Atheist moves to Bible Belt from NYC. Advice on fitting in?
Dear_one
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Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 76
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,721
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines
Aye, one big change in the Bible came in 503, when it was decided that people were too lazy about their spiritual progress, so all the references to reincarnation were expunged. No second chances! Several other things that had always bothered me were cleared up when I saw this background on the King James edition. Since James was paying the bills, the Monks erred on the side of authority in several ways. See "Jesus as Trickster Rebel" for the real meaning of turning the other cheek, etc: https://thetyee.ca/Citizentoolkit/2004/ ... Trickster/
Thank you very much for that link
RetroGamer87
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Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,085
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Heh you're way ahead of it all. As long as you continue to conduct things in a logical manner, you'll be ok (:
I grew up in the Chicago area and have since lived in pretty much every area of the US. With that said, I now live (for 18 years) in a very small town in the mountains of Tennessee. I chose to live here, it is quiet and beautiful.
So, how does a former city boy get along down here? I treat people like I would like to be treated. I show them respect, regardless of their beliefs or education because they are human beings. Life is too short to act like a jerk.
I don't know how similar my own situation is, but I'm an openly atheist Aspie and have recently purchased a house in a town in rural Victoria, Australia (pop 15000) that is just full of churches. So, if you'll bear with my preaching a sermon, I'll explain how I've learned to deal with being an atheist around Christians.
Step 1/ Put your Aspie brain to work, let their special interest become one of your special interests, subject; The Holy Bible. Become a scholar, learn more about the Christians own teachings than they know. Whether or not Yhwh (Jehovah, God) actually exists, it is undeniable that there is great wisdom to be found in the teachings of these 66 books.
Step 2/ Learn to respect those who do hold faith, who need faith. Their opinions are as valid as us athiests (aspie or not). This mythology is the cement that binds their culture together. Also, these mostly neurotypical people (yes, I've known Aspie Christians) fear being us, that is, the one who is an alien, and so they accept and conform to the common cultural mythology. There may possibly be many "closet" atheists, or hypocrites, attending Church and professing their faith because they fear being made into an alien if they were to express their own honest opinion. One good thing about being an Aspie is we're aliens already, so that fear shouldn't hold us. I thank God (pun definitely intended) that I'm not a hypocrite.
Step 3/ Be honest. Explain because of your autistic brain that faith without concrete evidence is something extremely difficult for you.
Step 4/ Remember, Christians no more want to be converted to atheism than you want to have Christianity pushed down your throat in an attempt to convert you. If we want others to accept us, we must accept them. If they need their faith, their church based social interaction, don't judge them, this is how we set ourselves apart from each other, be us neurotypical or aspie.
Step 5/ Those who truly embrace the message of Jesus should love and accept you without judgement, those who don't need a lot to learn regarding the religion they profess to follow, so DON'T WORRY about them, they are hypocrites, their opinions are worthless.
Step 6/ Take a closer look at the character of Jesus, how he spoke, how he saw things, the socially non desirable individuals he associated with ... methinks this Character looks rather Aspiesque. Just think, maybe these people who would hate you are actually worshipping an Aspie!
So endeth the sermon of the Reverend Upside down, first prophet of Atheism.
But seriously, I could be totally wrong too, only take advice that resonates with you, that you are ready to take ownership of and will not hold against the advice giver should things not work out. Despite best intentions, I may be just a complete dumbass who's got it totally wrong.
Anyhow, hope you find a few good, genuine, non-judgemental friends in town, be they Christian or Athiest, who will accept you as nobody but you.
Try not to become one of those annoying atheists who don't realise they're as annoying with their preaching as the religious people they say they dislike. Such as if somebody says online Thank God, they go into a lecture about why there isn't one. It seems different in the USA where everybody likes to tell everybody else what to believe in. While here in Britain most people would consider that rude and mind their own business what others believe in.
Plus many what nations call religious extremists moved to the USA. Such as the USA thinks of the Puritans as going there for freedom, when many disliked Puritans in the land they came from because they were like a religious Taliban. Closing down theatres, cutting down the Joseph of Arimathea tree at Glastonbury and closing ale houses. Plus many of them claim to be Christian while they only follow the Old Testament. Such as they walk around with banners judging people, when Jesus said it isn't for us to judge. Or they condemn others for believing different, ignoring the message against bigotry of the Good Samaritan who helped another who was different.
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