How open are you with your Atheism?

[abaris]

I think every open atheist in the world makes it slightly easier for the next one to "come out".

But for being open you knind of have to advertise it. Otherwise, where I live, it doesn't come up. Must be at least 20 years since I last talked with a friend about believes. I don't even know how it came to that and I only remember because it was kind of extraordinary to have that talk.

Otherwise noone advertises their belief or it's absence. People just don't care. Our last president was public in being an agnostic atheist. But that was only known because he said something on these lines decades before he got elected. He was elected twice, which kind of gives you an impression how utterly unimportant religious believes are here.

Even the JWs keep to the subway stations to wave their watchtower and if you don't approach them, you won't be bothered.

[rado84]

I state me being an atheist loudly and proudly everytime and everywhere in spite of all religious psychopaths. I do the same with my sexuality, again in spite of all the haters.

[Rhondazvous]

I think every open atheist in the world makes it slightly easier for the next one to "come out".

But for being open you knind of have to advertise it. Otherwise, where I live, it doesn't come up. Must be at least 20 years since I last talked with a friend about believes. I don't even know how it came to that and I only remember because it was kind of extraordinary to have that talk.

Otherwise noone advertises their belief or it's absence. People just don't care. Our last president was public in being an agnostic atheist. But that was only known because he said something on these lines decades before he got elected. He was elected twice, which kind of gives you an impression how utterly unimportant religious believes are here.

Even the JWs keep to the subway stations to wave their watchtower and if you don't approach them, you won't be bothered.

That would never happen in the states. Elect an agnostic atheist in the land of the free? It's not going to happen. The press would bring it up like agnogate.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think every open atheist in the world makes it slightly easier for the next one to "come out". But being an obnoxious atheist and shouting it at everyone when no one asked will likely work against this.

Back when I lived in SoCal, at one apartment, my neighbor was a Mormon, and sometimes the young missionaries would come up and visit her. We shared a balcony that abutted the stair-landing, and one day when they came she wasn't home. I was sitting out, reading, smoking, and having a beer.

They struck up conversation. I was polite in telling them I was atheist, and they were fine with that, they just wanted to talk, so I set my book down and we talked. It ended up going an hour or so, me explaining my lack of faith, them explaining their own brand of silliness -- but it was really a nice convo, they were good kids and not trying to shove anything on me or cast aspersions.

They came by several more times when Tasha was away and I was outside reading, and we had more good conversations.

I felt by that point that my aim was to demonstrate that atheist stereotypes -- angry, aggressive, etc -- were just that -- stereotypes. I'd like to think that I broke their stereotype of "atheist" just as they broke my stereotype of missionaries being drones.

I think the world would be a better place if we could set our beliefs, or lack of beliefs, in their proper place: inside, where we turn them over in privacy rather than inflicting them upon unsuspecting others.

[zebo-the-fat]

In the UK almost no one cares, I sometimes forget how superstitious people in the USA and other places are

[Fireball]

I will answer if a direct question is asked. Mostly, it isn't anyone's business. I only go to churches for marrying and burying these days, out of respect for the parties involved and look at the architecture while all the mumbo and jumbo are being said.

[Sal]

I work in a school and it's a non-issue, which is fine by me.

I don't "advertise" it, and I can't remember ever explictly mentioning I'm an atheist.

I have. Ever been told "God blesses you" by a complete stranger?

I suppose this is in connection with sneezing? I have been told this. I ignore it.

[I_am_not_mafia]

Here in the UK I just assume that everyone I speak to is an atheist. It never actually comes up in conversation though.

[Doubting Thomas]

Here in the UK I just assume that everyone I speak to is an atheist. It never actually comes up in conversation though.

How nice it must be.  Here you have to automatically assume everyone is a Christian of some sort.

[Silver]

It has never been a big deal with those whom I work.