Question about Texas : Atheists are hated there ? (Cool: bill, deal)

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by RenaudFR

I know this state is very religious, but are they tolerant about atheists ?

Just like anywhere else in the USA, some people are and some people aren't. It was certainly never a problem for my father.

[Fillmont]

I'm a Texan atheist, and I've had no problems. So yea, as long as you don't preach it, you'll be fine (and that goes to every belief system).

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by RenaudFR

I know this state is very religious, but are they tolerant about atheists ?

Being a non-believer myself I often see hostility and resentment towards atheists but mostly on internet message boards and Faux News, in real life no one has ever really snapped at me about it (and I spent 2.5 years in rural South Texas) other than annoying attempts by some evangelicals to explain that I'm wrong.

Personally I think this whole "Texas intolerance" is slightly exaggerated. Americans in general are scared of direct confrontation and won't press you on the issue if you disagree with them, especially if they barely know you. Texans are no exception. The stereotype outside of Texas is that if you find yourself having a conversation with a rural Texan and tell him that you're an atheist, pro-choice, support gay marriages, and voted for Obama he's just gonna shoot you, in reality there most likely gonna be few seconds of awkward silence and a change of a subject. Afterwards the worst that could happen is that that person will stop talking to you.

PS. There's also seem to be a gender factor, in Texas at least. Men never cared about my beliefs it was usually women who were giving me attitude about it.

Not trying to insinuate anything here... just sayin'

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by Fillmont

...as long as you don't preach it, you'll be fine (and that goes to every belief system).

Ever seen religious flyers? I see them all the time, in convenience stores, in laundromats, in rest stops. Now, have you ever seen atheist flyers? Me neither! So, who's preaching really?

[catman]

There are a lot more believers in TX than there are atheists, and well-financed ones too. That explains the flyers. They are trying to drum up business. I'm a Texas atheist and have no problems, but I don't get up into anyone's face about it. Live and let live, as far as I'm concerned.

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by catman

There are a lot more believers in TX than there are atheists, and well-financed ones too. That explains the flyers.

I'm not puzzled by the origins of the flyers. I think it's pretty obvious that if Texas was an atheist state we would see just as many atheist flyers. And folks would be just as annoyed about religious pamphlets.

I was simply disagreeing with Fillmont that Christianity isn't preached in Texas.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Heimdall

Ever seen religious flyers? I see them all the time, in convenience stores, in laundromats, in rest stops. Now, have you ever seen atheist flyers? Me neither! So, who's preaching really?

Flyers? Actually, I've not seen any of either, now that I think of it, in ages (thinking back to my time at UT when occasionally someone would hand me one as I was walking down the street - but that was 40 years ago!).

As for prosletyzing, THAT I've seen, and lately, more often from atheists than from the members of various other faiths (and, yes, for some, atheism is just as much a religion as is Catholicism or Protestantism of whatever hue). Not in person - it's just not polite - but on various message boards and lists.

Though they will uniformly deny it to their dying day, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, you're going to have a very hard time convincing me its a dog.

[quietthings]

I don't think you will have any problems. I'm a Christian myself and I've been friends with several atheists over the years and it's always been a non issue. We aren't near as intolerant as the rest of the country would have you believe, as others have said most people live and let live.

[Fillmont]

Originally Posted by Heimdall

I'm not puzzled by the origins of the flyers. I think it's pretty obvious that if Texas was an atheist state we would see just as many atheist flyers. And folks would be just as annoyed about religious pamphlets.

I was simply disagreeing with Fillmont that Christianity isn't preached in Texas.

Oh, I never meant to say that Christianity isn't preached - far from it. But the flyers aren't terribly intrusive. I was talking more about street preachers and that sort - you don't really get much of that, at least in my experience. And when you do, well, they get ignored.

[Fillmont]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Flyers? Actually, I've not seen any of either, now that I think of it, in ages (thinking back to my time at UT when occasionally someone would hand me one as I was walking down the street - but that was 40 years ago!).

As for prosletyzing, THAT I've seen, and lately, more often from atheists than from the members of various other faiths (and, yes, for some, atheism is just as much a religion as is Catholicism or Protestantism of whatever hue). Not in person - it's just not polite - but on various message boards and lists.

Though they will uniformly deny it to their dying day, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, you're going to have a very hard time convincing me its a dog.

I think a distinction should be made between the Gung-Ho Internet Atheist and the Regular Has-Other-Things-To-Worry-About Atheist. One is just as normal as everyone else, and the other is, well, on the internet.