The Other A-Word

10 Frustrating Myths About Atheists

Posted on February 5, 2016 by AngieFebruary 5, 2016

Myths about atheists just shut down coversation.

As I mentioned in my first post, many religious folk have misconceptions about atheists — and some of those misconceptions make them hostile toward nonbelievers. I started this blog to help take some of the stigma away from the term “atheist,” so let’s start by putting some nasty rumors to bed. Here, then, are the 10 myths about atheists that frustrate me the most*: 10. Way down deep, atheists really do believe in God. Also known as the “You’re just going through a phase” argument, this is a very condescending thing to say to an atheist. Do you know what you’re … Continue reading →

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Why I Dislike Organized Religion

Posted on February 3, 2016 by AngieFebruary 3, 2016

Leaving Christianity was hard - leaving organized religion was easy.

Let me tell you a story, brothers and sisters. Darleen Pawelk was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in New Germany, Minnesota for over 50 years. She and her husband raised their children in that church. When her husband passed, he was buried in the church cemetery. Darleen assumed she’d be buried right beside him when it was her time to go. But recently, Darleen found herself disagreeing with some things going on in the church; the article doesn’t specify, so this could be church policy in general, or just a disagreement on tenets of faith professed by the congregation. … Continue reading →

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Deconversion Story: Let There Be Light

Posted on February 1, 2016 by AngieFebruary 3, 2016

Deconversion story: Steve fighting the devil.

I once dated a conspiracy theorist. We’re not talking a wishy-washy, “The Illuminati probably run things” guy. No, brothers and sisters, we’re talking a “The Illuminati totally run things, they’re being controlled by Satan himself, and demons are keeping tabs on me because I’m getting close to the truth” guy. Some girls have a bad boy phase. I apparently had a nutjob phase. Continue the conversation:Facebook0TwitterDiggTumblr0Bufferemail … Continue reading →

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Deconversion Story: Darkness Upon the Face of the Deep

Posted on January 29, 2016 by AngieFebruary 3, 2016

Before diving into Part Two of my deconversion story, let me preface this post with a little information about teenage-and-early-twenty-something me: I was a goody-two-shoes. I was that girl you hated in high school or maybe college. The one who lectured you on why it was wrong to get drunk, why you were bad for trying pot, why you’d regret for the rest of your life the fact that you’d *gasp* had sex with your boyfriend before marriage. I was shy and socially awkward, sheltered and naïve. Leaving my parents’ homes to go to college was more culture shock than I’d … Continue reading →

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A Deconversion Story: In the Beginning

Posted on January 27, 2016 by AngieFebruary 3, 2016 2

My friend (we’ll call her Sarah) had just lost her grandma. We were approximately five years old, and Sarah wasn’t exactly breaking down on the playground, but she was noticeably subdued. I tried to console her in the best way my five-year-old self could think of. “Wanna play tag? I’ll be ‘it.’” “No.” *sigh* I sat next to her for a minute, then tried again. “Sorry about your gramma.” “It’s okay,” she said. “Mom says she’s watching us from heaven.” Having never experienced a death of anyone close to me, this concept was entirely alien…and a little disturbing. “You mean … Continue reading →

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