I have "come out" out only in front of friends. I know that others might ostracize me for my beliefs. My family would not disown me but would be pretty upset with me and would give me numerous lectures.
2007-04-12 14:24:04 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Because I didn't feel any reason not to "come out". Also, because I saw that religion was just such empty superstition. Then I looked around me and saw people preaching this superstition and talking down about non-believers as if we weren't there. That made me want to tell people that we atheists exist and that we have real reasons for what we believe and don't believe.
2007-04-12 14:26:46 · answer #1 · answered by nondescript 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I admitted reality into my life at the age of 12, 53 years ago. At 15, I was convinced that all religion was just the refangling of very much older stories of myth and had become a disease of the human mind.
I don't give a flying figg for any ostracisation potential. I just know that anyone who does look down on me for not believing in the invisible father-figure in the sky is living in a fantasy land and I do feel genuinely sorry for them.
Luckily, my father was a realist too but didn't reveal that to me, and have the conversation with me, until after I had been through the early church years and finally made up my own mind without any parental influence at all.
Stand up and be recognised. It gets easier as you get older. Absorb the lectures, he won't shoot you. Just imagine what would happen if you told him that you DO believe but you want to be a muslim and shoot off to Iraq to blow up everyone.
The lesser of two?
2007-04-12 14:33:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You make it seem that not believing in all this religious supestition is something that should be hidden. In my case, you have it one hundred percent wrong.
I have never hidden the fact that I don't believe in the unbelievable. I have no superstitions at all - - - none. All my friends know this. I don't care what they believe, and they shouldn't care what I believe.
My non-belief started when I was about ten. I told my mother that I would rather not go to church with the family. Mom said she knows that I gave it a lot of thought and if it didn't make sense to me, there's no use in going. That was many many years ago.
Nobody can be forced into believing. You might be forced into attending church service, but that's not believing.
2007-04-12 14:37:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Something happened here (yes really, right here on YA) that sickened me, and since that moment, I am officially "out". I came here trying to find answers, and the hypocrisy and hate I saw every day by so-called Christians was tipping me toward atheism more and more. It bothers me that it took so long, actually. I was agnostic until then. After the Amish school shootings, a question was posed about the courage of one little girl who asked to be shot first. One of the regulars here, who I will not name, basically said "Good for her, she knew God had her back and she was going home to her true Father." That made me physically ill. To be so callous about a child's death, to make it okay because she was going to heaven, to be so cavalier about the mass murder of children, made me sick. It really was then and there that I decided I wanted nothing to do with people like that, or anything they believed in.
2007-04-12 14:34:50 · answer #4 · answered by ReeRee 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't exactly hide it, but I usually don't make it a point to tell people either. The worst thing I did was make it a point to tell everyone my junior year in high school. It became the driving force behind every conversation for the whole next year. It is often easier to let it go with people that you need to interact with.
2007-04-12 14:30:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
But an atheist just means that you don't know one way or the other. So rather than just say- I don't have the info so I won't go one way or the other- seek and ye shall find.
What don't you know- ask the question! Find a book- read!
And always remember- we are free willed people and have minds to think. As long as you seek knowledge you will find it. It's up to each individual to interpret what he/she learns.
Soak it in, let it fester, then determine what is best for you!
(BTW- I am a parent to a 6 year old and I was raised Lutheran- my hubbie methodist. My son will have the freedom to find & follow his own path without any pressure from us to follow ours!)
2007-04-12 14:31:03 · answer #6 · answered by wonder woman 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
When everyone kept making subtle unconsious remarks about religion everywhere. I turned the tables and made subtle remarks against religion, little jokes and the such. It will really get to you when even your teachers do it.
My science teacher said that I was going to burn in hell.
My history teacher keeps talking about god this and god that. Not trying to convert you, but he says it none the less.
2007-04-12 14:39:22 · answer #7 · answered by Ghost Wolf 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I dont discuss it with my family. A few people I work with know I am. I live in Texas. Its hard. I do have a number of atheist friends, so I do have that support.
2007-04-12 14:28:37 · answer #8 · answered by in a handbasket 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Never had to come out. I come from a long line of people not stupid enough to buy into the big lie, religion/gods.
2007-04-12 16:00:35 · answer #9 · answered by ChristOnAStick 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
why would I need to? my parents and friends don't really care what I believe concerning religion, it's like coming out of the closet to tell them I like briefs instead of boxers, what would be the point? they could care less
if they want to know, they'll ask
2007-04-12 14:33:55 · answer #10 · answered by Nick F 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋