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Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 9:57 am
Hi everyone, aspiecat here.
Yes, I am an Aspie; yes, I like cats.
Wanting to touch base with other atheists, particularly other atheist parents, and although my extended family are generally fine about my, my husband's and my 14-year-old son's atheism, it doesn't mean they are totally okay with it.
Background: I am from New Zealand, but moved with work to Australia in 98, then moved back with my (now ex-) husband and our son to NZ with his work, then again back to Oz to help my then FIL who was very ill. Time passed, things happened (marriage broke up = "things" LOL) and since September 2013 my son and I have been in north-eastern Kentucky with my new hubby.
While we await for my son's and my residency to come through, we are getting to know our new home - a far cry from the extremely metropolitan areas in which we lived for so many years. I find that people want to know on meeting us what church we attend, but their politeness stops them from more than a tight-lipped smile. Don't get me wrong - the people here are VERY community-driven, and the kids are generally very polite and courteous - but the underlying "we won't let your son socialise with our children because he might infect them" is very obvious here. Even the only other boy in our American extended family is not allowed to spend time with my son, as his parents are afraid my son's atheism will "rub off" on their boy. The fact they both have shared interests and live less than 10 minutes' drive away from each other doesn't matter - our lack of theism is an issue. This boy is even discouraged from talking with my son at family gatherings - *sigh*.
Apart from that, the only other thing to say is that I was brought up in the Roman Catholic Church, and even to this day feel very comfortable in a Catholic church...I even from time to time go into a church to sit and remember the feeling of safety that engulfed me as a child.
Sorry about the length! I tend to be rather verbose...
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 10:00 am
Welcome!
I like kitties too :3
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 10:04 am
Welcome
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 11:22 am
Hi aspiecat,
It's so unfortunate (never mind ridiculous) that people are so closed minded. I think they are more afraid of themselves than anything else.
Welcome 
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 12:09 pm
Hi aspiecat!
I live just south in TN, and I hear you. People around here so backwards that they are even biased about what church you belong to, nevermind being an atheist. If you're not Church of Christ, they'll treat you just the same as if you are an atheist. Funny, that.
Welcome to the forums. Don't worry about verbosity. 'Sokay.
"There remain four irreducible objections to religious faith: that it wholly misrepresents the origins of man and the cosmos, that because of this original error it manages to combine the maximum servility with the maximum of solipsism, that it is both the result and the cause of dangerous sexual repression, and that it is ultimately grounded on wish-thinking." ~Christopher Hitchens, god is not Great
PM me your email address to join the Slack chat! I'll give you a taco(or five) if you join! --->There's an app and everything!<---
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 12:20 pm
(February 19, 2014 at 9:57 am)aspiecat Wrote:
Even the only other boy in our American extended family is not allowed to spend time with my son, as his parents are afraid my son's atheism will "rub off" on their boy. The fact they both have shared interests and live less than 10 minutes' drive away from each other doesn't matter - our lack of theism is an issue. This boy is even discouraged from talking with my son at family gatherings - *sigh*.
Ugh, wow that really sucks. Hopefully he'll make more openminded friends soon!
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Welcome!
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 7:23 pm
![[Image: 98542-cat-in-a-hat-gif-Imgur-nxXZ.gif]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=img.pandawhale.com%2F98542-cat-in-a-hat-gif-Imgur-nxXZ.gif)
Welcome.
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 7:27 pm
(February 19, 2014 at 9:57 am)aspiecat Wrote:
Hi everyone, aspiecat here.
Yes, I am an Aspie; yes, I like cats.
Wanting to touch base with other atheists, particularly other atheist parents, and although my extended family are generally fine about my, my husband's and my 14-year-old son's atheism, it doesn't mean they are totally okay with it.
Background: I am from New Zealand, but moved with work to Australia in 98, then moved back with my (now ex-) husband and our son to NZ with his work, then again back to Oz to help my then FIL who was very ill. Time passed, things happened (marriage broke up = "things" LOL) and since September 2013 my son and I have been in north-eastern Kentucky with my new hubby.
While we await for my son's and my residency to come through, we are getting to know our new home - a far cry from the extremely metropolitan areas in which we lived for so many years. I find that people want to know on meeting us what church we attend, but their politeness stops them from more than a tight-lipped smile. Don't get me wrong - the people here are VERY community-driven, and the kids are generally very polite and courteous - but the underlying "we won't let your son socialise with our children because he might infect them" is very obvious here. Even the only other boy in our American extended family is not allowed to spend time with my son, as his parents are afraid my son's atheism will "rub off" on their boy. The fact they both have shared interests and live less than 10 minutes' drive away from each other doesn't matter - our lack of theism is an issue. This boy is even discouraged from talking with my son at family gatherings - *sigh*.
Apart from that, the only other thing to say is that I was brought up in the Roman Catholic Church, and even to this day feel very comfortable in a Catholic church...I even from time to time go into a church to sit and remember the feeling of safety that engulfed me as a child.
Sorry about the length! I tend to be rather verbose...
Welcome from a cat loving Aussie living in Wellington.
Playing Cluedo with my mum while I was at Uni:
"You did WHAT? With WHO? WHERE???"
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RE: Another Newbie...
February 19, 2014 at 8:00 pm
(This post was last modified: February 19, 2014 at 8:13 pm by EgoRaptor.)
Hi, I'm the resident mad fascist/communist/ebul person/Zionist/anarchist! Good to see someone new & friendly here!
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