The big leap...
Hi, make that 9 in the community. I exist, but don't exactly have a profile. That's another issue entirely...
I'm Cynthia and I never thought of atheism as a huge leap. I was raised by very devout Protestants--had to go to every form of sunday school, youth group, church, etc. for years. In 9th grade, I was subjected to the 'confirmation class' so that I could stand up in front of the church and be confirmed (whatever that really means). I had questioned the Sunday School teachers for years because the stories that they taught from the bible made no sense. I never got an answer that made sense either. By the time that the confirmation class was over, I was certain that the entire organized religion thing was a complete scam for scared people (like my parents), that there was no 'God' and that when we die, we're just done. I told my mother that I really shouldn't stand up and be confirmed since it would be a lie. (I might not be a Christian, but I can't bear lying 
). What does she say? "What will my friends say? How can you NOT do this? Just wear your dress, get up there and do it. And by the way, you're not getting a party if you don't believe!" Huh?? I don't remember ever thinking about a party--that was beautiful. But the best part was "I'm so worried about what these other 'compassionate Christians' are going to think of us, that I'd rather you lie in front of them all. So, I did. And true to her word, no party. (That still makes me laugh).
Fast forward a couple of years. I had to negotiate a deal with my parents whilst a senior in High School. If I were going to head to Philly to spend a weekend with my boyfriend at college, I had to be home on Sunday morning to go to church. Oh, they were going to save me yet. So, I'd go...best daydreaming I've ever done.
Then, after college (and some other stuff) I joined the Peace Corps and went to West Africa for a couple of years. THAT was truly an eye-opener. The missionaries have done a job on poor Africa. EVERYONE wants you to go to church and have your soul saved...and everything in their lives reflects the devotion to their beliefs. You drive down the road in any village or town and pass "In God we Trust hair salon", "God's time is the right time tire and vulcanizers" etc. etc. Very amusing. It got so bad in my village that I could only associate with the Traditional Doctors and their followers...they never tried to get me to go to church or do anything else. They had their minds on better stuff.
Oh, I have so much in me to get out that I need to stop right here...else I go off on 80 different tangents regarding my thoughts on this topic.
Oh, one last thing because I can't resist--I saw a thread about this already. My now-ex-mother-in-law (I married a Ghanaian rasta man while over there. When I had my first son, we brought his mom over for SIX LONG MONTHS to help) is a religious zealot. I worked my beehind off for a long time to be able to afford her paperwork, passport, visa, plane fare, etc. etc. etc. What does she tell me when she gets here? "We need to thank Jesus for providing me the way to come to America." Well, being extremely sleep-deprived and hormonally challenged after having recently given birth, I couldn't just ignore it. I believe that to her, I must have looked like the devil (he he) himself when I glared at her and told her that her Jesus had nothing to do with it, that I was the one working 50 hours a week (her son...not such a provider as it turns out), and that if she was going to be giving credit where it wasn't due, she'd best ask her Jesus to send me a check covering her expenses since I mistakenly paid for it all myself due to her not having disclosed the her previous financial arrangement with Jesus. Oh boy, did that set the stage for an interesting couple of months!
OK--thanks for listening!
Cyn
). What does she say? "What will my friends say? How can you NOT do this? Just wear your dress, get up there and do it. And by the way, you're not getting a party if you don't believe!" Huh?? I don't remember ever thinking about a party--that was beautiful. But the best part was "I'm so worried about what these other 'compassionate Christians' are going to think of us, that I'd rather you lie in front of them all. So, I did. And true to her word, no party. (That still makes me laugh).
Fast forward a couple of years. I had to negotiate a deal with my parents whilst a senior in High School. If I were going to head to Philly to spend a weekend with my boyfriend at college, I had to be home on Sunday morning to go to church. Oh, they were going to save me yet. So, I'd go...best daydreaming I've ever done.
Then, after college (and some other stuff) I joined the Peace Corps and went to West Africa for a couple of years. THAT was truly an eye-opener. The missionaries have done a job on poor Africa. EVERYONE wants you to go to church and have your soul saved...and everything in their lives reflects the devotion to their beliefs. You drive down the road in any village or town and pass "In God we Trust hair salon", "God's time is the right time tire and vulcanizers" etc. etc. Very amusing. It got so bad in my village that I could only associate with the Traditional Doctors and their followers...they never tried to get me to go to church or do anything else. They had their minds on better stuff.
Oh, I have so much in me to get out that I need to stop right here...else I go off on 80 different tangents regarding my thoughts on this topic.
Oh, one last thing because I can't resist--I saw a thread about this already. My now-ex-mother-in-law (I married a Ghanaian rasta man while over there. When I had my first son, we brought his mom over for SIX LONG MONTHS to help) is a religious zealot. I worked my beehind off for a long time to be able to afford her paperwork, passport, visa, plane fare, etc. etc. etc. What does she tell me when she gets here? "We need to thank Jesus for providing me the way to come to America." Well, being extremely sleep-deprived and hormonally challenged after having recently given birth, I couldn't just ignore it. I believe that to her, I must have looked like the devil (he he) himself when I glared at her and told her that her Jesus had nothing to do with it, that I was the one working 50 hours a week (her son...not such a provider as it turns out), and that if she was going to be giving credit where it wasn't due, she'd best ask her Jesus to send me a check covering her expenses since I mistakenly paid for it all myself due to her not having disclosed the her previous financial arrangement with Jesus. Oh boy, did that set the stage for an interesting couple of months!
OK--thanks for listening!
Cyn 
Hey one more person and we'll have as many as the pine needle basket weavers.
"God's time is the right time tire and vulcanizers" Oh I'll be repeating that one.... Check this out. It's for real: http://www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org/
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