Being an atheist is hard

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If there's one thing I've learned through the internet, it's that there's a whole lot more atheists in the world than I previously thought. Very few people admit to being atheists in real life, but on the internet, it's a completely different story.

In Canada (and in many places in Europe) most people are not religious so it's religious people who are looked at weirdly. In Canada nobody would vote for a prime minister if he would openly talk about is beliefs in god. I'm not even kidding.

It seems like everyone on the internet is an atheist, I feel pretty alienated by that. But hey, that's life. You can't expect everyone else agree with you all the time.

Just because someone is not an atheist does not mean they are "religious". Many if not most people who are not in a religion still believe in god.

I have learnt to keep my interactions with the other humans to a minimum for a variety of reasons, including that they tend to react negatively when they find out things about me, like I am an atheist, or I neither have nor want children.

I think a person's religion is a private matter, not meant for polite discussion, but when some asks what my religion is, I usually try to be diplomatic about it by saying that "I am not religious". That leaves it ambiguous as to whether I am an atheist, an agnostic, or a non-practicing ____ [insert religion] .

Anyway, the following may be of some interest to you:
On the Media: "God No!"
http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2006/12/15/01
"Black Atheists Say Non-Belief Means Cultural Outsider"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =127239913
"Scott Simon Essay: American Atheists" [audio only]
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=1592243

It's the other way around for me. I'm Catholic, but everyone I meet is an atheist or bible beating baptist, and it's usually the former. If I say one word about my beliefs, I'm labeled a ret*d or a sinner.

If people try and start a debate with you, just dont go along with it. For example if they say:

"Arent you worried about what will happen to you in the afterlife?"

Say something like "I dont know." or "I think I will be ok."

If they say "What morality is there if there is no religion?" say something like "I think people know enough about morals."

Say stuff that sounds really neutral and not really answering their question, and soon they will realise they are debating with someone who is not interested enough to debate and argue back. Eventually they will give up. Then talk to them about other topics that you have common ground with.

I worried about the whole atheism and morals/meaning issue for a while. Eventually followed it through to the conclusion that if I believe there is no god, I can't believe in absolute morals or meaning in life. The knee jerk reaction to that is 'so you think it's okay to kill someone?' or something similar, which is quite difficult to answer without a 'higher power' to invoke (easy way out). I came to the conclusion that any action performed has just happened, there is no good or bad, you just have to live with the consequences. Thus some people kill as they feel the result will be worthwhile, however most don't due to extreme social consequences. So a loose code of morals will come into place without ever having to resort to 'higher powers' or rights. It's kind of freeing really, but perhaps a little circular (ultimately I've just found a new way to conclude what most people believe naturally).

i'm an atheist. have been since i was a kid.

as a young kid, i could never believe that a loving god would allow me to be hurt as much as i was and am hurt, so i concluded that there was no god. my beliefs haven't changed much since.

being around theists of various kinds doesn't bother me. if they ask, i tell them that i'm an atheist; mostly, they don't ask. mostly they just want to talk about themselves and their beliefs and i'm happy to let them. if they retain belief in god, good for them. i think it's mistaken but it clearly makes them happy so who am i do disabuse them of the notion?

if they try to convert me, i just stop the conversation and respectfully leave. let them believe in their gods, they're happy and as long as it's not hurting me, i don't care.

Perhaps of some interest,

"GOING GODLESS: Does Secularism Make People More Ethical?
Non-believers are often more educated, more tolerant and know more about
God than the pious. A new wave of research is trying to figure out what
goes on in the minds of an ever-growing group of people known as the
'Nones'."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spi ... 81,00.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A person doesnt have to believe in a god or any higher power to be a person with morals or standards. Morality and religion do not go hand n hand.

I'm an atheist, have been since I was a child and I've never felt the desire to convert to any religion. I don't come across many people who are openly religious, and hence I don't get a lot of flack for it. If people question me about my religious views, I simply state I have none. If they insist on prying and being obnoxious, I'll say something like: "I've got my own beliefs and you have yours, can't we leave it at that?". Usually this allows us to return to the previous topic of conversation, but if somebody still won't let it go, I'll tell them they won't sway my opinion, so whatever else they want to say will be fairly pointless. I've found that almost nobody will go quite so far, though, most people here don't care whether you're religious or not.

When you come across people who force their religion down your throat - try to just walk away from them. It might feel like an odd thing to do, but if their interrogation of you is making you feel uncomfortable, you have every right to remove yourself from the situation. They're not showing you the courtesy you deserve, so you don't need to grace them with your presence. It's that simple.

As for morals, well, as long as you don't kill, maim, cheat or otherwise hurt people or animals, I'd say you're a pretty decent human being. All the stuff about what can and can't be eaten together, on which day you should kick back and relax and what constitutes a sin is just trifles.

Take heart, dear non-believers! As more and more of you "come out of the closet", Atheism will become the new norm. We're already seeing this inside some churches, where attendance is declining and the leadership blames everything (music, movies, Internet, et cetera) except their own naive hypocrisy - they are blind to their own sins.

Yesterday, I actually heard one of them ask, "Why wouldn't they want to be like us?"

Not really a problem here, where I live most people seem to be Atheists or at least non-believers . Especially for people my age, it's those that believe in God that will have a hard time.