It was bound to happen eventually.
I come from a very conservative christian family so it should come as no surprise to you that my being a very socially liberal atheist, not to mention a lesbian, was not accepted with open loving arms by them. The other day I received a facebook message from one of my dad's sisters living in Ohio. I rarely see her and we haven't had a legitimate conversation in all the time that I've known her but she said that she saw that I had listed "atheist" under my religious views. "I realize being an atheist is the cool thing to do," she told me, "but I hope one day you grow smarter and you'll see the error in your ways. Until then, God Bless."
I was quick to reply.
"It seems to me that the current cool thing in this country is rampant anti-intellectualism and the outcasting of anyone who prefers the sound evidence of science and reason over a mythical supreme being with a faulty moral structure. Tell your God to keep his blessings and as far my "growing smarter"? I'll work on that...thanks."
Yes, I guess she does think she's more intelligent. It could be a coincidence that I'm currently working towards my masters degree in philosophy and english literature and she's an unemployed high school dropout...
But probably not.
Anyone else have a similar experience to share?
Tags:
Is being an atheist really the cool thing to do?
Every time I say to a person that I am an atheist and don't believe in a god or gods, they look at me with disgust and think I'm a satan loving, immoral, genocidal manic bent on world domination.
I'v never seemed cool when saying I don't believe, but I guess thats what I get for analyzing the data and coming to a logical and rational conclusion that god probably doesn't exist. How uncool of you and I.
Every time I say to a person that I am an atheist and don't believe in a god or gods, they look at me with disgust and think I'm a satan loving, immoral, genocidal manic bent on world domination.
That's true that most people react like that (in the US, especially in the Bible belt), and it's funny the way you put it. On the other hand, I think a lot of people are pretty cool with it as long as you keep it to yourself. It's almost like it's okay if they suspect you are an atheist - they can deal with the suspicion and still accept you as long as you don't spell it out for them. I'm not saying this means one should keep it to themselves. It's just an observation.
I have a religious aunt and I lied and told her "I don't know if there is a God or not but I pray just in case" and she was good with that. Sure, she in sprinkles a little religion into our conversations now and then (which are usually e-mail conversations), but she never pins me up against a wall about it or anything. However, if I were to tell her I was an atheist, I have no idea how she would react but I do have a feeling it would knock me down a million notches in her esteem.
The idea that family could even contemplate of acting like some kind of thought police, much less actually do so is alien to our culture and totally alien to me. I really have a hard time wrapping my mind around such behavior. It seems to me (at least one of) the worst kind(s) of betrayal there exists.
But as far as this particular woman goes one should keep in mind that being ignorant doesn't necessarily make you less certain of your convictions, even when certain about absurd ideas that stand in direct opposition to other rational ideas about reality she holds are absolutely true, or when false memories or being shown to be wrong with evidence to the contrary.
font is extremely purple..and hard to read on a dark background. anyway, I have an aunt...no, scratch that, I'm not even sure how she is related to me....point is, I see her like once a year and she found out about my atheism the same way. Facebook. which is fine by me, I dont want to hide it for anything. anyway, before hand my other relatives didnt know that I was an atheist since everyone in my family, like you're family..is a very conservative christian one. it stirred up a little drama to say the least. My grandmother tried to hold an intervention. yeah...
They really do all seem to think that it's a fad of some sort, even though knowing me, they would know that I've never been one to jump on the band wagon. Not to mention atheism is like, the smallest minority belief, or should i say lack their of, that i know of. Eeeeveryone judges us. it's not cool in the slightest.
Since you came from a very conservative christian family..
I think you are so brave to come out and say I am an atheist..
I appreciated this kind of courage!
Myself, I can not come out and say that in an explicit way....all what I did is a hint saying.
You've done the right thing..don't bother youself being stracized by your family..
life is a beautiful opportunity that deserves to be experienced...
And remember,
"Stand up for what you believe in, even if it means standing up alone"
I make sure to tell everyone quite quickly that I'm an atheist if I intend to start a friendship with them. If they're turned away, so be it. Such discriminating people aren't the kind of friends I'd like.
As for family matters, no. Although my parents haven't really said they're atheists to anyone (we live in Texas, and that complicates things), but either way they're very secular and they agree with my atheism. I congratulate you for coming out so honestly, though. I don't think I could if I were in that situation.
Why I hate Facebook, reason #294.
Well as you're already well aware, the opinions of our family (immediate or extended) only matter as much as we let them (awesome verbal smackdown by the way! I may have to lift parts of it for my own use...). I think surrounding one's self with people who love and genuinely accept you for all that you are, good bad or indifferent, are the really important social families that we build. But I'm no philosophy major. ;)
That's what I like best about this site. Knowing that even surrounded by narrow-minded "godtards" in this small town, I can come here and know there are people who get it.
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