freedomdowntime

I live in small town America where we have about eight or nine churches. Most of those are protestant with one Catholic. We have a catholic school until high school. I am currently a sophomore in the local high school.

With the background information out of the way I wish to describe my situation. I am finding it nearly impossible to escape discussions about religion. I truly don’t bring up the issue of religion in discussions. However, being a small town school it doesn’t take long for people to find out your views on religion.

I am not aggressive about being atheist (I almost hate using this word because of the connotations and misconceptions that are part of the word’s baggage, In my use of it I mean only that I belong to no religion and am still deciding on my views). I have nothing against christens or any other religion. My view is that if a religion changes a person into a better member of society then that is great. I have been to church. My uncle is a Methodist minister.

I feel that I am targeted for my views. I am currently healing from a wound inflicted from someone with different beliefs then me. Whenever the discussion of religion does come up it is always as if I am insane and that my views are preposterous and not worth listening to.

Feel free to discuss what I said on this thread along with this question.

Any ideas on explaining this to family and friends set on making up my mind for me?

Before flaming me on my statements here please realize that I do have values, morals, and feelings.

krwlz

You ought to know by now that flaming doesnt occur in the TFP...

And freedomdowntime... I feel very very similar to you man. People constantly slam me for being atheist... Seems atheism is completly seperate from communism yet...

And even then, people dont know what real communism is.

So in the end, I just ignore them, because the more they talk the more the prove that they are ignorant.

CSflim

Boy! Am I glad I live in good ol' watered-down-religion Ireland, where practically everyone is catholic, but almost none would even own a bible.

I remember in religion class in school (non-demonimational religion class might I add...hah! yeah right!) I tried to stick up for my views. Of course no one cared.

"My mum told me that some dude up in the clouds is looking down on everyone, and he's all powerful and stuff"
"Yeah...but why do YOU believe it. Ever think maybe your mother was wrong when she told you this?"
"Ya slaggin' me ma?"
"em...no...Just want to know why you believe..."
"I just do"
"Um. thats not really an answer"
"It is an answer. I just do"
"oh pardon me! I realise now that I have been crushed under the impressive might of your coherent and logical argument"
".....?"
"I said I give up"

so no. Despite being an atheist to the core, It has never been an issue over here.

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raeanna74

As I am not athiest but I also do not know myself where I stand on a number of religious issues I can't give you much help. I will stay posted though to hear other's input.

Personally at this time I try to make it a policy not to discuss religion. I have 2 friends who are fairly close and who are also disgruntled with current organised religion. We discuss this among ourselves but it's more of a comparing views and a way of bouncing ideas off of each other than a argument about what I believe versus what you believe.

When it comes to others who bring up the subject of religion, the moment I can see that they aren't willing or able to explain WHY they believe what they do then I just simply tell them something like
"I'm sorry. I try to make it a policy not to discuss religion with people. There are so many differing views and I enjoy talking to you but I do not want to feel like we are arguing. Let's not talk about this. So what do you think about how the Packers are doing this year?"
If they insist on continuing to discuss things then I will politely excuse myself if possible or begin another conversation with another person.

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"Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama
My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

iamjero

Im agnostic, i believe in something I just dont know what, and currently living in Kentucky (dead center of the bible belt). Man people around here are as radical as the Taliban. They are crazy. Ministers, Jahovas Whitnesses, babtists, the whole slew of them. All fighting for my buisness. They just wont try to understand what I chose believe so piss on em.

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"Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don't allow our enemies to have guns, why should we allow them to have ideas?"

- Joseph Stalin

homerhop

Being in the same boat as CSflim, and having a catholic upbrining I no longer go to church.
I have family who have strong religious oppinions, to which I will always answer.... my religion is quiet simple I dont bother people.If needed will help them anyway I can, but cross me and they will reap the rewards of their actions.

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its evolution baby

Arc101

I didn't know that you got this sort of trouble in America. I live in England and I can't remember the last time someone asked me about my religious beliefs, but it most be over 10 years ago. I never even get Jahovas Whitnesses around my area.
Just accuse anyone who gives you grief of being Un-American by not respecting your freedom - Hell it works for Bush whenever someone disagrees with him !

skinbag

You are surrounded by religious hippocrites. I would tell you to ignore them, but that doesn't help much when you are being attacked by zealots! I'm surprised you aren't a devil-worshipper by now. Remaining open to the possibility of God shows a level of maturity beyond your years. Those folks are not very good representatives of Jesus' teachings IMO.
If you can bide your time until you graduate high school do so, then go to college anywhere else and never look back. I feel for you. I thought high school cliques were bad enough, let alone fanatics. Keep in touch. Perhaps someone here has something to help you through tough times.
Afterthought: Just a thought. How are the counselors/ church adults/ law officials in your town ? Sometimes this mob mentality is handed down, and sometimes the kids are just plain messed up on their own. Is there anyone sane in a position to help? I thought Christians = Zealots as a child but have since run across some very enlightened Christians. If those folks had much knowledge of Christ, I doubt they would feel so threatened and lash out. A good minister could tactfully address this in a sermon if it were brought to his or her attention.
Perhaps some knowledgeable Christian on the TFP could provide Scriptural refutations of violence in the name of God. It's a judgement call, so be careful, but maybe they'll listen to scripture? They sound pretty far gone, so again I emphasize BE CAREFUL..Maybe save scripture for those conversations you can't avoid.

homerhop

Just remind them "let he who has never sined cast the first stone"
Or the story off the Shepard leaving his flock to look for one lost sheep.
My memory reminds me also a story of a those saying how much they do for god and their religion and the simple person who thanked god when they could, and how he favoured these simple more

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its evolution baby

CSflim

Yeah, from what I know, England, and Britain in general has the same sort of religious apathy that we have over here.

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