Funny, you don't look Atheist... (DU Atheists? Check in here)

[arwalden]

Do atheists have a "look" anyway? (My mother was HORRIFIED to learn that I was atheist. She had that look as though I was in a cult that sacrificed children and small fuzzy animals.)

Apparently a lot of folks associate atheism with Satanism or other bloodlust cult. Was she expecting "Goth" makeup and all black outfits? I'm not sure.

LOL... fortunately, I was able to clear that up and make her understand.

-- Allen

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. HAHAHA!

:D

[wtmusic]

2. I'm a Stoic

Does that count?

People never say, "Gee, you don't look Stoic," but I guess when you wear togas...:-)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

*raises hand* (nt)

[Warpy]

14. Same here

I last worked with a bunch of folks who ranged from mainline Christian to fundie nutcase. One of the fundies was talking about the lack of principle, empathy and compassion among atheists and I said "Hey, wait a minute. I'm an atheist." You've never seen a more surprised bunch of folks in your entire life.

[HereSince1628]

39. I note you wrote "I last worked..." you want to say more?

Or should we just assume that after they squared away their surprise they did some environmental improvement in their workplace?

[trof]

3. You're asking me to de-chifforobe myself?

NO WAY!

[trof]

16. Yesterday I "passed" for Christian.

Escorted Miz t. to a memorial service for one of her women's club members.
It was a Southern (what else?) Baptist church.
No one suspected a thing.
Roof didn't fall in (as Miz t. was expecting).
Altar didn't burst into flames.
Lightning didn't strike.
But BOY, did I get preached at. I wasn't singled out.
ALL of us got preached at, guilty and innocent alike.
Evidently my bank account with Jesus (the preacher's own analogy) is bust. I ain't getting no dividends from my Jesus Account in heaven.
Shoot, I ain't even getting within hailing distance of heaven.

I was sure feeling kinda down when we got home, but a couple of stiff Scotches seem to have fixed me up OK.
:evilgrin:

[arwalden]

25. Sometimes I Picture You As Andy Capp... Other Times As Leroy Lockhorn

You never fail to amuse, Trof.




I'm guessing that "The Family Circus" might be the most realistic though (or a combination of all three?)

-- Allen

[trof]

29. He DOES have my hairstyle.

[trotsky]

4. Checking in.

Agnostic since 1988, atheist since 1992.

I have experienced similar reactions. Most of my family has not been told for that precise reason.

[BigMcLargehuge]

5. atheist here

apparently to some I look like a goat with a coffee cup in a bathrobe :)

I look pretty much like everyone else irrespective of faith. But I've been told my some members of my extended family that I don't look like an atheist too. When I ask them what they mean by that, the usual answer is... I don't know, you just don't look like one.

:shrug:

[twistedliberal]

6. Yeah, we atheists are horrible people...

:eyes:
That's what I've been told, anyway. Because of the connotations, I usually identify myself as Unitarian or agnostic, but technically I am atheist.

[arwalden]

67. Speaking Of Negative Connotations And Acceptability

That's *precisely* why I self-identified as "agnostic" for many years. When I chose to reveal my disbelief to others, it was couched as only being a "doubt"... and therefore I avoided their wrath and hatred and judgment since I wasn't officially a heathen.

So based on my own experience, this is why I question the reasons of those who call themselves "agnostic".

This is much the same way that I feel about people who call themselves "bisexual"... as I once did. It's that transitional word that eases one's self into self-acceptance and when one chooses to share private info with others, the word "bisexual" serves as a shield that partially reveals one's true sexuality but sends the message 'don't hate me, I'm not totally-bad'... 'I'm still a little like you'.

But I digress... this could be thread topic on its own. And of course I apologize if I have offended anyone who is truly agnostic or truly bisexual. By my acknowledging how many others (including myself) have "used" these in-between words, I'm don't mean to imply that you too are simply pretending for the sake of convenience.

-- Allen

[Frangible]

7. Agnostic here

Does that count?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

8. checking in, to no one's surprise.

[Dookus]

9. checking in!

I've been all over the religious map, but settled on atheism over 10 years ago and haven't found any reason to switch.

[bread_and_roses]

10. Checking in

Atheist present. Or, to attempt to avoid intellectual arrogance, I usually say Agnostic. But for all intents and purposes, Atheist. I look pretty ordinary, I'd say. The aspect of my non-belief that believers I know find hardest to understand is my total disinterest in the whole question.

[FreeperSlayer]

11. I'm a "bright"

And you are too!
Google it.

[arwalden]

18. I Liked That Term At First... But Now I Question It

I tend to be personally abrasive enough as it is... so I'm questioning whether or not the term "Bright" is the wrong word to use since it implies that anyone who is not "Bright" is, well... THERE, you see, I said it. "Not bright."

I have enough trouble being unoffensive as it is... no need for me to START OFF on the wrong foot. But seeing the inevitability of it all, I guess my concerns might be for naught.

-- Allen

[Squeech]

41. I'm with Allen on this one

More for aesthetic reasons than anything else-- I wouldn't want to adopt a label that sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon aimed at grade school kids, complete with ancillary merchandise. ("Ask your indulgent grandma for the *entire set* of Bright friends, Bright animals, Bright playhouses and Bright refutations of dogma, kids!")

I lean toward labels like "Independent" or "Self-assured" or "Born okay the first time."

Although technically I suppose I should identify as agnostic. I can refute (at least to my own satisfaction) the watchmaker hypothesis, but I confess that I find the existence of consciousness a little too amazing to automatically assume that there is no cosmic mind. (I would be a Buddhist, I think, if I could get over my nasty temper.)

[patdem]

12. Funny, I scared my mother to death-I confessed I was a bibliophile!

LOL, I love your description of your mother's reaction

[ret5hd]

13. And another checking in...

the product of an excellent catholic school education...
i sometimes think they did too good of a job teaching us logic, teaching us to think.

but my brother and sister are still devout, so maybe it's just me.

[XNASA]

15. I'm an Atheist.

Or maybe I'm a Wiccan. Gosh, I think I'm probably more of a Unitarian with Wiccan and Athiest overtones.

But I could care less, honestly.

[gold_bug]

17. present

I've been an atheist since my early teens.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

19. agnostic here

n/t.

[liberalmuse]

20. Agnostic/Atheist

One conservative told me, 'I'm surprised--for an atheist, you sure know a lot about other religions.' I don't really, but apparently I know more about The Bible than most Christians I've come in contact with, and I know more about her Mormon beliefs than she does.

In fact, most atheists I've met have read The Bible and are very knowledgable about many other beliefs and their texts, while I've found that most of the Christians I've talked to, or members of other religions may have read their own religious texts (and many of them only selectively), but very little else. Interesting.

[arwalden]

21. Thank You For Pointing That Out... I've Noticed It As Well

Their "blinders" and tunnel-vision perception of the world and other religions and even of their own religious text is a source of continual annoyance with me.

I'm no expert, but I've received the same surprised reaction from others who know less about their own religion that I do (and I don't know THAT much!)

-- Allen

[Endangered Specie]

23. True, most 'religious' people arent religious....

especially those on the right (Jesus was a liberal remember).

Anyhow... atheistic/agnostic here... Although I usually use the term "secular humanist"... It goes over a little easy... Most people dont know what they are so I get a chance to explain in a good light.

[ret5hd]

27. i think it may be a result of...

those who end up as atheists/agnostics are more apt to have researched theirs and others beliefs to a greater extent than a "believer"...after all, if you already believe, what is there to research?

But the non-believer, wondering at his/her non-belief, reads and watches and learns about other beliefs to see if there is anything to them. He/she finds that yes, indeed there is something to them...the same "something" for every one of them. But no god. Just a good set of principles that every decent person would agree to, that have been twisted and perverted by those who claim to defend them. But still, no god.

[BiggJawn]

51. LOL! I get that a lot, too

I just reply "Why, you didn't think I'd come to the conclussion that something's all Hooey without thoroughly researching it first, did you?"

My experience has been that most fundies read ONLY those parts of their bible that Pastor tells them to, and then, they just follow along while Pastor "translates" it for them...

Some of my best fun has been to get one going on a Levitical rant and then ask 'em
"Oh, so I take it you eat no lobster or crab? And are you wearing cotton undies under that wool suit? and what did you tell the cops when you stoned your son to death for sassing you? Why do you ignore all of Leviticus EXCEPT the 'man laying with a man' parts?"

Then stand back so you don't get hit with the sparks flying out of their ears......

[DS1]

22. Universalist?

I don't believe attaching names or definitions to anything 'spiritual'

[RebelOne]

24. Atheist here, too.

And I certainly do not look evil or Satanic. I am a blue-eyed blonde and could pass for a Xtain. My sister keeps saying that I am not an atheist. And how could I not believe in that "sweet Jesus."

But I am fortunate that the two co-workers I work very closely with at my job are also atheists, so we have some really lively discussions.

[Zomby Woof]

26. I am a Kona Atheist

I only worship the goddess of coffee. :D

I realized I was an atheist around the age of 13, and never looked back. I didn't have a particularly religious upbringing, although I went to Sunday school in the Baptist church during my early childhood. That was a learning experience much more than an indoctrinating one (although they tried, but I guess I have always had a strong resistance to brainwashing and conformity). I did believe what I was told, but not with much zeal or depth - it isn't unusual for any child to take authority at its word, which is part of why I think indoctrination has many dangers, which I was fortunate to escape. No regrets with this early exposure, it was valuable in other ways that serve me well now.

I actually read the Bible, alternating between the KJV and NIV, from cover to cover when I was 11. That alone propelled me completely into the realm of free thought from that of a rather mild and naive belief. It struck me as the same kind of fancified myths and fables I first learned of with Aesop, as well as the Greek and Roman myths that fascinated me during childhood.

The separation of church and state is one of my pet issues, and a cornerstone of liberty.

[arwalden]

35. Chanting: Ko-NA! Ko-NA! Ko-NA! Ko-NA! Ko-NA!

My stash is almost empty. Time to go back to Hawaii with an empty suitcase and stock-up again.

-- Allen

[wysimdnwyg]

28. Count me in!

And I have read the bible (fairly recently, in fact), as well as a good bit of info on Buddhism.

I also went from the hippie look (long hair, full beard) to bald w/ a goatee in about an hour. Don't know if that means I "look atheist".

Grew up in a fairly liberal So. Baptist church. (OK, liberal for So. Baptist. They actually have a lesbian associate pastor now.) Parents were all a little surprised, but not too much. I think they figured I was agnostic for a long time. I hadn't gone to church in about 15 years.

[Nomad559]

30. Atheist

I am an Atheist, and a Rightwing fundy friend of mine said to me that I was the most "Christian like" person he had ever met.

[Darranar]

31. Agnostic here.

[kalian]

32. Proud freethinker and atheist here

[uberotto]

33. When I informed my mother that I was an Athiest...

She just sighed and said "I knew God was going to punish me for not making you go to church more when you were younger... But then I never was one to bother worrying about all of the things God was going to punish me for".

We have Southern Baptist in our family and every christmas they spend much of their time with the family pointing out all of the things we are doing wrong, and all of the ways we are offending God, according to their beliefs.

The family still is more accepting of me than of the Souther Baptist members of the family.

[JitterbugPerfume]

34. I am athiest

disguised as little old Gramma !! HIDE THE BABIES

[NightTrain]

50. God made me an atheist!

:evilgrin:

[frebrd]

36. Atheist

Lifelong Atheist here. Never anything else!

[NoPasaran]

37. Another horrible atheist here

And recovering catholic

[arwalden]

38. I've Always Giggled At The Phrase "Born-Again Atheist"

Even though it is often meant as a joke, it's accurate from my perspective. I have a feeling of relief at being unchained and LIBERATED from the guilt... and from no longer having to ignore science and physical evidence and simple LOGIC.

-- Allen

[trof]

40. HEY Allen? Which "coming out" horrified your mom more?

Gay or atheist?

[arwalden]

42. Excellent Question!! --- I'll Let You Decide...

When I told her that I was gay, her reply was "I was wondering how long it would be before you told me."

It was definitely NO surprise to her. I think the biggest surprise was TO ME. I thought I was doing a DAMN FINE job of keeping it secret. I mean... I had "fake girlfriends" and "fake girly magazines" and I made fag-jokes all the time.

LOL

-- Allen

[trof]

46. So she was more shocked about your religion,

or lack thereof, than your sexual preference.
Interesting.
Thanks.

[BlueJazz]

43. I've been an Atheist since I was 12. (swear to God)

The whole God thing sounded like a "Con Job".

[Nay]

44. Checking in.

Haven't believed in any gods since I was about 11 years old, and that was quite a while ago. I do follow Buddhist philosophy without the reincarnation angle.

[Interrobang]

45. I'm an atheist too...

I've been one since age 5, when I started reading the King James Bible and realized that there weren't any dinosaurs in it, and I *loved* dinosaurs at that age. I figured that if the book was supposed to be true, but things in it were demonstrably wrong, it must not be true, since dinosaurs were really real. Well, this got out at school. My classmates all thought I was a devil-worshipper even after I told them I didn't believe in the devil either, and then I told them that I'd believe in all that stuff when they could take me to a museum and "show me some Jesus bones."

That's the humourous part. I've refined my rationale with age of course (science and logic and critical thinking education helped), but the underlying sentiment is still the same...and I'm still waiting for those "Jesus bones." ;-)


My fiance is a Jewish agnostic. When he told his dad that he didn't believe in God (I was there when this happened), his dad said, "Does this mean you're not Jewish anymore?!?!" My fiance said, "Of course I'm still Jewish. Don't you think it's better if I believe that all the mitzvot are made up by really wise people, instead of some invisible being? I like the thought that human beings could come up with workable and sophisticated moral codes, don't you?" That didn't go over very well. :)

I'm currently more interested in studying Judaism than any other religion, mostly because I've already studied and been exposed to as much Christianity up close and personal as I care to be right now, and because learning Hebrew is really, really fun!!

[Pale Blue Dot]

47. Agnostic

Only the concept of infinity keeps me from becoming a total Atheist.

[MrSlayer]

48. Satanist here.

And no, there are no virgin sacrifices or anything silly like that. Satanism is basically Humanism with a little spice.

[ironflange]

49. I am an Atheist for Jesus!

It's not as weird as it sounds, I even go to church regularly.

http://www.atheists-for-jesus.com/

:evilgrin:

[curse10]

52. Atheist!

:-)

[Kazak]

53. Take your pick...

I'm really more of a pantheist, or a humanist, or even a naturalist...I never have like the negative connotations of "atheism".

[no name no slogan]

54. Baptised Catholic, raised agnostic,...

but now I'd say religious affiliation can best be described as "not interested".

If there's a God, she buggered off ages ago, and has much better things to do than meddle about in our silly affairs.

At least, If I were God, I certainly would have better things to do.

[leftofthedial]

55. I don't believe I have to check in

to this Gawdless thread

[Cleita]

56. Sigh, I'm pretty much there.

I do have that quantum physics other dimension thing though that nags me every now and then. Sometimes I even wish there were gods and fairies and others such entities as long as they are cool and not any of those smoting, burn in hell, kind of other worldly types. However, I consider most of the man-made dogmas pretty much mythological literature and cultural expressions.

[Djinn]

57. checking in

have always really for all intents and purposes been atheist (easy when you're from a fairly non religious family particularly my "you die and then you rot end of story" dad) but my total inability to make pretty much any lsting concrete decision on anything means I generally go with agnostic

[Room101]

58. Gore Vidal and me are atheist!

I consider Monotheism to be the destroyer of intellect, reason and logic. Gandhi and Dr. King are great examples of exceptions. I love when people say atheists are “fill in the blank.” When I inform them that I’m an activist for a Peace and justice lobby they morph into deer in headlights.


“All gods are homemade, and it is we who pull their strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours” Aldous Huxley

[Anwen]

59. Another atheist checking in.

It's funny, I've shocked more than one person by admitting I'm not at all religious. One person said, "But you look like the nice girl who goes to church every Sunday!" ....HA :evilgrin:

[BurtWorm]

60. Yo soy ateista!

Y soy orgulloso de eso!

Porque rispondo en espanol, no se. No hablo espanol. Es un acto de fe.

[anti_shrub]

61. *raises hand*

Instead of the "you don't look Atheist" reaction, I usually get the "you must not have been properly pummelled by the Bible" reaction.

People assume that my lack of belief comes from a lack of Bible knowledge, then I begin to lay some Bible quotes on them that (to me) prove how self-contradicting it is.

I don't announce it from the rooftops that I'm Atheist, but I don't exactly hide it either. It's a hoot to see the looks on some people's faces when the light bulb goes off over their heads.

[neebob]

62. Avoiding the horrified mother

My mother, being a member of a church that I disavowed years ago and recently realized is a cult - not to mention one of the most successful scams in history - has enough things to be horrified about. I just tell her I'm not sure what I believe except there's no man-god sitting out there going "Worship me!" and basically doing a big LIHOP and I hope it isn't all just a big accident of evolution and it doesn't just go black when you die. That last part seems to give her some hope, and the part of her that doesn't want to think about it drops the subject.

I don't consider myself an atheist, though lately I've been leaning in that direction. I don't like the term for some reason.

[arwalden]

66. No Reason To Dislike The Word "Atheist"

Broken down into its two root components, the word means "without a god" or "one who is without a god" (can anyone else confirm this for me?)

If the word doesn't strictly apply to you, then that might be why you have difficulty with it as a "label" or as something that accurately describes your view on gods.

Otherwise, I'm guessing that how OTHER PEOPLE react to the word might have something to do with you you have been CONDITIONED to react to the word.

Just as my mother reacted so negatively to it... it wasn't so much that I had rejected her religion and her efforts to make me believe as she does. Her aversion to it was that she viewed it as somehow being "evil" or cult-like. In her mind an atheist wasn't someone who was merely without gods... but someone who was OPPOSED TO HER GOD... the "enemy"... a Devil Worshiper.

I'm not certain which of these possibilities (if any) come close to explaining why you feel the way you do, but it's something for you (and others who may feel the same way) to think about.

-- Allen

[neebob]

70. It's more conditioning in my case

My dad used to complain about Madalyn Murray O'Hair. I don't remember ever hearing about her anywhere else until much later; I just knew she was an atheist and that was bad. I also remember a discussion about whether my grandpa, who said he was an atheist, was really an atheist or an agnostic. And of course the Communists were atheists. My mother still worries about the Red Menace. Just recently she said something about Communists that sounded as if she was in a time warp.

In the end, I'm an atheist. I just don't feel the need to label myself one.

[arwalden]

74. Your Dad Too, Eh? Mine disliked O'Hair a much as Jane Fonda...

The time warp you describe apparently snakes its way to my dad's realm as well... anyone who's against the war is a "Communist" (I guess that's just the generic term for anyone who's not Republican.)

When he's pressed to tell what he likes best about Bush*, my father's answer is (and I quote) "George Bush is a good Christian and he's not afraid to admit he's a Christian."

Sigh.

-- Allen

[Pithlet]

63. I'm Atheist/Agnostic

I think that would definitely shock some people around here. I live in the south, in a cookie cutter subdivision, drive a mini-van, and am a stay-at-home-mom of two young boys. I think people I know around here probably assume I'm Christian. I worry about when the boys are school-aged, though. It seems like everyone goes to church around here, and I worry about what will happen when they're asked by their classmates what church they go to.

[TryingToWarnYou]

64. Atheist #1922 here...

[CanuckAmok]

65. Athiest, raised Anglican (nobody notices the difference in me)

What is that old expression? "The Anglican Church; the only religion that interferes neither with your politics nor your religion"...

[Beaker]

68. Raised as a Lutheran, converted to American Orthodox Atheism.

checking in.

[truthspeaker]

69. atheist here

I also go by "nonbeliever" and "infidel". But please don't call me a "bright".

On Internet Infidels I'm known as Godless Dave.

[slinkerwink]

71. I'm a self-avowed athiest!

I wonder what the freepers are thinking of this thread? ;-)

[arwalden]

73. "Self-Avowed" Just Cracks Me Up...

When people say "he's a self-avowed atheist" what they ACTUALLY mean is: "Despite the fact that he should be ashamed of himself he takes an unnatural pride in proclaiming his deviancy."

-- Allen (a "self-avowed" homersexural)

[slinkerwink]

72. I'm a self-avowed athiest!

I wonder what the freepers are thinking of this thread? ;-)

[slackmaster]

75. Atheist who deeply respects the beliefs of others

If I'm at a place where people are reciting the Lord's Prayer and holding hands I will participate.

I don't challenge peoples' beliefs or how they implement them as long as they don't infringe on someone else's civil rights or liberty. If they do I'm on them like flies on shit.

[Solomon]

76. Okay. Checking in. I love these kinds of threads.

I wouldn't call myself an atheist, but I don't believe in fairy tales either. Grew up in a very, very, very, religious Baptist household. Used to go to sleep everynight thinking about Jesus Christ. I had some questions though, and when I went to college, I did everything I could to search for the truth. I think that's why a lot of atheists know more about religion than christians. There are some of us who actually search for God. During the search, we discover things are not exactly kosher with traditional religion.

My father gaped at me in horror when he asked me, "you don't believe in hell"? And I said no. I don't believe in hell. While I can't go so far as to say there is no God, (depends on what your definition of God is), I certainly don't believe in some boogeyman sitting in the sky who has absolutely nothing better to do for all eternity than to watch us, (can you imagine), and then reward or punish with absolutely no rhyme or reason to it at all. Now, whether there is a sort of univeral intelligence, a sort of way of things, is a different matter.

[WillParkinson]

77. My mom...

Had no problem when she found out I was gay. She had no problem when she found out I was an athiest.

But when I told her that I was vegetarian...WOW.