Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 14:35     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:I'm not religious, and usually don't bring it up. But if asked, I explain that I have trouble believing in God. Which is probably a mistake because a believer (a friend) who has my best interests at heart then invariably tries to "save my soul"!
Oh, and then I must be terribly confusing when [because I have a penchant for being silly] I say stuff like "Jesus loves me" as a joke when I hit a freakishly lucky shot in pickleball!
I feel I should apologize to everyone for that -- believers and non-believers!


Maybe you should just stop saying it.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 14:33     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:I’m an atheist and it rarely comes up. I don’t go out of my way to advertise it because people who look like me are generally pretty religious and would either worry about my soul and/or think I must have no morality. There are a LOT of things that I don’t believe, that I don’t bother telling everyone about.

I have no problem discussing with actual friends if it comes up. But otherwise, there is no upside.


I understand, but really think it's too bad, particularly because it's an opportunity to normalize atheism.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 13:39     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If it comes up I will say I'm an atheist- I don't advertise it. Not for any reason, it would just be weird to say "BTW, I don't believe in god" out of nowhere.


Would you wear some kind of an atheist emblem (like Christians wear a cross) if they existed?


DP, but I would not. My identity isn't tied up in not believing.


Similarly, I think a lot of believers' identities are not tied up in believing, but the society encourages the wearing of religious symbols and mentioning church the way people would mention any other place.

Also, society discourages mentioning lack of belief. Maybe that should change
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 13:08     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
I'm not religious, and usually don't bring it up. But if asked, I explain that I have trouble believing in God. Which is probably a mistake because a believer (a friend) who has my best interests at heart then invariably tries to "save my soul"!
Oh, and then I must be terribly confusing when [because I have a penchant for being silly] I say stuff like "Jesus loves me" as a joke when I hit a freakishly lucky shot in pickleball!
I feel I should apologize to everyone for that -- believers and non-believers!
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 13:02     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I mean I also don't walk around with shirts saying "I don't watch football". Generally you don't advertise a negative.


Sounds like you see not believing in God as a negative. I don't.


As an atheist, I don't see it as a negative, either. But there is no doubt that there are certain circumstances where we keep that private because of OTHER people's perceptions that being an atheist is equivalent to being evil. I had a friend of my daughter tell me (we've never ever discussed religion or beliefs around her and she told us she attended a baptist church) that she doesn't believe in god, thinks he's evil. Then she said "but I am not an atheist. I hate atheists...they are bad people". Because she is young, and because she is not my child, I just nodded my head and changed the subject, but this is how atheists are viewed by a lot of people. Not just that we don't believe in their god, which in and of itself is also confrontational to some believers.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 12:33     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
I say I'm not religious if asked directly, but don't volunteer that info. Same way as I don't announce 'I don't follow football', unless the discussion is about the teams people support.

Of course, this topic ever only comes up in company of believers, usually in context of churches people attend. Not once has our common not-believing-in-god been a topic of discussion with other atheists.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 11:16     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Yes, I hide it.

This may be "DC urban" but if you go just a little ways away, broadcasting your non-belief is likely to result in confrontation from the ignorant. Or, if you want to stay local, see what happens if you let a MAGAt know.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:36     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m an atheist and it rarely comes up. I don’t go out of my way to advertise it because people who look like me are generally pretty religious and would either worry about my soul and/or think I must have no morality. There are a LOT of things that I don’t believe, that I don’t bother telling everyone about.

I have no problem discussing with actual friends if it comes up. But otherwise, there is no upside.


My feeling is that concerns about your soul or morality is their problem and you should not try to save them from it.

It is more about my desire to save myself from a pointless and dull conversation with well-meaning relatives.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:34     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I mean I also don't walk around with shirts saying "I don't watch football". Generally you don't advertise a negative.


Right, because watching football is not responsible for repressing basic human rights. Fortunately IMHO, since I enjoy football.

If it were, I would not watch football and yes would be proud to wear a t-shirt proclaiming such.


Would/Do you wear a t-shirt proclaiming your lack of religion?


PP. No, but I would I suppose. Never occurred to me. I generally don't wear clothing to express my thoughtful positions. That's what forums and personal conversations are for.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:29     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If it comes up I will say I'm an atheist- I don't advertise it. Not for any reason, it would just be weird to say "BTW, I don't believe in god" out of nowhere.


Would you wear some kind of an atheist emblem (like Christians wear a cross) if they existed?


DP, but I would not. My identity isn't tied up in not believing.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:28     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I mean I also don't walk around with shirts saying "I don't watch football". Generally you don't advertise a negative.


Sounds like you see not believing in God as a negative. I don't.


No, a negative as in "proving a negative." An absence.
People don't wear T shirts announcing the things they don't believe, or don't care about, or don't feel are worth mentioning.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:27     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:If it comes up I will say I'm an atheist- I don't advertise it. Not for any reason, it would just be weird to say "BTW, I don't believe in god" out of nowhere.


Would you wear some kind of an atheist emblem (like Christians wear a cross) if they existed?
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:26     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:I’m an atheist and it rarely comes up. I don’t go out of my way to advertise it because people who look like me are generally pretty religious and would either worry about my soul and/or think I must have no morality. There are a LOT of things that I don’t believe, that I don’t bother telling everyone about.

I have no problem discussing with actual friends if it comes up. But otherwise, there is no upside.


My feeling is that concerns about your soul or morality is their problem and you should not try to save them from it.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:24     Subject: Re:If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
Anonymous wrote:If someone outside of my family and close friends asks me if I believe in God, it's because they either want to change my mind or they hold some bigoted beliefs about non-believers. It's really none of their business and I don't want to have a conversation about my religious non-belief. I don't want to discuss it. It's boring. It's annoying. People who bring it up are rude jerks.

If someone asks me if I believe in God, I usually say "I was raised Catholic" and leave it at that. It's a true statement and there are a million lapsed Catholics in the world, so most people assume that I'm just a lapsed Catholic.

On the other hand, one coworker at a law firm felt the need to explain to me why Catholics aren't really Christian and I should consider joining a "true" Christian faith. Evangelicals can be such wieners.


It seems by saying that you were raised Catholic that you're actively deflecting the issue of your current non-religious status. Why do that unless you're trying to hide it?
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2025 10:22     Subject: If you’re not religious, do you hide your lack of religious belief? Why?
If it comes up I will say I'm an atheist- I don't advertise it. Not for any reason, it would just be weird to say "BTW, I don't believe in god" out of nowhere.