I consider myself atheist altho I was born Jewish and I admit I identify with the plight of Jews. My kids are half Jewish but our family is non-observant except for Hanukkah, and since my wife is Methodist we celebrate Christmas, too. Neither occasions are particularly religious, altho we do explain the significance of the holiday in relation to each religion to the kids.
When my mom died, my boss, who is religious, asked me if she could offer me a prayer, and asked if that would matter to me, and I politely told her it did not. When my dad was dying in the hospital a chaplain saw my distress and asked if he could offer me a prayer, and I politely said “no thank you” and waived him off. A friend of mine and I talk about all sorts of things, but religion never comes up, altho I know he goes to church.
For me, it does not come up in real life, and I am not sure how I would handle it other than to he honest. I would not go on the attack, but I would certainly defend myself it it came to it, and I am keen on public policy issues related to religion, as already mentioned. Here on a message board, I feel more comfortable saying I dont believe, than in real life.
I don’t mind people saying they don’t believe in any kind of deity or higher power. I do mind when they can’t talk about anything else, and make personal attacks against people who disagree with them.
Okay. But why do you claim atheists are opposed to a god or your god? Because those who complain about the permeation of Christianity in the US would have the very same complaint about the legislation of any state religion and would complain about any overzealous proselytizing members who infringe on the rights and privacy of non-members.
It isn’t the idea of a god that atheists are opposed to, but the laws, rules of behavior, and attitudes of those who assert their interpretation on others.
Do you oppose Darth Vader? The Wicked Witch of the West? Godzilla?
Because your God is exactly as real as those characters.
Now if someone wanted you to live under the rules of the Dark Side, and wanted to pass laws enforcing those rules, and you opposed them, would you be opposing those people or Vader?
I don’t “start threads” about atheism in the real world, but I’m not afraid to push back when someone gets in my face. I live in a not very religious area and I work at a place where Christians are a minority.
I have the advantage of being Jewish, so I can play that card - and if they tell me I need to be saved, like some Baptist morons did, I can launch into my well rehearsed rant about 2,000 years of goyisher repression. The last time a JW came I did evolution, which has the advantage of being factual.
In real life I used to often engage in debates in school groups, dorm room floors, and with witnesses knocking on my door. It quickly grew tiresome and I no longer enjoy spending hours of time rehashing the same old thing for converts that aren’t even interested in listening or speculating. I still talk tangentially with friends and family over political and cultural impacts and opinions (e.g. “How about that new Pope, eh?”)
Here at the Dope, I can debate in bite-size chunks if the whim strikes me, and just as easily escape without being held a discussion hostage. Mostly I just like to see the various master-level logicians and debaters we have here practicing their craft.
IRL, though, I only volunteer that information if I’m directly asked. I never know when some Christian will be mortally offended if I don’t believe in his god, and will want to percussively teach me the error of my ways.
I am approximately 100x more annoying on the internet, than IRL.
IRL, it’s to my benefit if everyone I have to interact with on a regular basis likes me, so I am usually quite polite and reserved about my opinions, though I will be honest if directly asked. Almost no one knows I am an atheist because no one ever asks what I believe in. If some fervently religious person tries to assume I am a fellow Christian (which only happens very occasionally) I do set them straight, because I don’t want to hear their Jesus nonsense all the time. That’s never gone badly for me.
On the internet, it hardly matters to me at all if some stranger in front of a computer somewhere thinks I’m an egomaniac, judgmental, a militant atheist, that my jokes are offensive or that I’m wrong about some random opinion I have. I post accordingly.
I’m agnostic, not atheist, but people don’t tend to differentiate. I’m frankly tired of being told that I’m gonna burn in hell because I don’t kowtow to Jeebuz, so I try not to get into it with others. But sometimes it happens.
I have to admit that I borrow your card occasionally and play it—or rather, Christians play it for me. When I’m in a social situation with people I don’t know very well, like a neighborhood party or a local business event, and someone asks me specifically about a religious belief, I often just say, “Oh, I’m not a Christian.” This leads them to assume I’m Jewish (because I don’t look like a “foreigner”), and I just let them believe that.
If they asked directly, of course, I’d have to reply, “Oh, I’m not Jewish,” and see what happens next.
I’m a pretty out atheist in real life - been to the Global Atheist Convention twice, do a Skeptics in the Pub meetup, all that. As I’ve said a few times here, I met my husband while posting on Usenet on alt.atheism and talk.origins.
I don’t start the conversation, but I will reply honestly if asked, “I’m an atheist and I don’t believe in any gods.” This is because so many theists claim to have never met an atheist or think we don’t exist or there aren’t many of us.
If they want to argue with me about it, I’m game. If they want to say something petty and insulting, like, for example:
Then I’m happy to tell them they are being petty and insulting. Many people (religious or not) dislike being called on their bad behaviour, and they get huffy about it.
If they door knock me, I witness back. I was an evangelical and I have a minor in theology from a Southern Baptist university, I might as well use it for something. But again, I must stress that I never start these conversations. But I won’t be invisible and I won’t pretend that atheism is shameful or abnormal, because it’s not.
So yes, I’ve had some pretty full on conversations. It happens maybe once a year or every couple of years, and of course much, much less since I left the US.
I’m what I’d call an agnostic atheist, and I don’t generally talk about it online or real life, except with people who ask. My friends are probably evenly divided among believers and non, with probably a slight majority towards the believing side, but it’s rare for me to get into any discussions, because, frankly, there’s more interesting things to talk about.,
In my day to day life, I don’t socialize with any religious people.
Not that I don’t like 'em - I do! - but it’s just that, around these parts, they’re few and far between, not to mention meek and rather… Well, I was going to say “ashamed”, but that’s not right. It’s more that they feel that they’re a minority, and a minority in retreat, and so they’d rather not be mocked and bullied by the (atheist/indifferent) majority anymore.
Because of all of that, I have a hard time relating to abrasive/strident/asshole atheists who view Christians as a mean, bullying majority. I realize that may well be the case in, say, certain parts of the U.S., but not up here.
The tables are turned when I visit my grandma, though - she’s a very devout Catholic, and around her, I certainly avoid mentioning my irreligion.
I’m more outspoken IRL than on-line. I’m in south Texas, so we non-believers are not in the majority.
I identify as “The most church-going atheist you’ve ever met!”
There are several ‘out’ non-theists at my workplace (and many, many more ‘outspoken’ theists) of about 65 employees. We talk about religious topics amongst ourselves as they occur- a newsworthy event, a church event, a television or radio show we saw or heard that relates in some way, etc.- and this sometimes occurs in the presence of the religious although we try to be sensitive and not be blatant or offensive.
The religious at work are mostly indifferent to us, and about 3-4 are a tad bit hostile.
I mostly like to make it clear that I’m an atheist because I would like others to know we are here. I never try to argue anyone out of their religion for any reason. I don’t care what others believe as long as they don’t tread on my shoes.
Often, someone will ask me how I got there or what I believe or some such, and I will answer. Still, I don’t try to convert (devert? revert?) or ‘take religion away’ from anyone.
I will joke with my friends about religion, say mean things about it etc, in real life, but only to my good friends who I already know agree with me on how stupid religion is.
For anyone else, I keep my mouth shut unless directly asked.
Yesterday, while giving an update on the family medical history, I mentioned to the nurse that my mother is dying of Alzheimer’s. She expressed sympathy, and said something about how my mother would be in a better place soon. I said I don’t believe that, I’m an atheist. She wanted to know where I thought my mother would be after she died. I said my mother’s body would be in the ground, next to my father’s body, but that was just the shell, and that’s all that’s left after people die. Didn’t I believe in spirits, or reincarnation at least? Nope…once we’re dead, we’re gone, I said.
She was having a bit of a problem wrapping her head around this.
You may have been lucky. She might have gone aggro on you. Pushed the “Pascal’s Wager” button, etc. That she was merely nonplussed seems just about the best possible outcome!