Happy Atheist Forum

New Happily Free Thinking blog post:  http://blog.happyatheistforum.com/2009/ ... ut-as.html (http://blog.happyatheistforum.com/2009/06/social-networking-are-you-out-as.html)

QuoteSo, what do you think?  Do you also feel conflicted on this issue; probably in daily interactions too?  Is this a moral question or just a personal choice?

Saw the tweet earlier. I'm out as an atheist pretty much on all my social networking profiles, with the exception of LinkedIn and Yammer (which are both business-related, so, atheist or Christian, I don't think matters of faith or worldview have anything to do with it) and my photo site that some of my extended family goes to (just to keep from stirring shit up, basically).

Aside from that, I'm as out as out can get, atheist-wise.  

Atheist everywhere online, but not 100% IRL. I won't be coming out to my grandmother or my uncle, as my grandmother has made it her life to be blissful regardless of reality and my uncle is too much of the religious conservative to understand. There's a point at which honesty isn't worth the heart break or trouble.

I am totally out online.

I'm totally out online as well.  My webpage has a page with my statement of my beliefs and my MySpace has many blogs about religion, mostly negative.  On Facebook, I have the Atheist asterisk up there and my friends list is riddled with atheists, both wellknown and not so much wellknown.

I don't hide it from anyone.  May be an issue when I look for a job, but oh well.  Take me or leave me.

Frankly I'm out altogether as an atheist. I lose more friends that way but then again that's almost a blessing in disguise.

I state that I am an atheist on Facebook, myspace and a couple of dating sites. Not on linked-in because it's irrelevant.

I'm out on mySpace, but not on LinkedIn.

I was just thinking that it was very odd for me to state I am not completely out on a blog that is directly linked to a blogger profile with my picture on it...maybe I'm more out than I think I am.  I just don't use my Facebook to blast religion  and left the "religion" field blank; but I did join groups/causes that are secular/atheist in nature....and well, Linked and Plaxo are for business only.  Even my potential future boss (if projects ever get going) knows that I'm not religious.  And then of course, my not wanting to have my picture on a site connected to the you are not alone billboard when I'm looking for a job in a crapy economy.  I didn't care so much about what I had out there when I had a job and the economy was better.

Still, even if it would be best we were all completely open on the internet and in real life...I still think it's not necessarily a smart career move and we can't all be martyrs.

I'm 100% out everywhere in real life and online.

I am out online, though I would try and leave it out of my professional engangments unless it seemed salient at the time.

Quote from: "Will"Atheist everywhere online, but not 100% IRL.

same here.
But only cause they dont ask, If they do, I will say Im an atheist

Eh, I'm mixed both online and offline.

Online
I'm out on my Facebook and my Twitter, with some family members being friends on the former so I naturally assume they know about that unless it comes up in a conversation. On my Bebo I'm not out. My Bebo is full of current and old school friends and I'm not sure how the older ones would take to it since I was asked "Are you joking?" by another guy in my class, so yeah. Then again they might not care. Won't know till I try I suppose. But in general, I'm out online 'cept for my Bebo.

Offline
Only my parents and a few best friends know I'm Atheist not counting the relatives on my Facebook. I don't know if they take that seriously so I don't exactly know. Other than that no one knows. Mum has this whole "Don't go telling people about it" because she thinks I'll be teased for it since the incident with that one guy in class but I think I can handle anything the relatives say. I have two aunts that I'd like to tell but since they're really into their faith I don't think they'd take it too well, so unless it comes up in a conversation I'll just let them continue with their thoughts. Not sure about what my priest friend would say. Kinda wanna tell him to find out, but he's an awesome mate and I don't wanna lose him so I'm not planning on telling him like, ever.

I'm out as MommaSquid but I haven't labelled myself as an atheist on Facebook.  People who know me can tell what I do and don't believe.  Labels are often inflammatory and/or unnecessary.

I'm in the closet in real life--at work --Bible Belt y'know. I admit to loving my Unitarian neighbors--and that's not a lie.
Webbyness--I'm gloriously out among the commentors at Fanatical Apathy and Snopes--wheeeee!
My Facebook info includes Happy Atheist  Forum in a long list of fave websites, kind of in the middle.  We use an alias on Facebook because it seems creepy to expose real stuff.
Anyone want to "Friend" Ike Renfield and see?

Whitney, really like your cloche!

Quote from: "SallyMutant"Whitney, really like your cloche!

You made me have to a word.  Thanks.

Out everywhere.

Facebook
Twitter
Work
Home

Everywhere.

everywhere for me

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.

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.

Quote from: "SallyMutant"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.  

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.

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.

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.  

Quote from: "VanReal"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.