A popular alternative term is "openly secular".

I usually use the "A" word--even though I said "nonreligious," she knew what I meant. I was a bit surprised as most would take that as I just don't go to church. People often say that they are not "religious" but are "spiritual."

At least the women are not belligerent! I have had men yell at me when I tell them I am not Xtian. I guess they think that I will cower and immediately turn to religion.

@Gwen_Wanderer yes, becuz being men, they are your Masters to obey.
Here's hoping they hold their breath until that happens......

@annewimsey500 I would like to see some breath holding! And you are right about being "Masters." Unfortunately for them, I cannot be verbally intimidated. Not only do they expect women to obey, but also not to contradict them.

@Gwen_Wanderer well, too bad so sad for them!!!!!!!!

@Gwen_Wanderer On your knees, woman!

@TheoryNumber3 I only get on my knees to clean! Well, and to garden.

This woman had NO idea that she was stereotyping nonbelievers. I would wager that the number of atheists she has met in real life is close to zero (now, one). She gets her ideas from other Xtians and her church.

I agree--at I just wrote, this women had probably never met an atheist but bases her ideas on what she hears from other Xtians and church.

In addition to this exchange, one old fart asked if could give his phone number to me in case I ever "need something." I demurred.

Another told me that I was "delightful" after we talked for a few minutes.

Of course, I have to fish for some of the compliments. As I was going to into the store, a quite elderly man was slightly ahead of me. He motioned for me to go in first and I waved him on saying, "I would say what my mother always said, 'Age before beauty,' but that would insinuate that I am beautiful and you are . . . a bit older than I am." He laughed and said, "You are beautiful and I am old."

Gotta love old men.

None brought up religion.

Hey, let's pool our resources and start our own "church"!

@Gwen_Wanderer How about Church of the Holy Roller Coaster?

@TheoryNumber3 i like that...it always goes downhill? a roller coaster with no incline or decline - flat run coaster? if you wanna ride you gotta push. idk.

@TheoryNumber3 that's a great name! We can build an amusement park church to entice the suckers . . . err . . . a congregation.

@hankster we will include you in the planning but keep in mind that unlike Xtian churches, this one is run by women.

@Gwen_Wanderer preferred. can i still watch football?

@Gwen_Wanderer just a note...many congregations are "run by men", but truthfully, like any coed group wifes often have some controlling influence, even if its simply suggestions at home, lol.

@hankster only at your house.

@hankster in some churches, I suppose this true. In the only church which I attended as an adult, wives might have made suggestions at home, but they were entirely submissive. One reason I left the church was because I went to service one Sunday and it was announced that women could no longer speak in the sanctuary because it was not biblical. Their husbands were to speak for them. I asked what single women and women whose husbands did not come to church (mine seldom went and I was not submissive) were supposed to do when they had a prayer request. The answer was that they needed to ask a man in the congregation to speak for them.

Not long after that, some missionaries came to give a talk and one of the speakers was a woman; she was "allowed" to speak. I asked the pastor about that and he said that it was a different circumstance. That was one of the last coffin nail. The pastor left to become a missionary and the church became a brethren church--it seems that seminary trained pastors was also not biblical. The last nail was when an elder preached one day about "WHEN DID WOMEN DECIDE THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO COVER THEIR HEADS IN CHURCH ANY LONGER?" Not only could we not speak, but we needed to cover our heads. It was not a happy parting, but I won't go into the details other than to say I was accused of causing "division" and trying to get a following for myself.

The irony is the women did most of the work around the church from teaching Sunday School (it was ok to speak in the classroom) to cleaning, etc. Without women, the church could not have functioned.

@Gwen_Wanderer lol...hard to imagine you asking such difficult questions. bringing their hypocrisies to a boil.

@hankster not only that, I didn't ask my husband to ask them. Of course, he was a wuss and wouldn't have anyway.

@Gwen_Wanderer thats hilarious. you are certainly no wuss. "beware wal-mart shoppers, nice forthright non-believer in produce."

Not your "altar-ego" ?

@AtheistInNC Even better!

Since I live in MO, it is a good assumption that the vast majority one meets is Xtian. I can typically pick out pagans, but there are not that many. I was talking to a woman one day and she said in a quiet voice, "I don't tell many people this, but my husband and I are atheists." I told her that I was, as well, and she looked surprised and delighted. Strangers confide "things" to me fairly often--it is because I am so kind and friendly. (Grin.)

@Gwen_Wanderer In my rather northern city increasingly I am seeing africans, Indians, Vietnamese. What was very whit 30 years ago is changing rapidly. Sikhs and moslems are arriving. I thought you were in Maine, not Montana.
Just how Christians really are? Or if not are you shunned?

@rogerbenham MO is Missouri! Montana is MT.

There are diverse groups here, as well, but it is assumed that I am Xtian because I am white (and kind and friendly). As I have noted elsewhere, Xtian men have yelled at me in public, but women want to convert me by being friendly and solicitous. I have never been shunned by neighbors, but I keep to myself.

However, when I taught on campus at a local community college (I still teach there but online now), I had a student complain to my dept. chair that I promoted paganism in class. The student was gunning to get me fired. When my chair contacted me, he made it clear my beliefs were my business and he wasn't judging me, but I shouldn't share them in class. I was pissed. I wrote back that if were not going to judge me, he would have to not judge me for being an atheist. He apologized for not checking with me before writing the email. I NEVER mentioned my beliefs in class when I was pagan or as an atheist--the students "judged" me based on rumor, i.e. a student wrote a review online saying I would not give Xtians a break and was biased against them. Telling students that they can't use the Bible to support claims in papers, i.e. about the flood, is not biased.

The student who "reported" did so based on my tattoos. Another student in class asked about them and I replied that I was passionate about mythology and the tats reflected this--they are moons on my hands. Being interested in mythology is not the same as being pagan. I was pagan for years, but have been an atheist for as many years.

I never try to convert people. However, she said to me that she would love to tell me about Jesus. I told her that I was raised Baptist and went to a nondenominational church for many years. She let that drop but noted that she "hoped" I would "come back to god someday" as the conversation ended.

The Internet is the biggest helper in the death of gods that I can think of. Christians and the rest of them all sound so stupid now as beliefs and scriptures can instantly be checked.

That trend has not reached MO yet and probably won't!

@DenoPenno I agree.

@Gwen_Wanderer Same with Iowa, which is basically a somewhat less poor and red state than MO.

Trying to picture you as an altar boy... Nope!!! Can't do it!... Nope!!! Ain't happening. All I can see is chaos...!!!

No, no, no . . . come serve at the Church of Gwen. It would be a lot more fun.

@Betty I can think of someone who would be even worse as an altarboy....

@Lizard_of_Ahaz I can only imagine the destruction you could cause. The building and everyone complicit would be gone. Poof!

Yes!

That is why I rarely, if ever, use the "A: word and prefer to use "non-believer", "non-religious" of "secular Humanist".

@jlynn37 I typically tell people that I am an atheist--I didn't want to give this woman a heart attack!

When I was a pagan, I was accused of eating babies. I told people I gave that up when I became a vegetarian.

Which is why so few pols will openly label themselves as atheists or Agnostics, as it would disqualify almost all of them from getting elected to anything high level. For example, I have little doubt that Bernie is an atheist, tho culturally Jewish and non observant. But he already had the socialist label going against him, so he never has owned up to being a non believer as much as he actually is. Only in a very secular blue state, could you ever get elected to congress or a statewide office, as an open non believer.

@TomMcGiverin that is why one of the prerequisites of being in politics is being a very good liar .. they will willingly delegate their principles below their quest for power.

I am indeed "blessed", but LIFE has blessed me.

@jlynn37 You created that life, so you blessed yourself

My friends and family who are Xtian gave up on that!

@jlynn37 I agree with TheoryNumber3--you blessed yourself. On the other hand, I was "blessed" with some good genes, including the hair gene.

@Gwen_Wanderer You certainly were!!

@TheoryNumber3 the karmic selfie?

I have been yelled at by Xtian men in public places when I say I am an atheist! I guess this women never witnessed these Xtian acts of "kindness"!

As a famous man often said, "I yam what I yam"!

@Gwen_Wanderer I am what I am, yes, I'm one of the people
I scheme and I dream and I try
I am what I am, yes, I'm one of the people
I'm happy to live 'til I die

@Betty and I love you just the way you are!

@Gwen_Wanderer

Love Popeye

@Castlepaloma Robin Williams made a great Popeye.