Atheists: What is the craziest reaction from a friend or family member you've had?

Question

Here's mine.

My aunt brought me up very well but never said anything about religion and such, through my years being a mathematician and scientist I have deduced the non-existence of a supreme deity.

Anyway, my aunt doesn't like me to say "Atheist" in the house because she feels weird about it. LOL! How ironic coming from someone who serious stated..."let people believe in gods, santa, the easter bunny, whatever....they might believe in something that isn't there, but what matters is the feeling and comfort from it". And no, she's not a Christian nor a Theist.

Can someone explain this? Anyone else have this kind of experience?

Answer 1

Mom, I'm g*y

Oh my god!!!!!

then after a few moments, while she recovers froma  a thousand heart attacks

nah, I'm kidding, i'm just an atheist

It was much easier for her to cope

Answer 2

My grandmother doesn't attend church, but she likes the book of mormon and really likes one of those craze televangelist guys, I've never really told her, our political differences are enough to keep us arguing without bringing religion into the mix.  The rest of my family isn't really religious, I think my mums agnostic and my dad is atheist.  However I did tell a coworker the other day and her face became so contorted I think she should consider contacting Ringling Bros for her own circus act.  When she regained her composure she started to talk about how messed up mormons are ( as we were working at a mormon church), seemed a little silly to me.  Every time I see these questions about how immoral atheists are I think of her being so negative toward the church we were standing in to collect blood donations.

Answer 3

I'm not an atheist, but here's my input.

My Christian classmate asked me if I believed in God. I asked "Which one?"

She avoided me for a few weeks after that.

Answer 4

Have a cup of Java on me!

My husband hides my car every time his Baptist parents are coming. My car has an "evolve" sticker on the back, proudly displayed. I have no problem telling my relatives that I'm an Atheist.

Answer 5

I've never had a crazy reaction from family or friend, but I have had schoolmates in elementary school touch a cross to my back and ask if it hurts.  Multiple people did it too on different occasions! LOL

____

Answer 6

My parents were real weird about it in a rather cool way.  I figured it out when I was about ten.  Sometime around 13 I decided that I couldn't handle church anymore so I decided to tell them.  I started off with "I don't want to go to church anymore" figuring that would bring on the whole thing.  They just said OK.  They've never asked me to this day and it's been over 30 years.

Funny, they were always pretty religious, though educated and certainly not fundies.  They don't go anymore either.  

Answer 7

My dad once shoved me in the car barefoot to go to church, he knew I was doubting by then & that I disliked going to church.

Funny thing was, I really couldn't find my shoes.

Idk, if he thought I was lying or not, but he'd be damned if I missed my brainwashing session.

Answer 8

"But you are such a nice person, and have such good kids, there is NO WAY you can be an atheist!"

Yea, that day I had my hair styled just right to hide the horns.

Oh, I forgot!  My BIL, the baptist minister, bemoaned from the pulpit at my FIL's funeral that my FIL would be so disappointed that he wouldn't see me in heaven.  Funny, I knew my FIL for 15 years and he never said anything like that...nor acted that way.

Answer 9

I don't even want to know what would happen to me if I told my friend/her family that I was atheist. They are pretty hardcore Christian, though not quite fundie. Boy, would /that/ be a scene.

Answer 10

A co-worker asked if I don't believe in god, then I must believe in the devil. I said they are one in the same.

Answer 11

I don't have a personal story on that, but a friend of mine had a mother who literally snuck up and threw holy water on him several times while he was growing up and leaning towards Atheism.

Answer 12

Only words of disbelief...

"Nah, you're kidding me, right?"

Answer 13

I think that people should be free to believe whatever they want, just so long as their resulting actions do not cause harm to others. In this way, I think your auntie is right.

Nonetheless, my mother told my boss (who is a staunch catholic) that he should prosletyze to me "because it would do me good". Ironically, my mother is a nature worshipper (ie Druid). I think that some people just can't grasp that I do not require belief in a supreme being for my universe to work.