Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?

DivineMrsM

Yes, thanks for the update on moth. It is difficult to hear but a sad reality on the forum where we have stage iv members.

I don’t think I’ve heard of pantheism so I will have to look into it. It sounds like something along the lines of how I view things.

MinusTwo

Thanks Traveltext & Alice for updating on Moth.

Traveltext

More news on our lovelyfriend Moth.

ThreeTree

TravelText - Thank you so much for this update re Moth/Margaret.

AliceBastable

Thanks, Traveltext. It's also posted on Mel's thread so I hope a lot of people get to see it. I don't usually read that one, but heard it's where updates on Moth were posted so I've looked at it more recently. I wonder if we need a dedicated topic of updates of this type that anyone could find easily? Although the site is not so goid now, and so many people have left, it might be impossible.

wrenn

Reading the Rushdie news reminded me of this atheist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnYhfiDhKqk

Edited to put in the link I meant to put. :-)

Traveltext

From Moth/Margaret’s daughter on Twitter:

Margaret died of breast cancer on August 12 at 4pm. She was at home surrounded by her family. There are no words.

wrenn

:-( RIP Margaret

Elderberry

We have lost another beautiful sister. Heartsick.

LI77

I am deeply saddened to read this. Margaret was a smart, kind, kick ass lady. She will be greatly missed.

Traveltext

Margaret was one of our finest advocates; witty, truthful, empathetic and a great listener to us all. Forever missed. ❤️

Here she is earlier this year. Pic from Instagram.

Trishyla

Thank you for letting us know, TravelText. Margaret (or Moth, as she will forever be in my heart) was a larger than life presence here on the boards. Intense, passionate and so very wise and honest , she was truly one of a kind. She will be missed.

AliceBastable

Traveltext, thank you for posting the picture. I'll miss Margaret/Moth's posts on here. She was such a major contributor with information and compassion and realism, depending on the topic. Peace to all who loved her.

ThreeTree

Yes TravelText, thanks so very much for posting the picture. This is all just so very heartbreaking. My sincere condolences to her family and friends.

MinusTwo

Adding my thanks to TravelText for updating us & posting Moth's picture. Exactly what Trishlya & Alice said. Moth was such an amazing women. Rest in peace.

Traveltext

Here’s a memorial page just posted for Moth. What a lovely soul she was:

https://www.forevermissed.com/margaret-kinga-young/about

MinusTwo

Oh TravelText - thank you, thank you for posting this marvelous memorial. What a treasure Moth was.

DivineMrsM

Traveltext, thank you so much for posting the link to such a wonderful memorial page to our dear moth, aka Margaret. I have already looked through all of the photos of her which fills me with many different emotions as anyone can imagine. I will take some time to collect my thoughts and post on the page’s tribute section. It’s actually a comfort to be able to let her family know what an impact she made on our forum here.

AliceBastable

I looked at the memorial last night, and I can only echo what Divine said. But for those of us who only knew her as Moth the cancer patient, it's lovely to see the pictures showing the other aspects of her life.

ThreeTree

Yes, indeed. Thank you very much, TravelText, for the link to Moth/Margaret/Indefatigable's memorial page. It's a lovely tribute.

DivineMrsM

I'm noticing a pattern in my life of women older than me (I'm in my early 60s) who keep trying to push the religion on me. You'd think I was a drug addict on skid row with a a trail of broken relationships and a rap sheet as long as my arm needing to turn my life around or wind up dead.

First it was the line dance teacher who I've mentioned, always with the prayer circles. Then a woman I became friends with last year keeps trying to get me to attend church functions. I have had to start distancing myself from her. And dh and I went on a bus tour to Nashville this summer and our tour guide was making religious comments here and there throughout the trip. I didn't appreciate it but I wasn't going to ruin my vacation by confronting her. But she'd get the bus microphone and start doing almost like a little preaching. Look, we were all senior citizens who don't need reminded to be nice or do good or be grateful, blah blah blah. On the way home from our trip she played God Bless the USA which I pretty much predicted she'd do.

I tend to think these women have been marginalized all their lives and by shoving their religious beliefs on to others, it makes them feel important or purposeful or something; like it’s all they’ve got to cling to. We had a great trip to Music City and thankfully dh shares my sentiments so we had a few private giggles and eye rolls about the tour guide.

I took a break in August from line dance class so I could go to the pool. It was a much needed break that I didn't realize I needed. I don't think I want to return, which surprises me. I was tolerating things that I don't want to tolerate any more.

MinusTwo

Divine - agree about being tired of tolerating things. And you'd think that senior citizens of all people have had a lifetime to make their choices and are happy with the way they live. Not a good group to be "preaching to" -

AliceBastable

I'm kind of glad I seldom go anywhere! I will be at two family events next week, my husband's family annual Labor Day weekend gathering and the funeral for his oldest brother. They're nice people, but two of the brothers are LOUD, which will be cringe-worthy this year since their brother died a few weeks ago. It's a lot of people and all but a few are life-long Catholics, but I don't think they ever talk about it much. The food is always great and they're a fun and nice bunch. The funeral will be religious, of course. I've sat through Catholic masses before and they're pretty easy to ignore. I'm polite and stand when they do if my knees feel cooperative. I sit during the kneeling - I don't kneel for anyone, real or imaginary.

DivineMrsM

minustwo, I said practically the same words to dh about senior citizens having already made their life choices! Along that same line, if I wanted to go to church, I know where they are! I could get myself to one any time! I literally look out my back door and see a church on the next street over. I used to walk over there to vote, now the voting precinct has been moved to another church just around the corner. In this little town, there are eight churches of different denominations within a seven block radius of where I live. I could have gotten myself to any one of them by now if I had so chosen to do so, for Pete’s sake.

Alice, my condolences on the passing of your brother in law. Best wishes as you navigate the family dynamics when you see them on Labor Day and at the funeral.

illimae

divine, the people trying to convert or save others always remind me of pyramid scheme recruiters, ugh but no thanks, I’m not buying, lol

My husband has been going to a tiny community church on occasion, I do not. He’s not religious but he and a friend go a teach the group how to use hand radios in case of emergency (many are elderly and live alone). DH has asked twice if I’d consider going (apparently people have asked about me). I told him last time was the last time he’s to mention it but I can’t believe he even brought it up.

AliceBastable

I snagged a new one off FB last night. I spent several hours reporting every religious post as scam or false news. It's astonishing how demented and cult-like so many of them are! It was refreshing to see a handful of posts from like-minded (and clear-minded) folks.

Well, crap. What fresh BCO hell is this when I tried to post a picture?

ThreeTree

Illimae - Interesting, how the "preachy" types remind you of pyramid scheme people. I've often thought of those who are preachy and always want you to come to their church, etc. to be like pushy salespeople who are going to get some big commission for "making the sale" or something. It's just so offensive and uncalled for. People can decide for themselves, and for some it religion is just so deeply personal and not something that's "for sale" or "show".

I really enjoy this thread, even though I don't consider myself an atheist. I think I'm somewhere between "believer" and "agnostic", but in a very unique and eclectic sort of way. I can really understand the sentiments of many who post here on this thread.

DivineMrsM

illimae, that's commendable for your husband to help educate others on using radios for safety purposes. That's action taken and a service provided. I hope he doesn't concern himself with the church members who might try to judge him because his wife is a non-church goer.

Threetree, I fall along the agnostic line, too. The atheists here have been gracious to let me participate in this thread, and I appreciate it!

It was while I was reading a book some years ago by yet another woman who'd escape the FDLS cult led by Warren Jeffs when the thought crystalized in my mind how Christianity seemed to be just a milder form of a cult. I will never forget it. The book had a photo of 26 cult women, all sisters, in those long pastel dresses with the weird long hair swooped in the front, and I started thinking how Christian churches try to bend the members into dressing the “right way", saying the right things, etc. I wasn't looking for the patriarchy or ways to condemn the church or anything. Only reading a book that interested me. From that moment, I had to rethink my entire life and what I'd been taught and what I believed—-the process took several years! Since then, yes, I see the cult-like ways of many religions.

One reason people try to get others to go to church is to feel good about themselves. And for bragging rights, “I get so many people to attend church here!"

I am an easy target for them. They think, “oh, nice lady, personable, dresses properly, speaks well, good income." They are not so concerned with asking the brash, outspoken woman at the pool with orange hair, tattoos, flowing caftans and a bunch of piercings to go to their church. They just want someone they think will easily fit in.

No thanks.

Miriandra

"Not-identified-by-image-magick error". Hm, kinda sounds just like rejecting the promotion of a specific look for the sake of a magic creature who may or may not grant salvation/damnation if you don't appease him just so. How ironic and appropriate.

AliceBastable

Miriandra, should I throw a dead chicken at my phone as I'm posting?