(November 9, 2011 at 11:53 pm)Kayenneh Wrote:(November 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm)Ziploc Surprise Wrote: One day only? Is there some sort of mechanical process you know of or must I wait on the weathering effects of time? Ugn! lol
I just thought it really well through beforehand, I guess. The last thing that caused me slight anguish was leaving church. For a day I walked around with a silly fear that bad things would start to happen to me and that I would be punished somehow for my insolence. Well, obviously nothing happened and life has never been better after that
Every now and then I feel a twinge of fear, or a dull sense of dread like a cloud lurking above. Then I sink back into reason. I have found very sufficient evidence that proves various things about religion wrong or at least inconclusive. I have other things which provide a better explanation for the phenomena that religion attempts to explain. If god (not a pastor or one of his cronies) wishes to show himself and discuss these things with me then he knows where I live and this can be done (note a bit of sarcasm here).
I'm still a little antsy about advertising my atheism. I live in a more liberal part of the Bible belt but it's still Jeeeeesusville. I have heard rumor that an admission of atheism can negatively effect your job at certain places (which has actually proven to be true in the cases of some people I know here) it might bias my collage professors (one in particular isn't a very rational person to begin with) and just generally earn you shit around town. I live in a town that has a couple of those Pentecostal holiness superchristian churches and a few Mormon stakes. some women (even a few in my neighborhood) run around in long skirts down to their ankles and have their long hair twisted up on top of their head. If you go to Dennies on Saturday or Sunday you'd think that's where Jesus dines after church service (the bacon lover's platter I presume). Some other people are just mouthy for Jeeeesus. Overwhelmingly there is a fear of atheists. To counter the threat they feel a need to stand up for what is good and moral and speak out against the evil.
Last summer we had a mobile Bible display (a very large Bible, opened to reveal the 10 commandments, displayed in a case in the back of a pick up truck. This Bible had been removed from a courthouse). Just recently some group set up a drive through prayer tent. Just drive up and people will lay hands on you. And every Halloween they have Hallelujah night (a Halloween alternative) at local churches. Don't dress up as a vampire, ghost (although the holy ghost might be acceptable) zombie or witch (even if it's a Disney character) that's of the daaivell (devil, for those not familiar with the accent)!
Ugh! life in Jeeesusville!
I could be wrong about this but it looks like I need to tread lightly in the bible belt until I know what I'm getting into. Sometimes you just want to go to wal mart, get what you need and leave without receiving a wrath of shit
I have studied the Bible and the theology behind Christianity for many years. I have been to many churches. I have walked the depth and the breadth of the religion and, as a result of this, I have a lot of bullshit to scrape off the bottom of my shoes. ~Ziploc Surprise
