Is being pubicly atheist a recent thing, especially re. collective worship?

[wanderings]

Firstly, I'm taking no sides - I had strong atheist views when I was younger, but gradually changed my mind.

There are many threads on MN about this, especially annoyance by atheist parents about collective worship in schools, and I have been wondering if it's recent that people have felt so strongly about it. I find it hard to imagine buses in the 1980s and 90s saying "there probably is no God", or parents taking their children out of assembly, or people muttering and sneering in the back row when attending baptisms (under duress): if it happened I was blissfully ignorant.

Speaking for myself, I rebelled with my heart and soul when my parents suddenly dragged me to catholic church every Sunday when I was 9. I saw the whole thing as utter nonsense, and a waste of valuable weekend time. However, I gradually changed my mind as an adult, but went CofE rather than catholic. I took the view that you did not have to take a literal view of the Bible and the church's teachings; as a child I was very literal-minded. I also love the sense of community in church.

Does anyone think it is because a generation of young adults are remembering being forced to obediently sing hymns, hear prayers from their school days, had to learn "impossibilities" such as the great flood, and are now making sure their children won't have to do the same, now that they have the right to say something which they didn't as a child?

Oh, it makes sense now!

So much anger isn't good for the baby, surely.

Because people might want to work together to do some charity work, but not under a faith label?

You might as well ask why people of a particular religious flavour felt the need to "form an alliance" with one another in order to do charity work.

It's because people need to organise to get stuff done, and in an area where lots of the organisation is based around faith, maybe it made sense to have one of "no faith" so that those people could get involved in a group way.

I didn't say you were a new poster! I just find your username particularly disconcerting and I wonder what it means.

I show plenty of love to my fellow human beings. The sin I have committed here is using profane language. I certainly am not going to treat you with graciousness or compassion because you are, quite simply, anti-Christ. You have nothing but disdain and hatred for Christ and His message.

Lorelei, you hate, I rage. I'm just more honest than you.

I certainly am not going to treat you with graciousness or compassion because you are, quite simply, anti-Christ.
I'm pretty sure Christ would disagree from you. Turn the other cheek and so on. :)

Why would an atheist group need explaining? Well, Christians gather because they are instructed to worship and to learn more about what God wants from us. We love Him and want to obey his commandments. When people join a music group they want to improve their understanding, too. When you lot get together, what is your aim? How to develop a deeper level of hatred for that pesky fella who simply won't go away, even after 2000 years?

Turn the other cheek and leave the thread? No thanks.

(sigh) What is it, my dear Disco, that you find quite so unsettling about my username? Would you like to spell it out for us, this affliction?

Swallowing "Lorelei, you hate, I rage. I'm just more honest than you."

that's so weird that you said that, because I was just thinking "haters gonna hate". I've seen a lot of rage on MN but I've actually not seen anything like this.

I don't hate anyone. If I did, would I be sitting in those community meetings with faith groups? And I said I was an atheist, not an anti-theist. I'm genuinely baffled at all your rage. I have friends of all religions and we talk freely about many things. No one has ever accused me of being a hater.

but yes, haters gonna hate, nothing I can do about it.

Well, in the context that is being talked about on this thread, the athiests have organised to give people lifts to help out at the food bank

Your username is gross by the way.

Nobody mentioned leaving the thread. Just being respectful and polite. FGS I'm a christian and I'm feeling offended by your posts. One of which I reported, btw. I really think you should take a breather, come back later when you are feeling better and read again what you've written. As a Christian you are poorly representing Christians or Christ.

Why don't you tell me what it means.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could not see why it was a bit grim, maybe it's something to do with the surrendered wife stuff. Is what I'm assuming. I would like you to enlighten me so that I can stop feeling really uncomfortable.

Anyone who disbelieves in the Son of God is a hater: 'He who is not for me is against me.'

This thread is about the haters who are becoming more public in their denunciation of all that is good.

Disco, Swallow might have a fit at this, but we also sometimes pick up at a church en route. We just thought we'd co-ordinate because so many Londoners don't have cars and there are a couple of churchgoers in my block of flats so we linked up.

Are you for real, Disco? Your post upthread said my name was 'gross' but now you'd like me to clarify its meaning just in case you've misinterpreted?

Lewij, with all due respect, I've seen a lot of your postings and have never seen a Christelikeness in any of them. That's a fact.

Are you also the OP?

Jesus also said to God what is of God and to Cesar what is of Cesar.
Schools are for everyone, they are not meant to be places of worship. Surely they can exist without children having to worship.
It's not only atheists who are in favour of secular schools.

I'm very far from Christlikeness but I don't usually tell people to fuck off either.

...Disco, do you always bully those whose usernames you feel are 'a bit grim' into explaining their choices?

Don't you? Not even in your heart?

My interpretation of your name is that you are a woman who believes that women should be sexually subservient to men, and that you in your own relationship follow through on this.

That makes me feel very uncomfortable.

I was hoping you were going to say "oh it was a joke about another thread" or something but you're not saying and so yes it sounds gross and makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Your 'give unto Caesar' was a riposte to the Pharisees who were trying to trick Jesus into encouraging anarchy. The message is we ought to obey our governments whilst also obeying God.

I know what other people's names mean. Most of them are jokes from threads. Yours just makes me feel really unsettled and you haven't or won't set my mind at rest on what it's all about. It's a gross username and really you need to say if it's a joke because it's grim.

Asking someone what their unpleasant username means is hardly bullying.

Perhaps it is my opposition to radical feminism and is simply sardonic; my own private joke.

I suggest you go for a little lie down, Disco, you sound rather delicate.

No, I am not the OP. Why do you ask?