Yeah life!

[Ziploc Surprise]

Congrats guys, you've started using the intelligence that evolution gave you.
Now if we can just get Statler and G-C and the rest to do the same

Statler and G-c; I assume these are people who need to evolve their thinking out of intelligent design.

[The Grand Nudger]

I have to say, big ups to those who were raised believers, or were surrounded by believers and belief growing up. I don't think I'll ever even begin to understand the shit that those who loved you put in your heads (or the lingering effects thereof). Brutal, but welcome to reality in any case. It's a nice place isn't it. Go life (but only human life, fuck squirrels).

[Kayenneh]

One day only? Is there some sort of mechanical process you know of or must I wait on the weathering effects of time? Ugn! lol

I just thought it really well through beforehand, I guess. The last thing that caused me slight anguish was leaving church. For a day I walked around with a silly fear that bad things would start to happen to me and that I would be punished somehow for my insolence. Well, obviously nothing happened and life has never been better after that

[Ziploc Surprise]

One day only? Is there some sort of mechanical process you know of or must I wait on the weathering effects of time? Ugn! lol

I just thought it really well through beforehand, I guess. The last thing that caused me slight anguish was leaving church. For a day I walked around with a silly fear that bad things would start to happen to me and that I would be punished somehow for my insolence. Well, obviously nothing happened and life has never been better after that

Every now and then I feel a twinge of fear, or a dull sense of dread like a cloud lurking above. Then I sink back into reason. I have found very sufficient evidence that proves various things about religion wrong or at least inconclusive. I have other things which provide a better explanation for the phenomena that religion attempts to explain. If god (not a pastor or one of his cronies) wishes to show himself and discuss these things with me then he knows where I live and this can be done (note a bit of sarcasm here).

I'm still a little antsy about advertising my atheism. I live in a more liberal part of the Bible belt but it's still Jeeeeesusville. I have heard rumor that an admission of atheism can negatively effect your job at certain places (which has actually proven to be true in the cases of some people I know here) it might bias my collage professors (one in particular isn't a very rational person to begin with) and just generally earn you shit around town. I live in a town that has a couple of those Pentecostal holiness superchristian churches and a few Mormon stakes. some women (even a few in my neighborhood) run around in long skirts down to their ankles and have their long hair twisted up on top of their head. If you go to Dennies on Saturday or Sunday you'd think that's where Jesus dines after church service (the bacon lover's platter I presume). Some other people are just mouthy for Jeeeesus. Overwhelmingly there is a fear of atheists. To counter the threat they feel a need to stand up for what is good and moral and speak out against the evil.

Last summer we had a mobile Bible display (a very large Bible, opened to reveal the 10 commandments, displayed in a case in the back of a pick up truck. This Bible had been removed from a courthouse). Just recently some group set up a drive through prayer tent. Just drive up and people will lay hands on you. And every Halloween they have Hallelujah night (a Halloween alternative) at local churches. Don't dress up as a vampire, ghost (although the holy ghost might be acceptable) zombie or witch (even if it's a Disney character) that's of the daaivell (devil, for those not familiar with the accent)!

Ugh! life in Jeeesusville!

I could be wrong about this but it looks like I need to tread lightly in the bible belt until I know what I'm getting into. Sometimes you just want to go to wal mart, get what you need and leave without receiving a wrath of shit

[The Grand Nudger]

There's a similar tent downtown where I live. They lay hands on you, but calling it praying would be a stretch. Whorehouses ftw!

[Ziploc Surprise]

There's a similar tent downtown where I live. They lay hands on you, but calling it praying would be a stretch. Whorehouses ftw!

The most anyone would get in the tent I'm talking about would be a bunch of scruffy old men and a few of those fully clothed women with the hair twisted on top of their heads and the only tongue the'd give you is speaking in tongues.

[Kayenneh]

I'm still a little antsy about advertising my atheism. I live in a more liberal part of the Bible belt but it's still Jeeeeesusville. [...]
I could be wrong about this but it looks like I need to tread lightly in the bible belt until I know what I'm getting into. Sometimes you just want to go to wal mart, get what you need and leave without receiving a wrath of shit

Ah, the fine thing about atheism, you don't have to advertise it. No need to go out and "save" other people or grind other's faces in the dirt with how whole you feel now that you've found the "path of truth" or praising the FSM so that everyone hears.

Just be careful if you feel that there's the need to be. And good luck, I don't envy you guys who live in the Bible belt..

[Ziploc Surprise]

I'm still a little antsy about advertising my atheism. I live in a more liberal part of the Bible belt but it's still Jeeeeesusville. [...]
I could be wrong about this but it looks like I need to tread lightly in the bible belt until I know what I'm getting into. Sometimes you just want to go to wal mart, get what you need and leave without receiving a wrath of shit

Ah, the fine thing about atheism, you don't have to advertise it. No need to go out and "save" other people or grind other's faces in the dirt with how whole you feel now that you've found the "path of truth" or praising the FSM so that everyone hears.

Just be careful if you feel that there's the need to be. And good luck, I don't envy you guys who live in the Bible belt..

Thanks for the sympathy. It does't take much for some theists to feel threatened. An atheist t-shirt or pin will do. Just getting a "Darwin Coelacanth" emblem for your car can make the shit fly. Yet you can paste Jeeesus all over the place and get approving nods almost wherever you go. The more subtle shit, like letting a Christian employer know what you are, can be dangerous. At least it has been for some people I know here.

[Doubting Thomas]

It's pretty much the same way here. I run a small business with my wife, but it's in a small, predominantly Catholic town where I'm guessing everyone thinks I'm still Catholic. If they knew I was a staunch atheist, I'm sure business would dry up immediately.

Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll is what being an atheist is all about.

And eating babies! Don't forget about eating babies.

[Ziploc Surprise]

It's pretty much the same way here. I run a small business with my wife, but it's in a small, predominantly Catholic town where I'm guessing everyone thinks I'm still Catholic. If they knew I was a staunch atheist, I'm sure business would dry up immediately.

Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll is what being an atheist is all about.

And eating babies! Don't forget about eating babies.

Oddly, there are very religious regions of the U.S where it is beneficial to be an atheist....if you have the right job. Atheist or religious "others" do well in Mormon country if they are accountants. Mormons have to donate something like 10 or 20 percent of their income (I think this is pretax dollars) to the church to be counted as a Mormon in good standing. They like to have non Mormons cook their books for them so the church gets as little as possible.