Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Chicken Girl · 03-02-2003, 11:31 PM

I'm semi-closeted. My mom teaches sunday school (to the preschoolers - *groan*

) and my dad doesn't go to church, but he's religious.

If I'm asked about my beliefs, I won't lie, but I won't volunteer the information either.

I've told my mom, but I think she thinks it's just a phase. My dad knows I'm not all that religious, but he doesn't know I'm an atheist.

Howay the Toon · 03-03-2003, 01:24 AM

Yes my parents know I'm an atheist but then they are even more vehement atheists than I am so there not completely surprised.

Psycho Economist · 03-03-2003, 05:55 AM

Eh... no.
Largely it's still a matter of living under their, her... parents... roof (in the summers at least) and not wanting to catch hell until there's some permanent geographic distance.

My dad's pretty non-practicing, has even listed Druid as a religion on some official papers (kinda to turn his nose up at the question), but a once and future Mason, he'd draw the line well in front of atheism.

My mom's a full-out YEC fundy. Her parents are Sveedeesh Luuutherns: one conservative, one liberal... They are the ones I live with when I'm not at school, and they would all go apeshit if I mentioned the a-word around the house. So as long as I stay politely deferant, mom doesn't get her 2,000 member congregation over for an intervention. I can live with that until I'm on my own.

frostymama · 03-03-2003, 06:02 AM

They know but Mom has told me that she doesn't think that I am really an atheist. she insists that I am "searching" and will come back to the church.

topane · 03-03-2003, 06:57 AM

I've never told them (I'm agnostic) but I suspect they wouldn't really care. My dad was always apathetic about religion (he'd go to Mass on Xmas with the rest of us), and my mom is not religious. My sister and her son live with my mom and my sister has gotten her son into going to church (he's 6 1/2) every weekend and bugs my mom about going but my mom never does.

Simply put - I've never been asked or it's never come up. We don't have religious discussions. If they asked me, I'd tell them.

scarmig · 03-03-2003, 07:37 AM

Yes. They know. My father knows, but denys it. My mother knows but never fully realized what I was saying until she heard the 'A' word. We're now on a "monkey" agreement (See no atheist, hear no athiest, speak no atheist) ever since she godspammed me and my wife and my wife unloaded with the full gatling-gun before I could intercept.

Godless Dave · 03-03-2003, 07:51 AM

They know and don't seem to care. Mom is vaguely pantheist. All I can get out of Dad is that he never believed Jesus was the son of God. He's either a non-denominational monotheist, a pantheist, or an agnostic. I suspect the latter.

MzNeko · 03-03-2003, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by scarmig
Yes. They know. My father knows, but denys it. My mother knows but never fully realized what I was saying until she heard the 'A' word. We're now on a "monkey" agreement (See no atheist, hear no athiest, speak no atheist) ever since she godspammed me and my wife and my wife unloaded with the full gatling-gun before I could intercept.

Hey! How do you rate two wives? Are you a really good cook? Or is it "other" skills?

Actually, I think having two wives would be a pretty clear hint that your views were a little to the side of mainstream�

Just kidding, but I couldn't resist that particular typo!

scarmig · 03-03-2003, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MzNeko
Hey! How do you rate two wives? Are you a really good cook? Or is it "other" skills?

Actually, I think having two wives would be a pretty clear hint that your views were a little to the side of mainstream�

Just kidding, but I couldn't resist that particular typo!

Ah, but it wasn't a typo so much as a grammatically questionable run-on sentence! "... godspammed me and my wife. My wife unloaded ..."

And yes I'm a good cook, as well as other erm endowments that have netted a variety of interesting proposals over the years.

Evolved · 03-03-2003, 10:20 AM

I told my parents that I didn't believe in god when I was around 13 years old. Mom said I was only saying it to get out of Sunday school but when I kept saying that I really didn't believe she made a deal with me that she wouldn't make me go to Sunday school if I would take confirmation classes and get confirmed. I agreed and she never made me go to Sunday school after Confirmation.

Dad never said anything about me being an Athiest and I'm not sure what he believes in. For awhile he said that we were an alien penal colony because humans are a bunch of nasty assholes who can't get along. He had read something about it and thought it made sense, that we are the product of alien criminals. Whose to say? I still give him kudos for thinking outside the line.

But I was/am lucky to have parents who were never overly religious. Church is mainly for weddings and funerals.

And I do have Mom totally confused but she says it doesn't hurt to go to church once in awhile. Her logic is, everyone needs something to believe in-something better than what's here.

But all in all they have been pretty decent about my Atheism. Now if I could get some of the other relatives to leave me alone. :banghead:

03-03-2003, 05:55 AM	#23
Psycho Economist Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 854	Well, I was saving up for 500... but I got two back? Eh... no. Largely it's still a matter of living under their, her... parents... roof (in the summers at least) and not wanting to catch hell until there's some permanent geographic distance. My dad's pretty non-practicing, has even listed Druid as a religion on some official papers (kinda to turn his nose up at the question), but a once and future Mason, he'd draw the line well in front of atheism. My mom's a full-out YEC fundy. Her parents are Sveedeesh Luuutherns: one conservative, one liberal... They are the ones I live with when I'm not at school, and they would all go apeshit if I mentioned the a-word around the house. So as long as I stay politely deferant, mom doesn't get her 2,000 member congregation over for an intervention. I can live with that until I'm on my own.

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03-02-2003, 11:31 PM	#21
Chicken Girl Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: nowhere Posts: 6,549	I'm semi-closeted. My mom teaches sunday school (to the preschoolers - groan ) and my dad doesn't go to church, but he's religious. If I'm asked about my beliefs, I won't lie, but I won't volunteer the information either. I've told my mom, but I think she thinks it's just a phase. My dad knows I'm not all that religious, but he doesn't know I'm an atheist.

03-03-2003, 01:24 AM	#22
Howay the Toon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Bicester UK Posts: 863	Yes my parents know I'm an atheist but then they are even more vehement atheists than I am so there not completely surprised.

03-03-2003, 06:02 AM	#24
frostymama Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Georgia USA Posts: 927	They know but Mom has told me that she doesn't think that I am really an atheist. she insists that I am "searching" and will come back to the church.

03-03-2003, 06:57 AM	#25
topane Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SE Pennsylvania Posts: 193	I've never told them (I'm agnostic) but I suspect they wouldn't really care. My dad was always apathetic about religion (he'd go to Mass on Xmas with the rest of us), and my mom is not religious. My sister and her son live with my mom and my sister has gotten her son into going to church (he's 6 1/2) every weekend and bugs my mom about going but my mom never does. Simply put - I've never been asked or it's never come up. We don't have religious discussions. If they asked me, I'd tell them.

03-03-2003, 07:37 AM	#26
scarmig Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Somewhere Posts: 689	Yes. They know. My father knows, but denys it. My mother knows but never fully realized what I was saying until she heard the 'A' word. We're now on a "monkey" agreement (See no atheist, hear no athiest, speak no atheist) ever since she godspammed me and my wife and my wife unloaded with the full gatling-gun before I could intercept.

03-03-2003, 07:51 AM	#27
Godless Dave Contributor Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: With 10,000 lakes who needs a coast? Posts: 10,762	They know and don't seem to care. Mom is vaguely pantheist. All I can get out of Dad is that he never believed Jesus was the son of God. He's either a non-denominational monotheist, a pantheist, or an agnostic. I suspect the latter.

03-03-2003, 10:20 AM	#30
Evolved Regular Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Fargo ND Posts: 261	I told my parents that I didn't believe in god when I was around 13 years old. Mom said I was only saying it to get out of Sunday school but when I kept saying that I really didn't believe she made a deal with me that she wouldn't make me go to Sunday school if I would take confirmation classes and get confirmed. I agreed and she never made me go to Sunday school after Confirmation. Dad never said anything about me being an Athiest and I'm not sure what he believes in. For awhile he said that we were an alien penal colony because humans are a bunch of nasty assholes who can't get along. He had read something about it and thought it made sense, that we are the product of alien criminals. Whose to say? I still give him kudos for thinking outside the line. But I was/am lucky to have parents who were never overly religious. Church is mainly for weddings and funerals. And I do have Mom totally confused but she says it doesn't hurt to go to church once in awhile. Her logic is, everyone needs something to believe in-something better than what's here. But all in all they have been pretty decent about my Atheism. Now if I could get some of the other relatives to leave me alone. :banghead:

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