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Permalink Reply by Jacob Dawson on March 7, 2011 at 5:29pm

The most influential person I've told has been my girlfriend, no one in my family knows (or at least I don't think they do). My girlfriend is a very open minded person. She herself comes from a family where her mother is buddhist and her father is a christian (she's vietnamese) so she's familiar with differing beliefs. Christianity seems to have gotten its hooks in her and she seemed to believe there was a God and a hell when I first met her, but over time temple attendance for Buddhism that she does on occasion, seems to have taken root in her and she's told me multiple times she enjoys it much more than going to church, thank goodness. She seems to simply be curious about it thus far, but we haven't yet had any drag out fights about it. Over the past few months she's been communicating to me what seems to be a deist sentiment about her thoughts on whether or not God exists. Anyway, don't know when I'll tell the rest of my family..not sure if I'm ready for that yet, I'm still an undergrad living off my mothers money.

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Permalink Reply by Monica S. on March 7, 2011 at 5:37pm

When I came out as atheist to my grandmother:

 

Grandmother: That's sad you don't believe in anything..

 

Me: That's not true, I believe in love and honor and respect

 

Mom: *scowling*: we mean something important...

 

(when I came out to mom as atheist)

 

Mom: Well you can't celebrate Christmas...

 

(wtf)

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Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 10, 2011 at 2:59pm

That's a good one with your grandmother.

 

I've gotten the whole Christmas thing too. When someone found out I was an atheist they seemed very angry that I actually do spend time with my family at Christmas and enjoy it. They began a long argument trying to convince me that I couldn't "really" enjoy Christmas.

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Permalink Reply by Monica S. on March 10, 2011 at 3:10pm

Which is total and utter bollocks. When I try to explain to my mother that I celebrate the holiday as it's meant to(glorfication of family and lots of food..I'm from the south..so nothing better lol) she freezes up. What gets me is that she KNOWS that if Christ existed, his birthday would not be on December 25. That was Mithra. (She finally saw the movie religiolous with me..she watched the whole thing and admitted she liked it..sadly lol).

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Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 10, 2011 at 3:15pm

I'm too scared to watch that movie with my parents. Not that they're particularly religious, but they're into the whole "everybody's right, it just depends on how you look at it" stuff, so they'd probably think it was overly angry or disrespectful or something.

 

It's weird, because I feel less nervous talking about my atheism with closed-minded fundamentalists who say I'm going to hell than my completely understanding parents.

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Permalink Reply by Monica S. on March 10, 2011 at 3:23pm

Maybe it's because your parents(who I'm assuming are sweet people) just want everyone to be "okay" in that spiritual sense and not really judge folks? It's an honorable thing, but folks like that are rare.

Not saying I'm for that, but it's refreshing.

 

I know what you mean though. You at least know where you stand with a fundie, but with someone who spouts truth light and peace(I sound like Trigun), it may cause them to say "Well, I'm sorry you have nothing to believe in" and that is just an interesting convo right there.

 

I don't want to sound like an ass, but it sounds pretty new age-y, the "everyone is right it just depends on how you look at it". But I guess right now to me a lot of things appear new agey and so on.

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Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 10, 2011 at 3:31pm

My parents are very strange when it comes to religion. My mom is an ex-nun turned hippy, ex-nurse turned alternative medicine advocate, and somehow sees all of it coexisting in some sort of uber-secular worldview.

 

I don't claim to understand it very well, but new age-y would certainly be a good way to put it.

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Permalink Reply by Monica S. on March 10, 2011 at 3:34pm

That was the first thing that came to mind for me.

 

Alternative Medicine, hoo boy. I ended up talking to a friend about that whole "method" and how it just didn't work for me.

 

Their response: "Well, just because it didn't work for you, doesn't mean it doesn't work!"

 

the mind reels...

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Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 10, 2011 at 3:44pm

I have a lot of mixed views regarding alternative medicine. I grew up with it and it wasn't until I was like 20 before I realized that it was controversial and non-scientific. I always assumed it was just as real as any other medicine.

 

There was one remedy (can't remember what it's called) that always seemed to work very well. Now I'm wondering if that's just the placebo effect (since I believed it was medicine), or if there is some truth to it all. It sure seemed legit when I was taking it.

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Permalink Reply by Monica S. on March 10, 2011 at 3:51pm

*shrugs* I can't tell you. Someone tried to do ear candeling on me, but I refused after seeing the things that can happen from that being done.

I used the homeopathy drops for pink eye, and it made it worse...I didn't understand that AT ALL, lol.

 

My mom is a doctor, but isn't above going to a chiropractor...

Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 10, 2011 at 4:06pm

Have we reached the reply limit? There's no reply button for your post. Guess I'll reply to myself...

 

Anyway, never done anything too weird like ear candeling. Actually, I don't even know what that is, but it sounds painful.

Permalink Reply by Tracy Pedersen on March 7, 2011 at 7:22pm

While living in Texas - this is a typical question when you meet someone - this was a girl I had worked with for awhile:

Girl: What church do you go to?
Me: I don't.
Girl: You don't??
Me: I'm not a christian.
Girl: But you're so nice!?

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