What do athiests do in there every day lives?

[goalie]

How are do atheists use the knowledge that evolution exists in there every day lives. Can you tell the difference between an atheist and a religious person when you walk down the street or even when speaking to someone? What makes us different?

[theVOID]

I don't - My every day life has nothing to do with genetic mutation or natural selection.

Except sexual selection of course

[LastPoet]

Me either, Evolution hasn't much to do with the way I live my life, although is an interesting scientific field. Other than attrack some awe to my life as a marvellous mechanism, I'm practically a normal bloke and I keep religion out of my life, I only talk about it if someone mentions it, or in here as intellectual debate.

[Minimalist]

Oops.....we've been found out!





What do religious types do with their day?


That must be why they love silly hats. Helps them recognize one another.

[Disinter]

Nice, haha ^^

I make similar connections to various things or events using evolution's bare-bones idea, but I can't think of a decent tipoff for atheists. Secularists in general are much easier to paint than strictly atheists. I even have a theist friend who you'd think was an atheist until you asked him directly about his beliefs. I still question his validity, considering he has said some "agnostic things" here lately.

[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.

[goalie]

Hmmmm I see I know a great way actualy (to identify religous people) go to a church. Seriosly though having parents that were raised in religous families and my maternal grand parents are fanalicly religous has opened my eyes, many people live there whole lives in a hole seeing and hearing only what they are told to. Little children are told fron a young age that santa is real, but from an earlier age that god is the creator and the devil is just that. Those children in most cases live there lives as religous people and are terrified of the thought of disobeying there religon but what if someone told them that it was all just a story just as they are eventualy told that santa is? What afect would it have on them providing they stoped the indoctronation of going to church?

[theVOID]

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.

My city It's ironic for sure, especially considering the majority of the population here are somewhat Bogan heathens.

[Entropist]

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.

My city It's ironic for sure, especially considering the majority of the population here are somewhat Bogan heathens.

Ah... Hagley Park, walks along Sumner Beach, hiking around the Port Hills, Victoria Park overlooking the city, road trips to Akeroa... and so many more sweet sweet memories...

[goalie]

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.

My city It's ironic for sure, especially considering the majority of the population here are somewhat Bogan heathens.

Anyone know why it was called that?