Do you ever feel "in the closet" about your atheism/agnostic views?

[Prophet 451]

34. I'm not an athiest or agnostic

but I am a follower of a minority faith. I'm also British and religion is much less of an issue in public life here. While (from memory) about two-thirds of the populace identify as some variety of Christian, it is overwhelmingly seen as a personal and private matter. However, I would suggest from what you say that your discomfort is less with your faith (or lack thereof) and more with the kind of people who publically declare themselves as Christian these days. I would also suggest that such people are not following the teachings of Jesus (I have a lot of time for Jesus's teachings of peace and love, even if I don't consider him divine) but have forged a new religion. A religion which is, like Mormonism, an offshoot of Christianity but academically distinct from it. Whereas in most cases, a faith gets drawn into politics, this new faith exists directly because of politics. It melds fire-and-brimstone Christianity with ferverent nationalism and extreme-right political views. In fact, it's whole reason for existing is to provide a stamp of divine approval on far-right dogma; a faith which exists because of and in symbiosis with an ultraright political agenda. For many years, I worked on one of the internet's biggest religious sites and I saw many "Christians" who were really adherents only because they believed it gave them license to hold views of hatred, intolerence and viciousness.

Any religion (including my own) has it's fair share of assholes. That's just the laws of statistics and human nature. If you find that it's the assholes who are being represented; well, that's the state of the modern media for you. Sensationalism and outrage rule the day. Pat Robertson saying something outrageous sells more copies and gets more viewers than Pastor Bob feeding the hungry.

It's unclear from what you say what you believe in or whether you still believe in anything. However, I would suggest that where you place yourself in terms of faith should be guided by how you feel and your own relationship with your god(s), not by how anyone else chooses to use or misuse their religious beliefs. Faith is a journey, not a destination and if, when you look within yourself, you find that you no longer believe, that's fine. There are any number of wonderful people who are athieists or agnostics. Likewise, if you find that you still hold some belief, that's fine too. You can work to change the perceptions of people who feel just as you do. There are still Christian groups that believe in and try to follow the teachings of Jesus, that try to feed the hungry and look after the planet and so on. Just Google "Christian Left" and you'll find plenty of people who still believe but hold various lefty views. But what I'm saying is, let it be your choice, your thoughts and feelings, your relationship (or not) with the cosmos. Not a reaction to the behaviour of others. Don't let other people define you, they always get it wrong.