Comments on: Hint to Americans on how to find the atheists you already know https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/ Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:39:11 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: Still in Closet https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544709 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:39:11 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544709 Thanks for the chuckle.
The thing that makes me most nervous about large family gatherings is that it is very likely I will be asked to lead in prayer! I was a very devout believer/observer before I left home, and my folks are quite alright with women taking on spiritual leadership roles.
(sigh)
I think I’d wiggle out of it by transferring the honor of “blessing the food” to my husband – just like a Biblical wife ought to, lol!

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544708 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:27:54 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544708 A floating Jesus? Well, THAT might make visit to church interesting.

Spent the day at the Ren Fest yesteray, and Jesus was there too. He seems to be EVERYWHERE.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544707 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:25:55 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544707 Heidi: wow, that sucks. That happened to someone I know at her wedding, many years ago when I was an atheist but had no idea there was such a thing as atheist activism. It was to be a non-religious ceremony, and the pastor, who agreed to that, started in on the god stuff and went on and on as the bride started to cry. Then got mad. She did not make a scene but this was in a rural area where people cooperated on a lot of things (a “barn raising” culture) and I guarantee that pastor lost position in the community that day, because every single person at the ceremony knew this was not supposed to happen.

]]> By: Tim H https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544706 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:24:37 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544706 At the family gathering, sis, bro-in-law, niece and nephew (all Catholic, sis a conversion) mom (northern Baptist) and dad (who knows?) bow and pray. I’m heads-up, and the nephew (9) and the niece (4) know it. I’ve babysat the kids a couple times and the nephew leads the niece in a prayer before we eat the pizza, and they know I don’t participate. No one has any problems with it. At least the kids are aware that unbelievers exist and are just like everyone else in most ways.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544705 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:22:19 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544705 Joe [10]: You question is just “You were trained as an anthropologist, right? ” … well, you know I was. You were there! Awaiting your fuller response…

]]> By: speedwell https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544704 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:03:36 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544704 Oh, and ugh, I have to meet a friend at church this morning. Unity church, with a floating Jesus projected on the wall. What can I do… laugh, I’ll just laugh. And look around for fellow “what the hell am I doing heres”. 🙂

]]> By: speedwell https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544703 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:56:13 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544703 Mom and Dad were very religious. Dad was a church elder and Mom turned into a fundie after (or maybe before) they broke up. We three kids were raised devoutly. I hit 30, and had a very weird e-mail exchange with my father where he hinted broadly that his real religious influence was Spinoza. Mom died a few years after that, and at the funeral, my grandmother and uncle and cousins were sitting around talking about the sermon and how uncomfortable they were with some of the things the preacher said. I said, “Well, of course, you guys are Jewish. Imagine how I feel… I don’t even believe in God.” To my utter shock, they started to laugh. And my grandmother said, “Honey, neither do we. We just didn’t want to say anything about it because we promised your mother we wouldn’t talk about it with you.”

]]> By: MikeMa https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544702 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:07:52 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544702 I’ve refused to bow my head for prayer for over 30 years. Never caught any flack for it (maybe) as almost all the others gathered in their subservient poses didn’t look up to see me. I will remember the wink thing for future events. Anything I can do to help a questioning child has to be a good thing.

]]> By: Heidi Anderson https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544701 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:12:04 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544701 When I hosted Thanksgiving this past year at my house, I was horrified when my mother began to offer a prayer. I have never gone into someone’s home and demanded that they cease prayer, it seems equally odd to me that you would come into an open atheists house and lead a group prayer.

Turns out my mother was just nervous that my grandmother would learn that I was an atheist. Still, I am not going to lie in my own house.

]]> By: JefFlyingV https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544700 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:00:03 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/09/12/hint-to-americans-on-how-to-fi/#comment-544700 Funny, I’ve done this but it has backfired at meal time. I was asked to leave when the host noticed I didn’t bow my head for grace. They weren’t going to have any damned atheist sickening the dinner table.

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