tdekeyser

Introduction:
My father was an architectural engineer designing airport fuel delivery systems and was very well educated. Education was stressed often as well as reason, logic and critical thinking in our family.

We moved to S. Korea when I was about 5. Some of my earliest memories growing up was my dad bringing us out on camping trips. Everything was science, science, science. We were taught astronomy, biology, geology and even calculus on those trips. Everything from how to start a fire to observing wildlife was taught to us. We were told to “think” and to “study” our surroundings and come to a logical conclusion.

My dad was very smart and read all the science journals and new findings in science often. When he was done, he would throw the article on my bed and tell me ‘to read it too’. I excelled in science projects and have won many awards in school.

Religion was hardly mentioned in my upbringing. It was a ‘silly’ idea and had no proof or evidence for it or any deity. I was given “Nobody knows” answers to my most complex questions when I was young. I look back and appreciate the honesty from my dad.

God was an extraordinary clam and it required extraordinary proof or at least “inference” if my family were to be interested in it. Kinda like Santa Clause. Also in Korea, they practice Buddhism and gods were also considered ‘silly’ or for people who just did not want to wait for science to uncover truths. I was not encourage to study Buddhism either…. I was left alone to come to my own conclusions about faith and deities.

I then moved to S. California and led a secular lifestyle and completing college. I majored in Computer Science and was very happy out there. Diversity was the norm and most everyone welcomed anything new or different.

I then moved to Dallas, TX about 10 years ago. WOW! This place is unlike anywhere I have ever been. There is SOOO much hatred for anyone believing in anything except Xianity. I almost thought everyone was faking it. How could there be so much blindness and hatred??

So, I have never ‘felt’ any god touching me or talking to me. I have never had ANYTHING happen to me or have seen that cannot be explained…never. I have never seen a miracle, spirit, ghost, jesus, demon or anything like that.

I am now engaged to a wonderful young lady that came from a sheltered Xian life and it has educated me on the ‘downside’ of growing up learning nothing but fantasies.

My hopes and wishes are with anyone who is still stuck in this type of life, but also encouraged for all that have broken free of it and live a life of free-thinking.

Shake

First, let me say congratulations on your engagement! I wish you great happiness!

Your dad sounds really cool. I hope to do similar things with my son (and any other children I may have in the future). I am actually very excited about him learning to talk. He's 2 and is getting close to talking. I don't dread getting "all the questions" that everyone tells me he'll ask. I truly want to be able to tell him as much as I can (or he wants) about the world and how and why things are the way they are. No, I don't claim to be a genius, but I want to help him out as much as possible. I want to make learning as fun for him as it was for me. My wife tells a good story about when she was little asking some stranger a bunch of questions. Her mother told her not to bother the nice man with so many questions, but he told her that it was OK, and she should keep on asking as many questions as she had. What's the phrase? "There are no stupid questions, only stupid people." yeah, that's it!

The South is weird like that. I was stationed in SC for about 7 years and experienced my share of Xian close-mindedness. It wasn't quite as bad as what you're talking about though, since the area I was in had a lot of military and ex-military from all over the country, so there was a bit more diversity.

Good luck in your marriage!

Arvel Joffi

Congratulations on your engagement.

I was raised by my mother in a bit of a new age household. She always encouraged me to think and wonder and read, and to find my own answers to the world around me. If I asked her a question about her beliefs, she would tell me what she honestly believed to be true, but she almost never offered the information herself. I think she knew that there were large gaps in her knowledge, as in anyone's, and accepted that she cold very well be dead wrong about many things, as anyone should; she insisted that I figure it all out for myself.

In that respect, it was a wonderful childhood.

Ab_Normal

My husband threatened to be like Calvin's dad from Calvin & Hobbes and make up answers to our daughter's questions. I threatened to beat him soundly about the head and shoulders. He found the self-restraint to give her the right answers.

Rusting Car Bumper

Funny. I live there and I don't find that at all. It's definately on the conservative side of things but I don't see "so much blindness and hatred."

DC

tdekeyser

Well, I do work in a corporate environment and NO, they are not like I have described.

I guess I am talking about the many fundies I have met out here. Every damm girlfriend had a fundy family. I have had a lot of bad experiances out here, so maybe I am unique. Let's see....

One father tried to shoot me (the atheist), another tried to charge me with a crime ($3000 in legal fees), I have had my car vandalized (broke off my darwin fish and left it smashed near my door, also broken window) and many more. But that is just the minor stuff, the major stuff is like my current fiance lost $50,000 to a 'plan that god had' and now I am helping her out. The assholes came to her (because they knew she had the money) and pressured her to invest in a fraud-SEC is all over it). They said things to her like, "god sent us to you, got came to me to find you". Ahhh, the list is just way too long and frustrating.

Most people out here go along with the xians and never have bad issues. I speak my mind, and their hatred comes out.....

I'll give you an example:

*going to a place to meet new people-doesn't matter*

Stranger1: So Tdek, what church do you go to? (80% chance of being asked this)

Me: Church? I would never go to church....

Stranger2: Why not? Don't you believe in God?

Me: No, I do not. I never have, and I never will. (this forces them to know that I am un-savable)

Stranger1, 2,3,4,5,6, and all the rest: At this point I am bombarded with hateful things like, "don't you know you are going to hell" or "You have never repented for your sins?" or "how could you be happy without god" or "I feel bad for you" or "God save you". Really pisses me off and starts an argument. Then they REALLY think I am a demon and try to kill me for the sake of thier daughter/son/friend/sister....

Amergin

I was born and raised in Northern Scotland not too far from Inverness. It had become rather secular among the population even though we have an official religion (Church of Scotland). My father was an agnostic and my mother Irish Catholic later Anglican. (Yikes!)

After university and a short tour in the royal army, I went to Medical School in Edinburgh. I should mention that I went to college first in Northern Ireland where I experienced the first genuine religious hatred. Then I emigrated to America on a professional visa. My first job was in Texas. I got a rude awakening when I wrote a letter to the local newspaper defending the teaching of evolution in schools (I couldn't believe they actually argued this). My letter was quite polite. I emphasised that evolution was proven and didn't prevent one from believing in God. The Lettes back were scathing. Unfortunately they found my phone number and my wife and I got numerous obscene and threatening calls, often at 2-4 AM.

Somebody threw a dead dog on my doorstep. It was just too dangersous in Texas because I supported Evolution. It was assumed I was an Atheist (which I am more an agnostic.) I had to make quick arrangements and switch to a west coast university hospital where there was a very low level of such hate. I know this is anectdotal and there are may decent people in Texas, but I fear that they have more than their share of hate filled fundy bigots as well.

I have been making a very good income, enough so that I will be able to return soon to a cottage on a Highland loch, and where the population is about 50-50 believer-nonbeliever. More than half of all churches have been converted to libraries, museums, banks, business offices, Highland Council offices, tourist boards, and even subdivided into apartments. It is currently chic to say you live in a 300 year old church.

Amergin

Rusting Car Bumper

I've lived here for a long time and I have NEVER been asked if I go to church. (except by the JW who knocked on my door once but thats the same everywhere.) I've always wanted to be asked so I could say, Yes. I go the North Texas Church of Freethought.

No doubt that fundies are almost the norm but you don't have to talk to them. They think everyone is a fundie so they never bother talking about it so it seems. I just don't experience people ramming religion down everyone's else throat. I mention I'm an atheist without hesitaiton. I don't get people trying to convert me. It's rare. Usually I get more honest questions and curiousity. (Oh really? What does an atheist believe? Why are you an atheist?) Maybe its how I come off in person. I don't know.

DC

Rusting Car Bumper

Texas is huge. It has no business being a single American state. I have no doubt this can occur in a rural or smaller area. However, the big cities are much different. Austin is different than Dallas is different than San Antonio is different than Lubbock is different than some podunk town.

DC