How many members on here are openly atheists in the bible belt? And are you treated differently?
interesting comments. but how does religious affiliation crop up so frequently? i've never run into this. No one has ever asked me about my beliefs and i've never questioned anyone. Why have others been hounded, harassed or head-butted over religion?
Tribalism. That's the answer to both your questions.
@Buxx what do you mean by tribalism?
@TheDoubter , you're either with them or against them
@freeofgod thanks
Why Toxic Tribalism Is Destroying Our Society & What To Do About It [medium.com]
@freeofgod i've just had a difference experience then. but in two years in the Army, 13 years in Mexico and 40 years in CA and CO I never ran into the quwstion.
It is the way of the south.
“Hi, nice to meet you.. Which church do you attend? What church based school does your child attend? Oh.. um.. “
If outright asked, I'll say I'm atheist, I rarely volunteer it. I used to , but it bit me too often. I enjoy being employed, not having my car keyed, and not being evangelized to.
It has been assumed that i worship satan, that I have no morals, that I've fallen or am just mad at god.
It ranges from a hassle to detrimental.
Is it just me or are you tempted to tell them to f$ck off?
I live in Houston. Openly atheist and don't care. Lol.
Yes, and yes, and because I am also a liberal I am pretty much ostracized. Can't wait to move.
Ditto!
Try living in Georgia, atheist, Democrat, lesbian, indepentdent opinionated Yankee woman over 50!!!
I am open about my atheism and it has resulted in many of my neighbors not speaking to me. It is what it is, and I don't really care what they think of me. I have two people in my neighborhood who know and still seem to like me and care about me, so there are some people who can be kind thank goodness.
what a "true" christian behavior coming from your neighbors, don't you think?
@Zoohome I think the two neighbors who are christians and accept me for who I am are displaying actual christian compassion and love. The other so called christians are simply hypocrites in my book.
Me, and yeah. I don’t go around advertising it but I won’t hide it if asked. I’m barred from running for any public office in Tennessee as an atheist, and definitely wouldn’t make many friends if I made it a focus. Someone solicited a donation to a ministry not long ago and I told her I didn’t have any cash on me to avoid getting into anything further with her but if someone rubbed me the wrong way and tried that I might say I’m a satanist. I’ll generally take the easy route if I think it’ll spare me some evangelizing or avoid alarming the skiddish believers. They know not what they do. But yeah most of my family and friends do treat me differently when they find out.
Say your Buddhist. They know zip about that and usually wander off.
Oh yeah, I've been ostracized for "not believing," and "not going to church." But not very often. Since I was self-employed after the age of 30, I had the freedom and ablity of staying away from the religious fanatics of the world. But I never voluntarily opened up about my secular attitudes. When I'm asked, I give a short, terse answer: "I don't believe in it."
Do you go to church? "No, I don't believe in it."
Do you believe in God? "No, I don't believe in it."
Do you believe you're going to hell? "No, I don't believe in it."
Do you believe in Santa Clause?
"No generally speaking, I don't "believe" in anything. I don't like to use the word "believe" at all and, over the past couple of decades, I've found ways to avoid using the word entirely.
"Do you believe in gravity?"
"No, but I accept that it works. I can observe that when a drop a hammer, it falls. If my foot in the way, it hurts. So I have OBSERVED that gravity works. And, I ACCEPT that gravity works. But we don't know how or why yet. So I don't believe in it."
My one exception is sometimes on the weekend, when I might say something like, "I believe I'll have a cold beer now."
I live in southeast Texas. Met a guy in a bar once. He said he was catholic, so I said I was atheist. He crossed his arms at me as if to say “back demon!” He saw me again later and tried to start a debate. Even though his tone was friendly, I just rolled my eyes and walked away. I was there to drink and dance, not to argue. His initial reaction was really rude and unnecessary.
Granted I live in one of the urban centers of North Kackalacky (the Raleigh area), but I'm surprised by how many people sheepishly say "me too" when I open the door with my admission. Some people say they'll pray for me. (How's that working out for y'all?) Every so often I see someone in the rearview mirror at a stoplight shaking their head and frowning at my Darwin fish. I generally only talk about it when asked, and steer clear of zealots, but I never shy away from admitting it.
I have learned to be guarded on who I disclose my lack of belief to. I have had a couple of pretty bad experiences where people who I thought were my friends turned pretty nasty toward me when they learned I was an atheist. But more than anything, I cannot stand all of the proselytizing from family, friends, and even strangers when they learn I do not believe like they do.
Yes. I've been abused, harassed, threatened and beat. But I've also found many friends
We have a pretty progressive state here in Washington so you don't get a ton a crap for admitting you don't believe, but one thing I do notice is from family, its weird, none of them are uber religious they just act like it's a given thing. So when they are confronted by my open disbelief they kind of just don't acknowledge it and treat me like it's some kind of depression and I don't really mean it, like I'm just at odds with Jesus at the moment or something. Its funny, theyre like oh yeah wait until you want something, you'll pray for it then. And I don't. Smh
I'm in Ellensburg, WA it's conservative and more god fearin'. Now that most in this senior low income complex know I am agnostic I sense there is a distancing. This of course is just fine with me.
Not sure N. Dakota is classified as a "bible belt" state but this is one of the darkest (most religious dominated states). Although this will soon change, we are currently the only state with blue (church) Sunday closing laws in the USA. I live within two miles of over two dozen churches and the vast majority of those I know in these parts are hard core (faith over facts) theists. ND is the #2 pro tRump supporting state that usually asserts your typical god fearing misogynist embodying no women choice/autonomy etc. I am openly atheist, often debate theists and have encountered the "you don't believe in anything, you don't have morals, you worship satin etc." I have spent countless hours educating (in some cases to the point of bringing them to tears) the foolish that make those assertions. Am I treated differently, by most? No. I generally treat people with respect but I openly expose the errors of nonsensical assertions. I have had a few theists scream nonsense including "But what about flowers!!" inches from my face and there are a few lower intellectually functioning theists that openly exhibit disgust for my (as an atheist) existence.
it has been VERY hard living in Oklahoma as an atheist and now a secular Buddhist.
Atheist in NW Georgia. it is terrible here, my neighbors treat me like they are afraid of me. That is what they are taught in their wonderful churches.
I live in N Georgia, too. It really makes it difficult to make friends. One never knows who is going to betray you, gossip about you, etc. It sucks!!!
Is Michigan in the Belt?
It's cost me umpteen chances at relationships, including one just a week ago. Xian women treat me differently once they see that label, as if it overrides all the "nice guy" attributes that I had before that. I might as well be a murderer.
Kansas resident here, and yes, most people here are shocked and confused when I tell them I'm an atheist. Some people shun me, others try to save me. It's tiresome. Why am I still living here?
Because it's a lot less expensive to live there? Because the ''fundies'' are entertaining to watch?
@LucyLoohoo - It is cheap to live here, but watching the fundies stopped being entertaining long ago. Actually, most of my friends have died, so I'm seriously thinking of moving.
To California? Vancouver? Norway?
@OldWiseAss California's expensive but you'll find many like-minded people here. Vancouver's lovely and less expensive but it gets cold. Of course, it gets cold in Kansas, too. Do you speak Norwegian?
You poor thing.
I just tell people I don't believe in organized religion and they don't ask more. I don't spend time with anyone that's judgmental about it.
@OldWiseAss Colorado. There are cheaper places out side of the front range cities that are great places to live.
@OldWiseAss Norway sounds like a good destination.
I have always felt isolated, and generally unpopular. I don't really know what the cause of it is, but being an atheist, and an individual with opinions and tastes that differ from the main stream probably contribute to it. I think it's difficult not to seem disagreeable when you see through the indoctrinated views, and even consider them silly, of most of the people who surround you. However, even here, in Florida there are a a few people who understand and reject dogmatic beliefs.
@friendly, Nailed it. We are either with them or theists are against us. They can't conceive of someone being good without god.
I lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for many years. I was harrassed and intimidated on a regular basis if people learned that I was not a believer. I was harrassed and discriminated against at work, including a government workplace. I should point out that I was always low-key about my beliefs, and often such an event would occur after I politely turned down invitations to co-workers' church activities -- NOT because of me initiating controversy. I never have initiated conversations about politics or religion at work.