I’m the (as far as I know) lone heathen in my neighborhood, and even in my house (my wife is Mormon). I took my screen name in honor of my dad, who would cheerfully describe himself as “the neighborhood heathen” to any missionaries unfortunate enough to show up at our door.
We’ll talk later. I’m still fumbling my way around, so I’m not sure what else to say at this point.
I sympathize with you, NH. I grew up in a family of Southern Baptists myself.
Yeah, my dad was always an atheist, but my mom started us kids out Catholic (I don’t even think she’s that hardcore anymore). Now I’m in a mixed marriage myself, where religion is a non-issue. Your family still religious?
They sure are. Well… varying degrees. Most of them are the kind who would answer a poll saying they go to church every Sunday although in reality it’s more like very third Sunday. On the other hand my older sister noticed that the dogwood blossoms last spring were a little bit redder than normal, and wondered aloud if it was a “sign”. But I didn’t have the advantage of a role model like you did.
But I didn't have the advantage of a role model like you did.Actually, my dad stayed out of our religious upbringing -- by prior agreement, as my mom recently told me. Looking back, I'm sure there were times he had to bite his tongue bloody, but he managed. (Hell, he even came to my first communion, poor guy.) I didn't actually realize he was an atheist until after I'd already turned on my own. As it happens, my oldest sister is the only one in my family who's still seriously religious, too.
I'm the (as far as I know) lone heathen in my neighborhood, and even in my house (my wife is Mormon). I took my screen name in honor of my dad, who would cheerfully describe himself as "the neighborhood heathen" to any missionaries unfortunate enough to show up at our door. We'll talk later. I'm still fumbling my way around, so I'm not sure what else to say at this point.Welcome to CFI. I do wonder though, with such a view of religion—at least two generations of it—how you managed to wind up with a Mormon wife and how she wound up with a “heathen" for a husband. That must be an interesting story.
I'm the (as far as I know) lone heathen in my neighborhood, and even in my house (my wife is Mormon). I took my screen name in honor of my dad, who would cheerfully describe himself as "the neighborhood heathen" to any missionaries unfortunate enough to show up at our door. We'll talk later. I'm still fumbling my way around, so I'm not sure what else to say at this point.Welcome. I too have been called a heathen and even by myself come to think of it. I am fortunate in that I did not grow up with Bible thumping parents and I am so thankful.
I do wonder though, with such a view of religion—at least two generations of it—how you managed to wind up with a Mormon wife and how she wound up with a “heathen" for a husband. That must be an interesting story.You had to ask! (Not that you did, exactly.) In the first place, we'd been friends for several years before we got together, so by the time we realized we were in love I can't think of anything that would've driven a significant wedge between us (and I wasn't too fanatical at the time anyway). But in fact at the time I happened to think SHE was an atheist (due to her saying things like "There is no God."). It wasn't till several years later, during a period of great stress and weirdness in our lives, that she suddenly started going back to church. That's when she told me she'd always believed, but she'd been angry at the church as well as at her parents (basic teenager baggage), so she'd rejected the faith to punish them. I saw that getting back into church made her happier, calmer under stress, and generally healthier, besides improving her relationship with her parents (great people, by the way!), so how could I not want all that for her? She's one person I know for whom religion actually works! For her part, she knows I'm a loving, moral person, so what does it matter how I spend my Sundays? Also, we were older when we hooked up, so we don't have any kids together, and the subject has never happened to come up with her grown kids, but I doubt it would be a thing. I have since become less complacent in my atheism, following an ugly incident in my own family, and officially set the record straight with the Catholic church, but, like I say, within our marriage it's a non-issue. Sorry you sort of asked? :-)
Welcome. I too have been called a heathen and even by myself come to think of it. I am fortunate in that I did not grow up with Bible thumping parents and I am so thankful.I hear you! Striking choice of word, though, "thankful". I'm not criticizing your word choice, because I've had the same feeling when fortuitous things have happened -- and then looked around and there was no one to thank. "Thank you, dumb luck?". Strange feeling. Funny how religious bias is built into our very language, isn't it?
Great story NH. I’m in a “mixed” relationship too. We met at a very liberal church and got married at age 40. Same thing, events led her to be “more spiritual” and I went the other direction. Politically we’re still the same as well as morally, just different in how we express it. It’s not all wine and roses, but I think we’re stuck with each other.
I think we're stuck with each other.Happily, I trust.
Welcome to CFI Neighborhood Heathen. Looking forward to hearing from you.