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Stuck in the Closet in Tennessee
Hello! In the way of an introduction; I'm so glad to be here. I have explored the site a little and can't believe there are so many members!
As I said in the title, I AM stuck in the closet in the bible belt of Tennessee. I support myself and would suffer at the local level if I came out at this point in my career. It's kinda that risky suffice it to say...
That being said; that's why I've joined here. I want a place to come, make friends, meet people, discuss and commiserate, and vent about my situation. If there's anyone on here in Tennessee, please give me a shout. There are a few other people I've met in Memphis/Knoxville/Chattanooga so I know I'm not alone but it's a very small percent: but growing!
I happen to be an oddity here. I was brought up in an atheist home and am really grateful to my openminded parents for bringing me up that way..waaaaay back in the 60s and yes, right here in the BIBLE BELT of the south in the good 'ol US of A. Furthermore, if there were anyway to find out exactly how many churches are say in 'my town' I would bet money we beat anywhere else in the country for the number of churches per capita.
Anyway; so glad to be here! Looking forward to the forums at the nex!
The website really looks great and has lots of good links to other sites which I love.
I saw some way cool double helix earrings that I just got to have. :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jedi Wanderer on -
Hah yeah just don't wear them outside! Its nice to have you here, I myself was born in Texas to apparently very Christian folks but I seem to have dodged a bullet there by being adopted and raised Jewish in New Jersey. I only just recently "met" my birthfamily and I think I might have even been more screwed up by them than I was by my adoptive family! Hard to do, but I think its true. Despite all their faults, at least they didn't force religion on me, other than of course making me have a bar-mitzvah and go to a private jewish school that I ended up dropping out of anyway... but I mean that they were actually okay with me making up my own mind and didn't even seem surprised that I came out as an atheist at age 12 (right before my bar-mitzvah, which I couldn't escape, and hey, lots of money in bar-mitzvah gifts for me). You really are lucky to have had parents who were already out of these dark-age mythologies, but it must suck being in the booble belt. Geez, I just realized that I was raised in a minority as being raised Jewish, and left only to find myself in yet another, still more persecuted minority of atheists! Great... Anyway, again, welcome! Hope I didn't blow your ears up!
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Permalink Reply by Pangea Girl on -
Thank you for your response. You have a very interesting background. Yes, I have repressed fantasies about not being in the booble belt and or not being in the closet. I have traveled to most other parts of the US, except northwest, but at the time for whatever reason, religion wasn't on my agenda. Now, I love going to the out-of-town atheist meetups so I can be loud and be proud!
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Permalink Reply by Steve on -
If you ever stumble over the border to North Carolina I hear that people in the Ashville area are pretty open minded.
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Permalink Reply by Pangea Girl on
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I will certainly let you know. NC is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Been there many times but not to atheist meetups. From what I've seen, however, you have quite a large contingent of atheists. Asheville is beautiful, I bought my car there.
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Permalink Reply by Pangea Girl on
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I would also like to add that I am single and interested in meeting professional, educated, liberal, well-spoken men who are in my age range who want to meet ladies and have fun. If you've read about me and are interested, please write me a note!
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Permalink Reply by roland707 on -
Hey! I'm in north Alabama so I feel ya. Our states seem to be officially having a "who can be more backwards" contest lately. Embarrassing. I've been on this site a few months and it's great to be able to 'talk' about this stuff. Glad you found it.
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Permalink Reply by Pangea Girl on
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Hello, thanks for writing. Are you in the apparently very active Alabama Freethought Association? I am considering heading down that way for the ffrf.org/outreach/lake-hypatia/
Who else is on the 'who can be more backwards' contest? lol!
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Permalink Reply by roland707 on
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No, I'm not in those. I have so little 'spare time' I couldn't make any kind of meetings. This is the first atheist org I've become involved with, and I've only been here a few months.
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Permalink Reply by Pangea Girl on
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Well then you deserve the welcome! Meetups are the best thing. There is also a large group of facebook atheists and it seems to be becoming one large network and it's really about the coolest thing I've found. Except nexus of course. :) I just haven't made my way into the forums here. I've been a regular for a year or so, at least, in the ffrf.org forums.
Yes, re the contest, TN is trying to pass a law so educators cannot say the word "Gay" in school. Tn is also trying to pass a law permitting discussion of the "theories" of creationism and intelligent design in science in our public schools.
See if you can beat that! haha!!
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Permalink Reply by booklover on -
Glad you are here. There is another new member here who didn't know why I used the phrase "coming out of the closet" when referring to Atheism because she thought it had negative connotations, which, while probably true, sometimes it has to be that you don't tell people you are an Atheist for several reasons. One of the reasons is what you just pointed out. It can hurt your career. It can keep someone from getting a job, etc. We are still, unfortunately, in the minority.
You found a good place to speak your mind!~ Melinda
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Permalink Reply by Pangea Girl on
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Dear Melinda, Your remarks come at an unusual time. Recently, I was abashed by similar remarks made by fellow local as-yet-unmet atheists. I think it takes a ton of immaturity and total lack of understanding, read empathy, for another atheist to NOT UNDERSTAND. (thanks for the vent.) Or is it just me? I discussed this with several of our elders and well, they said that yes, there are all kinds of atheists, just as there are all kinds of people. He said it so much more acurately than me.
And, "coming out of the closet," is just a way to reference the situation. Please do, ask him or her, exactly how they would like it put. I would be VERY curious, muy curioso, to know. I wait with bated breath!! And thank you very much for the welcome. We are a hated minority; why would I want to bring reprisals upon myself? (another vent)!!!
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Permalink Reply by booklover on
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Dear Pangea Girl, I can't even ask her because there are so many people I have just met here on Atheist Nexus and I am TERRIBLE with names! lol. I was never really 'in' the closet, being brought-up without religion, but I did 'try' catholicism for a VERY SHORT while when my kids were little (my husband was brought-up in that religion). I was uncomfortable and now I'm just embarrassed about it. Many people know I'm an Atheist, some don't or they ignore things I say because they don't want to know, it might burst their little pretend bubble they are living in if they have to actually think. I am lucky in that I've been a homemaker/homeschooler for almost 20 years, but next year I won't have a reason to stay home full-time anymore and if anyone Googles my name, it comes up with Atheist Nexus. I'm not ashamed to be an Atheist, quite the opposite, but it could make some moron not give me a job. I'm lucky to be able to not need the job, but what if I did? I know, of course, some people have no choice! Yep we are a hated minority, even good ol' George H.W. Bush said one time that he didn't consider us citizens. WHAT? My birth certificate and driver's license say differently.
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