Post by jaejae on Nov 15, 2004 20:57:00 GMT -5
I'm new here and a closet atheist. Ironically I work for a Church funded organization. Perhaps this is partly why I choose to keep my beliefs quiet. To "out" yourself as an athiest would definitely put you in a negative light.
As an example -- a few years ago one of my co-workers declared that he did not believe in God. The backlash didn't begin right away. In fact, people expressed how pleased they were that he was so open. I should say that this person wasn't very popular anyway -- he was seen as incompetent before he announced that he was an atheist and was equally incompetent after the disclosure. He was also not well-liked before and after. It seemed that nothing had changed. No one really spoke of him as an atheist -- until ...
He slipped and fell. As a result he sprained his back and was unable to get up. He had to go to the hospital and was out of work for awhile. The reaction from others was unexpected. I joined a discussion shortly after this man fell and the focus was on why he fell. No -- they didn't blame the newly mopped floor or even his clumsiness. Oddly enough the consensus was that he fell because he didn't believe in God. They said, "He's an atheist and got what he deserved." Of course, I chuckled and made a sarcastic remark about their rediculous statement, but quickly realized that they were serious.
This was my first exposure to the potential of being discriminated against because of my spiritual beliefs. Anyone else experience similar situations? Any advice to closeted atheists?
As an example -- a few years ago one of my co-workers declared that he did not believe in God. The backlash didn't begin right away. In fact, people expressed how pleased they were that he was so open. I should say that this person wasn't very popular anyway -- he was seen as incompetent before he announced that he was an atheist and was equally incompetent after the disclosure. He was also not well-liked before and after. It seemed that nothing had changed. No one really spoke of him as an atheist -- until ...
He slipped and fell. As a result he sprained his back and was unable to get up. He had to go to the hospital and was out of work for awhile. The reaction from others was unexpected. I joined a discussion shortly after this man fell and the focus was on why he fell. No -- they didn't blame the newly mopped floor or even his clumsiness. Oddly enough the consensus was that he fell because he didn't believe in God. They said, "He's an atheist and got what he deserved." Of course, I chuckled and made a sarcastic remark about their rediculous statement, but quickly realized that they were serious.
This was my first exposure to the potential of being discriminated against because of my spiritual beliefs. Anyone else experience similar situations? Any advice to closeted atheists?
