I am fascinated by the folks who say they don’t think about their atheistic belief system. In additon to living and working in a very fundamentalist Christian area, and working in middle school education where the issue comes up a lot with the kids, it seems like in the US we are constantly talking about religion (and sometimes the lack thereof.) Between Bush’s public born-again-ness, court cases about creationism being required to be taught in school, the Terry Schaivo (probably misspelled) drama, pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations, etc I don’t feel like I can escape “Christian” values being legislated or more insidiously incorporated into my life.
This may be part of it. I was much more likely to be in-your-face about my non-belief when I was in high school and college (and therefore knew all there was to know about everything and everyone). I’m far more laid back now, though this may be due to living in a vastly more secular environment.
As to your OP, I don’t take pride in my non-belief the way I do in my career, family or other achievements, but I’m not ashamed of it, either. It’s simply a part of who I am.
I thought about it a LOT more when I lived in Texas and North Carolina and was surrounded by believers who were very vocal about their beliefs. Now I live in a very multicultural part of Los Angeles. Everyone around here just assumes that whatever you believe it’s probably not the same thing they do so there’s not the same pressure to conform. So I don’t have to think about atheism nearly as much as I used to.
I consider religion a sort of temptation. I’m proud not to have succumbed. It’s probably the only area where I consider myself an ascetic. I try not to allow myself the comforts of wishful thinking.
However I am not proud in any other sense. If anyone asks me my religion, or if religion comes up in any way I’ll let the person know I’m an atheist right off the bat to avoid confusion and miscommunication, but I rarely witness. In fact I consider religion to be a largely healthy response to life’s occasional torments and I’m extremely cautious about accidentally bursting anyone’s balloon - particularly if I suspect it’s the balloon that’s keeping them afloat. In fact, I’ll freely discuss theology (in a hypothetical sense - I don’t pretend I’m a believer) and will support anyone in their beliefs as long as they don’t seem to be destructive and they’re not using it to oppress others. With certain people I’ll even try to bolster their belief if it seems to be a positive force in their life.
Somebody said “religion is good for good people,” and I think that’s often true. The unspoken corrollary is that it’s bad for bad people - also true, I think - and in that case I may “witness.” If I come up against somebody with Christian fascist tendencies I may very well try to undermine their belief system and make it look foolish.
[QUOTE]
Just a quick question, has Christianity gone through it’s time of being homophobic, intolerant and discrimantory to women? Yes, maybe, probably?
Then why didn’t Europe learn from its past? Perhaps it did, perhaps it learnt that not everyone wil die under “gods” laws OR perhaps the future will show that Europe learned to accept others…shit take a leaf out of Henry V111 book…need a divorce? Start a religion.
The world is a changing place. There are good changes and bad changes but mostly there are changes that just get better after TIME or get better WITH some level of willingness to accept change.
A teensy country like NZ has a higher immigation rate then birth rate now. Go with the flow baby! Holland won’t LOOK like the the Holland of your birth years from now but then neither do most western countries. It is still your place though, you just just have to accept change and accept it has become the place of others ALONG side you, WHILE speaking loud enough to protect your original rights.
By 2020 the biggest religion in NZ could be Christianity, Muslim or Hindu.
I don’t care since none of those religions are mine. I will keep an eye on my rights, if any religion suggests I can’t do something on their DAY, I will grumble, but that is all I will do. I believe that is all that is needed in any truly democratic country. Minority groups will seek power, the chance to change the way YOU live
I was bought up celebrating Santa and the Easter Bunny…Jesus was never mentioned (well he was, flippantly) should someone want to seek a public holiday for Mohammed I won’t complain (or believe). I like my Xmas public holidays (who doesn’t like a day or 3 off work) but I don’t give a flip what they are for (except fpr ANZAC day…no god required).