In Indonesia, IIRC, being publicly an atheist is technically legal, but will get you killed, and nobody would convict your murderers. Atheists are seen there the way paedophiles are seen elsewhere.
I once had a coworker react to my atheism like that and I was so proud of myself for saying in my second language “what good does your religion bring when you would treat me like that for my beliefs while I treat you well?” It actually seemed to sink in, at least for all of our other (religious) coworkers who were, uh, forming a circle around us.
I used to work with this lady and at first we got along great. Then one day for reasons I cant fathom or remember the subject of the afterlife got brought up during a break period. She was talking to a couple of my coworkers about it. I didn’t say anything because I had nothing to add the the conversation. Then she asked me directly so I told her I didn’t believe in the afterlife.
She was stunned. She was all like “Where do you think you will go when you die?” I said I didn’t think I would go anywhere, I would just cease to exist. She was like “You HAVE to believe you will go somewhere!” I asked “Why?” She had no answer for that but she stopped speaking to me entirely. Even when it was about something related to work.
Shortly after my boss assigned her to work with me. She would hardly acknowledge me when I spoke to her, and communication was kind of important to the job. I finally asked her what her problem was. In the most snarky tone she could muster she asked me what my problem was. I said my problem was that she was acting like a bitch.
Of course she ran and told the boss, and I had to go with a meeting with him and his two bosses. None of them respected the difference between me calling her a bitch, and saying that she was acting like a bitch. I got wrote up for it.
In countries that collect church taxes on behalf of the church, it can be necessary to officially de-register your religion to avoid paying taxes to the church.
A lot of churches/temples are membership-based. You can probably still attend sermons and the like in most cases if you’re not a member, but they won’t let you have a wedding, baptize your baby etc. in their temple.
That’s wild to me. Or it isnt and the catholic roll is so normal to me that I don’t see it as the same thing, just with participating locations in every part of the planet. Idk I haven’t been Christian since college
Wait, you can get an atheist ID card?
American Atheists is an organization that will happily take dues and send you a membership card in return.
In some countries, your religion is on your national id. See, for example, Indonesia or Thailand. Greece had it until 2005.
In some of these cases, you could literally have government id that says “Atheist”.
But it is largely a figure of speech. It means you not only identify with a group, but publicly identify with a ground.
In Indonesia, IIRC, being publicly an atheist is technically legal, but will get you killed, and nobody would convict your murderers. Atheists are seen there the way paedophiles are seen elsewhere.
I once had a coworker react to my atheism like that and I was so proud of myself for saying in my second language “what good does your religion bring when you would treat me like that for my beliefs while I treat you well?” It actually seemed to sink in, at least for all of our other (religious) coworkers who were, uh, forming a circle around us.
I used to work with this lady and at first we got along great. Then one day for reasons I cant fathom or remember the subject of the afterlife got brought up during a break period. She was talking to a couple of my coworkers about it. I didn’t say anything because I had nothing to add the the conversation. Then she asked me directly so I told her I didn’t believe in the afterlife.
She was stunned. She was all like “Where do you think you will go when you die?” I said I didn’t think I would go anywhere, I would just cease to exist. She was like “You HAVE to believe you will go somewhere!” I asked “Why?” She had no answer for that but she stopped speaking to me entirely. Even when it was about something related to work.
Shortly after my boss assigned her to work with me. She would hardly acknowledge me when I spoke to her, and communication was kind of important to the job. I finally asked her what her problem was. In the most snarky tone she could muster she asked me what my problem was. I said my problem was that she was acting like a bitch.
Of course she ran and told the boss, and I had to go with a meeting with him and his two bosses. None of them respected the difference between me calling her a bitch, and saying that she was acting like a bitch. I got wrote up for it.
Jesus fuck
I know that the Satanic Temple has membership cards you can buy. I’m sure there’s probably other organizations out there that do as well.
I don’t ever see it being helpful in life to register your religion.
In countries that collect church taxes on behalf of the church, it can be necessary to officially de-register your religion to avoid paying taxes to the church.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/09/22/in-some-european-countries-church-membership-means-paying-more-taxes/
It’s mostly in death so people put you in the right cemetery.
I would worry more about being rounded up depending on your id and who’s in charge than being put in the right place.
Right? Idgaf what happens to my corpse when I die, I won’t be able to. They can throw it in the dumpster for all I care.
A lot of churches/temples are membership-based. You can probably still attend sermons and the like in most cases if you’re not a member, but they won’t let you have a wedding, baptize your baby etc. in their temple.
That’s wild to me. Or it isnt and the catholic roll is so normal to me that I don’t see it as the same thing, just with participating locations in every part of the planet. Idk I haven’t been Christian since college