I'm British. British people in general don't care. I personally know very few religious people. Most people attend church only on three occasions (hatched, matched, dispatched as they say here). I went to church schools until I was 16 (most junior schools are church led) but it was so low key that I was openly discussing my lack of belief with my teachers who didn't appear to care. My parents were not religious and my grandpa hated religion. The only openly religious people I encounter are Muslim people and a lot of them are moving away from their faith. Hence I'm Jayne and I don't believe in god. No one cares

I am me all of the time. I am not very good at being someone I am not.

Personality is what we show on the outside, whereas character is what we feel on the inside. I really did not chance much, I am still me. My personality is the same, my character, or values are the same. I still care, and have empathy. So my persona from day to day is to simply go on being myself.

I enjoyed your essay, it was an interesting read. As a Christian, I was an evangelist, now as an agnostic, I no longer feel on a mission to change anyone's minds. The only person I needed to convince was myself, and I no longer feel I need to defend my beliefs to others. So its been quite liberating.

That post certainly was not too long, some posts are boring but I read all the way through and enjoyed every word. I can not comment on your persona since things are very different here in Europe, but it sound like you are doing very well.

I love this post. It's something I've been trying to figure out. I work for a organization that prays before meetings and such. Most employees profess some kind of belief that is just assumed to be believed by everyone in the company. I'm not sure how to start that conversation without sounding like the stereotypical vegan. So, maybe the necklass thing is a good idea. I'm just afraid, like you said, about job status. They wouldn't out right fire me but why give an athiest a promotion at a company? Despite being more competent and logic driven.
Again, I enjoyed your post. Thanks.

Thank you for sharing your story R. I agree with you. I live in England and my small market town hasn't many atheists or agnostics. I was brought up a Christian but chose to follow the latest scientific theories and discoveries about our universe. At first I called myself a Christian Humanist but that soon went. "You cannot be a Christian and a Humanist" was the cry hurled at me by both Christians and Humanists. OK, so I dropped that tag and called myself just a humanist (although I didn't join any official Humanist groups) I act like you do R. I never reject the Christians, who are in the majority in my small community, in stead I am friendly to them. I explain what I believe and answer questions. I think you hit the nail on the head (sorry for the cliche) but you are right in your approach. I wish you all the best.

Here in rural Illinois things are very similar to the way you describe Georgia. I did, in fact, lose a job by being openly atheist. Once I "came out" at work, I was given all the worst tasks, denied use of my vacation time, and picked on until working there made me physically ill. They finally became so blatantly hostile that I felt forced to quit. I have seen the ugliest side of Christianity, but it prompted me to prove that I could be far more "Christian" than any of them. i volunteer and donate on behalf of the homeless, have volunteered to teach adults to read, and make it a point to incorporate kindness and compassion into every part of daily living possible. None of the people claiming to be Christians can keep up.

Growing up in the 60-80s feeling like the only Atheist in the world, I tend to be more vocal about my Atheim than most. I debate at churches "organized debates" I'll walk up to street evangelist and talk to them. I'm fascinated by theology.

I don't flaunt it, or hide it.

Such a good post with so many excellent replies. I am rather amazed that people would treat each other like such disposable commodities. I have never been to the American south but that sounds like a harsh experience. I am sorry that the people who were supposed to accept and care about you chose to withhold love. That sounds like 'talking goo,' but that is tramatic for a child.

You are quite a badass, Mr. R. You have overcome a lot.

I can't say that I have a persona. I have not thought thought about it much. I fall under the Brit Empire version of, 'who cares?' But it's understandable that people would when confronted by so much assholerire parading under the guise of faithful. I don't remember ever reading that you had to be an asshole to a 16 year old or believe that the Earth was 10,000 years old to get into heaven. I think treating someone negative as such isn't so much a Christian problem, more of an asshole culture problem.

Cheers to you, R.

It isn't an issue for me, I am who I am in all situations. I was raised an Atheist in suburbs on the West coast.. My parents were academics. Even the kids I went to school with didn't actually believe in God or religion even if they were forced to go to church. I worked in Tech and it never came up except occasionally at clients in the South. I only have smart friends who are Atheist or non-religious, same for the people I date. Frankly it's hard to believe that anyone believes in God or follows any organized religion with the easy access we have to factual information. To me it's like believing in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.

I got to the word plethora - and all I can think about is having a plethora of Piñatas!

You seem to have come up with the perfect program which my wife and I have also been following for some 50 Years . It does work but not always. We did not get our families to accept us and they lost out on seeing their grandchildren grow up. It was sad.

Every person I know knows I am agnostic. I don't make a secret of it. I challenge Christians to show me one iota of evidence that anything religious is true. So far, nothing! Just today, I went to visit a 75 year old Jamaican lady who is a friend of mine. She is a Jehovah's Witness. I reminded her I am an engineer and I design roadways. According to the Bible, the roads in heaven are paved with gold. Believe me, I really would like to see roads paved with gold ( I also wonder what the base and sub base is made of - silver and platinum?) However, I don't see any evidence that any of the religious crap is true. The search goes on!

I'll explain my philosophy if I'm asked. I also don't proselytize--your soundness of thinking is not my concern, really.

Even few of my friends know my beliefs, because who cares. The only time I really speak up is on political issues (conflating Church and State, you all know what I mean) and when directly challenged by a believer.

Living in the NW it's pretty easy to get away with not going to church every Sunday, so my absence isn't noted. I suppose that may not be true everywhere in the country.

Well born and raised in San Francisco now not as liberal as most are led to believe. There are churches every where! But like your grandfather said it is easier to be gay than atheist. Or hew would prefer you to be. Now the sheep comment I have used it before but it was joking about my last name of Miller plenty of black people with the same last name so when asked if I was related to one I said you never know I might be the white sheep in the family. What I think is because black sheep were not all that common back when they stated using the analogy so to not be like everyone else you are the black sheep.
I can't understand with all the technoligy around and people still believe in superstitions, legends and myths these days. Just because people in your family believed in gods does mean you have to with no facts and proof or reasoning. I seen on facebook a post saying some priest in England claimed to make men penis longer by massaging them. I laughed because of course they get bigger when you stroke them. I laughed and was said I was making myself stupider for doing so. Sorry it was funny as hell. I am too old not to just come out and say how I see there is no proof of any gods. So many are so stupid to keep believing when so much proof against their beliefs. I ask for proof and they say look at the world then I say were is the gods. We have so much terrible natural things poison plants and animals, natural disasters, diseases and so on how can there be a god. There are many more atheist who are too scared to come out because of the hate religions create for others. So many go against what they claim religions and gods stand for. Scared that death is the end of life.

I must say Thank You!
I've been tip toeing my way through the sea of flat earthers and found not to push my defense button because I have had my car damaged, left with christian tracks, rejected by some family as well as my friends and professional life. So I have learned not to use atheist symbols, but like you, I show the "good people" look with much respect. Maybe they feel more superior and I get what I need done.

You see I like to be part of my environment but choose to control my environment for a better life. I also have a personal website for those to see my brand and can choose to like or hate me.

[skipped the extended reading] Answer to lead-in question: I maintain a pro-lofile ~

i've never been IN the closet. i've been an atheist since i was 15, i am 66 and a half now, and i have never hidden who or what i am.

the one thing about knocking the brick out of the wall is that people's prejudices can be so strong that they can know 100 black people, for example, and all 100 are good people, and they'll still say "those 100 are DIFFERENT." it's a weird mindset. so i would not count on the brick thing working as well as you hope, though i certainly would not give up trying. what else can you do?

g

If it comes up, I am honest. Not from the south though I live there now, most people I know and the majority of my family are theists of one brand or another. None have been opposed, my face anyway, although I'm sure some are. Luckily we live in the USA where there isn't any supreme punishments for not following the preferred faith so I have no issues being open about it. Even my military records state atheist. Even during the most recent holidays a particular group of family leads off the festivities with a circle hand holding prayer. No one said anything against my patient waiting outside the circle. I understand some people have it much worse though and hopefully someday that will no longer be the case.

I'm out in the open about my atheist view.

As a rule, I do not get into arguments to the contrary and i have no time for people concerned about my soul.

Having said that, i neither announce it nor renounce it, but when it comes up in conversation, I am honest about who i am.

I agree with you on never attacking the other person's religion. No matter how ridiculous their beliefs might be to us, it's their right to believe as they wish that we must respect, if we expect to be treated in a like manner.

What's my Atheist Persona? I think there needs to be definitions of several from which we can self-select. My definitions are biased toward my personal opinions. These are just hypothetical definitions that I came up with, with little more than five minutes of thought, so don't take it too seriously.

For example:
ATHEVANGELIST - someone dedicated towards the acceptance of atheists in society at large, someone who demonstrates that we're not only "good people", we're pretty much the same as everyone else.
DAWKINSITE - one who is characterized less by a 'live and let live' approach to religion and atheism, but one who actively and through words and tone, violently campaigns against religion.
NYEISM - Tamer, than a Dawkinsite, a Nyist seeks to spread information and change minds through more level-headed discussion than the explosive nature than can be seen at times of Richard Dawkins
CARLINITE - A Carlinite takes the George Carlin approach to religion-just making a mockery of it. There's no serious scholarly intent in their discussions, which is fine for their purposes

I think of myself as both an athevangelist and a Nyist. Spreading goodness and positivity and seeking to promote understanding between religious people and atheists. I personally don't believe what you say but if you do, and it makes you happy, go right ahead.

Crib notes here?