Before you post in this room...

[intactivstmom]

double post. I'm having issues tonight.

[intactivstmom]

I just noticed this room! I'm pretty excited actually, probably more than is normal .

All of my family is very, very, very religious, they are all LDS/Mormon. Dh and are are both no longer apart of the LDS faith. It can be pretty difficult and isolating, especially since not all of our family is very respectful of our beliefs.

I don't really think there is a god, and if there is and he is anything like the god I have been taught about I don't think he is a very nice man or a good father, so I'm not going to beat myself up trying to get into heaven to be with him.

[Windy]

In reading this, I think this applies to me:

to those who do believe in a God, but don't feel that traditional organized religion is right for them and feel more "at home" here

I have formed my own beliefs based on experiences, feelings, and research. Some things I'm still figuring out, but time will bring the answers. I guess I can belong here

[AmeriBrit]

Welcome, y'all!

[Consensus]

I wasn't going to post here because I figured I'd be a forever lurker... but I just posted. I'm a Christian physicist and lurking have found it easy to wear my physicist hat here and appreciate some of the reading resources that are mentioned here (though I usually go read 50 amazon reviews anyway before deciding whether or not to buy a book). I am a total nerd and think there are a few here too.

[Gwenn]

Hi, Jenn. Don't know if you've seen my background posted elsewhere but I'm a Christian and post mostly in this room. Started off lurking here and realized I have much in common with others who post here ... but who are you calling a nerd? My dad is a physicist and I'm a speech-language pathologist. My mom is a teacher and I joke that an SLP is the offspring of a physicist and a teacher because there is a heavy teaching element combined with a heavy science element in my job. Oh - and I also live in Tucson!

[Scarlett]

Well, I have been mostly a lurker, but I was raised in a "Christian" household. My "father" acted one way in the church and a completely different way at home. I do not have anything against religion actually, just don't believe you have to go to church to be a good person. I also believe that a loving God would not be so happy about the intolerance the church has for certain people.

Simply have found that organized religion is not for me. Could have a bit to do with the whole Jekyl/Hyde thing with my father, along with the church turning their backs on us when my mother finally up and left when she had had enough.

[XangelaX]

I didn't know this room was here!!
Im very excited! Both DH and I are Atheist. I've just never believed and neither has he.

[pepperlru]

I always forget to post introductions.

I was raised in a religious family. My parents are very active in their church, bible study and Christian community. I spent many years studying the bible and being involved in church. I've even taught Sunday school. However, through those years of study and involvement I realized it was not for me. Maybe I always knew, but cherished the sense of community and belonging. I became very bothered by the hypocrisy within the church, and the hypocrisy that was also in me as I went through the motions of something I did not believe. For many years now, I have been agnostic. It causes some strife in my relationship with my family, which makes me really sad.
DH is in a similar spot - agnostic/atheist, raised LDS.

I'm glad this room is here.

[intactivstmom]

I always forget to post introductions.

I was raised in a religious family. My parents are very active in their church, bible study and Christian community. I spent many years studying the bible and being involved in church. I've even taught Sunday school. However, through those years of study and involvement I realized it was not for me. Maybe I always knew, but cherished the sense of community and belonging. I became very bothered by the hypocrisy within the church, and the hypocrisy that was also in me as I went through the motions of something I did not believe. For many years now, I have been agnostic. It causes some strife in my relationship with my family, which makes me really sad.
DH is in a similar spot - agnostic/atheist, raised LDS.

I'm glad this room is here.

I'm happy to see you here! Although I wish you didn't have to deal with family issues because of differing beliefs.

[Volura]

I didn't know this room was here until just now!

My name is Laura. I was raised pretty much sans religion. I would call both myself and my DH atheists.

[sen7676]

I just discovered this group, what a treat! I'm Sarah, and I'm a library lady here in Lincoln, Nebraska.

I grew up on the liberal end of the protestant tradition, and spent my late teens and early twenties trying on all kinds of religious experiences. Finally I realized that the world is at least as full of wonder and just as (in)comprehensible without any religion at all.

I'm expecting my first in February, and I'm really excited to be a mom.

[writeshawnna]

I never posted an intro and I tend to forget that this group is here.

My dad's family is Catholic, but I grew up with my mom and she is agnostic or atheist, never really asked and that's how I was brought up. We went to the UU church for a couple of years and then the Quaker church, but that was mostly because of my step-dad, who I think is agnostic but likes the structure of a church setting.

I consider myself atheist. I just don't believe in a God or supreme being at all. I believe in Darwin.

[catfish4]

Hi im gonna dive in here! my name is cathy im borderline atheist but definitetly agnostic. df believes in a god but not much more than that, now that i have a daughter im constantly wondering how religion will affect her and the fact that im not religious.

[tcm1974]

Hi ladies,
I never even knew this room existed! Cool.
Both Dh and I are atheists. I was raised Roman Catholic though, and most if my family is catholic or believe in god.

[demigraf]

Hi ladies,
I never even knew this room existed! Cool.
Both Dh and I are atheists. I was raised Roman Catholic though, and most if my family is catholic or believe in god.

Welcome. I've noticed and liked your posts in other parts of APA. Your religious background is my story too. I was just sharing w/ another APA mom the other day that my Catholic high school was known for having the shortest skirts in The Valley (<--- as in home of the original Valley Girls), and the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Catholic School Girls Rule" supposedly got its inspiration from the hemlines of my school.

I'm quite certain, however, that they did not specifically have me in mind when they penned the song.

[AmeriBrit]

Hey, y'all! Quite a few people have posted in the past few months, so I just wanted to say hey! Hope you guys feel like you can post a lot in here!

[tcm1974]

Welcome. I've noticed and liked your posts in other parts of APA. Your religious background is my story too. I was just sharing w/ another APA mom the other day that my Catholic high school was known for having the shortest skirts in The Valley (<--- as in home of the original Valley Girls), and the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Catholic School Girls Rule" supposedly got its inspiration from the hemlines of my school.

I'm quite certain, however, that they did not specifically have me in mind when they penned the song.

HAH! My school had a fairly high teen pregnancy rate...Abstinance at its finest!

[daynasrose]

everyone. I hope I will fit in here as I feel I don't fit in many other place.

My name is Dayna and I have been part of APA for a couple of years now. I just had my DS, Orren, in January and have a DD, Adrian, who is two.

Just a little about my religious background - I was raised Church of Christ, a very strict, almost Puritan-like group. I never really felt right going to church as a child but I loved to sing so I tolerated it. When I got married to my ex I stopped going to church as he never really felt right going either.

I am a person who questions everything and that is what I spent a lot of my 20s doing. I somehow ended up meditating and had an experience that completely changed my views about God, religion, humanity - everything. It also changed me in another way - I somehow became able to hear, see and communicate with people who had passed away. This challenged everything I was raised to believe and forced me to reevaluate many things.

I don't associate with any one religious group, though I will tell people when they ask me what religion I am that I am spiritualist or I will tell them I was raised Christian. My DH is a Scientologist and I will go with him to their events and mingle with them as they are great people, but I don't really think of them as a religious group even though they are classified as such. I have done some auditing there and found/find it useful and I must say it is the only religious group so far that has come even close to fitting my beliefs.

I am pretty open-minded about people's beliefs and don't often mention my own just because I have gotten so many blank stares and sometimes outright nastiness. I mainly just want to be able to be myself and believe as I wish without others judging me.

From what I have read in this thread about you all, it seems like I will find many who can relate to me here. I look forward to meeting you all.

[summerbabies]

Hi, I'm Lacey. I'm an atheist. I come from a very religious community and have a home daycare, where I watch the children of people very involved of their church. Because of this I feel I have to stay a "closeted atheist." I was raised Christian, but could never really buy into it. Science is my passion and I'm not one who can easily find a middle ground between the two. I just need someone other than my husband to talk to about raising my children secular. I don't know anyone else in real life who is an atheist parent.

[girlwonder]

[missychrissy]

Hi, I'm Lacey. I'm an atheist. I come from a very religious community and have a home daycare, where I watch the children of people very involved of their church. Because of this I feel I have to stay a "closeted atheist." I was raised Christian, but could never really buy into it. Science is my passion and I'm not one who can easily find a middle ground between the two. I just need someone other than my husband to talk to about raising my children secular. I don't know anyone else in real life who is an atheist parent.

Hi Lacey! I'm glad you signed up.

I know Lacey from another board and invited her into our secular hide-out. I am positive she's a good fit!!

I hope you post in our Secular Confessions thread. It can be pretty busy in there, but we talk about everything from our kids to our husbands, jobs, the world. I think you'll like it there.

[Cosmosmom]

Hi Lacey! Welcome!

[Ky'sMom]

Welcome Lacey!!

Erin

[daylilies]

Welcome Lacey! I'm also in the secular confessions thread a lot.

[demigraf]

Hi, Lacey! I know you from our FB group (tho' I just started hanging out more in the co-ed section recently). Glad to see you here.

This room looks not-that-active for the most part, but there's a lot of life and support in the Confessions thread, and it's nice to hear a new voice in there. (I say that because I sort of still feel new in that thread and the girls were super-welcoming).

[Bridget]

Hi Lacey! I do home daycare in a very god fearing town as well.
My kids will likely expose me at some point though I have told them that these things are private.

Welcome!

[TigglyWiggly]

Hi! I'm Kara. I'm an atheist, raised in a secular family. Now living in the South. I have an almost 14 month old daughter.

[missychrissy]

Hello & welcome!!

[Suja]

Boy, it certainly took me long enough to find my way here! I am born a Hindu, but raised by not particularly religious parents. We do celebrate religious holidays, but more for cultural reasons than religious ones. My personal belief is that morality has nothing to do with religion, one's faith is personal, not something to be crammed down anyone's throat, and I am very 'live and let live'. DH is also not religious, but his family, especially his parents are, so mum's the word.