Met an atheist today

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-07-20 03:24pm

Actually I met many. I drove up to Austin this morning and hooked up with a group up there having their usual Sunday morning breakfast. Normally meeting an atheist or agnostic wouldn't be worthy of a post, but this is a special occasion. For you see, this is the first time I have ever met one in real life. They were pretty cool I must say; I may have to make the drive to Austin a weekly occurance while I'm still stationed at Lackland.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-07-20 03:27pm

Man, you really should take your next vacations in Europe. Come to Portugal, here the atheists are everywhere. Hell, two out of the three people I share my office with are atheists. The only Christian (moderate, of course) is a pretty girl, so we have to humour her and don't bash God as loudly as we sometimes do.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-07-20 04:51pm

CO, WP lives in Louisiana. The majority of the population down there thinks it's leftist hippie insanity not to make kids study the Bible in grade school.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-07-20 04:58pm

Good for you pilot!

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-07-20 07:15pm

Darth Wong wrote:CO, WP lives in Louisiana.

Actually, I have moved to Texas and live in San Antonio. That is why this hook up was possible.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-07-20 08:21pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:CO, WP lives in Louisiana.
Actually, I have moved to Texas and live in San Antonio. That is why this hook up was possible.

Ah, I see. Not that Texas is much more of a freethought sanctuary than Louisiana

NapoleonGH · Post by **NapoleonGH** » 2003-07-20 11:34pm

yea definitely not, the only texans ive met either love it there and seem to be very...shall we say...fundie. Or they are desparately trying to escape.

im sure there are other types, but of those who i have met, these are the only two types.

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2003-07-21 12:13am

Darth Wong wrote:CO, WP lives in Louisiana. The majority of the population down there thinks it's leftist hippie insanity not to make kids study the Bible in grade school.

I really hope essay titles range from "The Multiple Jesus Theory" to "Spot The Contradiction".

There's loads og athiests in England, not too many round here, but enough so that I don't feel I'm going to be burned at the stake for being a heretic.

David · Post by **David** » 2003-07-21 01:16am

Wicked Pilot wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:CO, WP lives in Louisiana.
Actually, I have moved to Texas and live in San Antonio. That is why this hook up was possible.

My dad grew up there, and was stationed at Lackland for several years. Livin in Abilene right now, he retired at Dyess AFB. Still works there as a civilian in Supply.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-07-21 02:29am

It is not uncommon to met an athiest here in Calfornia, see not everything about this state is crazy

, but its not like it comes up in everyday conversation. Although I noticed several of my friends are, I dont know if its coincidence or we someone flock together as it were.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-07-21 03:22am

It doesn't help that the religionists have demonized the word "atheist". When they say "atheist", they really mean "anti-theist". Of course, some atheists are also anti-theists, but that doesn't imply synonimity.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-07-21 05:08am

Darth Wong wrote: Ah, I see. Not that Texas is much more of a freethought sanctuary than Louisiana

Nice hospitals though

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-07-21 10:38am

I know only two Atheists in real life and they just so happen to be my best friends. Most of us Atheists are very careful about revealing our true feelings in real life for fear of attack and persecution. I have yet to experience the first amendmendment in regards to my beliefs as well as the intent of the constitution thanks to the fundamentalist element in this country.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-07-21 11:05am

I'm curious, is it common for mainstream newspaper/TV correspondents (the opinion builders) admit and defend their atheism in the U.S? They're the ones who could do it without fearing prosecution, and that does a lot in changing people. Here, many of the more notable opinion builders/politicians are atheists and write a lot about it.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-07-21 03:02pm

Darth Wong wrote:CO, WP lives in Louisiana. The majority of the population down there thinks it's leftist hippie insanity not to make kids study the Bible in grade school.

Seconded!!!

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-07-21 03:04pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Darth Wong wrote: Ah, I see. Not that Texas is much more of a freethought sanctuary than Louisiana
Nice hospitals though

Oh reeeaaallyy...?

My boyfriend's a nurse (LPN) and we're thinking about moving to Texas the spring-after-next. He's with a company called Kindred, and they have a buncha hospitals in Texas. He also hables mucho Espanol too!

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2003-07-21 03:31pm

Hmm, odd indeed. I live in Iowa, and yet in less than 3 days late in 9th Grade I found 6-7 people interested in joining an Atheist coalition. Must have been a better environment.

Anywho, in my experience, most fundementalists or even practicing Christians don't know what an atheist is, unless they're fairly knowledgeble or over 20. Most respond with "huh, what's that?" or "you're a sadist?" My guess is that parents think we're either too creepy of boogeymen or too much of a hindering counterexample to mention in their kid's sheltered, overtly Christian upbringing. My upbringing was fortunately only Christian in a vague, undogmatic, non-literal-interpretation sense of the term, which is probably why I was agnostic by age 9.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2003-07-21 04:43pm

I've found that quite a few christians think that 'Atheist' = 'non-christian', I.e. they think that Hindus are Atheists.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-07-22 04:34am

Sir Sirius wrote:I've found that quite a few christians think that 'Atheist' = 'non-christian', I.e. they think that Hindus are Atheists.

Reminds me of the day when "pagan" simply meant "non-christian" too - today, it is usually used to describe followers of gods worshipped in pre-Christian Europe.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2003-07-22 06:37pm

Colonel Olrik wrote:I'm curious, is it common for mainstream newspaper/TV correspondents (the opinion builders) admit and defend their atheism in the U.S? They're the ones who could do it without fearing prosecution, and that does a lot in changing people. Here, many of the more notable opinion builders/politicians are atheists and write a lot about it.

In a word: no.

It's still better than what's going on back in Russia. Since the Russian Orthodox Church was persecuted by the communists, everyone assumes it's good, and now everybody is a Christian. Hell, there was an interview for some talk show, and the guy (I think it was Nevzorov, but I'm not sure) said that there is no god. The interwiever and the entire audience went: "Wha...?!".

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Crazy Goji · Post by **Crazy Goji** » 2003-07-22 07:45pm

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:CO, WP lives in Louisiana. The majority of the population down there thinks it's leftist hippie insanity not to make kids study the Bible in grade school.
Seconded!!!

Thirded, if that's a word.

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-07-22 09:09pm

Darth Wong wrote:It doesn't help that the religionists have demonized the word "atheist". When they say "atheist", they really mean "anti-theist". Of course, some atheists are also anti-theists, but that doesn't imply synonimity.

Hehe, Louisana's definition of atheist is now far too complex. They can't go out and bash Jews & Muslims because the moderates would hammer them. So it's everything but Muslim, Christian, and Jewish are atheists. I like how they say "Jevohah, Yaweh, or Allah is their God" when they translate: God is their God.

Straha · Post by **Straha** » 2003-07-22 11:38pm

Ahh Austin, Texas. Nice place, I have friends down there I visit every so often. You'd be suprised, however, about how many of them are Democrats and how many were Democrats.

EDIT: POST 2100 YAY!!!!!!!