"Godless Heathens" Support thread - no bashing please :)

[Crankyshank]

I thought maybe we needed a place of our own to chat and support each other
So how's everyone doing? I just found out my MIL bought some "appropriate" reading material for us to take back with us when we go visit them in Oct. I can hardly wait to see what that entails

 

[Marseeya]

 

[wvrevy]

Another Heathen checking in.

I'm curious...To those others out there that aren't religious, do you either get or expect to get a lot of guff from religious relatives because you are bringing / will bring your kids up as fellow heathens ? Both my mother and my MIL are both "loosely" religious (meaning they claim to be, but don't attend church much), and both have been known to make comments about how we're raising DD. Just curious if that is a common issue, or if it's just my nutty mother and MIL...

 

[MosMom]

My dad & stepmom never attend church and have no opinion on how we raise our children. My IL's are very religious but they know how I feel pretty much and it really is never discussed. I'm pretty lucky though, I have good IL's.

My SIL is EXTREMELY religious and gave my daughter a questionable Christmas gift but other than that I have never had problems.

 

[Marseeya]

Another Heathen checking in.

I'm curious...To those others out there that aren't religious, do you either get or expect to get a lot of guff from religious relatives because you are bringing / will bring your kids up as fellow heathens ? Both my mother and my MIL are both "loosely" religious (meaning they claim to be, but don't attend church much), and both have been known to make comments about how we're raising DD. Just curious if that is a common issue, or if it's just my nutty mother and MIL...

I get it mostly from my mother. My MIL lives far away and is in some kind of fantasyland thinking we do go to church. I guess it doesn't help that my husband used to be a choir director (don't ask )

What makes it worse for me is that the greatest harm ever done to me was done in church, yet my mother persists in nagging at me to send my daughter there! If she couldn't keep me safe there, what makes her think I'd trust her to keep my daughter safe?

 

[JennyMominRI]

I don't know If I qualify as a G-dless heathen.I know I have come across that attitude thatanyone who is not Christian fits said criteria. So depending on who you ask,I am a G-dless heathen.

 

[caitycaity]

hello all! i love my rl friends. tuesday night i went out with some people from school and we all got into a very awesome discussion about religion. and we had catholics, protestants, jews, and athiests in the discussion. sometimes i don't understand why people online can't have similarly respectful conversations, but i digress.

To those others out there that aren't religious, do you either get or expect to get a lot of guff from religious relatives because you are bringing / will bring your kids up as fellow heathens ?

no, but my family is a bit odd. we have southern baptists, jews, catholics, protestants, and atheists/agnostics. actually, i think i might be the only atheist. people are very respectful of each other's religions and honestly it's just not a big deal in my family, eventhough everyone takes their religion very seriously. many relatives converted when they married their spouse.

dh's family are agnostic protestants and jews. dh (like me) was raised by agnostics and never went to church. dh considers himself agnostic. i was really floored before we got married when he said he would want to raise his children with religion. we had a long talk about it and he eventually came around to the opinion that i have: i'm totally willing to support my child in whatever they choose, but i will not actively indoctrinate them one way or the other.

i wonder if it will be an issue with the il's when/if we have kids.

 

[Crankyshank]

No kids yet, but this is a definite concern of mine. No one in my family still living is religious. I'm planning on Baptizing my child(ren) Catholic but more for traditional reasons than anything else. That would be the only thing my family would give me guff about.

As far as the in-laws, let's just say I am very glad they are in FL and I am in RI because I get a ton of guff with just me being Catholic. I can only imagine how much it will increase once we have kids.

It's a pity how some people are so closed minded and judge based on religion, or sexual preferences

 

[LoraJ]

LOL!!! So glad you started this! I was also thinking of starting a heathen thread!

 

[Crankyshank]

hello all! i love my rl friends. tuesday night i went out with some people from school and we all got into a very awesome discussion about religion. and we had catholics, protestants, jews, and athiests in the discussion. sometimes i don't understand why people online can't have similarly respectful conversations, but i digress.

MTE. At my best friend's BBQ on the 4th we had such an awesome conversation about philosophy, religion, and the historical background of some religious laws. It was so cool to talk with atheists, pagans, Catholics, Jews, and and agnostics about it

 

[JennyMominRI]

actually, i think i might be the only atheist.

I almost asked you if you were a Muslima on the other thread. I thought you might be because of the smiley after my Halal comment. I didn't ask because I figured a Muslim might worry about some peoples reactions on this board

 

[Puffy2]

I'm not a heathan, I just often perfer their company. Me thinks Jesus did too, but that's for another discussion.

Anyway, OP, I was just wondering...what sort of "appropriate reading material" was sent to you?

 

[CEDmom]

I don't know If I qualify as a G-dless heathen.I know I have come across that attitude thatanyone who is not Christian fits said criteria. So depending on who you ask,I am a G-dless heathen.

I'm right there with you. Church has never really been that important to me. I consider myself a good kind person but don't put much stock in being Christian or not.

 

[snoopy]

I'm a perpetually conflicted Catholic but I do believe in God. I've had a few people here on the DIS tell me I should leave the Catholic church because I don't follow Church doctrine to the letter (or even at all, in some cases).

Does that make me a godless heathen? Around here it would appear that way, but in real life, I have never experienced that sort of attitude.

 

[caitycaity]

I almost asked you if you were a Muslima on the other thread. I thought you might be because of the smiley after my Halal comment. I didn't ask because I figured a Muslim might worry about some peoples reactions on this board

LOL, no. i grew up with an "uncle" (you know a family friend you are not related to but call uncle anyways, LOL) that was muslim and i went to school (and am friends with) a lot of muslims. i was in student government in college and i got to learn a lot from my muslim friends when they were trying to get the school to build them a prayer room in the student union, and also trying to get the school to accomodate their halal needs. though i consider myself at this point in my life to be an atheist, i have learned a lot of about different religions in an attempt to find spirituality.

 

[Crankyshank]

I have no idea what she's giving us. The last time she sent me a book, it was the surrendered wife book DH thinks it's the Left Behind series.

I can't wait until she finds out we're going to Busch Gardens instead of church with them.

 

[snoopy]

I have no idea what she's giving us. The last time she sent me a book, it was the surrendered wife book DH thinks it's the Left Behind series.

I can't wait until she finds out we're going to Busch Gardens instead of church with them.

The surrendered wife? You've got to be kidding me! What was your husband's reaction to that?

 

[tiff211]

My mom is extremely religious and goes to church about 5 times a week. I hear it in snide comments, if I complain to her about something. Or if she comes over my house and my DD14 has on her music or we are drinking beer at a cookout, she has to leave.

 

[Crankyshank]

I'm a perpetually conflicted Catholic but I do believe in God. I've had a few people here on the DIS tell me I should leave the Catholic church because I don't follow Church doctrine to the letter (or even at all, in some cases).

Does that make me a godless heathen? Around here it would appear that way, but in real life, I have never experienced that sort of attitude.

I put godless heathen in quotes because it was meant tongue in cheek. This thread is basically meant for anyone that has been told they are hellbound for whatever reason. I'm a lapsed agnostic Catholic with pagan leanings.

DH just rolled his eyes and laughed about the surrendered wife gift

 

[JennyMominRI]

There are 4 kids in my family..We were all raised Catholic.. The three of them are still Catholic,although I don't think any of them go to church.I of course am Converting to Judaism..Mymothe r made acomment to my sister that she is the one closest to god in the family,or the only one close to g-d.. Anyhow,I guess I don't rate at all as I'm no longer Christian