In the support group I go to weekly, I said I’m “not religious.” They translated that, with no further input from me, as Christian but not attending a specific church.
When I moved to the US, the way I explained it to people was:
“Being religious in Sydney would feel about the same as being gay in Seattle”
I have no idea what that means.
It also may depend on your race. Amongst black people I’m more or less in the closet regarding my lack of religion.
Ditto. I can’t remember it ever coming up as an issue living in NYC or on Long Island. No one’s ever tried to convert me or witness to me or anything like that.
My standard cover for being atheist, when I don’t feel like having an argument, is saying I’m not very religious. Never had pushback on that. Where I live now it is not an issue, but even when I lived more or less in rural Louisiana it worked. (Maybe looking Jewish helped.) My sense has always been that there is an assumption that you believe in god, but are either lazy or unmotivated.
Not going to church because you’d rather go golfing is much more acceptable than not going to church because you think it is a crock.
Yes, or even not going because the minister is running some kind of scam is ok (so long as it’s not the minister of the person you’re talking to). But God forbid you’re not going because there’s no God.
Could we have a cite on that, please? Thank you.
(And can one not be religious, but still believe in some kind of god-just not like going to church and all?)
I am totally non-religious. In that I find talk and discussion about religion boring. I never give it a thought even to explore my own thoughts on the matter. The only time it comes up is here on the Dope. I am 41 years old and it has never been a problem for me. If someone asks me I truthfully tell them I only go to church for weddings and funerals.
FTR I have spent most of my life in New Jersey but I have lived in Alabama and Texas during my Army career.
“Being religious in Sydney is like being gay in Seattle”?
Sounds fairly simple. In many American cities, nobody is going to beat up gay people or mock them openly, EVERYBODY will act as if it’s just fine, but people will still find it a bit odd, even if they repeatedly try to assure everyone “NOT that there’s anything wrong with that.” Being gay will still spark whispers of, “Did you know he’s… one of THEM? Huh… and he LOOKS so normal, I never would have guessed.”
There are many parts of the Western world now where Christianity inspires the same type of uncomfortable or slightly amused reaction.
My sister does just that, and describes herself as “spiritual but not religious”. She’s not alone, either.
And you think this is common in a large and multicultural city like Seattle?
Please. :rolleyes:
Yeah, you’re right. and in a large, multicultural liberal city like New York, NOBODY would ever use an expression like “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
I’m not sure I’m reading you correctly, but that’s interesting: I’d associate religious Christian clergy in Britain with being almost wholly on the political left.
BTW, (unfortunately, I no longer have a cite, because it was a few weeks ago, and thus I no longer have a copy of said paper), but in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, I read an article that sales of alcohol are up. So while church attendance may be down, people are finding other ways to cope right now.
Might be – but around where I live, there have been Pentecostal churches, the general “born agains”, Pacific Island churches, Muslims, Buddhists, as well as the usual Catholic and Protestant options, for a long, long time. Religion is booming, and those who proclaim no interest in religion are either instantly labelled as atheist, pitied (and given religious stuff to try to make 'em change) or just simply shunned.
If someone asks, I tell them the truth, and to hell with the consequences. I don’t go round pretending I’m something I’m not. I just don’t go yelling about it from the rooftop.
There’s an article linked from Fark.com that states “Non-religious” people now hold the number three spot. Catholics being number one and Babtist being number two.
The only thing I didn’t like about the article is that it didn’t specificaly state Atheist as number three. Which make me wonder how many folks out there are turning to “new-age” type pratices.
Also doesn’t anybody remember that report that came out two or three years ago that said people think Athiest are the least trustworthy people. Even more so than Gays or (gasp) Muslims.
I’m not sure what part of that offends me the most.
That’s probably because Atheist would have been inaccurate. I’m “non-religious” in that I don’t go to church and don’t think of myself as belonging to any religion. Yet, I absolutely believe there is a god.
I grew up in the bible belt, relocated to Seattle, moved back to the bible belt and then back to Seattle again.
I’ve been an atheist for about 15yrs now (since I was in Jr. High) and the differences between the two locales is astounding.
In Indiana, whether it be at bars or at work, people have the tendency to ask what church you go to. They talk about church activities during daily discussion as if it were the norm. Perhaps it is, at least in the small town I lived in.
In Seattle my experience is much different. Nobody really asks if you attend church. There are people who read their bibles on their break at work, and several Muslims who pray during the appropriate time. Most of them don’t really bother asking you if you’re religious, and unless you inquire they don’t bother explaining any part of theirs.
What I do get a lot of when meeting new people (especially in a social drinking environment) is them asking what my sign is. I suppose astrology is part of religion in some ways, whether you believe it to be quackery or not. I guess it only really gets to me when people find out what sign I am and then do the obligatory “That makes total sense!” shtick.
You have forsaken the Yeti!
Blasphemer!!!1!!!