I live in the south (the "bible belt") so you can imagine what people will think of me, especially family. It is not something I want to hide because I would like to be able to be myself freely. For example, posting my religion on face book as 'atheist'. Posting my religion on face book is a very minute problem and unimportant but do you get my point? I want to be me freely without judgment. I'm also leery about saying anything because of my wife's family. Do any of my fellow atheist have any suggestions?
It is your ch ice i would suggest to keep quiet about it at the moment but then slowly OzzZzzur way out because after all religion is up to you! what you want to do and be!
If you don't have to then just don't do it. Like questions wherein one half of a couple asks how they should tell their partner that they are bisexual: if it is not important to announce, then why bother at all?
To me, part of being an atheist is the sense that spirituality is a private thing. Is there a reason to broadcast your personal beliefs?
Unless something specific comes up (e.g., wife's family asks you a question about your beliefs), I don't think it's necessary to say anything. It's not hiding it, but simply making a personal thing.
For The most important facts of your question, please visit the website http://www.mormon.org
&
THE GOOD SECRET EVIDENCE
Just read these important things
1)Absence of anything is nothing and the life is you, you can not come from nowhere so even god can not pop out from nowhere. You are like software and your body is like hardware of the computer, even god can not get anything from nothing especially you are the life. The Life has to come from life. You are a Spirit child of God.
2) God can not change the past because time has no beginning and end as numbers -2,-1, 0, 1, and 2 so on.
3)God can not do the wrong things because god does not have the option to choose so the god is not capable of doing wrong things.
THE AMAZING SOLID SCIENTIFIC PROOF OF GOD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X093UTku_tc&feature=related , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppv1Eo-vDFM&feature=related , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZFG5PKw504&feature=related , http://www.youtube.com/user/seemlyme#p/u/9/l_MbHz2EUOQ , http://www.youtube.com/user/mikebatie
Mind blowing intelligent design evidence
The Evolution is Assumption. Why? The Life comes from dead chemicals? No way, after billions of experiments each year over 100 years. If you believe dead things come to life, then why don?t you believe in Jesus Christ resurrection? The Lord is living God for instant think about who programmed the living organism?s DNA information code and unlearned Prue-program data (the skills) for birds to built the beautiful nest and communicate so another animal skills like extraordinary navigation skills for turtle to navigate thousands of miles to the same beach to lay eggs, where previously hatched from and think more the design of the bacteria flagellum and so on and on and on the intelligences so with The Evolution Missing Links Assumption these are impossible intelligences to work as they are now. There are so many investments from co operations to misinterpret the actual evidences for the profit of weak atheism but The God is real with us.
The Law of mercy cannot rob the Law of justice so Justice demands the punishment of our sin but The Law of mercy requires the forgiveness to give to us & God is perfect in perfection so clean. He can not violate his laws so The God provided the way to our salvation to overcome our sin so Jesus Christ sacrifice is much needed to return to live with God, so Jesus Christ is our savior.
New Testament ? John ? 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seethe the Father do: for what things soever he doth, these also doth the Son likewise.
If god always perfect in perfection then there have to be beginning with God for the organizing progress of all things. So, there is No end & also No beginning for all things, including this on going organizing progress.
If every one is perfect like god then there is noting to do for every one. So god has the plan for us to be perfect like him.
http://www.mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/
The Book of Mormon ?And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, ??.and they teach all men that they should do good.? 2 Nephi 33:10
If you are humble, Please, Pray to know the truth from true God (from the true source of all things) by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit with great faith (by your real earnest feelings)
And I pray that you will take what I say seriously. If you truly believe what you believe is important, then you will think about what I wrote. There is one true God, one God, he created this world, and he created everything.
Well, No one can prove there is no god for me, no one. why? I received strong testimony from God. There is a great threat to destroy the Fundamental unit (our family) of our community from homosexual atheist community in the name of rights to sleep with their own sisters and brothers. All are there to destroy us BUT when the good person takes actions, the evil will not triumph and I believe you. God bless you.
You don't have to go around telling people what you believe in / don't believe in.
Just be yourself.
And if they come to any conclusion and want to speak about it, then have a chat. And if they decide to ask you directly, then tell them you don't believe.
As for me, I don't see any need to publicize my atheism. For me it's the default, Norma position and by default I assume that anyone I interact with is an atheist unless they tell me otherwise.
After all: You can't hide what you haven't got. And all atheism is, is a position where you don't have a believe in gods.
dint tell people your an atheist unless they ask you. being an atheist means you dint care for religion and therefore i dint see the point in you telling people about your beliefs it will only create unnecessary problems for you.
I had trouble at first telling people I was an atheist. But after you break the ice and tell a few people it becomes a lot easier to tell people! Now I feel proud when I tell people, and I feel I'm helping the human race by not supporting very harmful and destructive religious nonsense!!!
I DON'T CARE what people think of me when I tell them I'm an atheist!!!!! IT"S THEIR PROBLEM if they can't accept the facts and the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you keep it to yourself, and don't try to educate people, then people will never get educated, and they will continue to believe that TOXIC RELIGIOUS GARBAGE!!!!!
There's an old saying-- "THE BEST WAY FOR EVIL TO PREVAIL IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO DO NOTHING'!!!
I would start by posting your religions as "Pastafarian." That's what my Facebook religion is set to. It's not inherently atheist. There are Christians who follow the FSM. He was created for the purpose of teaching real Science in school.
When it comes to my friends, I tell them that I do not believe in any gods.
My family is tough too. I have a fundamental, evangelical, holy rolling family. Telling my grandmothers may very well give them heart attacks, and my dad cannot keep his mouth shut, so telling my dad would be the same as telling my grandmothers. I'm talking literal heart attacks, with hospitals and everything. So far I don't think it hurts anyone to keep up the charade.
Only mention it if its relevant to the conversation. I suggest in the context of reminding people not to make the presumption that everyone is a Christian or theist. That "not everyone thinks that". For the people that matter most to you (and you matter most to them) they may ask a lot of questions, possibly trying to convert you. Be prepared with some basic counter-apologetics or be ready to tell them you don't feel comfortable talking about it with them because they might take some of it personally. (Expect Pascal's wager and some form of the cosmological argument).
Obviously talk to your wife, she's your partner and deserves to know your state of mind. For talking to members of your own family, I'd say start with a sibling or parent that you think will be most accepting (even if they themselves are religious). And after that, you and your wife can decide if it's worth coming out of the closet to her family (and in what manner).
I'm from the edge of the Bible Belt, and my family is mixed, several religions (and of varying devotion) and atheists. One parent is a strongly devout Christian, and mostly I just let them figure it out on their own and let them ask if they wanted. I'm sure correcting them on their biblical claims and not going to church anymore gave it away.
Atheism isn't a religion. Yes, I know you've made a choice, it's not just that you don't believe in "god", you actually believe there's no "god".
Religions don't operate according to rational criteria. Being an atheist is something that people come to as a result of rational thought.
It's really a question of how you choose to skin your rabbit. I would start with less ambitious goals. Start with insisting on your right not to be assumed, not to be included. You just "don't believe", "aren't a member of a church", "aren't a Christian". Don't attack them head on over believing in "god". Say things like "Well I believe we should treat others the way we would like them to treat us. I think the Bible says Jesus also said that. I think it's only common sense, and most of us know to behave that way anyway, and it's in our own interests to do so. Probably it was built into the human genome by natural selection". There, you've managed to get a whole number of rational ideas across, instead of being diverted down a dead end arguing with people who were on the defensive before you started.
Well, where I come from, being an atheist is really not a big deal. People cross the street to avoid Christians, unless the Christians already crossed the street to avoid the People They Think They Are Better Than.
Can't you just give your religion as "None" and have done with it?
how do I go about telling people I'm an atheist?
