My Grandpa the Atheist

Galvasean

I didn't want to drag another thread off topic, but something liamw said reminded me of something:

liamw wrote: »

Death isn't darkness... it's the same as it was before you were born.

That reminds me of my (now long deceased) grandfather's catchphrase in relation to religion: "Do you remember where you were before you were born? Well, that's where you're going when you die!"
I never knew he was an atheist until after he was gone. It must have been unusual for a man of his time to be an atheist in old Catholic Ireland. What really bugs me in retrospect is how wheneber I questioned the validity of religion as a kid my parents would say, "Oh? Well where do you think your granda is now?" That usually shut me up quick. If only I had known of his atheism at the time. I could have replied, "The same place he was before he was born!" That would have been great.

So anyway, just wondering if anyone else has stories about atheist relatives from the olden days?

Dades

The wife's uncle died last year and at his church funeral his son described how his father had been a humanist most of his life and how he refused to have anything to do with the church. So much for respecting his beliefs. :pac:

I'm pretty sure all my rels are catholics, though I'd have my suspicions about my divorced free-spirit uncle who lives in 'Frisco!

cavedave

My father claims that his grandparents were not religious, though perhaps slightly pagan. This is in a rural Irish speaking area. He says that fervent christianity only really became common with the rise with Irish nationalism. Are there any historians who can mythbust this?

liamw

Galvasean wrote: »

I never knew he was an atheist until after he was gone.

He probably would have said he's Christian if you asked him though. My Dad is the same, he doesn't believe in the afterlife or any of that supernatural fairytale nonsese of the Bible, but he would still call himself a Christian and go to Mass.

Not to drag the thread too far off topic, but I thought the public perception of atheist was OK amongst the younger generation (20s,30s) nowadays. Well I think I am very mistaken becuase it came up on Sat night with a random girl and she started saying 'why are you so anti-religion?'. I spent about 15mins explaining to her that atheist simply meant lack of belief in a religion. She told me she didn't believe in all the Bible stories and that but she believed in God so she wasn't an atheist. "Why even think about it?" she said to me. SIGH

planetX

My Gran was an outspoken atheist, the only one I knew as a child. My parents blamed her for 'infecting' us LOL (they scored 0/6 with their kids I'm afraid. She was also the kindest, most vivacious person I've ever known - always ready to help out neighbours.
My Grandpa was catholic, and v grumpy.

ChocolateSauce

I come from a long line of non-theists: My mother is an atheist more militant and less subtle than I (:p); my grandfather was an atheist, my grandmother an agnostic for most of her life (she was a Mormon for over 20 years from 1980's-2004, but gave it up on her deathbed- so much for last minute conversion to religion!), and my great-grandmother on my grandmothers side was also agnostic (downright heathen even, considering she was living it up in the USA in the 20's).

robindch

Galvasean wrote: »

if anyone else has stories about atheist relatives from the olden days?

Nope, since I think our generation is the first one that contains any atheists at all, or at least any who could went public about it. 100% too -- not a single devotee amongst my extended family.

Tough luck, Benny!

Handsome Bob

My old man is an atheist and he's pushing 70 at this stage. He felt priests looked down on the working class when he was growing up, and that they've only changed their tune ever since they've been force to loosen their grip on society.

Daftendirekt

Both my grandparents are atheists. But they aren't Irish, so it's not all that surprising.

Rest of the family is Catholic as far as I know though.

Ickle Magoo

My sister went through a religious phase when she was 10 or so and the rest of the family, aunties and uncles included, used to torment her and snigger whenever she went off on one - I can't think of anyone who was/is actively religious actually...

MikeC101

My grandmother surprised me some years back by telling me she didn't believe in God. She was quite traditional and old fashioned in a lot of ways, I really wouldn't have expected to hear that.

Her reasoning was very simple: with all the awful things that happened in the world, she didn't think a loving god would stand by and not do anything about them.

At the funeral the priest still said the usual stuff about her being a good Christian and all the rest, but well, not really the time for me to start pointing out her non belief to anyone.

Galvasean

liamw wrote: »

Not to drag the thread too far off topic, but I thought the public perception of atheist was OK amongst the younger generation (20s,30s) nowadays. Well I think I am very mistaken becuase it came up on Sat night with a random girl and she started saying 'why are you so anti-religion?'. I spent about 15mins explaining to her that atheist simply meant lack of belief in a religion. She told me she didn't believe in all the Bible stories and that but she believed in God so she wasn't an atheist. "Why even think about it?" she said to me. SIGH

You left out the most important bit, was she hot?
I once told agirl that her degree in homeopathy and alternative medicine was "like, really cool and stuff" because I wanted to put my tongue in her mouth.

MikeC101

Galvasean wrote: »

You left out the most important bit, was she hot?
I once told agirl that her degree in homeopathy and alternative medicine was "like, really cool and stuff" because I wanted to put my tongue in her mouth.

Did it go something like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iIWCFW8o5A

amacachi

There were a lot more Atheists around than would usually be spoken about but a lot could be described by Dara O'Briain's line; Doesn't believe in God or Heaven or go to mass. But still Catholic.

Corkfeen

My ancestors seem to be militant catholics. I'm in one of the first generations without a priest.

robindch

Galvasean wrote: »

I once told a girl that her degree in homeopathy and alternative medicine was "like, really cool and stuff" because I wanted to put my tongue in her mouth.

You, sir, have no shame!

liamw

Galvasean wrote: »

You left out the most important bit, was she hot?
I once told agirl that her degree in homeopathy and alternative medicine was "like, really cool and stuff" because I wanted to put my tongue in her mouth.

haha ye I find it hard to drop my principles like that

Galvasean

robindch wrote: »

You, sir, have no shame!

Dades told me to do it! :eek:

robindch

liamw wrote: »

I find it hard to drop my principles like that

I'd say a lot of lads would manage it if the droppage of principles were directly linked to the droppage of knickers.

Weidii

My Granny and Grandad go to mass every week, without fail. If they have to miss it for some reason they'll make up for it during the week. Basically they're your usual country family of that generation; prayers every morning, mass on a Sunday morning, tea and biscuits after.

One time when myself and my sister were fairly young, around about when I started to come to my conclusions about religion (maybe when I was about twelve or thirteen) we were in their house and Grandad knelt on the couch for his usual morning prayers. When I didn't join in he asked me was I not going to pray. I said "no, Grandad." When he asked why not I said "because I don't really believe in that stuff anymore... Do you believe in God, Grandad?" And (this gobsmacked me) he said that he didn't really, but praying had become part of his routine and he liked to take five minutes out of his day to think about his loved ones.

I'm so proud of him for admitting that to me, I know alot of people are just afraid of getting out of old habits and admitting they might be wrong.

eoin5

Me and my brother are the only fairly open atheists in our family that I know of. If were pushed well say that were 'not very religious' instead of using the A word. I see different levels of adherence across my relations though, the taboo is still there a bit unfortunately but its not like an elephant in the room or anything. Its an accepting family where people try to get on without bringing up anything that might cause any awkwardness. Its our own business essentially.

Dades

Galvasean wrote: »

Dades told me to do it! :eek:

When you chat up gurls do you have me on one shoulder and Robin on the other?

Galvasean

Dades wrote: »

When you chat up gurls do you have me on one shoulder and Robin on the other?

"Do it, she's like totally hot and stuff!"


"Don't do it Sean, she's an enemy of reason!"

Zillah

Galvasean wrote: »

You left out the most important bit, was she hot?
I once told agirl that her degree in homeopathy and alternative medicine was "like, really cool and stuff" because I wanted to put my tongue in her mouth.

There are few temptations on this earth that could overwhelm my desire to break down into scornful laughter in this scenario.

A degree in homeopathy! Bwahahaha that's fracking retarded.

(As a side note, for me, no matter how pretty someone is to look at, if they're a drooling moron they lose so many points on the attraction scale its ridiculous)

cavedave

In Britain there are many university's that give science degrees in homeopathy.
There is one from middlesex

BSc honours Homeopathy is validated by Middlesex University

Are these homeopathy Bscs the same sort of degree someone studying physics for four years gets?

robindch

cavedave wrote: »

In Britain there are many university's that give science degrees in homeopathy.

Yes, that's true. However, bear in mind a couple of things:

Most, I believe, of these sad places are cutting back on their homeopathic courses owing to lack of applicants. Secondly, the universities that offer these "courses" are frankly in the second or third rank and a homeopathic degree from these places is worth about as much as a fart in a hurricane. Thirdly, following the legal reactions of the Society of Homeopaths in 2007 and the British Chiropractic Association in 2008 to Simon Singh's claim that homeopathy and chiropracty are, in broad terms, complete bollocks, it seems that the pendulum of public opinion is swinging away from magic, invisible medicine and more in the direction of stuff that's evidence-based.

BTW, if you study less for a homeopathic degree, do you get higher grades?

Petrovia

cavedave wrote: »

homeopathy Bscs

Life is so unfair.

I spend my time dealing with scientific experiments, involving such things as double-blind testing, interrater reliability, statistical significance, and peer review (things they probably haven't even HEARD of) earning only a BA and they get a BSc? Urgh. URGH.

*stomps off*

iUseVi

Petrovia wrote: »

Life is so unfair.

I spend my time dealing with scientific experiments, involving such things as double-blind testing, interrater reliability, statistical significance, and peer review (things they probably haven't even HEARD of) earning only a BA and they get a BSc? Urgh. URGH.

*stomps off*

*hugs*

Petrovia

iUseVi wrote: »

*hugs*

Ohh, the sentiment is appreciated, but I get a bit awkward when people try to hug me...

iUseVi

Petrovia wrote: »

Ohh, the sentiment is appreciated, but I get a bit awkward when people try to hug me...

Yeah so do I actually. But its ok, they are only virtual ones.

Turtwig

iUseVi wrote: »

Petrovia wrote: »

iUseVi wrote: »

*hugs*

Ohh, the sentiment is appreciated, but I get a bit awkward when people try to hug me...

Yeah so do I actually

*Steals original hug*
Loves a hug.:)
*hugs everyone*