If you're an atheist, do you hide it from theists?

<p>Nah, I don’t hide it, but I don’t flaunt it. My family’s theistic, but they know I’m an atheist and they don’t care. If someone asks be whether or not I believed in a god, I’d say no, but I wouldn’t start an argument about it.</p>

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Sounds kind of annoying.</p>

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Sounds really annoying.</p>

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As compared to where?</p>

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No it wasn’t. It was mostly founded by Christians, but I would rather not have the actions or laws of the United States reflect upon Christianity. It was founded upon a mixture of cherry-picked Enlightenment principles and practices inherited from Britain. Christian love, charity, social equality, voluntary poverty, and tolerance were all severely lacking.</p>

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Wow, that’s really intolerant. Rural area?</p>

<p>@FutureVpFinance
I’ve never heard of atheists going that far, but the reason things like that happen is because Ramadan (and the other non-Christian-religious holidays) are “targeted” is because it’s only the Christian ones that have a presence in the public sphere. No one wishes you a happy Ramadan in the grocery store. No city has Ramadan displays in city hall.</p>

<p>I live in a very Christian area, but I’ve never felt a reason to hide it. I don’t feel a reason to bring it up though.</p>

<p>It just seems like atheism is more like anti-Christianity. Religious tolerance is code for “we hate Christians and their make believe book so lets make sure they cant pray in school and maybe we can crush thier spirits.”</p>

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Just the annoying militant atheists. I don’t think anybody likes them.</p>

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That would be a clear example of religious intolerance.</p>

<p>Theists have suppressed atheists and atheists have suppressed theists; people just need to learn to get along.</p>

<p>I like cheesecake.</p>

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I’m not fond of cheesecake. I’ll take cheese, and I’ll take cake, but I’d rather not have the two combined.</p>

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<p>Honestly it ****es me off when people try to pass off Christmas trees as “giving” trees and that sort of thing. But I do resent the omnipresence of Christmas in our society. How everyone wishes you Merry Christmas and stuff. And no one tells Christians not to celebrate Christmas–it’s just frustrating when you feel so left out of the mainstream because Christmas is just EVERYWHERE throughout December. Ramadan does not have a big mainstream presence. I don’t mind people celebrating Christmas, but I do mind everyone assuming everyone else celebrates it.</p>

<p>It seems to me that people are just looking for things to get offended at. Christmas is barely religious anymore. How does someone saying ‘Merry Christmas’ hurt you?</p>

<p>You should be mad at 76% of the population celebrating their religion, but not at the other 24% for celebrating traditions important to them? Ramadan does not have as big of a presence because only 0.6% of the US population is Muslim, not because everyone hates it.</p>

<p>I see menorahs at far more than 1/64th the rate of Christmas trees. Are you going to get mad at the Jews now, too?</p>

<p>I’m an atheist in Seattle, the theists are the ones who tend to hide it. I’m in an Art History class where a good portion of us (more than half) struggled through Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque art because we didn’t have a good grasp of the religious context.</p>

<p>Agnostic.
I don’t hide it, though I don’t advertise it either and prefer not to get into religious discussions.</p>

<p>I do tend to follow traditions (christmas, easter, etc) though. </p>

<p>I dislike radical atheists nearly as much as fanatic believers. It feels like they’re so caught up in hating/loving something that they forget to actually think.</p>

<p>P.S. International. Being religious is important here, though my circle of friends is of mixed religion and most don’t care.</p>

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<p>Wrong. Christians have interpreted them as Christian principles.</p>

<p>Religious debates are not permitted on these boards. This thread is closed.</p>