I'll be open one day.

Unfortunately admitting you're an atheist or non-believer of any level can be damaging to your career, friendships, and family life . it would certainly be nice to be able to be totally upfront and honest, but I don't feel an overwhelming need to profess my atheism

I keep my religious, political, and cultural views to myself at work. I try to be open everywhere else. Still I stand in awe of those people in the south who advertise on their cars etc of their open atheism

I'm in a similar boat, but I am getting old enough and tired enough of tiptoeing around that I'm looking to actively let folks know so that I can live honestly with myself. I don't hide the fact that I'm a Cubs fan, a runner, or that I love watching comedies. I'm hopeful that they will understand or that I will eventually find a more like minded cohort.

In fact, I've started this process already, and have been pleasantly surprised. One of my friends (who had asked me to proofread some of her papers for seminary) has been pretty supportive. We still talk almost every day, just like we have for years.

I am also in the closet about my being an atheist as well. My mother is dying of cancer and I feel that coming out will only hurt my relationship with her. Since this is her 4th bout with cancer, and treatment is not working, she is clinging to religion for hope. She has less than a year before she is gone (according to her doctors less time). Already lost my adapted father to cancer and my biological father to lymphoma. My wife and kids know, but the rest of my family is strong southern baptist.

Cool, and I agree the delusion is sad.

the believers, are very sure without any prove. So sad smart people religion turns them to be stupid.
No facts, no logic no prove
Their strong believe ,it is worthless to me

I can not wear something like that, I think it is dangerous, someone might kill me. As happened not long ago in a university in Pakistan.
It is not right to be afraid with a t shirt like that, on the other hand , they are too many sick people around.
bravo to you, I admire you.

@tonia I can say that I respect you for being smart and not risking your life. You are far too valuable to risk having some idiot come along and kill you for wearing a t-shirt. You have my respect.

My kids got me a Born Again Pagan Tee shirt, done in Gothic script years ago. I made a point to wear it to the grocery store on Sundays around 1PM. As near as I can tell none of these peeps can read. Yesterday I wore my Rosie Muscle " Not My President " hoodie to Wall Mart. I got some startled looks but zero shit from anybody. I have a " Nasty Woman" tee that I will wear to the march on the 24th. The first time I wore any of these items out, I thought there was a possibility I could be attacked. I guess if I have the balls to buy these things and wear them, that people realize I'm prepared to back it up.

Sad

Don't feel bad for you are not alone. I know people who are stuck in that same predicament, and religious folks can be difficult when confronted. Your friends know so that may be enough for now

@sloryd One of my sisters know, told her when I ran into her the other day and just told her while talking to her. She's not religious either and can understand legitimate reasons I don't share that with my parents.

let them think what ever, it is their problem.

Seems like you found an approach that works for you, and are adjusting gradually. Good for you ????????

Please excuse the question marks. I literally just noticed them.

I like that. I'm going to refer to myself that way for now on. Naturalist says more than does atheist.

I have that refer to themselves as naturalists. I fall into that category, but I'm also agnostic

meant " I have friends...

Wonderful! Welcome to agnostic.com ????????

Please excuse the question marks. I didn't intend them.

Would you call it an empiphany? "Until I actually sat down and read the Bible"....

@Philosopearl I've read the damn thing for research purposes. Long before Rashomon there was The Bible. A bunch of people telling contradictory versions of events which occurred decades before it was written. Reading it didn't shift me from being agnostic; it just gave me deeper bemusement at the thought that The Bible is a literal truth. Have believers even read it?

I’m guessing you’re also outspoken. (?)

Pretty much. I certainly don't pretend to be religious.

love it, I have a sterling silver "A" pendant (the atheist A) I wear every day, no one has ever asked me about it LOL

So your answer to the question is?

Open about it. When anyone ask me I just tell them but I also don't have a sign on me saying, "I'm an atheist"...though a neon-sign saying that would be interesting..

Here Here...

exactly right

Good for you! I also understand the risks of 'coming out' in certain communities. Even in some countries, atheists are still being killed.

Do you withhold posting about it on social media because you see it as preaching?

I agree with Raven. I think one's personal beliefs, or non-beliefs, are a private matter. I certainly don't like being preached at, and I try not to do it to others.

No I don't hold back on Social Media - it's whether it's appropriate to the conversation or not.

Just goes to show how much their ignorance causes their fear. "I have to show them that I'm a good person for a while." It's almost as if you've committed a crime, and have to do community service as part of your punishment. Best wishes fending off the overzealous ones.

I have been talking with a woman while waiting on line at a grocery store. She said that was Christian and I told her that I do not believe in any gods.
She looked at me and said-- oh, and you are such a nice friendly person--

I agree, give respect to get respect ????????

Sorry, I don't know why so many question marks keep popping up after my reply. It is not my doing.

Understood! Would you agree, tact is very important in maintaining professional relationships in general?

To a certain extent yes, but I find that tact often gets in the way of communicating important information or expressed emotion.

Good points. Crazily enough, the believers in my family think I'm the judgmental one.

I have colleagues from the Bible Belt. Kudos to you for the confidence, and bravery

Yeah I live in Texas and I get a perverse thrill at the look on someones face when they ask for "God's" blessing on me when I am giving charity and I tell "Keep your god's blessing for yourself. You need it more than I do."

It can be difficult! I empathize, and have had the same feelings about posting in FB! Do it when you’re ready ????????

I am open but do not tend to constantly throw my views on my FB nearly as often as my Christian friends do. I get bombarded so much with it my head spins. But I do not bitch about it to them. If it is something repetitive forwarded from a particular page I just block that page. I do this with other things too not just religion. But I do not seem to get the same in return. The few times I have posted my agnostic or humanist views I get nasty comments or friends wanting to 'save' me or those little sad or angry faces. I actually got ripped a new one because I was saving various agnostic memes on my Pinterest. I was not thinking my friends were reading through my Pinterest posts.. But some left comments about how disappointed they were. One fellow pto parent got livid that I could save memes that were so horrible and that I was someone that needed help. For years before she knew this about me she thought I was a most kind and excepting friendly person. I never made her feel uncomfortable like others in the community had. Most in our community are Christian but her church was more strict. Girls all were not allowed to cut hair or wear pants. But they went to public school. These girls get picked on a lot. I never did pick on them and I treated them as anyone else.

totally!

That's the right attitude!

Nothing wrong with being open. How do you express your openness

By saying "f god", or laughing at something. Basically being rude about it if they try and push their religion on me. Or if religion is brought up in a nice conversation then I simply say "Oh, i'm not religious", etc.

This is my same approach

me too

@memetolva I think you just paraphrased Marx there. I would disagree and assert that professional sports has replaced religion, at least here, as "the opium of the people." One good thing about the Trump presidency is that it has so clearly exposed the blatant moral hypocracy of the evangelical right. So there's that.

Black people show how strong religious brainwashing really is. In Africa, the christian religion wasn't even known when the slaves were being taken. Only a few generations afterwards and Jesus is on the name of nearly every black person in the United States as if it were an ancient tradition. It's unbelievable how quickly and deeply the brainwashing can get when it comes to religion, but it's good to see you've woken up from it. It couldn't have been easy.

Black only has Jesus to clung to during slavery, since this life was so awful, they could look to death for happiness. We still cling to that belief. And no it was not easy being black and atheist, I have Mexicanatheist friends who have the same problems.

Like you, I am not a fan of lying, but surely you would agree that there are situations where lying is the right thing to do, if for no other reason than consideration of others. When someone close to you asks if what they're wearing makes them look fat, you might be able to avoid an outright lie, and skirt the truth. However, if you were hiding Jews from the Nazis during World War II and they came to your door, you most certainly would lie. In fact, to tell the truth in this case would be immoral!

Obviously extreme, life or death scenarios lying is necessary, but in extreme life or death scenarios murder can be necessary. I still don't think lying could ever be the right thing to do, only the necessary evil to do the right thing.

If I thought a friend looked fat in certain clothing and they asked, I would tell them the truth. Not as an insult or anything but they wanted an answer and I'm not going to lie to a friend.

In Nazi Germany I truly doubt I could even get into the situation of hiding Jews, I'd either already have left the country, or be dead.

I am an open atheist because I don't want to lie about a fundamental part of my personage.

sorry dude!

Interesting. Seems we've had a few similar experiences growing up, but possibly different as adults