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So, I'm an Iranian atheist and I can say with reasonable certainty that atheism is the fastest-growing affiliation in terms of "God" claims among the younger generation of Iranians, thanks to the f***ed-up Islamic regime currently ruling my country. The problem, for me, is finding a way to bridge the gap between our generation and the older one, as it seems to be the only solution for uniting the people into arriving at a secular-democratic alternative for the future of Iran. I consider myself to be a well-versed debater, but I have had little success in convincing older conservative Muslims that the real solution to our problem lies in the separation of religion and state. Most of my friends are also atheists/agnostics, and they have had similar experiences. Any suggestions as to how to approach older religious people?

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I suppose this is going to sound like a cruel answer but as younger Generations are born that become more modernized they have to wait for the older generations to die off because trying to change an older person's mind is like slamming your head into a brick wall you simply have to wait for them to pass on and newer generations to evolve into a higher consciousness

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Patience, humour and honesty. Stay true to your self and do not insult or belittle. I am an ex Catholic atheist from Ireland and we are regarded with great suspicion still by a lot of the older generation. My dad is an old fashioned Cathloic, but not fanatical, and we have finally reached the stage where we - three of my seven siblings are also non believers - can at least discuss our choices without things becoming heated. He is mostly now sad but resigned that we no longer observe or teach his grandchildren the faith.

Tilia Level 7 Sep 9, 2018

And welcome to the site! Hope to hear more from you.

Sounds a lot like my family! Two of my brothers are also atheists and my sister and niece have stopped practicing Islam, e.g. saying prayers, fasting, etc. My parents now openly oppose the current regime, although both of them are believers, which is totally fine by me.

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Patience, determination, be subtle.

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So good to hear first hand news from Iran! Bridging the generation gap is so tough and I’m afraid it will take time for the theocrats to simply pass away and your generation to age into its role as members of the ruling class. Sadly, it may take more time than any of the current generations, now living, have left . Maajid Nawaz and Ayaan Hirsi Ali May have some good advice. They have many hours of debate on YouTube. I wish you all the best in your fight for freedom from theocracy. ????

Thank you for the kind words and the video! I saw Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Intelligent Squared debate alongside Douglas Murray a long time ago. Both of them are great heroes of mine. Maajid Nawaz's views have also changed drastically since the last time I saw him in that debate. He now sounds like an atheist in the making.

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I think it might be a way to go to bring the issue of minorities emotionally closer. What if your daughter is lesbian? Or if your brother turns out to be atheist? That can often make older people pause and take notice.

I wish you and your friends the very best of luck with your endeavours, it’s not easy to cope with religious fundamentalist thoughts embedded in people you like.

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Thank you all for your feedback! I should clarify that the goal is not to deconvert religious fundamentalists (although that would be a HUGE bonus). The difference between religious fundamentalists in the US or other democratic countries and those living in countries like Iran is that you guys have your respective constitutions that work as a shield against religious zealots wanting to mingle politics with religion. That is not the case in Iran. Older people have a really hard time understanding that secularism is a prerequisite for democracy. They think just because they represent the religious majority, the government is right in imposing Islamic laws on all Iranians, irrespective of their religion or lack thereof. I have tried to explain that democracy is meaningless if religious, ethnic, racial, and other minorities are not protected by the constitution against the potential tyranny of the majority, but they are just unwilling to put themselves in other people's shoes. That's the thing that bugs me the most about the older generation.

See my previous reply. Religion in Ireland is fading as the populace gets replaced by younger secularists. Gay rights, divorce, abortion......they were not even spoken of in my childhood.

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Wait for them to die?

Seriously, I could substitute "America" for "Iran" and "Christians" for "Muslims" in what you posted and it would be just as applicable here in America. Although the fastest growing group here is called "nones" meaning no affiliation with organized religion. That includes atheists, but also people who still believe in god but do not practice organized religion of any kind -- the so called "spiritual but not religious". Still ... in general, you are describing something that feels very familiar to me, especially since Trump came into office, which puts us a lot closer to the sort of theocracy that you endure in Iran.

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Hey there, welcome and good luck. We are here for you

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I don't know that there's an easy answer to this. People tend toward fear of change, a quality that tends to only increase with age. When combined with our propensity toward tribalism and I'm sorry to say, you're more often than not rolling boulders uphill. I sympathize though and I implore you to keep trying.

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I got nothing. Fundamentalists deny reason and science, so no rationale or fact could possibly sway them. Wishing you the best of luck, be careful, I know there are risks to being openly atheist there.

Thank you for your kind words and concern! I only express my atheism to the people I know. Most Iranian atheists have developed creative ways of hinting at their atheism without being too explicit about it. 🙂

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