I'm... not discriminated against?

[Covered-Up Boxers]

In my English II class we were required to talk about a non-fiction book for 3 minutes. Being a good little atheist, I picked the God Delusion.

Honestly, I was incredibly nervous about this book and even interchanged it with Danse Macrabe a few times. It's not that I'm ashamed I'm an atheist, I just don't like the debates I'm forced into whenever I tell a person. (I get frustrated when I have to debate someone about the practicalities of Atheism. I just about blow my lid when the opposition says, 'But if you're wrong (___) will happen!')

So, I went through it and figuratively came out of the Atheist closet to my peers. "I chose this book because I am an Atheist and I enjoy reading about other's views about religon..."

Anyway, I was pleasently surprised when it turned out that absolutely nobody cared. biggrin While I was propositioned for a few debates, nobody really bothered me. I found it strange, especially from all the horror stories from peers across the Internet. >_>;

My question is this: is Atheism becoming more accepted in America, at least by the kids in the larger areas? Or was my honors class ignorant of the meaning of the word 'atheist' and I'll be jumped by the Bible club sometime in the future?  

[Levis Pennae]

I honestly think that the majority of your class was "in another place" during you presentation. 'Cause I know from experience that people don't tend to pay attention during a peers presentation.  

[JadeDragonSoul]

although I don't know the circumstances of your class and peers I can say, from my personal observances and experience so far, that the majority of my friends are Atheists and Agnostics. Curious, I'd go through some people I'm not friend's with at schools myspaces and become pleasantly surprised when I found out that they're also atheist or agnostic. :] This is extremely comforting to me and I do think that teenagers are becoming more accepting, though I have witnessed at least five examples of kids in my school who have a problem with it. One...actually wants to become a priest. >>  

[Redem]

It just means your class mates aren't total (*%&£%^.

As opposed to a lot of other people who are. You got lucky.  

[Napoleon_Danneskjold]

It's an HONORS class. That is the key variable.  

[Koravin]

Napoleon_Danneskjold

It's an HONORS class. That is the key variable.

I have to second that, but you still got lucky. Even in my AP classes, that sort of thing can be problematic. I'm happy for you. Much better than the death threats I get. Really, who threatens to kill someone for quietly being of a different religion? In the US? I guess midwesterners...  

[Napoleon_Danneskjold]

XD I'm glad I moved out of South Dakota before realizing I was an atheist...  

[JadeDragonSoul]

Napoleon_Danneskjold

It's an HONORS class. That is the key variable.

Eh I dunno!
I am also in an honors class and there are two kids that I know of, one way more than the other, that would speak up.  

[Tenth Speed Writer]

Honestly?

Most people are mature enough not to care.

The minority who do just happen to be very, very loud.  

[IchiKatsu]

I live in Seattle and have honers, so there are a lot of atheists.

I see it as atheism getting accepted more in the public. There may be few in the whole population but in the younger generation atheism is much more prevalent.  

[Kurai Keiro]

Yeah, I've noticed that a lot of people are okay with it. Or they ignore it (in my case.)

My Civics teacher jokes about my atheism a lot. XD But then again, he jokes about everything...  

[Reichkovich]

I live in a small town and I haven't ever really caught any s**t for my atheism. I believe I came out in middle school, however it wasn't as though I was waving my atheist flag around. Just whenever I was asked my religion I'd have no problem saying I was an Atheist.

There was one girl though that insisted that if I didn't believe in God I was 'Satonic'. That's her pronunciation, btw. But I haven't really talked to her until lately in my junior year of high school and she doesn't seem to have a problem with me. Then again, this is after I lost around 70 pounds and she's just a shallow c**t, for lack of better term.

But anyway, I remember being in my sociology class and discussing the drought situation in Georgia. How the governor was holding a public prayer session so they could pray for rain and just turning around to my friend and saying, "I wonder how long it'll take God to answer..." and then hearing some girl say, "Did you hear what he said?" as if she was in utter disgust. But no retaliation.  

[Tchaik]

I get s**t from my family more than anyone. At Thanksgiving, I gave thanks to my parents and everyone who takes the time to drive me all over the place for all my orchestras. For some reason, I was glared at for directing my thanks toward actual people instead of God. rofl

But most of my peers are either okay with it, or they don't know. Whatever.  

[Aaron Lee Morrison]

Avoir Le Retour...

Well, don't get your hopes up. Sadly, most of them probably don't even don't know what the word 'Atheist' means. (Okay, scratch that. Look, I'm going by the initial reactions of MY peers. I don't know what exactly to say about yours.) Why do I say this? Because when I first came out to my peers, (I'm completely open now) most of them didn't say anything negative at all. I was shocked. A couple of days later, a bomb dropped and everyone knew the actual definition. I got insulted, got into debates, and still do. But trust me, if you stand for what you believe in, people will learn to accept it or get over it.

...Les Adieux

 

[CaprinaePsi]

Napoleon_Danneskjold

It's an HONORS class. That is the key variable.

So? I'm in college classes, and in all of them there is a small percentage that acts like they belong in middle school. It's even worse in my honors math class (though, my math teacher is a ******** dumbass...). Just because it's not a regular class, doesn't mean it's devoid of brain dead morons.

In 9th grade, in my science class, I once said that I had no religion, and students around me (some of them) just looked at me like a deer staring into the oncoming headlights of a huge-a** truck. I don't really say that I'm an atheist too often, but so far (in my new school), when I had said it, no one cared.