Most of the people I work with are christians. By sharing my personal beliefs as a non christian to several that I like, I soon picked up the vibe from others that this info spread like wild fire. I can tell as they look at me and judge me they have singled me out as some kind of nut case. It's so condescending as they talk about attending bible studies, baptisms, lent, etc, etc. If I were to talk about attending women's choice marches or atheist meetings ....well you can just imagine. Many like myself have to stay underground. I'm more open about my beliefs now but still have to listen to their nonsense while biting my tongue. I'm hoping in generations to come this will change. I am seeing more progressive thinking with millenials and this gives me hope!!

Well, why do you think that to say “I am an atheist” is a bad way so much that you have to find a better way. Now, most Christians I know do not start with “Hi, I’m a Christian”. If they do, then you can say “Hi, I’m an atheist”. But what most of them do is to tell you, at the end of a conversation “god bless you”. Which is their own way, depending on the response they get, of finding out who is Christian and who is not. In any case, if they tell me “god bless you” I can say “I don’t believe in god”. But the main point I want to make is: be proud to say what your beliefs are. Are you afraid you would loose their friendship? Do you need them?

I don't unless they ask, to put me in a category when they know nothing else about me seems ridiculous ot me - lacking context . I live in Northern Ireland and am English so no one is really bothered what I am .

I don't tell people my beliefs, I just ask them questions about theirs. The longer they explain, the more they begin to question them. I sure question mine!

I always say it when religion gets brought up. Sometimes even when it doesn't. I just want people to know that we're out there, we're proud of who we are, and actually we're pretty awesome people. I think people become more open minded when they get to know people with different views.

Since the word atheist has negative vive to it. For some reason. I would just say "There is not enough evidence for me to accept X religion"

Don't be afraid of your beliefs. If Christians are talking about how they feel just simply come out and disagree. Make sure you've done your research though. I've been caught in conversations where I forget key pieces of information and my argument seems flawed.

I don't unless they ask, then I just tell them and if they start with oh you just got to pray for him to reveal himself and all that I say I used to be a Christian and you don't how badly I wish still believed like that, life was so much easier when I belived I had someone looking out for me.

Je suis musulmans

I say it straight out. I was taught as a child how evil atheists were. I spent too many years intimidated by my abusive evangelical mother and now that I have a TBI...It's almost a physical problem for me to lie. In response to say nope I'm an atheist, I've been told I'm the nicest atheist one guy has ever met! One woman told me..."But you look like such a nice person" Most people that I tell don't spend much time debating me because I'm pretty clear that I think religion is cruel and abusive to children.
I feel like I'm part of the beginning of humanity letting it go. In whatever small way we really are making a difference by spreading knowledge and talking to others. I feel its my duty to be honest for the sake of the world my children and grandchildren have to live in.

I explain that I am a humanist and have no belief in god. People naturally want to "save" you to tell you why they believe. I find firm believers often have a story, a very pursuesive story that helps them rationalize their beliefs. I do not care if others believe and I am not focused on changing their belief system. I let others know this and that if they ask, I explain why I do not believe in a god. I don't try, but I think I set a good example of being "good without god" - that the constructs of "morality" do not start with faith, but a knowledge of how to perpetuate the human race. But even then - that is all subjective. I personally am a humanist - I "believe" in furthering the human species, as well as all other species, on this planet in a sustainable and responsible way - not all atheists or agnostic people "believe" in these ideals. I think overall, you need to be able to have confidence and security in your beliefs. I recently had a great conversation with a former-Yugoslavian region war survivor at my work who firmly believes in god as he is alive due to god's intervention and now lives in a beautiful area in the US. His children are very well off and he is "blessed". He asked me about my faith and I was honest - he initially tried to disagree, but when he began to understand that I was a good person, who cared for him and others, and expressed that I did not rely on "faith" do do this, he accepted that he would not change my position and, as he knows me well as a co-worker, accepted my position. It wasn't "agreeing to disagree", it was accepting our differences and respecting one another. did not seek to tell him he was wrong and I did not hope to have him tell me I was right. Its not about the. He's a cool guy with a great history. It is about respecting each other.

I am of the age where I really do not care what anyone thinks of me. If my beliefs are relevant I'll just state them. If someone doesn't like it s/he can F%$# off.

I live in Islamic county and telling religious people my real believe is not a good idea

I slam their religion without mercy and give examples of why their respective religion is crap.

sometimes there are friends who'd invite you to some religious meeting or such and I am like "that's good bro I guess but, I don't believe in such"

First, you get a bunch of balloons and confetti, bust through the door and go, "surprise! I'm an Atheist! Wooot!"

I'm being silly, but if that is your style, go for it! Lol! Here is my thing, I don't tell them unless they ask me. If someone was Christian and you're having a casual conversation or first meeting, did you say "Oh, I'm a Christian by the way...could you pass me the ketchup, please?" That would be quite odd. I find that when you just tell them up front, it makes it seem like you're one of those crusaders carrying a banner and charging in on them about to challenge their beliefs.

What I've done is if the topic ever comes up and they inquire, because it eventually comes up, I wait for the opportunity to arise and then tell them I'm an agnostic...or in this case, you'd say you're an atheist. Then the look after you tell them, rather than their words, will tell you how they'll treat you fro then on. I live in the South in the US and I tell ya, they assume that everyone is Christian or religious. Then, when you tell them something like, "I'm agnostic" they automatically think it is the same as an atheist. Only if they're open to allowing me to explain things to them, will I tell them the difference.

When ppl say bless me or I'll keep you in my prayers..... I respond, thank you but I don't believe in any of that. I'm atheist. Folks reaction are always different, but always ends with something about the devil ???????????

Yes, I explain that I was raised by hippies and religion was never part of my life. And that I've never needed it. Then I tell them that when I studied History of Religion in college, I was most likely to become a Buddhist. It shuts them up pretty quick.

I don't.
In the same way that I don't tell people I am heterosexual. 99% of the time it isn't relevant to our discussions. Should the conversation turn to religion, then I am comfortable in stating that I am an atheist - and then often then have to explain the difference between atheist and anti-theist as most religious people seem to think that if you don't believe there is enough evidence to believe there is a god, then you must believe that a god cannot exist.

Hhhhhh so hard to tell in Iraq

why would you be talking to one anyway?

It depends on the person. Sometimes I just say, no, I don't believe. If they want to continue with that, I give them as much as is appropriate. If they start to threaten me with eternal torture I say this in not so many words, by John Povlowitz:

"Do you believe in God?”
"People have asked me that question for my entire life.
The answer used to be simple and quick, almost involuntary. I had a tidy little collection of the platitudes and Bible verses I’d stockpiled, committed to memory, and carried around should I be asked. I’d learned it—and I could do it well.
But little by little, I gradually grew less comfortable with those easy answers and I had less and less peace in my spirit with what they implied. I look around at many of the Christians whose God I was expected to share and amen and defend—and I realize that I can not.
I listened to the celebrity evangelists and the partisan politicians and the brimstone street preachers, and knew that we were not speaking about the same thing. We couldn’t be.
As I read the Bible; as I reflected on the world I’d experienced and the people I’d encountered; as I watched what Christians were doing and saying in the name of God, I came to the conclusion that I had to make a distinction between their beliefs and mine—because the two were simply incompatible.
There is a God I do not believe in:
I do not believe in a God who is male and white. (though I will use masculine pronouns below, as this identity is critical to the beliefs I once had but have discarded.)
I do not believe in a God who created women as less-than; who assigns certain tasks to them, who ascribes different value to them, who reserves church and home leadership solely for men.
I do not believe in a God who doles out blessings like a cosmic Santa Claus; adding up our naughty and nice stuff, giving us good things if the scales tip in our favor and withholding them if we don’t measure up.
I do not believe in a God who answers prayers based on volume; who will move to bring healing and help—only if enough appeals are made, when a critical mass is reached.
I do not believe in a God who is capable of permanently writing off His children for their mistakes, their rebelliousness, their unbelief; who would craft a place of eternal torment and suffering and separation—and then send them there for good.
I do not believe in an all-powerful God, who would allow a devil dominion anywhere—let alone in the place where His supposedly treasured children spend their days, as hurting, vulnerable, and scared as they all are.
I do not believe in a God who commands me to forgive others unrelentingly—and then holds a grudge against me should I fail one too many times; a God who is as petty, judgmental, thin-skinned, and vain as I am.
I do not believe in a God who spoke to a handful of people a few thousands years ago through divine dictation—and who is now silent.
I do not believe in an all-knowing God, who would create men and women with a specific identity and natural inclination to love—only to find them repulsive as they lived into those deepest truths.
I do not believe in a God who would choose sides in any war; who would revel in violence, who would rejoice in death, who would celebrate genocide.
I do not believe in a God who blesses America—or any other nation.
I realize that to many Christians, this means that I am not a proper person; that my lack of faith is illegitimate, my lack of religion is heretical, my testimony nullified. I’m okay with that. I know that any bitterness or condemnation that they respond to these words with, is the voice in their head of the God they believe—and I understand. They are, trying to figure out what character is—and how we should live accordingly.
All any of us can do, is to be as honest as we can at any given moment, about where all our searching and studying and praying and living has led us. This is where I am. I can’t be anywhere else. Today when people ask me, “Do you believe in God?”, especially when Christians ask me—my reply isn’t quick or simple or nearly as tidy.
Now my response is, “How much time do you have?”

I have found it very uncomfortable and haven't even tried to tell a few devout christian and muslim friends. I think they would be horrified and feel I had tricked them But I cannot stand listening to them spout their prayers for me and other blathering comments, I go into a coma and grind my teeth. I wish I could say something, but I'm SO uncomfortable. Any realistic suggestions ?

Say, "Atheist," with pride. I do. I had to tell a couple of whom I will be babysitting for, and, they asked about my, "Beliefs." I was actually told by another Mom whose son I babysit that she was told, "You know she's an Atheist." I was so disappointed. Like, I was going to apologize. No way. I told the couple that I will not be embarrassed. Or, ashamed. I couldn't be.

I usually tell them that I just believe in one less god than they do.