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

[marag.livejournal.com]

This is what worries me about sending my kids to Hebrew School. Because I *want* to raise atheist kids, but I also want them to learn all the traditions and learn Hebrew and all the stuff like that that I don't have the time or patience or ability to teach them :(

I did believe in a god for quite a while, but it didn't really *matter* to me, if that makes any sense. I was all, "okay, whatever, there's some dude in the sky, now let's go eat more latkes." And when I reached college, all my doubts crystallized and I realized that the latkes were great, but the whole god thing made NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.

I just hope I'm not screwing my kids up. ::sigh::

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

I figure in that case they're getting the cultural side, and you're giving them perspective on the religious aspects, so I, at least, am not too worried about your kids. ;)

I get what you mean by god not mattering, too. He's not really micromanaging your life, after all. (I always found that to be weird, too--god fine-tuning everyone's life. Does he really CARE?)

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Back in college some of the folks I knew from the dorm floor were in the "Trojan Christian Fellowship" (this was USC). Generally nice folks. But one time I overheard a pair of them (one guy and a girl) at the dining hall. She was upset because of a breakup (or fight or something) with her boyfriend, and he told her something about praying and Christ will change the guy's mind. I didn't say anything, but that sounded all kinds of wrong. I mean, what about free will?

And then there was the "student play" that turned out to be a thinly disguised religious deal (and ripped off lines from "Good Will Hunting")...

[marag.livejournal.com]

It's weird, because I know in theory that I believed in a deity, but I can't remember what it felt like. I can't imagine how I could have believed such patent nonsense and can't wrap my brain around how other supposedly intelligent adults still do. ::shakes head::