Quote of the Day, Department of Religious Affairs

[bloodyrosemccoy]

“When I say I realized I was an atheist when I was a teenager, I’m simplifying things a bit, because I was always an atheist. My big revelation wasn’t so much a realization that I was an atheist as it was a realization that other people weren’t.”

This quote was brought to you by our discussions of churchgoing at work. My coworker was totally cool with my being an atheist, because he’s one too, but he was also puzzled by the idea that I had been raised that way. Who knew atheism could be the default setting?

Comments

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Ugh, your dad too?

[kadharonon.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what it was, but yeah. I keep trying to find a delicate way of saying "Dad, you're the atheist equivalent of a fundie Christian shouting from a street corner about how all the people on the street are going to hell," but there really isn't one.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Mine used to be the "general disdain for organized religion, actual anger reserved for political fundamentalism" variety, but he's turned into the "open hostility to all religion" type.

Honestly, I think some of it may be hedging after saying things particularly disparaging of Islam. Sort of an "I'm not racist, I hate all religions!" thing. It's usually things in the news that set him off: articles on Middle East violence and/or corruption, child-molesting Catholic priests, and right-wing fundamentalists light the fuse.