Openly Secular

[GSOgymrat]

November 15 is Openly Secular Day. From OpenlySecular.org: "Openly Secular Day is a celebration of secular people opening up about their secular worldview, and an opportunity for theistic allies to show their support for secular friends and family. This is a day to help others understand our values and how we think. Real and perceived atheist prevalence reduces anti-atheist prejudice. Therefore, Openly Secular Day will help people realize they already know good and compassionate atheist, agnostic, humanist and nonreligious people. Join us by celebrating Openly Secular Day and the secular people in your life!"

So I changed my profile picture on Facebook to this:



I haven't posted anything like this on Facebook before. I have a lot of religious acquaintances and coworkers on Facebook, so this will probably go over like a lead balloon. I figure if I have to scroll through "Bring Prayer Back in School!", "We are one nation under God, click if you agree!" on a daily basis they can just deal with the fact I disagree.

Anyone else on here openly secular?

[widdershins]

So, is this a new thing?  Is it going to be the same day each year, because if you need a prophet, today's my birthday.  I'd be available for, like, open bars, free food, all expense paid trips to Hawaii...you know, what I presume to be the normal ways in which one might celebrate such a day.  I need paid, of course.

[Unbeliever]

I've been openly secular for decades, but no one seems to care...

[Baruch]

I've been openly secular for decades, but no one seems to care...

You quote Carlyle .. but you aren't in the Carlyle Group (but the Bushes and the Clintons are).  If you had lots of money, people would care even for your farts.

[Shiranu]

I'm openly secular, but there is no one I feel the need to be openly secular around so it's not much of a non-issue.

[Absurd Atheist]

Had no idea I missed this, though I definitely wouldn't have posted this on Facebook, I can only imagine the oh-so "tolerant" reactions.

[Mr.Obvious]

I don't really partake on Facebook trends.
And anyone who knows me socially knows I'm secular. But I'm guessing it's a bigger deal where you're from. So bravo for standing up.

[GSOgymrat]

I don't really partake on Facebook trends.
And anyone who knows me socially knows I'm secular. But I'm guessing it's a bigger deal where you're from. So bravo for standing up.

It is probably a bigger deal where I live, in fact other than my brothers I don't know anyone in Greensboro who is an atheist. My friends who are atheists live in other areas of the country. I went to dinner with a group of coworkers last night and because I had done openly secular thing I guess I was more conscious of their religious stuff. There was "God bless Jenny", "I'll need to pray on that", "I'll keep her in my prayers", etc. Christian memes are prevalent on my Facebook feed and, from my perspective, it is blatant virtue signaling. So far I haven't received any feedback from my Facebook other than receiving some likes, some from people I didn't expect. At the dinner one of my coworkers, who of course is religious, said "I saw where you changed your Facebook picture today" with a bit of a church lady "isn't that special" tone but I just acknowledged it because I was in the middle of another conversation.

[SGOS]

I haven't posted anything like this on Facebook before. I have a lot of religious acquaintances and coworkers on Facebook, so this will probably go over like a lead balloon.

So much for being openly secular.

[GSOgymrat]

So much for being openly secular.

I've discussed atheism with people in person but most of my "friends" on Facebook don't actually know me, kind of like on this forum. This announcement is a next step, although if anyone actually reads my comments it is obvious I'm not religious. My husband's relatives are Catholic and follow me on Facebook and I haven't discussed being a secular humanist with them. Now they know.

Trump winning the election has made me want to speak up.

[Baruch]

There is a specific Humanistic Judaism organization ... you could always try kosher ;-)

[GSOgymrat]

There is a specific Humanistic Judaism organization ... you could always try kosher ;-)

I would like to know more about Humanistic Judaism. Any recommended reading for a neophyte?

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Yey.. me posting I'm openly secular on fb has almost as much impact as me posting on fb that my little toenail is sore..
Well over half of them think their prayers will 'trump' Pence's prayers..

[Baruch]

I would like to know more about Humanistic Judaism. Any recommended reading for a neophyte?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanistic_Judaism ... but you don't have to be ethnically Jewish IMHO if you are just a fellow traveler

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-Kashrut ... be both food-ethical and ecologically responsible

At least in theory, it is un-kosher to provide bad raw food or bad cooked food ... or to produce either in an unethical manner.  Harder to do than to say.  Kosher covers the whole life-style, not just food.

So for me, pork produced at a bad pig farm, is bad because it supports a bad pig farm, is cruel to the pigs (beyond what is required as a food item).  Shrimp harvested by slave labor in S E Asia is bad because of how it is harvested.  Properly prepared pork or shrimp are healthy, consumed in moderation.  Unless you grow your own food, promoting this must involve social action and government enforcement.

[Cavebear]

Yey.. me posting I'm openly secular on fb has almost as much impact as me posting on fb that my little toenail is sore..
Well over half of them think their prayers will 'trump' Pence's prayers..

It has been a long time since I worried if anyone knows I am an atheist.  Friends and family caught on a LONG time ago.  And I made sure they at least KNEW.