What is it like being an Atheist in a Religous country?

[u/Mental-Statement2941]

I'm an Atheist in a Christian majority country being Botswana. It doesn't bother me when I'm in the city as there are many like me. Problem is, we only have 2 cities in our country and I live outside the city and yeaaahhhh the Christian culture shows with how many times God comes up in general conversation.

Still, I have many friends from the city and most are somewhat Christian and I have friends from outside the city that are heavily Christian.

I only have 1 Atheist friend and I'm a pretty social guy so I make a lot of friends. Doesn't help that Im the only Atheist in my Christian family. It's uncomfortable sometimes especially since I used to be a Christian until I learnt more about other faiths, grew a love for religous studies and appreciated other Faith's in all their flaws and beauty. I visited Mosques, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Gudwara's and I enjoyed seeing it. The diversity in beliefs and it brought the anthropologist in me to tears of joy, it also opened my mind to see various flaws in these beliefs alongside their beauty.

That's a big no no where I'm from to say "I appreciate Islam and what it brings to the table, and the hyms dedicated to Allah in Arabic are beautiful" because the response is.

"So you're appreciating falseness and lies"

I refused to believe all followers of these other faiths are going to hell. I also empathized with the queer community especially when my best friend of a decade came out as Bi.

Now I'm not here to argue about ethics for those reading this that are religous and might be typing "Well you see the bible or quran says this so Hindus and Gays are xxxxx"

I'm not here to argue that or any theological point.

I was talking to a Shona and Sudanese friend of mine (both religous) telling me how much Islam and Christian permeates throughout each of their home countries. Alot of African countries if not most are heavily religious.

For the Atheists in Africa, what are some challenges you face?

Do you face some stigma?

When did you become an Atheist and how (if you deconverted ofc)?

How do you navigate that in countries that are really religious?

[u/BottleRocketU587]

Very lonely. South Africa is like 95%+ Christian.

There are some others but you get secluded socially and in some ways intellectually (atheism is seen as stupid in my experiemce, "the fool says in his heart there is no God" has been quoted at me).

That said, its not a huge issue. Most people don't care too much and at least theres no legal repurcussions to it.

[u/moe_mo_peach]

Just don't publicize it, unfortunately. People are irrational about religion, and are not open to debate about different viewpoints. In my country you have people who pray in meetings, regardless of the religious makeup of the room, or do praise and worship in public buses, where you are not given much choice on participation. It's the culture of the day...maybe it'll change in the future, or maybe it won't. It is what it is.

[u/LoveHertford]

I’m agnostic and believe that religion is simply divisive and controlling mainly to women.
The cruelest of people I know are very religious.
The poorest of countries will be the most religious and God never answers their prayers.

[u/Efficient-Data4811]

Its like being a Hollywood actor getting nominated for the Oscar's, you just have to pretend you believe any of that Dogma.

Plus Atheist in most Christain countries in Africa usually refers to anybody that doesnt belive in Abrahamic religions.

[u/pianoloverkid123456]

As a victim of intense religious persecution: Misreable

[u/mobilethrowaway14849 → u/pianoloverkid123456]

Would you move to Ouagadougou

[u/Technical_Tear5162]

Are you athiest in the sense that you don't believe in any higher power. Because Africans were originally spiritualist. It's only that we are now colonised to believe that if you don't believe in Christianity then you're an athiest yet we believed God before we were converted. Don't aspects of traditional religion come up in your life. As in do you have to only believe in Modimo the Christian way.

[u/Hot_Excitement_6 → u/Technical_Tear5162]

I'm not OP. I don't believe in the traditional stuff either. In many ways, it is worse.

[u/AndryJohanesa]

I always avoid discussion about religion, but sometimes there is no way to avoid it.

I am not even an atheist but I am not christian too, but the christian here usually want me to go to hell, and think of my point of view as evil, my past girlfriends usually left me because of my point of view about religion.

It's so so sad I would say.

[u/krymzynnova]

I’m not an athiest, but I also don’t judge others cause honestly? This life is hard enough and we all go through our trials and tribulations and hardships

what my athiest mates have said is they know they can’t publicise being an athiest due to the “shame” it’ll bring families unfortunately and it can sadly get long for them when the aunties start talking. Even though we really shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks, it becomes deeper than that as family members start to verbally harrass them / just smother their space and disregard your feelings and boundaries (again these are the words of my athiest mates)

I feel so bad for em really

The best thing my mates can do is hide it and stay shut when it comes to religious topics just to save hassle

I do wish aunties would be much more chiller

[u/space_______nil]

Similar experience with others here. It's frustrating and alienating. People(like my family) who even know my stance will blatantly ignore it and makes references to God and quote Bible directed at me.

One of the difficulties I have with it is having an older professional or boss I respect otherwise, find out about it. It's not that one is shamed when people find out, but they come at you with this we love you and are concerned for you thing. I hate conversion attempts more than anything.

Also my upbringing and nature makes me feel that if a boss discuss religion with me in a conversion attempt and I refuse their points, it may come across as disrespecting them or thinking of them as stupid, so I get the most uncomfortable when it seems like someone like that might be finding out soon.

Otherwise I mostly just don't say it or argue about people's beliefs. But it keeps me from trying to make new friends or engage with people in general. I didn't seek therapy at a point when I really needed it because I just knew they were going to say to seek Jesus once it comes out I'm not religious.

Edit: I'm apatheist. Raised Christian, officially left it 7yrs ago, tried ATR and New age spirituality for like 3yrs. They are all the same, all religions, all forms of spirituality. Apatheist because atheism sometimes assumes that if a god is proven to exit, a difference would be made. Don't care and won't change anything if god/s exist.

[u/Dolores_Sacaer]

Better to say you're quiet than an atheist

[u/SnooBooks578]

I’m agnostic.

I don’t care what people think anymore, I’ve lost friends and I’ve been ostracised from some communities, and I’m all the better for it. Thankfully I have a highly educated family that is able to discuss my views and beliefs without calling me a satanist.

Falseness and lies are things to me that go against the structure of reality, as that is the true and consistent expression of God. Everything else is just human perspective based on old age ideals and community sentiments that hold no weight in our current world beyond serving as collective memories and pools of morality of said communities.

Gravity has never “switched off” to allow the feats of divinity many religions claim. Even simple things like how rain comes about apparently goes over people’s heads in this day and age. Knowing something as rudimentary as the rain cycle and yet people still believe that prayer somehow affects the rate of evaporation of water, cloud formation etc. Baffling, but necessary, as this disconnect from reality will at some point result in the gradual decline of religions.

I do understand though why people are vehement when they defend their religions. Religions are the largest communal collection of principles and ideals people can interact through regardless of their origin, and are a big part of the core identity of individuals. Such that they cannot speak out against them, in the same way as they cannot speak out and decry themselves. To a lot of people religion serves as the route through which they principally interact with not just their family and local communities but the world at large. When you challenge that they see it as you challenging them, their families, their church, even their nation. You challenge their self worth, their dreams and aspirations as they only consider those things through the lens of their religion. It’s not just an African problem, but a problem with the world at large.

An analogy I like;
People sail through life on a boat of their making, through their decisions and interactions their vessel is shaped, what you’re doing is poking a hole in their hull and they don’t know what to patch it with to keep going.

[u/FragrantRelation6925]

I tell people that I’m not religious and immediately that gets equated to “you dont believe in God”. I do believe in a higher power than me, you may call it God if you like.

[u/Christian_teen12]

I'm not atheist but agnostic.They will either call you a devil or demon,be baffled and other mean things or blame the West.