As a teacher who works with many religious students, I don't feel that it is possible to be open about my atheism. I obviously don't discuss it with my students, because I think that would be inappropriate. I keep my classroom as secular as possible. But I don't feel I can be open about my atheism with my colleagues either. I don't friend them on Facebook out of fear they will find out.
But I have known other atheists who can be very open about it at work.
I'm just wondering if there are certain types of jobs/careers/industries that make it easier for an atheist to be open about that side of themselves?
Well I'm a metal DJ/Producer at YO Radio's Los Anarchy channel. The only person who gives me any shit is the guy who hosts our Christian Metal show every Sunday "All Mighty Metal. And it will never go anywhere as I am his show's producer...lol
I'm a teacher but don't worry about being "found out." Bay Area is pretty liberal. In the classroom I concentrate on demonstrating the principles that matter. If you consider yourself atheist or agnostic, I don't understand why it would matter to you to talk about it with others, any more than I would talk about the fact that I am not a Rastfarian. Share the things that matter: integrity, compassion, perspective...these are things that all can benefit from.
I am a psychotherapist by training and I have been doing social work duty for about 5 years. It has happened to me that I meet people, say at work (the nature of my work makes me meet a fair number of people) with whom I have worked over time and obtained their respect through my actions; which makes them consider me a “moral” person. And then they know I am an atheist and kind of turn their set of notions upside down. By then they have trusted me and I have not let them down, and they have to admit that one can be “moral” without god. In that position, I feel comfortable outing my atheism. In the social services most people lean to the left and are more apt to accept an atheist.
I am in my second career in Insurance and retirement planning. I work with seniors who are retiring and going on medicare and help them choose the right insurance to cover their co-pays and out of pocket expense for their Medicare and final expense. I am in the south and would not even be allowed in the door if any of them knew that I was an Atheist.
What’s there to talk about unless someone else brings up the subject of their or others’ beliefs? In that sense, it’s not like you’d randomly approach someone and tell them that you don’t believe in the tooth fairy. It’s only when they say something about their, or others’, belief in the tooth fairy that one would even mention it. I guess you could bring the subject up when stimulated by an image of the tooth fairy on a school wall, but that is still resulting from someone’s positive statement. An atheist world wouldn’t discuss the lack of beliefs, much like we don’t discuss the lack of belief of Thor, Zeus, Osiris...
If the subject is brought up, then you have every right and freedom to speak your viewpoint.
Oh, I’m a land and construction surveyor. I say what I want, when I want.
I'm sure being a Dr especially in a children's hospital would make it easy to be an atheist
I imagine it could be frustrating, too.... working with religious parents who fear medical science, but embrace prayer. Or those that "thank god" but not the doctors.
I don't know about the doctor thing. Most of the surgeons I have worked for are very religious. I would say most people in healthcare are. It's kind of bizarre.
Lil Abner's job - Mattress Tester. Snoooooze ZZZZ....
Seriously though, I would think government positions would be the best in general. I work in IT and have rarely had a problem with believers. There was one support call I went on though and as soon as I walked in the door with "Hello, I'm here to assist blah blah" I got hit with "Have you been saved?" I couldn't get a word in edgewise for the next 10 minutes and got out of there as quickly as possible - total freakout...
LMAO @ that 1st line! LOL
I'm atheist and it has no impact on my job. I work in an office with many other people though I primarily work on my own. If anyone asks, I say I'm not religious. I neither advertise my views nor hide them. But, I don't know the religious views of 95% of my co-workers. Only a few have religious items on their desks. So, personally, I don't really think it matters.
I own my own businesses. I can be as open about my atheism as I want.
Thinking about it further, I think it really has to do with WHERE (what part of the country) you work, not just the industry, though the industry is another factor.
I have heard of atheist teachers, who don't discuss it in the classroom, but they get found out and the parents and admin find a way to indirectly get that teacher out of the classroom.
I teach math, which is pretty cut and dry. But I imagine some other teachers, such as history or science teachers, run into issues where it becomes difficult to remain neutral regarding certain content, such as evolution, and ancient history.
Religion has inherit doubts in it. As does any type of 'faith'. Atheists and agnostics represent those doubts and are a threat to the belief system for those of strict'er' religious faith. I can understand that. To put it in a way we all can relate to: having a friend who sleeps with people in committed relationships is difficult if you are in a committed relationship. Unless you are deluded into thinking 'it can't happen to me'....haha
Writing has been good because even though I lose a lot of theists, I easily network with atheists to replace them.