Message from American to Europeans

[goddamnit]

I live in America and today I am feeling sorry for myself, jealous of people born in many parts of Europe. Yes, it could be worse; I could have been born in a third world country where my neighbors gets a limb hacked off for criticizing the government, but I still fantasize about the European Dream.

I was born into a family of mostly evangelical (Protestant) Christians. How can I connect with my family? Literally, the majority of anything my dad says is related to an Alex Jones conspiracy. I can bring up a regular idea that is only indirectly related to politics, like healthy eating, and he will turn the conversation into fanatical conspiracy talk about how food is being poisoned. Before I know, the conspiracy is somehow being tied into secret cults of politicians. I love my dad. He sacrifices so much, but I can not empathize with him. He does not listen. He has a preconception based on internet propaganda and nothing changes his mind.

My mom watches Jack Van Impe, Joyce Myers, and re-runs of Billy Graham all the time. She is obsessed. When she talks on the phone to my sister, the two of them exchange ideas about the signs of the upcoming rapture. I try to watch Dr.Phil with her as a way to relate. I try to relate in other ways, but inevitably, all of her views ultimately boil down to religion and there is NO chance of her ever doubting her religion. She swears she felt the presence of God.

I am not even talking to my brother right now. It is complicated, but I will provide one example of the stupid stuff he says related to religion. Any time something goes wrong in my life, he goes, "Aha! See??? How's your belief system working out for you now?" I love him and stick up for him when it comes down to it, but he combines Biblical mythology with conspiracy theories to form wildly absurd and stupid hybrids of nonsense. It got to the point that he was sending dozens of texts about religious conspiracies to me on a weekly basis.

Outside of my immediate family, and in my extended family, they are all Christians. I am the only naturalist in my whole family. I am not just an atheist. I do not believe in psychics, Illuminati conspiracies, ghosts, etc.

I try to persuade my family that this country has the highest obesity rate in the world and point out the 90% of products laying around the kitchen that are white bread, cake, cookies, doughnuts, candy, etc. Nobody says, "Wow. I want to look into that. It might turn out to save me from health problems." Instead, I am met with resistance for even mentioning a resource to look up statistics.

Outside of family, there are passionate Obama supporters and Romney supporters who practically campaign for them and have absolutely no clue what is going with civil liberties, like indefinite detention or the PATRIOT Act. I am not trying to say that if someone disagrees with me politically, they are like a theist because of that. Instead, I am saying that they watch corporate US news from MSNBC, Fox, NBC, ABC, etc. and never heard of popular controversies on the internet. But you know what? What am I saying? I don't care. Politics puts people to sleep. I can live without it.

I am curious to know what Europeans think about this. American atheists, I know many of you feel my pain, and your feedback is appreciated, but I am really hoping for some Europeans to respond.

[Erinome]

I'm an American't too. I do feel your pain. Are you a minor and stuck with them?

Keep your head up. Sounds like you're the only sane person you know.

[jackman]

i enjoyed that writeup. i, too, have a sorta closet crush on living in europe (even tho, that's not quite how you put it, lol). love how you take a train a couple hours and bam, whole new deal. new country, food, language, culture, etc. all seems so relaxed and tolerant too. i've only been to germany (stuttgart, frankfurt and reutlingen) tho.

at any rate, yes, i feel some of your pains. welcome!

[Shell B]

Move north. /story

[Darwinian]

I can't even begin to imagine what living in an environment like that must be like for a rational free thinker. Before I joined this forum I was, to say the least, blissfully ignorant to the extent that many parts of the U.S. are so incredibly religious. In the south of England where I come from, religion is a very laid back and non fundamentalist business. Of the few Christians I've met in my life, most of them really couldn't care less what anyone else thinks and I think it accurate to say that I have never actually met a creationist in real life, well, maybe one.

When I walk around the town and the supermarket with my atheist t-shirts on I get a 'thumbs up' from passers by, my car has a Darwin 'evolve' fish badge on the back, as do many others here.

We once had an evangelical Christian working with us when I used to work as a gardener for the council who accepted the Bible as literal truth and believed in a 6000 year old Earth, Noah's Ark etc. and he was considered by all his colleagues as quite insane and very strange indeed, even by other Christians such is the nature of religion in this country.

My advice to you is simply to realise that you are not alone. Not every place in the world is like the place you are living in and as soon as you can it might be a good idea to spend a little time living in a more rational and balanced society. In the mean time I hope you find this forum an antidote to the 'madness' that currently surrounds you.

[Erinome]

my car has a Darwin 'evolve' fish badge on the back, as do many others here.

I would be constantly pulled over and harassed by the police.

[goddamnit]

I'm an American't too. I do feel your pain. Are you a minor and stuck with them?

Nah. It is mostly just that I can not empathize with them, not that they are intolerable to be around. Thanks for joining my pity party lol

i enjoyed that writeup. i, too, have a sorta closet crush on living in europe (even tho, that's not quite how you put it, lol). love how you take a train a couple hours and bam, whole new deal. new country, food, language, culture, etc. all seems so relaxed and tolerant too.

This sounds persuasive. I will probably vacate somewhere near Germany.

Move north. /story

I can move but the problem is that I really just want to connect with my family. Shell B, your face is hot. It is a pain in the ass when I'm trying to type a reply.

[Darwinian]

my car has a Darwin 'evolve' fish badge on the back, as do many others here.

I would be constantly pulled over and harassed by the police.

That's terrible.

If that happened here the policeman would be suspended and it would be all over the local news, perhaps even the national news with representatives from Humanist organisations begin sought for interview!

[goddamnit]

When I walk around the town and the supermarket with my atheist t-shirts on I get a 'thumbs up' from passers by

:-)

[jackman]

When I walk around the town and the supermarket with my atheist t-shirts on I get a 'thumbs up' from passers by
...
We once had an evangelical Christian working with us when I used to work as a gardener for the council who accepted the Bible as literal truth and believed in a 6000 year old Earth, Noah's Ark etc. and he was considered by all his colleagues as quite insane and very strange indeed, even by other Christians such is the nature of religion in this country.
...

wow! i'm not greedy, i would love to just see what that is like, with my own family.