Are you a minority?

[tigerlily46514]

Hey Steve Reason!  
I live in a smaller town (Elkhart IN) than Indy, but i'd be exaggerating/ bordering on lying if i said i think most Hoosiers are not hostile to atheists up this way.
 
 Oh yeah, they ARE hostile here.  Like most religious people, you can't debate them--even if THEY bring it on, trying to convert me, etc--without taking on some weird defensive wrath and eventually, hostility, and a surprising amount of anger.  Even if you are being polite and respectful, the very notion just sets 'em off !!!  Well, most of 'em anyway.
(This isn't from my social friends, it is others, coworkers, etc.)


  My town was trying to get the commandments put out in front of the courthouse!!  c'mon!!!

so i am mostly in the closet, still......not worth the wrath.

Even those who are not openly hostile, there is something...a superior attitude/pity/ostracism, something not good that falls on out of 'em when/if they find out one is atheist ......

But how encouraging that you have a different experience in the larger city.  I heard Bill Maher say last week, that in the under 30 age group, 20% are now atheist, which makes them a larger 'minority' than blacks, latinos, or gays. Our time is coming.

 I wonder in the over 30 age group, the percentage?  I was certain i was the ONLY one for decades and decades, wish they'd had sites LIKE THIS when i was younger....

I DO FEEL like a minority, i definitely feel philosophically isolated here.   And you are right, it's pubs only on sunday! No liquor stores!  When i first moved here from Cape Cod, i thought the clerk at the grocery store was kidding me!!!!!

And yeah, i rather loathe the new plates.  pullleeeeze..

[SteveS]

Personally, I think that if we make it illegal to buy alcohol on Sunday, then it should be illegal to attend church on Saturday!

I'm just kidding, of course.  These sorts of laws are senseless to me.  If I buy, and then consume, alcohol on Sunday in my home or in a bar ---- whose rights am I violating?  How am I impacting anybody else?  "Land of Liberty", huh?

[tigerlily46514]

I'll drink to that, Steve S!!

PLus, the whole SUNDAY crap, what does WHAT day it it have to do with rum?????  Tequila, maybe, but rum?? bah ha ha!!

i mean rationally.....  as if we were pretending there was a separation of church and state....i think we all oughta go set up a margarita stand outside all of our local churches..sell it for like, $10 per paper cup full.....there'd be salt, of course.

....i guess i'm glad enuff the ones who decided gawd didn't want us purchasing alcohol one day each week didn't pick FRIDAY!!  


"Rum.....it isn't just for breakfast anymore......"

wow, we derailed THIS thread, huh!  what is this thread, again?
 

[SteveS]

We were talking about whether or not you (as an atheist) are a minority where you live.

Hmmm, all this talk about alcohol; seems to me like sober atheists would be in a minority group....

 :wink:

[Steve Reason]

We were talking about whether or not you (as an atheist) are a minority where you live.

Hmmm, all this talk about alcohol; seems to me like sober atheists would be in a minority group....

 :wink:

Hey I was a Christian, or a reasonable facsimile thereof for 30 years; I have a lot of drinking to catch up on!  :wink:

[Mister Joy]

Hmmm, all this talk about alcohol; seems to me like sober atheists would be in a minority group....

Throw in a bit of repressed sexuality and this may as well be a Catholic forum.

[MommaSquid]

Hmmm, all this talk about alcohol; seems to me like sober atheists would be in a minority group....

Hey, I'm sober right now!

But why should we deprive ourselves of the pleasure of a fine alcoholic beverage every now and then?   It's not like tea-totallers get into heaven.

Not that I don't enjoy tea...

[Mister Joy]

If not booze, why caffeine? If not caffeine, why chocolate? et cetera.

Gotta balance happiness and health, not sacrifice one for the other.

[Churchworker]

I live in Southwest and there are atheist everywhere. Its horrible as they have signs up everywhere: "Born again atheist" and "I was born right the first time."
They call it the atheist belt here.
Probably all false prophets lead by the devil.

[Mister Joy]

What, on God's green Earth (figure of speech), are you jabbering on about Churchy?

I'm starting to believe that this is a prank. Am I being stupid, people? Was it really obvious from the off?

[McQ]

What, on God's green Earth (figure of speech), are you jabbering on about Churchy?

I'm starting to believe that this is a prank. Am I being stupid, people? Was it really obvious from the off?

No, you are not being stupid. Churchworker is working on getting a warning about Trolling pretty soon, if he/she doesn't come clean with an intro. and purpose for these meaning less posts.

Got that, Churchworker?

[take2gemini]

Go Oregonians!

I live in Sheridan, OR...about 50 miles away from Portland. Predominantly wiccan/atheist town, with the occasional Christian.

[rlrose328]

Well... I'm gonna have to move to Sheridan!  I'm in Sherwood, about 15 miles SW of Portland... and we're over-run with Mormons and Fundies here.  I know it's worse that it is because my son goes to a school in a church (NOT a church-run school) so my exposure to the fundies is probably higher than if he didn't go there.  

Ah well... nice to see another Oregonian!  

[take2gemini]

pffbt Mormons? holy crap! I would've never known! I'm up in Lake Oswego all the damn time!

And I used to live in Shelley, ID where they are overrun with Mormons.....so I know how that goes. I felt like I went to a Mormon High school. There was NO seperation of church and state...it was non stop church and people trying to convert you! They had a class [non credit, but still] called seminary, which was insane! I was one of 3% non Mormons, I was baptized and so was the other of the 3%. I was the only female non Mormon, which made it weird. We could only date each other! xD it was quite amusing...we scared people based on our religion. 2 Atheists and a Wiccan. The wiccan...never baptized, and wasn't stalked. Damn him x]

I grew up here, only lived in Shelley for three months. Still..it was insane.

*waves to the other oregonion *

It feels good to be home

[rlrose328]

Eh, the Mormons I can take... but I didn't have to go to school with them.  I was raised from age 10 on in California (central valley)... I never even MET a Mormon until I moved here at age 37!  My neighbor was very accommodating in answering all of my stupid questions based on the stereotypes I had and the misinformation I'd gotten from my mom.

For the most part, they are some of the nicest people I've ever met or hung out with.  The neighbors are up to 4 kids now... had none when we moved here.  And she was a scrapbooker so we had that in common.  Thank goodness for Mormons or the scrapbooking world would be VERY different and there wouldn't be as much stuff out there to play with!  LOL!