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Importance of Religion/Lack Thereof in Daily Life?

How does everybody feel about religion in an everyday sense? Do you let it affect most of your thoughts and decisions/interactions with other people? I personally don't think about it too much besides when people bring the topic up. I tend to not bring it up most times, but will indulge in it if it's in the conversation.

Anthflor1087 3 Aug 2
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23 comments

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4

I volunteer at a homeless shelter that is a church run organization.
They know I'm an Atheist, and it doesn't matter to them.
I don't preach to them, and they do the same.Even though we have different beliefs it doesn't matter because in the end we all get along just great.
What really matters is that we are there to help people.

BTW, in the years I've been there I've actually met some that were Atheist's as well.

Yes and this points out the fact that most of our discussion / reactivity around religion has to do with a specific kind of religion. If these folks who run the shelter aren't all up in arms that you're an atheist then they are liberal Christians, with whom, in fact, we atheists often have quite a bit of common cause. We tend to both be interested in helping the disadvantaged, making the world a better place, advancing progressive ideals, etc.

@mordant Exactly.

3

It only comes up when someone else assumes I believe in god

2

It influences entirely too much of our lives.
Live and let live is not a reasonable position to maintain anymore.

2

Yeah that's how it is for me, and, I suspect, for most unbelievers. For some reason, theists seem to have the notion that just because a handful of us come to places like this that are specifically designed around our identity as unbelievers, that we lie awake nights obsessing about religion or something. When in fact 99% of our "interest" in religion is simply because religion is interested in US. Interested in demonizing us, marginalizing us, shutting us up, etc. Really if all of religion, rather than just (an often seemingly un-influential) part of it, would "live and let live" when it comes to people who differ in belief ... it would be a non-issue.

@TheMiddleWay I can largely agree. On a worldwide basis, last I looked, evangelicals are only 17% of Christians. And not all of those are so strident as the most authoritarian and regressive amongst them.

That said, particularly in the US, that minority has an outsize political and ideological influence, which is why we legitimately focus on them. Also, the other 83% do little, in my experience, to oppose or call out or reign in the minority.

2

It has no relevance to my life personally. That's the great thing about Atheism, it requires so little of your time.

1

I probably think about religion too much. I'm in a few discussion groups with former Christians and subscribe to a few atheist and deconversion podcasts that talk about religion.

I think my fascination with religion is that it represents my former way of thinking. In some ways it's like traveling back in time and visiting my former self. I also just like to hear gossip and poking fun of the ridiculous and hypocritical aspects of Christianity.

But over all in my day-to-day offline activities religion doesn't come-up other than occasionally having to navigate around a co-workers' religious comment.

1

living where I do, and being a part of the family I am a part of, "church" is too large a part of this culture to simply be dismissed or ignored. Not that I take a special notice, but I do have to pass on an ice cream supper once in awhile. I've grown up around it and I don't find it so bothersome. I don't find the people are all idiots....mostly. As far as "religion" is concerned, I thought about it much more during my process of unbelieving. That was many years ago. Strangely enough being a part of this community has made me think about religion much more. Not regarding its viability as a doctrine or truth, but in it social impact, political impact xcetera. Around here you walk into a coffee shop to see a bunch of people sitting at a long table with their Bibles open in front of them. Best time to wear my t-shirt.

1

It's important to me that religion has very little to no influence in my daily life but I rarely need to enforce that.

1

What the rest of them just said...

1

I take it all but the dumbest people I meet or deal with know better than religion and save it for the appropriate audience. And that’s not me 😉 It has no effect on my daily life, I even ignore churches..

Varn Level 8 Aug 2, 2018
1

Religion has no use in everyday life except when something goes wrong and I start using divine words in a very non-devine context. After that I don't need any sky fairy to tell me whats right and wrong and how to act toward others.

1

Almost never think about it. Especially in terms of how it relates to me personally.

Carin Level 8 Aug 2, 2018
0

I recognize many evils of religion and how it (founded on faith (belief without evidence asserted as facts) pollutes the minds of the followers. I have first hand witnessed death as a result Catholic based faith. A bright woman I know, when asked about religion, become angry and sad. her last rant included: "How could I been so stupid. I've wasted so many years of my life." As I do not tolerate the dishonest assertion of faith based claims asserted as truth, I actively promote "truth" testable and encourage people to employ skepticism when asserted with any and all claims.

0

Only thought I give to it is that how could I have been sooo stupid. but other than that I'm good.

0

I was born agnostic, even though my parents tried to put religion in me by sending me to Sunday school as a kid. My mind has always been in a different place.

0

My roommates keep bringin it up because they think it'll make me happier to believe in something. Aside from that, it rarely affects my daily life.

0

I try not to think about religion. It's a complete waste of time and try to avoid it when brought up by others. I have spent to much of my life with religious bs being cramed down my throat. I'm so happy to be free of it. I wish the world was free of it as well. We have to live life to the fullest.

0

Religion, like other woo based ideas, is irrelevant. The only time it becomes an issue is when someone brings it up or an article/video is noteworthy.

0

I only think about it when I hear of the lack of compassion and caring, and the bigotry shown by some religious people.

0

Most of those things are running through our culture, and are the bulk of our subconscious reasoning, so they're there in ways we'll never really know. They're pervasive throughout our civil and legal strictures. The parts that we actually 'talk about,' are really just the ten percent that we're aware of. That number may change as we go, but we've been marinating in this stuff for tens of thousands of years.

0

Not an issue its pretty dead here in scotland even glasgow hs calmed down a lot in the last 20yrs it used to be on par with ireland for religious divide

0

I am a live and let live type person but I'm changing these days. I have no idea why "have no gods before me" should be on court house walls. I see Job as god and the devil having a bet. I cannot except that we are all sinners because god's perfect plan had us get here through incest. It's hard for me to fathom praying and moaning, sack cloth and ashes. I hate statements like "do you know what god did then?" No, I do not, and neither do you.

Importance of religion in daily life. I see none. Well, if they do let prayer be important in public schools maybe Johnny could ask god to allow him to do good on the test today, but let Bobby fail it. There is great importance here since god knows everything in advance anyway. Kiss his ass enough and maybe he will change something. Oh, sorry. That changes everything.

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