Sure what harm does it do?

lazygal

What harm has being atheist/agnostic done to you? Has it made anything more difficult/easier?

For me, not opting into the big celebrations, wedding, baptism etc has made people take the celebrations we did/do in lieu of them less seriously. Had people ask us if they needed to 'bother' attend our humanist wedding service and naming ceremony for our child. Also had some funny comments at a family event when there was a lot of pressure on us to just opt in, sure what harm does it do.

But really, it hasn't made life difficult for us not adhering to any faith in Ireland. The school thing will be the next hurdle, but fingers crossed for a place in the educate together school.

Zillah

None whatsoever, so far, actually. Those people who didn't want to "bother" sound like a bunch of tosspots to be honest.

Sonics2k

Here's the essential difference between my life and a religious persons life.

I don't believe in a God or God's. That is all.

kylith

I can't say that it's done me any harm so far, other than a couple of arguments with my mother over going to mass when I visit (she sends the grandkids in to try guilt me into going).

If OH and I were to get married or have kids I know there'd be no hassle from my side of the family, because they know I'd tell them to get fúcked. His mother might kick off though, cos she's a bit of a Born Again, but that'd just mean she'd be told to get fúcked too.

I'm hoping that the schools will be a bit more sorted out by the time I have to deal with that issue.

Oh, and if someone asked if they should 'bother' coming to my marriage ceremony, I'd tell them "Of course you needn't bother. And you needn't bother coming to the reception either".

Dades

Now I have kids, I miss the lie-in that I used to have on a Sunday.

Damned non-belief setting me up like that...

magicbastarder

lazygal wrote: »

Had people ask us if they needed to 'bother' attend our humanist wedding service

i think we had a different effect - people were curious to come along to see what would transpire.

Zillah

Sonics2k wrote: »

Here's the essential difference between my life and a religious persons life.

I don't believe in a God or God's. That is all.

That's a little obtuse. You won't, presumably, have a religious wedding, or baptise your children, or have them take part in communion or confirmation, or, likely, have children that have religious weddings, or do readings from the bible at friends' weddings or funerals. You likely won't be buddy buddy with the parish priest or take part in fundraisers for the local parish, or be a chaperone for school retreats etc etc. There are many ways that religion has integrated itself with everyday life and atheists run headlong into them all the time.

Obliq

Aside from being the only person in religion class to be picked to explain my beliefs, no harm at all.

Oh, and explaining to my children why they weren't similarly (to their class-mates) "entitled" to €300 approx from doting relatives as a pay-off for believing as they do. Other than that, no harm.

Ah yes, and being the last to know what time a local meeting is on due to not getting the parish newsletter!

Sarky

Turning my back on all that superstitious bullsh*t has done nothing but good for me. No second-guessing whether something is "the right thing to do" because I feel at odds with a stupid book. I have a totally clear conscience. No deferring to people I don't respect.

FouxDaFaFa

Obliq wrote: »

Aside from being the only person in religion class to be picked to explain my beliefs

This happened to me too. I was mortified. To the question "Why don't you believe in God?" an incredibly verbose 17 year old me replied,
"Eh...I just...don't".

Only negative has been disagreements with my mother when I first made it known. I understand why she's upset though; she genuinely believes I won't be in heaven with her. I try to reassure her that it wouldn't be heaven without all her children, so we should be grand.

It's been nothing but positive otherwise. Sure, the schooling system and hold the church still has on society is frustrating but I felt nothing but relief when it finally clicked with me that there was another option to belief, that I wasn't the only one who thought this way and that it was okay to stop playing along.

GLaDOS

No harm for now. May run into some pressure when/if it comes to baptising children though.

Obliq

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

This happened to me too. I was mortified. To the question "Why don't you believe in God?" an incredibly verbose 17 year old me replied,
"Eh...I just...don't".

Ha! Yes, it's a good one alright. That the one child who doesn't believe in a sky-man is asked to explain why ....
I was eight at the time.

Hotblack Desiato

I used to think that atheism and humanism were the same, but it seems to me that humanism is (or is becoming) some sort of pseudo-religion with feel-good mumbo-jumbo ceremonies etc. Bleh.

Anyway, my heathen wife and I were married in a civil ceremony, no god, no bull****. All our religious relatives were invited, they turned up, and told us how nice they thought the ceremony was. Win

Zillah wrote: »

You likely won't be buddy buddy with the parish priest or take part in fundraisers for the local parish

My heathen wife did exactly that last week :eek: (she's on a warning of getting kicked out of the agnostics association*) there is a fine, almost indescipherable, line between helping out in the CoI school PTA and helping out in the parish. She wanted to get to know the PTA and teachers better and offered to help out. It's outreach work of sorts. I don't think she tried to convert anyone though





* no matter how many times I try to explain what gnostic and agnostic atheism are, she says she's an agnostic because she's not 100% sure there is no god. Dawkins isn't 100% sure either :rolleyes:

Obliq

ninja900 wrote: »

there is a fine, almost indescipherable, line between helping out in the CoI school PTA and helping out in the parish. She wanted to get to know the PTA and teachers better and offered to help out. It's outreach work of sorts. I don't think she tried to convert anyone though

Good one. There is indeed a fine line, but one that can be used to great effect actually. Any number of parents/teachers in the catholic primary school my boys went to appreciated my lack of kowtowing to the church. There were instances where I shocked them by suggesting (and getting) a meeting with the Bishop (over a long-running contentious issue to do with electing a Board of Management), and insisted on having the priest actually state his case for a particular decision. Your wife is in a clever bargaining position

Sonics2k

Zillah wrote: »

That's a little obtuse. You won't, presumably, have a religious wedding, or baptise your children, or have them take part in communion or confirmation, or, likely, have children that have religious weddings, or do readings from the bible at friends' weddings or funerals. You likely won't be buddy buddy with the parish priest or take part in fundraisers for the local parish, or be a chaperone for school retreats etc etc. There are many ways that religion has integrated itself with everyday life and atheists run headlong into them all the time.

Maybe not a religious wedding, but I may still marry the woman I love. It does not need to be religious to be fulfilling.

Being a Christian would not necessarily mean I'd be friends with the Parish Priest. Or even like him.
You don't need to be Christian to be a chaperone, not that I'd want to be :P

I have done readings at funerals, they simply weren't from the Bible, but rather, they were more personal words I had written, instead of an ever-regurgitated passage from an old manuscript.

number10a

lazygal wrote: »

For me, not opting into the big celebrations, wedding, baptism etc has made people take the celebrations we did/do in lieu of them less seriously. Had people ask us if they needed to 'bother' attend our humanist wedding service and naming ceremony for our child.

What?! That's pure ignorance. I'd have no problem telling them where to go if anyone ever dreamed of asking me.