Do you find people braver these days?

Handsome Bob

I was in the city centre yesterday doing a spot of shopping. I eventually stopped at a well known menswear outlet and got talking to the manager while I was getting my items rung up at the cash register. He started to talk about how time flys by, and I made a throw away comment about "having to take up a few activities to stop time going by so fast." He agreed and he went off on a rant about how "this is it" and that there is nothing awaiting us after we die. It got me thinking about how braver we have gotten in this day and age. This guy didn't know my from adam, I could have been a religious zealot who would kick off in his shop. Hell, I could have been dangerous and unhinged for all he knew.

Has anyone else come across this? Are you yourself someone who isn't afraid to speak your mind to strangers without fear of the potential repercussions?

ChocolateSauce

Do you mean that the non-religious are braver? Because this might be true, but it also could be attributed to the risks being lower. To come out as an atheist 450 years ago meant death, today it is seen by many as a mark of intelligence, and at worst a mark of arrogance and stupidity.

LZ5by5 wrote: »

Are you yourself someone who isn't afraid to speak your mind to strangers without fear of the potential repercussions?

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they're not theists, and until such a time as I have reason to believe they are, I'll talk to them as though they weren't. In practice, this means not pussy-footing on topics like secularism, abortion, organised religion, stem cells, and so on. If someone I'm talking to indicates their strong opposition or distaste for the way I say things or for what I say....well, that's too bad tbh. I'll either keep going the way I was, or change the subject.

Handsome Bob

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

Do you mean that the non-religious are braver?

That's it indeed.

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they're not theists, and until such a time as I have reason to believe they are, I'll talk to them as though they weren't. In practice, this means not pussy-footing on topics like secularism, abortion, organised religion, stem cells, and so on. If someone I'm talking to indicates their strong opposition or distaste for the way I say things or for what I say....well, that's too bad tbh. I'll either keep going the way I was, or change the subject.

For me personally I think I am a good judge of character, so I think I can tell when to broach such subjects without fear of a hostile reaction. I have to admit that I would tend to bite my tongue if I thought bringing up a certain issue with someone would provoke a hostile reaction.

Corkfeen

I wouldn't be too worried generally going into weird religion conversations and being blunt on my opinion. Actually I noticed there were people giving out anti blasphemy law fliers today, should have asked them on opinion of religion.

Daftendirekt

I always found that kind of obnoxious.

I mean, if no one asks you for your opinion, keep it to yourself!

If you happen to get into a discussion with someone about their religious views, then sure, let loose if you want, but to assume everyone wants to hear your personal philosophy or world view is a little ignorant.

Antbert

I find it irritating from both sides. I don't really see the point in saying to someone 'well, nothing there for us after we die.' out of nowhere. It's needlessly antagonistic.

Likewise, I find it quite annoying when someone says 'oh little Jimmy is making his confirmation today' and everyone goes 'oooh that'll be nice', whereas one day we were discussing confirmations and I said I'd never made mine and everyone fell off their chair and demanded to know why.

Then again, I see far less wrong with making an off-hand comment such as the OP's crazy friend than saying something like 'god made us all the way we are'.

The thing is, atheists don't really have anything to talk about the way religious people do. That's the whole point.

komodosp

I wouldn't see it as a sign of bravery... Unless it's Tehran city centre you are talking about... Atheism is a lot more fashionable nowadays, definitely not the taboo it would have been 50 years ago. If he had started talking about the benefits of consensual incest or something truly deplorable, that would be brave...
Were you in Cork? If so if he started talking about how Kerry were going to win the All-Ireland, I'd consider that braver than talking about Atheism.

The chances of you being a religious zealot were probably fairly low, and what were you going to do, storm indignantly out of his shop?