by rebel8 33 Replies latest jw friends
Yes, pretty much out of the closet. Told my JW relatives that I didn't beleive in God, God(s), Bible, god of abraham, Devil, Satan, Demons . . . . But, I don't wear an "I hate God" attitude on my shoulder. So, I'm not a violent atheist.
Was at hockey practice the other night. Cute kid is playing a guessing game, "I'm thinking of someone in the sky." I replied, "The man in the moon?" id goes, "Noooooooooo." I just smiled. Then, another parent chimed in, "God?"
No... because of family/friends I am stuck in for now. However many people know i'm skeptical and some have guessed I'm an athiest ... but have no proof.
In Canada, epecially British Columbia Secularism is normal ... though most believe in God. Athiests are not persecuted here though.
I think atheist is a strong term. Like Terry said, we don't know what might be out there. But I'm close to atheism. I guess the term would be agnostic. I do know the Bible (and all of the other religious books) aren't the product of a more intelligent mind. And I call BS on their fables.
That said, I'm "out" to the people I can be out with. Friends who aren't judging on the basis of religion. And have religious friends who are perfectly comfortable with atheists. I don't know exactly what affiliations my co-workers have. I know one is at least semi-religious and talks about voluteering at church. Don't know about my boss or others. At work, I don't declare any position. If anything, I'm just going to dodge the issue. I think I said once that "I grew up a JW, but I'm not one anymore" and left it at that. For all they know, I'm a fundie now.
There are people I can't be "out" to. They see everything in terms of God or the Devil's side. And my beliefs put me on the devil's side. I do hope they wake up.
My kids are split. My son openly admits to being an atheist at school. Maybe that's why he doesn't have so many friends. He really appreciates that one of his friends is too.
My daughter fakes it. I teach her Bible stories so that she knows the gist of it and can fake it. ...with added commentary. She has so many religious friends. She even goes to church with them sometimes. And has fun. Not like the JWs at all. Mostly games. But this is what she has to do to fit in.
I sometimes wonder if she's faking it. If her mom has her brainwashed and is lying to me and really into it. But she loves watching the atheist cartoon videos on YouTube. She'll just plunk down in front of a PC and watch a whole channel's worth of atheist videos. So I don't think she's lying to me. Either way, at least she's seeing both sides and can make up her own mind which way to go.
Ex wanted to start taking the kids to church once. I was opposed but conceded that while they're with her, that's her decision. But I don't want them going to church. Luckily she's been too lazy to take them.
Say it proud and say it loud: I'm an atheist. However, that's regarded as something like having two heads around here in woo-town USA. People look at me pretty oddly when I say I don't believe. But say you believe there's a town inside Mt. Shasta and you know where the door is, and everyone is right there with you. In fact, you can pretty much believe any totally whackdoodle thing you want around here, and the more impossible it is, the more you're applauded. I consider myself a little island of sanity in the insanity that is Mt. Shasta.
I am a closet Taoist. This is unexceptable in dub-land.
DD
Pretty disturbing. You can be executed for being an atheist in some countries.
In the US, Land of the Free, 8 states still ban atheists from holding public office, even though that's against the Constitution.
I'm an in the closet atheist. Only person that knows is my girlfriend and other than her I'm not panning on expressing my real beliefs just yet. Mostly cause I'm only 17 years old, baptized within the religion (biggest mistake of my life) and still live with both ofy parents who are really devout JW's :/
I only bring it up if the person or persons I`m having a conversation with push religious ideas on me or the group , otherwise I dont see any need to push my veiws on anyone else.
smiddy
rebel8,
regarding being an atheist I realise that I am not a mainsteam atheist as I tend to live my life, or at least am forced to live my life, in a kind of magical realism. Magical realism is a literary genre but it best describes how I tend to see life - that life has as strange as fantastic fiction impacts and implications (all of which probably have perfectly rational explanations when put under the microscopes either now or in the future).
