Social Networking - Are you out as an atheist online?

[SallyMutant]

Whitney, really like your cloche!

[Whitney]

Whitney, really like your cloche!

You made me have to a word.  Thanks.

[Caligula's Ghost]

Out everywhere.

Facebook
Twitter
Work
Home

Everywhere.

[Sheeplauncher]

everywhere for me

[Unsterblich856]

For the most part I'm out. I won't tell any of my hardcore religious relatives since they would stop acknowledging my existence, so it's not worth it.

[Zab]

My parents know, siblings, friends, girlfriend, everybody I meet, and all places online I'm out. The exception I make is with my girlfriends catholic parents, they're not too crazy but to make things easier I gave her one rule. I will not tell her parents I'm an atheist if they don't ask, period. I hate lying so if they ask me I wont.

We recently moved in together and I was really hoping that when we had her parents over one of them would have walked over to my bookshelf to take a look at what I read.  
They didn't though, but they're not stupid either. We did move in together before marriage.

In societal terms, it's easy living regardless of what you believe where I live. In the workplace or whatever.

[quizlixx]

I'm in the closet in real life--at work --Bible Belt y'know.

That, my closeted friend, is no excuse. Sorry to say it, but it's true. I wish you all the luck coming out of your closet though.  

[Chimera]

I'm out on every networking site (Facebook, MySpace) and forum I frequent. I'm out at work as well, but my parents still don't know.

[Alenthony]

When I was in graduate school, I was very much out. I regret that a bit now. I have a very unique last name, and there is a lot of stuff from the early 90s out there with my name on it that might not sit well with a potential future employer. Oh well.

So now I work under a very much out pseudonym, my pen name S.A. Alenthony. There were other reasons why I decided on using a pen name, too.

[VanReal]

I don't know that I'm "out" everywhere online, other than the fact that you can look at my profiles and quotes and see that I don't think highly of religion nor do I have any affiliation with it.  Most people at work know, just through years of benign conversation.  However, I don't feel the need to publicize my non-religion, atheism, whatever, so don't really see the need to come "out" since there is no organization I am needing to be loyal to, and no movement I am trying to spread.  

It's curious in your blog Whit that someone would say this is a moral issue.  Is there an assumption that atheists have a moral obligation to make that fact known to everyone?  Should people also morally be required to acknowledge whether or not they watch porn, take medication, talk to their pets, care about the environment, or pick their nose?  I can't see how something that is a personal thought, feeling, or belief/nonbelief is anyone's business morally or otherwise.  

[Whitney]

It's curious in your blog Whit that someone would say this is a moral issue.  Is there an assumption that atheists have a moral obligation to make that fact known to everyone?  Should people also morally be required to acknowledge whether or not they watch porn, take medication, talk to their pets, care about the environment, or pick their nose?  I can't see how something that is a personal thought, feeling, or belief/nonbelief is anyone's business morally or otherwise.  

On another forum, I have actually been told I am immoral (and I think it was by more than one person...been a while) for not making a point to come out to everyone and then even more immoral for going a bit out of my way to avoid (most) people I work with knowing my views towards religion/god (like I don't put my religious views on things business associates/employers are highly likely to read ie facebook; and even a smart person could put two and two together by looking at my friends, groups, and causes on there).  The reasoning was basically that inaction (being quiet) prevents atheists from being able to be viewed as normal in society and impedes the progress of equal rights for atheists.  However, I don't ever hear of anyone saying that black people who didn't lobby for equal rights were immoral....people just praise those who did lobby.

I don't see how my not being obviously an atheist in work settings is hurting anything...esp since it's not like I don't do anything at all to help make atheism more accepted (and even if I didn't , that wouldn't mean I was being immoral it would just mean I had other priorities).

Like...if my husband and I were swingers (IF), it would not be appropriate to discuss that at work or talk about it on any sort of media that business contacts would read.  Swingers are not very socially acceptable and could use a bit of good public PR.  However, I don't think any swingers would consider swingers who are quiet about their private sexual life to be immoral for doing so.