CNN.com:Atheists in the Bible Belt - A Survival Guide

[LiberalElite]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/24/atheists-in-the-bible-belt-a-survival-guide/?hpt=hp_c2/

Raleigh, North Carolina (CNN) – Back home, they erase their Internet histories, look over their shoulders before cracking jokes and nod politely when co-workers talk about church.

But in a hotel ballroom here on a recent weekend, more than 220 atheists, agnostics, skeptics and freethinkers let it all hang out.

The convention was called “Freedom From Religion in the Bible Belt,” and it was part celebration of skepticism and part strategy session about surviving in the country’s most religious region.

[Stryst]

1. the athiest experience

http://www.atheist-experience.com/

Public access TV show out of Austin TX, with all episodes on youtube. Many of their episodes deal with being a secret athiest in heavily religious communities, if anyone here is interested in more material on this subject.


Edit:The comments on the article get ugly fast.

[AtheistCrusader]

2. I'm so glad I live in the PacNW.

Even though I live in a pretty meat-red portion of King County, and am pretty much tripping over churches around here, it's still SOO much better than living in the deep south. I've visited there. In just a week I got my fill of it. More than my fill of it.

[trotsky]

3. Well, the important thing is that none of that was real.

We can take it on very good authority in the Religion group that there is simply NO bias or discrimination against atheists, even in the South.

[onager]

4. Oh, they're just jealous.

As some of the Robo-Posters in that group have let slip a few times - they'd really like the Religion group to be more like the South. A place where "bad" (outspoken) atheists keep their damn mouths shut, or else.

As often ranted in here, I grew up in the Deep South and go back there to visit my elderly mother.

IMO, it's not so much bias and discrimination against atheists (thought that certainly happens), as refusing to even believe atheists exist. On one visit, a cousin asked me where I went to church in Los Angeles. I told her I didn't, that I was a heathen - as close to the A-word as I felt comfortable using. She immediately insisted "No you're not." Jebus! It was like being 5 years old again. "Yes I am." "No you're not..."

That kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME, with my damn RELATIVES! Some of my kinfolk are Fire Baptized Pentecostals. They hate everything that's happened in America for about the past 150 years, especially things involving women, blacks, gays and school prayer. I can't help challenging some of their goofier sermonizing, then we're off! "Well, the U.S. CONGRESS starts every day with prayer!" "But the U.S. Congress isn't a captive audience of little school kids..."

And on and on and ON. Boy, does THAT kind of crap make for a cheerful and relaxed Xmas dinner.

Religion is pervasive and everywhere. When I'm visiting and go over to someone's house for dinner, they will often try to give me the "honor" of saying Grace before the meal, since I'm a guest. I've had to finesse that quite a few times, usually by just saying "I'd rather not, thanks." That gets me some funny looks. But no one has made a big issue of it yet.

On one visit, I ran into an old high-school teacher. She said: "Oh, your graduating class and the class behind it were just WONDERFUL! You know, we have FOUR PREACHERS TODAY from just those two classes!"

I tried to keep a straight face. I knew all 4 of the guys she was talking about, and at least in their teen years, they were about the least likely people you can imagine to become preachers.

Just a few personal examples. Which of course, being personal anecdotes, are worthless. At least according to the logic-masters of That Other Group. Who have no trouble relying on the not-even-personal anecdotes of 4 guys named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...