# Ask the other atheists the non-religious questions. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2001, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718 "2001-09-25T16:20:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trucido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Trucido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trucido)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718/21 "2001-09-27T06:15:23Z")
1. Wolves. I’ll be past caring, but I think my family and friends would think it appropriate that I was trying to disturb and irritate the norms past the very end. 2. Almost all of my family and friends are religiously ambiguous, though most could be considered functionally atheists. 3. No. I won’t even allow someone else to say grace over my meal. If I thank anyone, it’ll be the chef, the waiter, the farmer, the shipper… you get the idea. 4. Yup. “It’s nine in the morning on a Sunday! Where the heck are you going?” 5. I just leave out the bit about under God. My lack of religion has no impact on my patriotism. 6. Nope, but I sure as hell get tired of people trying to explain to me why I’m wrong. I also can’t stand jerks who have no frame of reference besides Christianity, and dismiss atheism as a conscious spiting of god, or a phase. 7. Why? I can enjoy all of the fun stuff with no obligations or guilt. Ever built a beer-can Nativity? The Christ Child was a fruitcake. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718/22 "2001-09-27T06:57:16Z")
1. In order: donate to science, grind leftovers to fertilizer or throw them to the fishes. 2. I have several atheists in my circle of friends, none in my family. 3. I will not say a grace I do not believe in. I would find it disrespectful to those who imbue the words with meaning. I am, as a general principal, respectfully silent when someone else chooses to say grace. 4. No. As a rule I do not expect that other people will always be home waiting for me to call. 5. I recite the pledge proudly, as it was originally written. I omit the phrase, “under God” which was added as an absurd exercise in “protecting our nation from commies”. 6. No. I sometimes get tired of having my philosophy mischaracterized, though. 7. No. I use the holidays to celebrate the things I find precious and worthwhile about life and humanity. a) I will honor my parents wishes when it comes time to dispose of their remains. They have places reserved at Arlington National Ceetery. b) No. I have friends with a great many restrictive dieats, bot for religious and other reasons. I do not find it difficult to plan meals according to whom I will be with. Then again, I avoid throwing large parties whenever my wife will let me. c) Neither. I don’t join in prayer services. d) No. My wife is not an atheist. I assume that our child(ren) will decide their own path in life. My job is to make sure they know how to walk and teach them how to see the road clearly. e) No. There are places I would be afraid to travel because I do not share the particular belief of the local populace, but that is not a factor of my particular philosopy. It would be the same if I were a theist of teh “wrong” sort. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718/23 "2001-09-27T07:04:21Z")
1st I should say that I’m a New Zealander living in Australia, both those countries put significantly less emphasis on religion than the States (as far as I can tell). > [@](#): > > 1. Do you have plans/hopes for the disposal of your body? Yes I’d like any organs that may be of use to be donated to anyone who may need them. I have no particular preference for actual disposal such as cremation or burial. > [@](#): > > 1. Are there other atheists in your family? In your circle of friends? At work? Or don’t you want/dare to find out? Otherway around, I know very very few religious people. (2 that I can think of off hand), most of my friends/family are either agnostic or atheist (that I know of) > [@](#): > > 1. Will you say grace if it’s obvious you’ll have to in order not to ruin a hot date? Nope, if that was going to be a problem for the date then there would be plenty more problems down the track > [@](#): > > 1. Do you forget it’s Sunday and some people won’t be home when you call? I don’t know anyone who have traditional Sundays. My job makes no distinction between weekdays and weekends, a lot of my friends are work mates and so they make no distinction as well. > [@](#): > > 1. What do you do when the pledge of allegiance is said? Meaningless question, I’m a New Zealander. I will stand for the National Anthem. > [@](#): > > 1. Do you get tired of being asked to explain your beliefs? No one has **ever** asked me to explain my beliefs > [@](#): > > 1. Do you think you’re missing out on some fun around the holidays? No. Holidays are about spending time with friends and family, I don’t have to be religious to appreciate that. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718/24 "2001-09-27T07:12:43Z")
Disclaimer: I’m not from the USA some questions are irrelevent. > [@](#): > > a) What would you do with your parents’ bodies, assuming they want something you would never pick for yourself? I would give them the funeral/burial they desire no matter how that may conflict with my beliefs > [@](#): > > b) Do you trip over food rules when serving your friends on religiously affected diets? I don’t know anyone with such diets > [@](#): > > c) Do you join prayer services in foxholes? Or just serve the punch? Sorry, I don’t understand the question ☹ what’s a foxhole? > [@](#): > > d) Do you care if your descendents follow you in this? No, they can do whatever they like > [@](#): > > e) Are there any places you would be afraid to travel because of your beliefs? I might avoid Afghanastan for now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718/25 "2001-09-27T22:00:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AM/PM \* > \*\*Just the factual questions about the daily lives of atheists. > > Here’s my own questions to start this off. > > 1. Do you have plans/hopes for the disposal of your body?\*\* No, not really. I imagine it will be buried in a plot in a cemetery somewhere. I try not to think that far ahead. > [@](#): > > **2. Are there other atheists in your family? In your circle of friends? At work? Or don’t you want/dare to find out?** I know a few. My mom is sorta-Catholic, but my dad was the one I quote when I say “there really is a God, and once he starts f—ing with your family, he will never leave you alone.” > [@](#): > > **3. Will you say grace if it’s obvious you’ll have to in order not to ruin a hot date?** My hot dates don’t say grace, but I would bow my head out of respect for my hosts’ religion if they invited me to have dinner with them and insisted on saying grace before we dined. > [@](#): > > **4. Do you forget it’s Sunday and some people won’t be home when you call?** No, I have a calendar. > [@](#): > > **5. What do you do when the pledge of allegiance is said?** Stand at attention, place my right hand over my heart, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I love my country, and would give my life to defend it. > [@](#): > > **6. Do you get tired of being asked to explain your beliefs?** No, not really. > [@](#): > > **7. Do you think you’re missing out on some fun around the holidays?** If you mean Christmas Mass, no, I’d try to find a way out of going if I were Catholic. I still celebrate Christmas with my family. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-other-atheists-the-non-religious-questions/83718.md?page=1)