How hard is it for you to openly be Atheist in your community?
I live in East Tennessee. I don't bring up God or Trump unless I'm asked about one or the other, then I usually disappoint the other person with my negative views of both. (Far more negative of one of them, can you guess which one?) I think that because I'm a local, the people here expect me to be a supporter of the "president" and a believer in the Lord. Maybe they think I should feel geographically obligated to think the way they do.
I feel it should be harder because of where I live, but I have never hidden from the truth, no matter the consequences. When talking with anyone, managers, leadership, door knockers and neighbors, if there's a point where letting them know I'm an atheist feels natural then I come out and say it. Maybe doing so causes them to avoid me or actively leave me alone, but I don't mind. So I'm not invited to some neighborhood get together because I'm an atheist(maybe I don't know if this has happened) that just makes it easier for me to be openly atheist.
Not hard at all I'm always outspoken about the delusion of religion and make everybody angry but I don't really care who gets offended.Sometimes you just have to be blunt but most importantly stay true to yourself. There's just no nice way to tell these people their sky daddy ain't real you will always offend someone when you tell them what they don't want to hear????
Word, we gotta tell them, all up in their faces! #skydaddy. Lol
Very, if I want to be at all part of my community, rather than an ostracized pariah. Seriously, to be openly atheist would very likely cost me my job, though the hierarchy would be smart enough to avoid the lawsuit and claim it was something else. My kids face serious wrath from teachers, peers, and other parents, ALL of which happened to my more open eldest child.
I live in Colorado. I was very much afraid to come out. Once I did I have had no problems what so ever. I did loose one very close friend, she is very religious and simply decided to stop spending time with my family in favor of spending more time with her church.
I have avoided contact with the fundamentalist I grew up with. If I tell them that I am an atheist they will by their teaching "know" I'm possessed by Satan. So the conversation will end before it begins. So if I do have contact with them I will have to ask them questions that will make them think rather than just vomit out that I'm possessed by the Devil. That might be called tact.
I thought it was hard. Then I discovered how hard it is to offer constructive criticism of liberals (as much as I agree with them.) If you are not in absolute lockstep with every one of their views, it suddenly makes you a racist, mysoginist pig.
Very hard. Rural midwest town not terribly far from Indianapolis but far enough that it's not convenient for me to just spend most my time in the city. It's not just the Bible Belt, it's the Farmer's Bible Belt. Which is why I'm moving. Now I need to figure out where I'm moving too, lol.
Thankfully it's very easy. My family are a different matter!
Small town, I grew up Catholic. So did most of my friends. They're puzzled by my new found joy.lol!some have tried to pull me back in because they're concerned for my soul.lol. some think I didn't get what I prayed for, lol,some feel sorry for me,and I say love me as I am or walk away.
I'm Agnostic, not Atheist. I don't usually bring it up myself. But I don't hide it my lack of belief unless it is inappropriate. Unless its necessary to relax a client, I talk about me as little as possible at work.