If you told someone at work you don't believe in God, how might they react?

Question

Where I live, everyone believes in God. Even the ones that don't go to church. On Friday, I told one of my supervisors that I'm an atheist. She looked at me with pure shock in her eyes, paused for a few moments, and then started stammering, "Oh, well, that's okay, I knew somebody like that once." As if I have a disability or something, lol.

I'm still new to atheism and have only started to tell people in my real life recently that I am one.

What have your experiences been like?

LOL @ Wolfechu! I know the feeling. I did it for years.

Wow, JP, way to be judgmental. Actually we were on our lunch break, and she also happens to be a friend of mine. She was suggesting that I pray about a personal problem I'm having at home. Why nod and smile when I could just as easily tell her I'm an atheist?

Guys, relax about the whole talking about religion at work thing. I work in a small satellite office with 12 people and we are a close-knit bunch. It isn't your typical work environment.

I also find it interesting that I shouldn't talk about religion at work, yet somehow it is perfectly fine for Christians to yammer on forever at work about God and their prayers etc.

Answer 1

Oh you're gonna love this!

I was a Muslim and I used to cover my hair and my body. Then I started having troubles with Islam and ... to cut the story short ... I was on leave for two weeks and then I just showed up at work wearing a short skirt and a top LOL.

So it was kinda inevitable for them to find out. Just imagine all those jaws drop ... Some of them didn't even recognise me at first .

After a few weeks, they were cool with it although they still keep wondering what in the world has gotten into me LOL.

Answer 2

My worry for you would be which you are going to be below the misunderstanding that spirituality is an all or not something proposition. in case you do end as much as rather be Atheist, then that's fantastic. although, be conscious that there are various faiths that few "God" in distinctive techniques. There are religions/modes of spirituality that don't even have "a god" in the sense of a separate entity. Buddhism is a good occasion. My suggestion to you would be this: somewhat than targeting what you do not believe, make an effort to look interior your self, and in keeping with possibility do slightly learn on different modes of spirituality, to attempt to get a feeling of what you DO believe. to make certain if there is something previous your self that does touch you in a undeniable way. there are various forms of religiosity. There are modes of spirituality exterior of the religious. for many a significant existence is so ordinary as being a great guy or woman.

Answer 3

me, I don't know about God .. existence or otherwise

I have wondered "how do ( did ) people get the knowledge as to whether GOd exists or not?

If it's only "what other people say", that's just words from other people, which might get you some "leverage" in discussion-points, but not really "knowledge".

anyway, this is all lead-in to "how might they react"

usually, it maybe just a couple eye-blinks by way of "reaction"
... since I don't say "I don't believe in GOd" ... but just, when pressed, question assertions with "How do *you* know?"

closest I ever came I suppose was when a *strong* believer gave me the 'come to Jesus' pitch when we were working in a storeroom, going thru electronic parts and I spoke:
"I don't think the Bible is the 'inspired word of God', if there *is* such a being ... it's just other peoples ideas and stories"

there wasn't much reaction ... and we got along ok after that, but I don't give people a hard time about much of anything anyway, except 'public-display' of piety-stuff, which seems to be aimed at "making a statement", rather than "inner-seeking", which I can accept as perhaps an honest approach to the god-question (sic)

"believe in" ? tho ... oddly enough, that doesn't make much sense to me.

what we do, our actions or inactions have more meaning than whatever words fill in the blank after:

"I believe in _____"

"path with a heart" amost does make sense

Answer 4

I usually keep my beliefs to myself, but when I was at public school last year, I was actually questioned quite a bit them. I tried to be honest yet downplay them, but I still received a lot of crap about it. They ask me how I cannot believe, that I have to believe in something. Unfortunately, I was avoided by a large amount of other students who were devout Christians. Some people I had considered at least very good acquaintances no longer would speak to me. However, I'm now in a Catholic high school (don't ask why; it's complicated) where that is not a problem, because everyone just assumes you believe the same. My advice is to keep it to yourself. As Christians are the majority, it is quite a bit easier to be one of them then not.

Answer 5

I live in Bangladesh, almost all of my friends here are Muslim and I think I'm the only atheist around. I'm not sure how they would react, so i prefer not telling them. My family thinks I'm still very young and will change my beliefs one day(I'm seventeen). But most of my friends only know that I don't really care about religion, only a few of them know that I'm an athiest, I don't tell others. I think it might scare them away.
My grandfather, who was an atheist(I think he still is, he just doesn't admit it) always says that if you can't change the society then you should at least try to to blend in, unless you are gonna be way ahead of your people and they are gonna fall behind. So I prefer not discussing my religious views.

Some people who have found out sometimes tries to preach, I just listen to them and smile, I know they think they are doing the right thing.

Answer 6

They'd look at me lke I was nuts. I can remember when I slipped and let a co-worker know that my best friend was actually my former girlfriend. I don't think she's quite gotten over that one yet. So I believe I'll just stay away from the religous discussions, although it's bound to come up during this tax season - I work in a small offic myself, and we talk about EVERYTHING. Will have to see what happens when I tell them I study Alchemy...

Answer 7

Well I know there are at least 3 other atheists in my work, and very few people are big practicers of religion.

However I guess it would be "Oh......okay"

despite living in the UKs bible belt equivalent people don't usually react too badly to atheists. However they will still insist on putting letters in the papers which imply (if not being out right explicit) that atheists are immoral.

Answer 8

Hey Linz!

Actually, I was the one shocked. I was working for my college paper my sophomore year. Someone asked one of the news people what religion she was, and she said atheist. My jaw hit the friggin floor! I honestly DID NOT know atheists existed before then. Then I said, what about Satan? What about Hell? She said she didn't believe in them.

We're good friends to this day. I went on to meet a few more atheists and we're all cool with each other. But at first, I couldn't understand it for the life of me!!

Answer 9

Vancouver, Canada has a huge population of atheists, so it's usually the other way around with my peers.

In 2001, 42% of Vancouverites had no religion and 41% were Christian.

Answer 10

Well, to be honest, my brother has told my parents that he is an atheist, with only a little bit of a debate between the two (none of us are very religious in my house). I, however (even though I have discussed the merits of atheism and flaws of Christianity time and time again with him, introducing him to my thoughts on the matter) have yet to admit that I am an atheist to anyone but fellow atheists. I am a bit of coward, and I also don't like to start problems that don't need to exist.

Edit: Thumbs down fairy...come out, come out, wherever you are....