Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The Other Michael · 04-13-2002, 10:35 AM

Check out

<a href="http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/020102/rel_020102rel0100001.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/020102/rel_020102rel0100001.shtml</a>

The founder of Domino' Pizza wants to put up a 25 story cross, just slightly shorter than the Statue of Liberty (and interesting comparison eh?).

With stuff like this, who need fantasy?

cheers,
Michael

fromtheright · 04-13-2002, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sullster:

Granted, I am a damn Yankee, but I could not live in the South. The presence of so many fundy churches and preachy signs is a cultural aspect that would drive me nuts.

C'mon Sullster, come back and visit, just watch your timing, we go out and roll atheists about once a month.

No, you're not a damn Yankee. If you're not familiar with the joke, a Yankee is one who visits from the North, a damn Yankee is one who stays.

JL · 04-13-2002, 02:14 PM

Quote:

If you are a Protestant, you wear it like a badge. If you are not, you hold your tongue.

Words to live by.

RufusAtticus · 04-13-2002, 02:35 PM

I'm a southern Atheist and proud of it. I have never been afriad to speak my mind. If a Christian is offended by my Atheism, it's their fault not mine. I do not get in people's faces, but I will not bide my toungue when asked.

The amazing thing about me is that I never once considered hiding my lack of faith. I am too honest a person to lie about something like that.

-RvFvS

sighhswolf · 04-13-2002, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Fristians:
I'm from North Carolina. Not metropolitan North Carolina (and such a creature does exist.) In the six miles between the place where I used to take piano lessons (a baptist church) and my house, there are 7 churches: 5 Baptist and 2 Methodist. Of course, I haven't lived at home for 3 years now, so I'm sure that some congregations have split and there are a couple more.

Please understand, I like the south. It's my home. However, I find the South to be a dangerous place. There is a combination of deeply Fundamentalist adherents and a very strong culture of violence. This, frankly, scares me. The very word "atheist" is pronounced with a vitriol usually reserved for terms like "female orgasm."

Many posts on this thread have focused on billboards and big crosses, things that you see while driving through the South. While these are the most conspicuous displays of faith, they cannot compare to those that one encounters on a more or less daily basis, especially as a non-believer. I recall one incident in particular:

As I mentioned earlier, I took piano lessons in a church. I'm from a secular family, and I have never had to attend church, save a brief stint in Baptist daycare, for which my parents still occasionally apologize. One evening I was waiting for my piano teacher to arrive. I couldn't have been more than 13 or 14, and had not yet distilled my beliefs into a cohesive philosophy. I wasn't sure about this whole God thing. I was lurking around in the hall, and I was approached by a well-dressed gentlemen. Being of good Southern extraction, I smiled at him, and waited for him (he being the elder) to introduce himself. He introduced himself as so and so, and I smiled and said my name.

His first question for me was "What church do you go to?" I was positively terrified. This was the fatal questioned.

I have always been well-spoken. Being an only child, I was raised around adults, and never experienced youthful shyness that many of my peers did. I was petrified.

"Um...I...really don't...we're not very...religious." I stuttered. I expected him to begin the too-common inquisition: What do you mean? Do you not believe in God? Aren't you afraid of hell, boy?

He smiled and nodded, and invited my family and I to attend service on the following Sunday. I nodded and mumbled something about looking forward to it. The pastor excused himself, to my great relief. I stood for the next few minutes, assuming that he would, on the following Sunday, take attendance at church. He would call my name, and the congregation would remain expectantly silent. A few moments of silence. Not here? Well, then, let's go get him.

Of course we did not go to service on the following Sunday, or on any Sunday. It was only a few years later that I began to wonder why such an innocuous encounter in a church hallway should fluster me so, and render me a babbling idiot. Why was I, a smart and articulate boy, so afraid of a gentle man of the cloth? I mean, after all, he's not Catholic.

I realize now that religious conditioning is a part of life in the South. If you are a Protestant, you wear it like a badge. If you are not, you hold your tongue.

See y'all around,

Chuck

P.S. There was some talk about large crosses. For you NPR fans:

<a href="http://www.thislife.org/ra/202.ram" target="_blank">http://www.thislife.org/ra/202.ram</a>

And excellent episode of This American Life. There's a section about the largest cross in the world, located in Texas. I think it's around the 14 minute mark. I recommend the entire episode, however. It's called "Faith."

Chuck,
I grew up in the metro Charlotte area.
I am certainly glad to see that I am not the only one around here who has visions of militant christians with guns.......
I tried at one time to explain how it truely was in the Bible Belt to some of our northern neighbors, they actually thought I was makin this crap up. I lived in Chicago and Boston and I never ran into the total redneck christian fundamentalist pentacostal holiness church of the smith and wesson, sanctified and blessed by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and made manifest to the servents of the one true LORD !!!!!
AMEN!!
If you do not live in the land of the godbots you cannot really understand how terrifying these people are.
You are either one of them or you are the DEVIL
Satan, a demon from hell.....
Screw em all....
Wolf

<img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

Eudaimonist · 04-13-2002, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sighhswolf:
If you do not live in the land of the godbots you cannot really understand how terrifying these people are.
You are either one of them or you are the DEVIL
Satan, a demon from hell.....

Wow... I'm glad I've never had to live down there. I hope I never will.

JL · 04-14-2002, 05:07 AM

Quote:

The amazing thing about me is that I never once considered hiding my lack of faith. I am too honest a person to lie about something like that.

I hope it works out for you, I'm thinking of trying that approach.

Employer: "God works in mysterious ways."

JL: "That's about the stupidest fucking thing I've heard all day sir, and quite frankly I'm dismayed that you would perpetuate that kind of servile mindless tripe in this day and age."

Employer: <blinks and stands there with vacant stare while contemplating the most descrete method of termination>

Sure it's hyperbole, but that's how it feels sometimes.

Bree · 04-14-2002, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JL:


I hope it works out for you, I'm thinking of trying that approach.

Employer: "God works in mysterious ways."

JL: "That's about the stupidest fucking thing I've heard all day sir, and quite frankly I'm dismayed that you would perpetuate that kind of servile mindless tripe in this day and age."

Employer: <blinks and stands there with vacant stare while contemplating the most descrete method of termination>

Sure it's hyperbole, but that's how it feels sometimes.

Actually, I've said something like that to a fellow supervisor (not my boss, since my boss is a closet atheist too - and that's about the only good thing abut him). This supervisor invited me to his Baptist church after overhearing me relate a childhood church horror story to one of my coworkers. This supervisor is a great guy - and I said "I can't believe you subscribe to that drivel. You're such an intelligent guy."

Okay - so I didn't use the word fuck, but still.

sullster · 04-14-2002, 02:02 PM

I admire and applaud anyone who is atheist in the South. It can be difficult at times here in the North but it seems to pale in comparison with Dixie.
I salute you and wish you well. It is encouraging to know that there are strong minded people able to stand up to such an oppressive religious culture.

sighhswolf · 04-14-2002, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sullster:
I admire and applaud anyone who is atheist in the South. It can be difficult at times here in the North but it seems to pale in comparison with Dixie.
I salute you and wish you well. It is encouraging to know that there are strong minded people able to stand up to such an oppressive religious culture.

Sullster,
You used the key word in your post above.
"CULTURE" you see it really doesnt matter to most of the people in the south (that you have daily contact with) if you believe in god or not.
The heritage and culture is built upon the interaction of church and community.
You are your religious affiliation.
If you meet new people for the first time, one of the very first questions you will be asked is "and what church do you and your family attend". It has nothing to do with actual belief
or non-belief, it has everything to do with social interaction and acceptance.
Those of us who are not afraid to say I am a non-believer, must also develop an independent existence based on finding and establishing a core
of friends and business associates who feel as we do.
If you do not stand and proclaim your religion, then you are pretty much excluded from many areas
of social and cultural groupings.
In other words if'n ya dont say I believe in tha Lord Jeeeeeeeeesus, amen!!!
There are very few who will accept you and trust you (speaking as southerner).
It's all about image, and that is the worst part of it all...............................
Wolf

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

04-13-2002, 10:35 AM	#11
The Other Michael Honorary Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: In the fog of San Francisco Posts: 12,631	Check out <a href="http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/020102/rel_020102rel0100001.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/020102/rel_020102rel0100001.shtml</a> The founder of Domino' Pizza wants to put up a 25 story cross, just slightly shorter than the Statue of Liberty (and interesting comparison eh?). With stuff like this, who need fantasy? cheers, Michael

04-13-2002, 02:35 PM	#14
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	I'm a southern Atheist and proud of it. I have never been afriad to speak my mind. If a Christian is offended by my Atheism, it's their fault not mine. I do not get in people's faces, but I will not bide my toungue when asked. The amazing thing about me is that I never once considered hiding my lack of faith. I am too honest a person to lie about something like that. -RvFvS

04-14-2002, 02:02 PM	#19
sullster Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: North of Boston Posts: 1,392	I admire and applaud anyone who is atheist in the South. It can be difficult at times here in the North but it seems to pale in comparison with Dixie. I salute you and wish you well. It is encouraging to know that there are strong minded people able to stand up to such an oppressive religious culture.

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.