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Sparks! (I’m Back)

Posted by xJane on December 21st, 2008 at 9:40 am · 3 Comments

For a few weeks when I first stopped being able to find time to blog, I kept windows open in Safari to the point that it was neigh on impossible to shut down my computer, for fear of losing all the wonderful and amazing links I was going to share! But then I got into the Zen of it and decided that blogging is impermanent and that you all would survive even if you didn’t read that screed I found about Palin or the funny-but-true pic I found about the Constitution. So I let them go.

But I’m back *fanfare* and to celebrate, I have three links to share:

The first is this “Coming Out as an Atheist” survey. It essentially compares atheism (and the social/familial stigmas attached to it) to homosexuality and asks, if applicable to you, which was harder to come out as. (My guess? Homosexual, but who knows.) It’s not the kind of survey where you get results (“Congratulations! You’re a Libertarian!”), but the kind of survey that’s part of a study. So I encourage people who are out-atheists, on-the-fence non-believers, and religion-doubters to go take it (sorry to all you actual religionists, I don’t think there are a lot of options for you).

The second link is for religion geeks (or geeky religionists): If Programming Languages were Religions.

Finally, for peaceniks, today is the Winter Solstice and someone has organized a minute of silence, followed by bell-ringing for peace at noon today. Not a bad way to remain present as the season ramps up in crazy.

That is all.

Tags: Atheism · Belief · Blogging · Doubt · Getting over Religion · Humor · Pacifism · Peace; conflict resolution. · Religion · Ritual · Sexuality · Society · Spiritual Progressives · Technology

3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Craig // Dec 21, 2008 at 7:06 pm

    I’m not sure that I can say whether coming out as gay was harder. I came out as gay first, and then after that, they expect “anything”, drinking, smoking, sex, atheism – it all is to be expected from one who is gay and therefore not living the commandments of the Lord, has lost the constant companionship of the Spirit of the Lord, etc.

    Basically coming out as atheist was much easier, because I had already disabused people (my parents) of the notion that I was a good little Mormon, and also had become much more comfortable with myself and confidant of my opinions and lifestyle. If I had to do it the other way around, I think it would have been the same, coming out as atheist first would have made coming out as gay much less of a big deal, but I think coming out as gay to an extremely religious family is very similar to coming out as atheist.

    I suppose it all just depends on the audience. If you’re coming out to homophobic non-religious people, or whether you’re coming out to very religious but gay accepting (well those people are rarely bothered by atheists, but you get the point), etc.

  • 2 xJane // Dec 21, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    I suppose it all just depends on the audience.

    Absolutely! I told my parents I didn’t believe in God years before I moved in with my boyfriend (to *gasp* live in carnal sin!), but that still was harder.

  • 3 angryyoungwoman // Dec 21, 2008 at 9:51 pm

    I told my parents I was a non-believer a few months before I had the other talk. I worried about equally. Weirdly, coming out as bi was not as hard, mostly because my mom guessed the moment I said I had to talk to her. I thought they were going to disown me, but they didn’t. I don’t think my mom told my dad, though–or I might just be disowned.

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