Out Yourself for Freethought Day?

[Whitney]

In a group of freethinkers where most of us pride ourselves on being leaders rather than followers; do you think that having a coming out day specified is beneficial?  Would such a date make you feel more compelled to come out?  Is it a good idea to come out due to a date rather than finding an appropriate time?  Personally, I like the idea of a freethought day to honor thinking for one's self but am not sure what to think of having a designated day for coming out; it seems in some ways opposed to the ideals of free-thought since coming out on a date specified by others could be do to peer pressure.

Freethought "Coming Out" Day is an annual day of celebration which gives those freethinkers who have been unable to proudly declare themselves a platform from which to do so. Held on October 12, newly declared freethinkers can gain strength and support from fellow "open" freethinkers and from other October freethought holidays such as International Freethought Month and Separation of Church and State Day.

In this day and age in the United States, discrimination, hatred, and bias against freethinkers is still allowed, even promoted, by many in this country. Unlike the gay and lesbian community, the freethought community does not have the powerful voice and activist population necessary to end such treatment. It is time to change this situation for the better of all freethinkers, especially the young.

These reactions often stem from a lack of understanding about what it is to be a freethinker, the fact that it is a mindset that is often set in motion in childhood, and like sexual preference, is not something one can change with a whim or the right "religion." Nor should it be something others try to change. In order to be understood, freethinkers must be allowed to openly admit themselves and their beliefs-or lack thereof. Only in such a supportive environment can freethinkers ever hope to gain the voice they need to change their world for the better of all.

read more:  http://www.secularseasons.org/october/f ... t_day.html

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think a better thing is to out yourself to the Christians in your life, so that they can see that good, upright, moral people can be non-believers.  Doing it to a gathering of atheists doesn't seem to have much point.

[madness]

It's absurd that people are afraid to tell others what their religious views are.  I'm not bashing people who are afraid, I'm bashing the culture that has promoted that fear - fear of being different.  

So I like the idea for the day.  It gives people a reason to not be afraid and to have a supportive atmosphere.  Telling people who aren't going to judge you harshly is a good first step to telling others in your life.

[navvelline]

It's absurd that people are afraid to tell others what their religious views are.  I'm not bashing people who are afraid, I'm bashing the culture that has promoted that fear - fear of being different.

Surely our culture will progress in time, I can see less and less people being afraid to label themselves as "atheist", "agnostics", or "free-thinkers". But I suppose whether a person is afraid to come out as a non-believer depends on the families they were raised in. I was raised in a Catholic home, but my parents (while devout, were loving and understanding). That's rare, especially those who live in fundamentalist homes, who would go bat shit insane if they knew their offspring no longer believed. While it's important for people to "come out", it's also understandable that they're afraid to do so.  

[Thumpalumpacus]

It's absurd that people are afraid to tell others what their religious views are.  I'm not bashing people who are afraid, I'm bashing the culture that has promoted that fear - fear of being different.

Surely our culture will progress in time, I can see less and less people being afraid to label themselves as "atheist", "agnostics", or "free-thinkers". But I suppose whether a person is afraid to come out as a non-believer depends on the families they were raised in. I was raised in a Catholic home, but my parents (while devout, were loving and understanding). That's rare, especially those who live in fundamentalist homes, who would go bat shit insane if they knew their offspring no longer believed. While it's important for people to "come out", it's also understandable that they're afraid to do so.  

I suppose I got lucky.  My dad ( a Southern Baptist, though not very observant) always told me, "If you think you're right, speak your mind, and don't back down."  My mom always told me, "I'll love you no matter what."  Between the two, I had my route charted, so that when I realized my atheism I was relatively sure I could say as much to the two who meant the most to me.

After them, everyone else was gravy.  They could like me or not, but they could affect me unless I let them.

[AlP]

The article starts out by quoting Emerson:

"Every manâ€"in the development of his own personalityâ€"has the right to form his own beliefs and opinions. Hence, suppression of belief, opinion and expression is an affront to the dignity of man, a negation of man’s essential nature."

and then goes on:

Freethought "Coming Out" Day is an annual day of celebration which gives those freethinkers who have been unable to proudly declare themselves a platform from which to do so.

I suspect the irony was unintentional. I say don't let your thinking be governed by the solar cycle

[karadan]

I guess it would be beneficial in areas where religious oppression is rife. No one would bat an eyelid if I were to openly come out where I live. Mainly because 95% of people would agree with my stance.  

[madness]

I guess it would be beneficial in areas where religious oppression is rife. No one would bat an eyelid if I were to openly come out where I live. Mainly because 95% of people would agree with my stance.  

Yeah, you folks across the pond have an easier time with it.  I no longer have the patience to beat around the bush, so when people ask me what church I go to (as nearly every single neighbor did when I first moved into this house), I flat out tell them I'm an atheist.  That actually usually scares them into silence, but you can tell they are horrified.  Ah well.

[ciredrallop]

A very small number of people know that I am Atheist. I have no fear of revealing that I am Atheist (other than maybe from a business standpoint), but I also don't find any benefit in revealing this fact. It won't change the world. It will only change the relationships I have with people. My Atheism is not important enough to me to have to hassle with conversing with religious people about why I find them to be so silly. I'm very Atheist. My brother is very Christian. We spend quite a bit of time together and have never once discussed religion. I know where I stand and he knows where he stands and he likely knows where I stand. Discussing our differences will be divisive at best. I'm happy that he is happy and I will pretend that he is happy that I am happy. No reason to rock the boat.

I firmly believe that I was born with a brain that thinks rationally. I remember being in Sunday school at a Methodist church looking at this thin paper pamphlet that told the story of Noah's Ark. I thought it was just a story for kids, but the teachers were telling us it was the truth. I asked my mom about it after we got out of 'school'. Later in my life when I brought it up she remembered that day. She said I asked her why the Mattisons' (the names of the teachers/parents of a kid I went to high school with) were lying to me about that story being true. I was like 8 or 9 years old then and I still couldn't wrap my brain around the ridiculousness of it all.

I don't know what the point of that story is. I guess I'm just saying that some people believe one way and some people believe another way. I'd prefer everyone agrees with me, but outing myself to people close to me will only complicate things. It will never help with anything.

[KebertX]

Wasn't October 12th, "Coming Out" day, an LGBT thing?  Like, for gays and lesbians to come out of the closet.  I suppose either way it's about liberation, but... IDK, it just seems odd to me to tack freethinkers onto their day and call it "Freethought Day."

[Whitney]

Wasn't October 12th, "Coming Out" day, an LGBT thing?  Like, for gays and lesbians to come out of the closet.  I suppose either way it's about liberation, but... IDK, it just seems odd to me to tack freethinkers onto their day and call it "Freethought Day."

the LGBT out day is Oct 11 in the USA.  October 12th is the anniversary of the end of the Salem Witch trials which is why it was chosen as freethought day; I would guess its proximity to national coming out day is how atheist coming out day was placed on oct 12th as well.  It's also within freethought week and freethought month.

[Goathead]

So do freethinkers include religious people or do they have to be atheist?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Seems that would depend on how they think and not what they believe.

[Goathead]

So in other words, an apologetic could just as easily be a freethinker?

[Thumpalumpacus]

So in other words, an apologetic could just as easily be a freethinker?

Is he amenable to admitting error?  That is the crux.