first time I said this, I was told "Oh, no-- you aren't one of those atheists are you?" and went on this weird tirade about how atheists are destroying the US. I managed to steer the conversation elsewhere and have avoided her since then. Another fellow employee I said the same thing, insisting that I needed to have (her) god in my life. I don't dare just come out and actually SAY I am an atheist here. Not that I even want to-- but I shouldn't have to hide the fact when asked either-- and I do hide it for fear of losing my job (my manager is a fundamentalist herself as well and can be quite irrational on a lot of things-- I don't want to rock the boat).
I prefer all this to be a private matter with fellow employees and people I generally don't know too closely. What I'd like to ask these people though is "What is your favorite sex position?" Its just as nosy, and just as offensive to me. I'm not really interested in advertising my lack of belief to those around me. I come here mainly to vent and because, well, I'm in Arkansas (not much to do here but go to WalMart!).
When I was in New Zealand for the three months I was there (living in Christchurch), I never once met anyone that stuck their nose in my business in that way. Ironic, considering the name of the city.
--And as far as evolution is concerned, its not really something I think much about. Contrary to what one (now banned) individual says about atheists, I tend to be a head-in-the-clouds, left-handed, right-brained, creative type more interested in music, art, poetry, and literature than science (not that I dislike science).
Of course, I'm aware of evolution, and understand the basic principles behind it and science in general, and certainly is interesting (I love Carl Sagan's Cosmos, both the book and TV series). But science is not really my primary motivation for being an atheist, so it doesn't occupy my mind at all-- at least not until some schmuck on the news is pushing for creationism in schools. But that has to do with science, not atheism per se.
“Society is not a disease, it is a disaster. What a stupid miracle that one can live in it.” ~ E.M. Cioran
