To what degree do 'first generation' atheists
>manage to discard (where appropriate) the (religious)
>culture they came from?
June last year was the first time I even bothered to check in
on what other disbelievers thought in atheist forums and got
one heck of a surprise. I was indoctrinated (unsuccessfully)
in catholicism as a kid. Went through the rituals to avoid
any more beatings than I already got at school, and after
leaving home at 18 never confessed to any priest ever again.
Never thought anymore about the disgusting idea of 'eating'
a jesus in a communion wafer, nor cared less about the pope
and his infallibility, nor do I to this day. Well that bit
isn't true. I do care, but in the telling of a bit of factual
human history. Mine; 'and' expose the liars for their crimes.
So in answer to the question in part "manage to discard the
religious culture I came from" by writing about *it* means
that I haven't really discarded it at all. I am in the process
of discarding it in a way I wish was available years ago. Not
just rejecting it for the lies and brutality that *is* the
culture of catholicism, but to do so on the basis of human
values of life that is having FAITH in myself, not a pack
of lying shit. The experience of fundamentalists was not a
thing of my life at all until reading the clowns that troll
their way through here, and they make the catholic church look
good by comparison. Weird thing is, the catholics started out
just like the fundamentalists. Want to take over everything too.
So, while I am writing and reading about "the culture" it is
still part of my life, but this writing bit is something I've
only really started doing since I passed 55, and if the process
is a bit wobbly, it is 'my' experience, and the sooner I can
put down my ideas and memories (this process is improving my
overall life too) the better it will be that I can assist another
who has the courage to look over the walls, as it were, and find
that life has so much more to it than looking forward to an
absurd whichever way you look at it 'life after death' and by
so doing miss out on 'life' while you've got it. (Kerry aa#17730
One's cultural outlook is something that evolves just like everything
else and is not simply a question of which religion you call your own.
The "spirit of the age" will also influence one's value system, one's
place in time and space in terms of politics, history and economics
will inevitably influence an individual's morality.
So, most western atheists today are apalled at the prevalent attitudes
towards homosexuality among (almost) all the judaeo-christian and
islamic religions. Creationism will make most atheists
bristle. "Knowledge" based on faith will rankle with all atheists and
yet...
Most western atheists also still believe that monogamy is the only
acceptable form of sexual relationship. Many of the accepted values in
western society(many of which atheists share) are directly based in the
recent and not-so-recent culture of the society in which they live,
which up until the very recent past has been driven by religious moral
consideration.
In other words not only are first generation atheists influenced, at
least at a subconscious level, by what religion they came from but so
are their offspring and their offspring in turn again - but that
influence is battling with other influences as alluded to above from a
whole range of sources all of which are constantly changing; no-one can
be independant of their past. (Ciaran Oneill)
As always, there are parts of it harder than others. Religious
references in language (when someone sneezes we say "ˇJesús!", and
that's almost a reflex) are the hardest, I think. You hear them so
often that they become meaningless words.
Other point is that when someone talks about a wedding I tend to
imagine a religious one, but it's not strange, I remember when pure
civil marriages were allowed in Spain and I'm only 33. Before that,
only canonic (i.e. Catholic) marriages were valid.
Other than that, I don't see anythng in their babbling as "rational",
I don't agree that it's not important which way ethics are taught to
children, I don't agree that the State should help the RCC to keep
their buildings or pay their wages... well, any of the arguments to
use religion in everyday life. (Angel Arnal aa#1443)
However, I live and work in a culture that is dominated by religion and in
which there is no real escape from it. As a consequence I'm forced to deal
with it on that level. (George Ricker)
During that year or so of my two coming outs I think I rejected all the
trappings of my former conservative Christian beliefs. Combine that with the
shunning and I would say that, as a first generation atheist, I have
discarded virtually all the trappings and culture. The emotions and pain of
betrayal have taken a little longer to discard but they are following along
nicely, thank you very much. (Peter Perreault)
As a child as was mostly interested in God as a lawmaker
as the originator of the ten Commandments.
As an Atheist, I consider "God" as a personification of this "law"
and think all the extra characteristics theists add to this,
are totally beside the point.
In fact I haven't changed a bit,
just cut out, the mumbo jumbo,
and got back to basics.
I met a man on the internet that had a theory of life that went like this.
1. As a child we have ideals
2. Growing up, we exchange these ideals for adult view of life.
3. Once we really find some Wisdom, we go back to our ideals,
and forget all the so-called adult, reality. which are no more real
than our childhood ideas.
He may be right.
It seems true for me. (Peter van Velzen)
As far as the question of passion, I would think that I feel alot more
passionate about my atheism than my children (if I have any) would.
Simply because they didn't need to break the shackles of stupidity.
(Evil Bob aa#1856 )
I, a second generation atheist who never had any serious brush with
religion, am much more easy-going. I also have no trouble celebrating
religious holidays--we always do xmas and an easter egg hunt (nice
pagan holiday, this one). We sometimes bake hamentaschen and read the
appropriate passage from the OT where you are supposed to make noises
whenever the guy's name comes up. And so on. And why not? Those
traditions are an important part of our cultural background. I enjoy
participating in them, just like I loved taking part of Nawrooz
celebrations with my friends from Iran and Diwali celebrations when I
was spending a lot of time with some friends from India. (Orhan Orgun aa#1867)
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