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Just dropping by...

Started by Neal, May 29, 2012, 12:36:41 AM

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Neal

May 29, 2012, 12:36:41 AM
I guess I'm dropping by to connect with your collective wisdom.  Living as an atheist has not been easy for me, having spent most of my life a Roman Catholic Christian.  It is hard to disconnect completely, as life here, be it school, community, sport and social events revolve around the RC church.  It is hard to find ones self, when trying to balance living as an atheist, with acting as a RC Christian.  I think the confusion is getting the best of me.

xSilverPhinx

#1
May 29, 2012, 12:49:34 AM
Welcome!

Are there other atheists around your area?
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey

Recusant

#2
May 29, 2012, 01:19:22 AM Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 01:22:54 AM by Recusant
Hello and welcome to HAF, Neal. It sounds as if this is a relatively recent issue for you; I hope that things get easier for you soon. I don't know whether spending time here will help or not, but we do have several ex-Catholic members. I think that if you're looking for somewhere to talk about things, you'll find this a friendly place.

QuoteNotes for new members from Tank:

The Rules.

Users who comply with forum rules will graduate to full membership after 10 posts. Till that time your ability to post is limited to the "Getting to Know You" section of the forum. It is our hope that this small restriction improves the overall atmosphere of HAF.

Some threads you might find interesting.
Where did you get your username from?
10 Things About Yourself
Tell us A Bit About Where You're From
Photography
Non-religious pet peeves
Pets...what do you have?
How to tell your family you are an atheist.*
"Rules for Conducting a Discussion" by Dr. Mortimer J. Adler*

*You will need 10 posts before you can add a post to this thread, but you can read it at any time.

I hope you enjoy your time reading and posting here!
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken

Mr. Deity and the Consent

Traveler

#3
May 29, 2012, 01:21:20 AM
Hello and welcome! Hang out here and you'll find a lot of sympathetic ears. I hope you're able to find a place where you feel more comfortable. I'm very fortunate that my immediate family and several friends are all non-believers, so I don't feel that I have to pretend to anyone.
If we ever travel thousands of light years to a planet inhabited by intelligent life, let's just make patterns in their crops and leave.

Firebird

#4
May 29, 2012, 03:44:54 AM
Welcome, you're among friends here. There are many members who also grew up as a member of a church but later fell away from it. Search previous posts, and we'd love to hear your story whenever you're comfortable telling it.
"Great, replace one book about an abusive, needy asshole with another." - Will (moderator) on replacing hotel Bibles with "Fifty Shades of Grey"

xSilverPhinx

#5
May 29, 2012, 04:59:42 AM Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 05:02:23 AM by xSilverPhinx
Yeah, finding other people with whom you don't feel like you're leading a double life can be a comfort :)

As for the confusion, how is it getting to you? ??? Are you a recent deconvert?
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey

Tank

#6
May 29, 2012, 08:34:28 AM
Hi Neal

I would say, based on participating in atheist forums since 2006, that ex Roman Catholics form the majority of ex-theists. You are far from alone in your current predicament. We have quite a few ex-RCs here with whom you can discuss your situation.

Welcome to HAF  ;D

Regards
Chris
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

OldGit

#7
May 29, 2012, 10:50:18 AM
Hi, Neal!

Welcome, you've found a good place for help and reassurance - and you're not the first, not by a long way.
While you're here, have a good laugh as well as discussing the serious stuff.  It helps, too.

Anti-antidisestablishmentarianism

#8
May 29, 2012, 05:59:35 PM
Welcome Neal.  Yes have a good laugh while you are here, this forum gives you plenty of opportunities  ;D
"All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." -Voltaire
"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out". Richard Dawkins

markmcdaniel

#9
May 30, 2012, 05:00:27 AM
Welcome Neil. I Was a atheist for many years before I dared to call myself one. You will get plenty of advice here, perhaps more than you will really want.
It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against Christianity and theism produce hardly any effect on the public; and freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds which follows from the advance of science - Charles Darwin

I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the object of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a god, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism. - Albert Einstein

Religion is a by product of fear. For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity. - Arther C. Clarke

Faith means not wanting to know what is true. - Friedrich Nietzsche

daddyferrari

#10
June 01, 2012, 03:33:58 PM
Hey.  I think you're right on with how much religion influences everyday life, from your kids school, to coworkers, and family.  It's so difficult!  I coach my sons baseball team and am constantly bombarded with invites for my kids to join up in boy scouts and I have to find cleaver excuses to say no, without saying, "Are you F'ing crazy!?!"  (See Penn and Tellers BS on the boy scout topic, if you haven't already)

Good luck to you!

Neal

#11
June 03, 2012, 12:41:53 AM
Thanks to everyone for your positive feedback on my introduction and your welcome.  I was not sure what to expect.  I half expected people offering solutions, like move somewhere else or seek out new friends.  Instead, I have found people who can connect and accept ones reality, without judging or trying to fix things.  I think this is a positive place to be.  I'll be dropping in from time to time to read and share.  Thanks again to all.
PS - I am open about myself amongst Family and friends - so I'm not completely closeted.  There are expectations socially and this is difficult.  Its a fine line and I try and walk it with an open mind.  Similar to the non-judgmental comments I have experienced in the forum.
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