And to think this began as a thread about challenges to atheists. 
Well in the sense of being halfway between one solstice and another yes lol.
I nominate this as the most cogent thing said on the topic of the OP.
I live in Chicago (OK, I live in the 'burbs and work in the City), and tolerance is expected. Most importantly, it’s expected by me. If someone starts proselytizing, I look for a funny way to deflate him. If he/she won’t let me get a word in, I tend to enjoy it. It’s quaint.
I remember once in college…a “Students For Christ” guy on our floor was evangelizing door-to-door on our floor. My roomate and I had heard he was doing this, and it brought up a small-scale discussion on our part. He was a Jesuit, and I expressed my interest in that sect (I always enjoyed the concept of Dialectics, and this got us going on other stuff…hey…it’s college!). So, the guy wanders into our open door, and thrusts a picture of Jesus in our faces. “Do you Recognize this man?” (you could hear the capital “R”). I said that I had very much enjoyed “Cat Scratch Fever”, and told him to get out. He did. He wasn’t the entertaining type.
And if Leaffan really meant the fundamentalism thing as a blanket statement, it’s ignorant and media-fed pablum.
-Cem
Living in Utah, I’ve had to make a personal rule for myself. I won’t bow my head or close my eyes for any prayer, but I’ll keep a respectful silence until it’s done. UNLESS I’m A)out of doors and B)surrounded by hundreds of people. THen I carry on as usual, chatting and laughing and what not. I can respect my family’s beliefs, but I will not behave as though it’s okay to force me into praying at say, my sister’s graduation, or before a football game. And I most certainly will not behave as though I give a fuck about what they’re praying for or who they’re praying to.
Other than that, I don’t really have problems. It could be worse.
I can relate, having spent most of the years 1991-2005 in Utah.
He didn’t say anything about fundamentalism, he said that the US is “as fundamentally fucked up as the Middle East”, which it is in many ways. Of course, it depends on where you go in the Middle East–but it also depends on where you go in the US.
I was born, raised, and except for two years in Oregon, have lived all my life in small towns in Tennessee and Alabama and it’s really not much of an issue. Sure, it comes up in conversation pretty often and I do get pitying looks and prying questions from time to time but I don’t give a damn and sometimes do the same thing when I find out a friend doesn’t share one of my own core beliefs.
My politics and sexuality are more of an issue than my (lack of) spirituality.
Conversations about religion in day to day life are virtually non-existent for me, but then I live in probably one of the most godless cities in the world so that’s to be expected. For the majority of the UK it’s assumed you’re non-religious unless otherwise stated or apparent. In fact I found out recently that someone in my office is a pentecostal and was duly surprised.
I actually can’t imagine what it would be like to experience proselytising at work, it’s would be breaking an unspoken but very palpable taboo. Of course most people do the whole easter and xmas thing, but considering how many churches here are being sold off and turned into bingo halls and whatnot that can hardly be attributed to religion.
Saying all of this I could possibly be considered religious by some hardcore atheists as I’m a Satanist, but then atheism (or else complete indifference to any deity) is one of the core tenets of Satanism so I think it’s much of a muchness.
Maybe they’re celebrating the vernal equinox?
I think it’s interesting that the folks at work told me that because I wasn’t taking vacation over the holidays they made sure I had Christmas off… I’m working on the solstice. Meh.
I find the same thing. I mean, I know what religion a few of my closer friends are, and I’ve even gone to Youth Church and joined the Church BBall team, but we never really discuss religion. Otherwise, don’t ask, don’t tell, except when it comes to things at work like social lunches. We know we have a few Hindus and Muslims, so we order food that they can eat too, without making it an obvious difference. Not a big deal.
I am Agnostic, however, not Atheist. Atheists confuse me.
I would like to add, regarding religion-based holidays, I don’t celebrate them on a religious basis, but I do use the time to celebrate and be with my family and friends.
I guess the opposite could be said of the religion-based celebrators - why exchange gifts (on Christmas)? I thought it was all about Jesus?
Holy cow, illegal much? Did you ever file a complaint?
How do we confuse you EmAnJ?
In my experience it seems like recently-religious people are less capable of formulating a rational/coherent basis for their actions… probably due to lack of experience with making moral choices on a personal level.
However… I’m not following the point you’re trying to make here.
Is lying somehow less dishonest if you’re an atheist?
I’m curious, too. How do atheists confuse you? I don’t presume to speak for anyone but myself, but I’m pretty sure that the drill goes like this: we don’t believe in god. End of story. However, we also do not worship the devil instead. We are The People Without Religion. What’s not to get?
Let’s not hijack this thread, o.k.?
NM
Well, afaiu, atheist means will never believe in anything, ever, not even a ‘higher life form’ of some sort, not even if it could be proven.
I, as an agnostic, don’t believe in organized religion, or a creator, but I think I’d be selfish to think that we were alone, and there aren’t smarter beings out there. And if a God of some sort could be proven, well, I reckon I’d have to believe.
Correct me if I’m wrong, please.
So, you don’t know if gods exist? I don’t know if gods exist, either. I do know that I lack belief in gods- thus I’m an atheist. And agnostic. If I was theist, I might describe the belief that my chosen god really does exist (despite the total lack of evidence) as faith.
But you don’t refute that there is a chance a god or gods exist. Isn’t that agnostic then?