People are very ignorant and have very fixed ideas stemming from childhood. It is difficult to change these beliefs and people reason thaT THEY KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE AS THEY DO YOU ARE WRONG. Don't let them get you down. You have common sense and facts or lack thereof that support your views. Enjoy our site U can learn a lot.

I've been a non-theist the majority of my life (since about 9 or 10 -- I'm 64). I couldn't care less about what others think about my life choices. I only object when someone tries to convince me that they are correct and I am wrong -- I argue very, very effectively.

I am surrounded by it. I was moved 500 miles from my home/family/2 teens from a previous marriage (i was widowed at the age of 20.. my daughter was married very young, and my son was chronically ill/handicapped living with his grandparents --very long story..) Anyway, the move was due to having to be in subjection to my husband (he believed it was god's will) so i moved in order to please a good god...or so i thought at the time. My son has passed away (i blame the religious beliefs, very long complex story), all of my children still go to church 4x a week. My youngest was 10 when i deconverted. So I indoctrinated children for 30+ years. I am totally surrounded by religious people. It makes me want to puke. I live many nightmares everyday. I feel like i am in prison. I escaped from the belief, and I no longer go to church. But it still surrounds me. It blows my mind how hard it is to find decent nonreligious community. Live the lie and you have all kinds of choices for community. There are churches on nearly every corner in nearly every city..... but become nonreligious? I never even imagined this reality...

Anyone from Maryland?

Welcome to the asylum. Enjoy your stay.

You're not alone. Oh, and welcome to the site, Brian.

Well... We've got about 50,000 members. And this is a site for non-believers so... I imagine you'll be doing a lot of disscusing. Just let the good times roll....

Relax! My wife is a pastor. I've never claimed to be anything but an athiest with agnostic leanings or vice versa. None of her parishoners or seminary palls have ever caused me any grief. Maybe there have been some micro-agressions but I've never noticed. This was true even in a small town where all kinds of rightwing nonsense is the norm.

Perhaps I'm imunized in some way by my upbringing. My father regularly recited his moto on the subject, "Thank God I'm an Athiest." in the local bar and elsewhere. My mother was only slightly less vocal.

Perhaps it helps that I grew up in a fully humanist household where treating any fellow humanbeing with anything but respect was not permitted.

If anyone feels the need to judge me on beliefs, or lack thereof, that's their problem, not mine.

You’ll find a lot of us can empathize with you. I’m the only atheist I know and living in the buybull belt is interesting, to say the least.
Welcome to the site.

I’ve kinda pared down my life to associating with mainly non-believers, and those not up that have determined we’d best not go there There are some nutcases in my extended family, but they’re far removed from me. I live in a red-zone of sorts, redneck hillbillies … but they’re so poorly educated yet in charge they’ve no concern about me..

Welcome to the site, I’ve been here a year. Don’t worry about the points & levels.. Seems more of a house cleaning tool. To me, they’ve become as much a sign of addiction as authority

No one here will, I think, judge you for being a none believer don't worry. They will almost certainly tell you that they don't like your taste in politicians, climate laws, clothes, hats, salad dressings, hotels, pets, cars, poets, TV, sports clubs, pot plants, and table cloths etc. But never for your lack of belief. (And generally they will be friendly whatever they think of you.)