tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post4417766453548302911..comments2012-06-07T01:33:32.345-07:00Comments on Generation Atheist: A Personal Story -- By Zoe RLaura (Editor)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17982748930213221064noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-40592667367520934342011-08-02T20:25:50.975-07:002011-08-02T20:25:50.975-07:00It comes up every once in a while, usually on an o...It comes up every once in a while, usually on an offhand remark by someone in my family, and I have to say it does make me rather uncomfortable. Mostly because I've only told my parents I'm an atheist and judging from the way it went over with them, it just seems better to keep things under wraps rather than come bounding out of "the closet". I mean my family isn't overly religious, but it changed the relationship between my parents in a weird and subtle way. <br /><br />Great article btw, Laura. A lot of it hit home for me.Jarednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-43487151442177457852011-08-01T11:38:34.090-07:002011-08-01T11:38:34.090-07:00I always cringe when my parents say something reli...I always cringe when my parents say something religious.<br /><br />Of course for religious people god is never unrelated, it's their worldview. This is what makes it so hard to question them, identity and ideology are intrinsically related, perhaps even increasingly so these days. People sometimes justify their belief not with evidence but on what it says about them - <br />'Why do I align my chakras every night? Well it's just how I am, you know what i'm like.' <br />So to debunk someone's belief is often an insult to them, very difficult when they're a close family member, someone you love and admire.<br /> You must decide whether to be outspoken about atheism in your family because you know your family best. I suggest you preach your ideology to them until they convert, or cringe every time you say something about God.<br /><br />And if they don't accept you then we'll be your family - although I can only speak for myself here so it might be just me and you. Can we get a pet cat?<br /><br />HarryRedRabbitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12409779585308977587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-39980396756291232252011-08-01T09:57:31.790-07:002011-08-01T09:57:31.790-07:00Yeah, that was a good one too... :)Yeah, that was a good one too... :)Laura (Editor)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17982748930213221064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-91410504064742210622011-08-01T09:55:00.853-07:002011-08-01T09:55:00.853-07:00Lets not forget evolution.Lets not forget evolution.Mike K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04086802395597787638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-28729682397162066742011-08-01T09:52:13.979-07:002011-08-01T09:52:13.979-07:00Mike, I'm glad to hear it's past the time ...Mike, I'm glad to hear it's past the time for worrying :) It would be even better if everyone realized that it was doctors and scientific advances that improved your granddad's chances, not God. But still, it's good he's all right.Laura (Editor)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17982748930213221064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-57983743342746360542011-08-01T09:37:21.413-07:002011-08-01T09:37:21.413-07:00To be fair, I don't think anyone is worried ab...To be fair, I don't think anyone is worried about Peter. It's been maybe a month to 6 weeks since it happened and he's already beaten the prognosis the doctor gave. He's beaten all expectations and his ability to communicate is returning rapidly even with one lobe tied behind his back.<br /><br />Nana was a child of the war and grew up in the aftermath of WWII so has that instinctive old fashioned unrelenting British spirit, to the point of owning a mug that says "Keep calm and carry on." referencing the the posters you saw around town during the worse parts of the war.<br /><br />The talking about prayer that Nana does, and talking about her imaginary friend, God, and his presence in the Church is not at all new or worsened by the stroke Peter had.<br /><br />It's just that I find praying for miracles regarding health to be offensive and praying for just the car to start to be stupidly trivial.<br /><br />Thanks for your kind thoughts though.Mike K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04086802395597787638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-22498767045409588712011-08-01T09:25:49.816-07:002011-08-01T09:25:49.816-07:00You said it made you uncomfortable, but that you d...You said it made you uncomfortable, but that you didn't know if it was a big enough issue to escalate. I think that there is a middle ground that you can find. Your family seem like reasonable people who are not going to go all inquisition on you if you tell them to back off, so you might try politely telling them that you accept their beliefs, you just don't share them, and if they wouldn't mind pushing the God stuff a little less hard. Best of luck to you Zoe, I know it's hard when you feel like an outsider in your family, I am no stranger to that feeling.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09586384891655374677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-66226919754612363132011-08-01T09:20:42.877-07:002011-08-01T09:20:42.877-07:00Mike, that sounds like such a difficult situation....Mike, that sounds like such a difficult situation. It's must be hard for your Nana to deal with what has happened. I'm sure she's very concerned for your granddad, and I guess religion helps her with that. I really feel for you having to balance your own feelings about your grandfather's health with your love and respect for your Nana.<br /><br />It can be so difficult to talk to people about how you're feeling when your worldviews are so different. I hope all goes well for your family and that your granddad's recovery continues to go smoothly.Laura (Editor)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17982748930213221064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-53768135882101909352011-08-01T09:10:24.886-07:002011-08-01T09:10:24.886-07:00I spent the day yesterday with my grandfather who ...I spent the day yesterday with my grandfather who recently suffered a stroke. He's recovering very well, so much so that he was sent home from the rehab clinic. We talked (via 20 questions for him though) he made us coffee, even poked fun at me when I had a second slice of carrot cake. <br /><br />The uncomfortable thing for me was that as a very regular church goer, him and Nana view virtually everything in a slight religious context. "The computer wasn't working," She said with a smile, "so I prayed and went off to do something else and when I came back it was working."<br />Nana is a lady who'll pray at the drop of a hat for any context. She's also the kind of women who doesn't think about the nature of any possible effect praying would have.<br /><br />She told us over afternoon tea, that as Peter was first recovering from his stroke that she put him on every prayer list in the district. This really annoyed me but I held back from saying "How much prayer does Peter need? How many prayers would it take to reverse the neural damage?"<br /><br /><br />I am an out atheist, my brother and mum are both agnostics just from not wanting to think about it, but Nana seems to presume that just because we used to go to her church that we must be too. She's a lovely woman and I love her and Granddad to bits but having irreconcilable views does get very frustrating.Mike K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04086802395597787638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-72466811233033423132011-08-01T08:53:59.870-07:002011-08-01T08:53:59.870-07:00Yes I have noticed that. It's mostly with some...Yes I have noticed that. It's mostly with some friends though. They are aware of my atheism, and I think some of them are just trying to convert me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-61036030668097067542011-08-01T07:34:25.455-07:002011-08-01T07:34:25.455-07:00I don't think people always notice it. This co...I don't think people always notice it. This country has so much Christian heritage, they take it for granted. <br /><br />I envy your situation, to be honest. My parents are hard core in their beliefs, and even ascribe to something called Christian Patriarchy, which means that they believe that adult daughters must continue to obey their fathers and that fathers should control and guide any romantic relationships through a process called "courtship." I had to leave home over this, although I was in college at the time. So it could be worse. Of course, I don't mean that just because it could be worse your situation isn't painful or a problem, I'm just adding some context, maybe. <br /><br />Your mom sounds pretty open and accepting, so maybe you could just mention it to her and tell her it's bothering you?Libby Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10562805251128821984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4199649182536907045.post-27028339689934179962011-08-01T05:41:16.719-07:002011-08-01T05:41:16.719-07:00I really relate to what you said about being taugh...I really relate to what you said about being taught about religion as if it were just stories. I remember being very young and finding out there was no Santa or tooth fairy, then logically concluding that God and Jesus must be made up stories too. Of course, I got into religion more when I was a bit older, but at the time it seemed to make sense that the God story was every bit as untrue as Santa and his elves.Laura (Editor)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17982748930213221064noreply@blogger.com