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Atheism in High School
September 11, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Hello everybody,
I'm an atheist, and I'm in highschool. I'm not quiet about it and I've "come out" to my friends about it, and even found out my best friend was one as well. My parents may or may not know but they haven't said anything about it and aren't religious anyways so it just hasn't come up. The only people who make me regret being one, are the semi-fundamentalist Christian people at my Highschool. I live in a Phoenix suburb in Arizona, so needless to say, I go to a primarily right wing, Christian, highschool. We even have TWO christian clubs on campus, one for lower and one for upper classmen because they have so many members. As i said before, i've never really tried to hide my atheism, but this year I happened to befriend a nice enough girl, who also is a hardcore christian. Last week, when she caught a cold that usually lasts a couple days and was going around our school, she told me she prayed everyday for a week and that's why she got better. Of course when i caught it, i was told it was my punishment for being an atheist. I've tolerated it so far, but about week ago, they must have passed a memo aroumd at the Christian Club with a list of the 5 or so athesists I know of in my school because almost everyday I get people trying to convert me and my friends. And being told my soul needs to be saved everyday by my lab patner in Biology class (Oh, the irony) is extremely frustrating and annoying.
So really, I'm here to vent, but also to see if any other atheists here might have advice for me on being an atheist in a highschool, especially one like mine.
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 11, 2010 at 11:46 pm
(This post was last modified: September 11, 2010 at 11:47 pm by Watson.)
That's a pretty nasty invasion of privacy on their part, publishing that memo. If they really wanted you to come around, they'd leave you to your own devices and let you reach your own conclusions.
And you've obviously done that, so. 
I'd say just be yourself, be polite and nice about your beliefs or lack thereof, and don't try to disrespect anyone despite their disrespect for your privacy.  You'll be fine.
Oh, and welcome aboard!
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 11, 2010 at 11:52 pm
You'll find people recoil from Atheists more often than you would think. It's good to be outspoken, but you'll learn to grow a thick skin and how to defuse fundamentalist explosions. My advice is ask questions, the beliefs that propagate religion are fascinating insights into how people work, try and use the conversion attempt to learn more for your own sake, and maybe get them to ask questions of themselves they might not have normally.
My religion is the understanding of my world. My god is the energy that underlies it all. My worship is my constant endeavor to unravel the mysteries of my religion. 
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 12:06 am
(This post was last modified: September 12, 2010 at 12:18 am by Empocariam.)
(September 11, 2010 at 11:46 pm)Watson Wrote: That's a pretty nasty invasion of privacy on their part, publishing that memo. If they really wanted you to come around, they'd leave you to your own devices and let you reach your own conclusions.
And you've obviously done that, so.
I'd say just be yourself, be polite and nice about your beliefs or lack thereof, and don't try to disrespect anyone despite their disrespect for your privacy. You'll be fine.
Oh, and welcome aboard!
I doubt there was a literal memo, I just ment it sure felt like there was, the way it got to so many of the super Christians so fast 
I try not to disrespect people, but, the problem is that to some people just being an atheist is some form of disrespect somehow. Is there a way I can say things like "No, I'm not going to 'just try' church with you" without them feeling like I personally spit on there bible?
P.S. This forum wins for having this 
(September 11, 2010 at 11:52 pm)ABierman1986 Wrote: You'll find people recoil from Atheists more often than you would think. It's good to be outspoken, but you'll learn to grow a thick skin and how to defuse fundamentalist explosions. My advice is ask questions, the beliefs that propagate religion are fascinating insights into how people work, try and use the conversion attempt to learn more for your own sake, and maybe get them to ask questions of themselves they might not have normally.
Haven't been on forums for awhile, is double posting still In bad etiquette?
Anyways, thanks for the advice.
I'm new to being an atheist, in the sense that all of a sudden I have defend it to other people now. I understand how to show people the irony in what they are saying and how to explain morals and stuff like that,
But the other day I was asked to prove God Wasn't real. I know the right thing to do was explain how the burden of proof is on them, and then when that doesn't work, give them some example like "prove that my sandwich didn't cure me of cancer" to show them how it's almost impossible to prove something isn't real. She said she agreed with my example, But then she said that it is different because it was god. And, I couldn't really understand how she thought it was different[/i], or really explain why it wasn't different either.
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 12:18 am
Going to middle and high school in a small town in Fundieville, Lousyana (an agnostic during those days), I sympathize.
“Society is not a disease, it is a disaster. What a stupid miracle that one can live in it.” ~ E.M. Cioran
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 12:31 am
(September 12, 2010 at 12:18 am)Entropist Wrote: Going to middle and high school in a small town in Fundieville, Lousyana (an agnostic during those days), I sympathize.
Wow, that is terrible what they did to that girl. Thank god my school isn't that crazy.
Did you tell people you were an atheist when you were in highschool?
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 12:58 am
I went to a Catholic High School, but I live in Boston so my atheism was much more accepted. But I did have my clashes. I was never heavily proselytized to, though.
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 12:58 am
(September 12, 2010 at 12:31 am)Empocariam Wrote: Wow, that is terrible what they did to that girl. Thank god my school isn't that crazy.
Did you tell people you were an atheist when you were in highschool?
I was an agnostic at that time in my life. But I was constantly harassed by Christian fundies going for the hard sell with me though, with Bible in hand. At the time, I just wanted them all to leave me alone. I knew better not to voice my own lack of belief though-- I simply couldn't take that chance. This was back around 1984-1989 (my middle and high school years).
“Society is not a disease, it is a disaster. What a stupid miracle that one can live in it.” ~ E.M. Cioran
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 1:03 am
(September 12, 2010 at 12:31 am)Empocariam Wrote: Wow, that is terrible what they did to that girl. Thank god my school isn't that crazy.
Did you tell people you were an atheist when you were in highschool?
The irony...I just...couldn't help myself!
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RE: Atheism in High School
September 12, 2010 at 1:40 am
(This post was last modified: September 12, 2010 at 1:47 am by Empocariam.)
(September 12, 2010 at 12:58 am)Entropist Wrote: (September 12, 2010 at 12:31 am)Empocariam Wrote: Wow, that is terrible what they did to that girl. Thank god my school isn't that crazy.
Did you tell people you were an atheist when you were in highschool?
I was an agnostic at that time in my life. But I was constantly harassed by Christian fundies going for the hard sell with me though, with Bible in hand. At the time, I just wanted them all to leave me alone. I knew better not to voice my own lack of belief though-- I simply couldn't take that chance. This was back around 1984-1989 (my middle and high school years).
I don't think half these people yelling at me to accept Jesus as my savior have read the bible, I'll tell them things i've read in it and they'll say I'm making things up and continue on with there imaginary version of what it actually says.
(September 12, 2010 at 1:03 am)Watson Wrote: (September 12, 2010 at 12:31 am)Empocariam Wrote: Wow, that is terrible what they did to that girl. Thank god my school isn't that crazy.
Did you tell people you were an atheist when you were in highschool?
The irony...I just...couldn't help myself!
Sorry, some expression I haven't found a secular replacement for without it sounding like a bad pun
Anyways, on an unrelated so far note, The only person I've met that wasn't a Christian/Mormon or an Atheist was one Hindu person and his family. They all seemed to be perfectly fine with me being an atheist. Is that normal for Hindus generally, like, is it only Abrahamic religions that get so uppity about it?
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