Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on June 5, 2011 at 9:39am

Hi Rose!

Letting people know you are an atheist should be something you do as you feel more comfortable in anticipating what the responses and reactions could be.   Meaning are you are prepared and ready to handle anything from acceptance to outright hostility?  There will be different reactions from many different people.

 

But your post said how important is it? I feel it is very important to stand up for what you believe in. Atheists, in this country especially, are stigmatized against, stereotyped, and are a huge minority.  I feel like we are in the middle of an atheist awakening right now and groups are coming out and speaking up more than ever. So it is important to be part of the process and to support those around you who might have similar views but may be too scared to be vocal or even come out.

 

Do it at your own pace, but do it. And if you need help with reactions and responses and arguments, you will find support here.

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Permalink Reply by Billy on June 5, 2011 at 9:39am

99.9% of the time I only mention it if asked. I don't broadcast it. Not that I'm ashamed of it or anything, because I'm definitely proud.

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Permalink Reply by David Fruits on June 6, 2011 at 2:37pm

Part of what turns me off when I meet new people is the "are you a christian?" within moments of meeting. I think it is a lack of respect on their part to even ask. It is something you have to "stumble upon" in conversation. Otherwise, we are defined by our differences, and that is no way to make friends.

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Permalink Reply by Dustin on June 6, 2011 at 9:41pm

I love this!   I was asked once to play piano for a church ... I was offered a communion wafer and I just made a nod that said I wasn't interested.  How DARE they presume I wanted their cracker!  I was just there to play the piano and they put me in an awkward position.

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Permalink Reply by James W on June 7, 2011 at 12:32am

I hear ya! Just today, going into Walmart, I was accosted (TWICE, going in & out) by some church people trying to raise funding for a mission trip to Brazil. Like Brazil WANTS southern baptists! :)

A woman, my age, jumped right in front of my buggy as I'm leaving the store and barks out, "You KNOW you want to donate for the "Lord's Cause"!" I told her "NO" in front of my children and when she bugged me again, I pretended to be interested in her for a bit, then scolded her with a "How DARE you try and change other people's indigenous beliefs! Stop trying to trade their superstitions out for your own." - I said a lot more than that, nicely too, I might add. (those church folks, not so nice after I told them to stop peddling filth to native cultures). ;)

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Permalink Reply by Eric Wichman on June 5, 2011 at 10:36am

(Please read the long version of my answer on my blog)

 

In short, To answer the question of how important it is to let people know about your Atheism. Very!

 

There are many millions of us throughout the world, and if we don't come out and let it be known how many of us there really are, we'll always be persecuted and looked down upon. We've endured thousands of years of prejudice. We have ancient roots that run deep through the annals of history. Being vocal with your Atheism creates solidarity within the community and allows more to have the courage to step up and come out. It's as important as breathing to let people know about your Atheism because if you don't it will be many more hundreds of years (and perhaps thousands) before the vice of oppression of humanity and suppression of knowledge is released by religion.

 

The fight for Atheism is exactly like the civil right movement back in the 60's. It's about equality and freedom. It's about advancement of science and humanity into the future. That's how important it is. It's time to stand up, speak out, come out and fight for equality then comes freedom. Atheists have been oppressed long enough.

 

In the words of Richard Dawkins. "Enough is enough!"

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Permalink Reply by Brian Wood on June 5, 2011 at 10:57am

I'll tell people if religion comes up in conversation.  But since all of my friends and most of my acquaintances know, the topic rarely arises. I also wear, very frequently, my "Damned Atheist," "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist," "Atheist," "Godless American," and "'God' Is Twaddle." sweatshirts and t-shirts, so....

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Permalink Reply by Brian Wood on June 6, 2011 at 3:52pm

www.ffrf.org  www.landoverbaptist.com (?)  www.bettybowers.com And, of course, I google "atheist t-shirts"

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Permalink Reply by surgoshan on June 5, 2011 at 1:30pm

I've found that the people most likely to be offensive about my atheism are also the most likely to be offended by it, and that this goes hand in hand with being aggressive about their own religion.  I don't mind upsetting them because, let's face it, they're not running at baseline tranquility.

 

Among my circle of friends (the majority of whom are atheist), religion and atheism comes up frequently because we all follow the news and various blogs and things keep happening that rile us up, and we turn to one another for discussion and support.  As a result, we're all throwing our beliefs in one another's faces all the time (and not just about religion, my friends know I have nothing but disdain for the homeopathy some of them practice).  That said, we're all friends, we know and like one another and feel free to let our hair down.

 

With strangers I try to be more circumspect, if only because there's no group more despised by Americans than atheists.  Atheists top the dislike meter and bottom out the "Who would you vote for" tally.  They think someone who's been divorced three times shows better judgment. 

 

I tend to hold back with strangers, if only because I don't particularly feel the need to justify myself to every random person out there.  One of the first questions is often an incredulous, "But why?", which is followed quickly by, "It's so obvious that there's a god!  And he's awesome!  And are you calling my mom a liar?"  The arguments tired retreads ("There is nothing new under the sun", Ecclesiastes 1:9) and although sometimes you can genuinely educate people that 1) what they believe to be certain isn't viewed as such outside their circle and 2) atheism =/= satanism, villainy, immorality, or etc., very often the conversation turns ugly and mean-spirited.  I've no particular desire to deliver or receive invective, so I usually wait for it to come up organically in conversation, or if my dander's already up.

 

But it sounds like what you're far more concerned about is how to approach these two people who are very dear to you and discuss something that's very important to all of you.  I googled "how to come out as an atheist" and got a string of polemics on the importance of doing so, but little good advice on how to do so.  Once I shortened it to "how to come out", the information became more relevant and only needs a little tweaking.

 

1) Try to be as certain as you can in your beliefs.  When you're in a questioning stage, that can be a good time to reach out to a close friend for advice and support, but coming out should occur when you're ready to take active steps in living your life as an atheist.

 

2) Make sure you'll be safe.  People have been kicked out of their homes and threatened with violence for having different beliefs and lifestyles.  When you do tell people, be in as safe an environment as you can manage, and try to have an escape plan ready.

 

3) Start with your close friends.  They are the ones most likely to accept you and provide you with safe haven.  You've already come out to your family, so this isn't the main issue for you.

 

4) Come right out and say it.  Don't waffle or beat around the bush, as that will just confuse and frighten your loved one.  And don't be ashamed.  Say something like, "I'm so lucky to have a good friend like you that I can confide in. I've been going through something and I'm hoping I'll be able to count on you for your friendship and support once I let you know that I'm an atheist."  Then follow up with discussion as necessary.

 

5) Give them time.  Some of your friends may need time to assimilate and deal with this.  You didn't come to this overnight, and you should give them the time and space they need as well.

 

 

Remember that everyone will react differently.  Some people will be drawn to you for good reasons (sympathy, agreement) some for bad (a need to "cure" you).  Some friends may drift away for good, some might detach for a short time before returning.  If you fear a particularly negative reaction, have a script ready beforehand.

 

And, above all, remember that discretion is the better part of valor.  If your community is particularly devout and conservative, then it may be that coming out would just make your last few months at home miserable.  If, on the other hand, you trust your friends; love and support, it could make these last few months so much better and happier if you don't feel you have to live a lie.  If you do feel you have to wait until you're safe in the anonymity of university, remember this old saying, "There's a time and a place for everything, and it's called 'college'."

 

It sounds as if your second friend is from a more open, liberal background and may be more supportive.  If you feel comfortable, or if you simply feel it necessary, I'd start with her.

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Permalink Reply by erik112358 on June 6, 2011 at 2:18am

I think I'm midway on this.  I don't bombard others with my feelings about Atheism just like I don't want Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc bombarding me with their beliefs.

 

But if someone else instigates a discussion, argument, or says something completely ignorant regarding religion or a topic on which they derive their opinion from religion, you can bet I'm going to let it be known.

 

So, to answer the question directly, yes, it is important.  But, in my opinion, we should not become that which we despise.  Direct confrontation doesn't seem to amount to anything anyway; if anything, i think it tends to entrench them further in their beliefs.  Those who are going to have their minds changed seem to need to make the decision on their own terms.

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Permalink Reply by Goran Revaic on June 6, 2011 at 3:25am

I had the same problem here when I was faced with coming out as an Atheist. Being Serbian, all of my friends and their families are Orthodox Christians. Because of the culture, Orthodoxy is directly integrated into everything and is part of our national identity. I started first with my brothers. My younger brother was 13 at the time and didn't really care, but my older brother was another story. We spent hours debating and arguing over everything until he decided my mom should know. I obliged and told her. This was the hardest part for me. After coming out to her, I was said to be "not Serbian because it's part of our culture" and I was violating that. That being said, it was they were more accepting than I had anticipated. We had decided soon after that telling my father would be a mistake. As Surgoshan mentioned, make sure you're in a safe environment. He's a huge nationalist and because of the fore-mentioned reason, he would probably kick me out of the house. This was three years ago and he doesn't know to this day.

As the days, weeks, months passed, my brother always started debating with me when we were with our Serbian friend circle. The same accusations of not being Serbian arose, which I couldn't care less about because it's not logical in any sense. The _real_ problem came when their parents found out. I was looked down on constantly when I was around them. I was always the "black sheep", but this took it to a whole new level. Listening to rock and rap that wasn't really mainstream and being obsessed with computers rather than soccer was one thing, but not believing in God was an entirely different story. Over time, my friends became accepting and just thought of it as stupidity, which I was completely fine with because I felt the same way about their beliefs.

Atheism has been a social stigma throughout history, but we're finally getting somewhere in this world now as the newer generations become more and more open minded. It's good to know who you are and you should take pride in it. Telling people you are close to drops a very heavy load from your shoulders. If I were in your position, I would start with the second friend. Being as open-minded you make her out to be, there should not be too many problems, but do expect some resistance, and moreso from the first friend. The best advice I can really give is to be prepared. Set up a battle plan of sorts because questions will be asked and you will be expected to be able to answer them. Identify your descent from the faith because it will be brought up. My last piece of advice is to try not to sound like the stereotypical Atheist that society expects. Know what you are talking about. I'm sure that the "monkey evolution" question will be brought up, so make sure you do as much research as possible not just on that, but typical questions that would be asked. Some great questions that I found and had to answer for myself are here. http://thefinalhour.blogspot.com/2009/02/hard-questions-to-ask-athe... Do some research to find the answers. It _will_ help.

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Permalink Reply by Caesar MacEntire on June 6, 2011 at 4:37am

I try to avoid such people, but I have a few evangelical friends, and they know what I believe (roughly), just we try to find common ground. I'll ask them a few questions about the bible every now and then, maybe bring up any recent events that embarrass Christians as a whole, discuss scientific concepts and so on...

One girl though, Emily, I'd hate to see her lose her faith completely, it seems to be the driving force in her life. I'm trying to teach her that life is so much more outside of one book, that good things come from the human experience, learning new things, helping others enjoy and fulfill their lives as well and not blocking people from innocent happiness.

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