I had lunch with a friend, and somehow we got onto the topic of religion. Her book club read, "Heaven is for real." Now, I didn't read the whole book, but early on, I was able to explain away what the parents say their kid experienced when he allegedly, "went to heaven" and met God and deceased relatives.
What I found interesting in my conversation with my friend is that the Catholics in her group were the ones explaining away the kid's story. Really? I tried not to impose my thoughts on the topic because my friend believes in God.
So then the topic of religion continued. She is Methodist, while her husband is Jewish. Their son is being raised Methodist. This friend was telling me how annoyed she was with her mother-in-law who states that she is a Jewish Atheist, and how can you be both.
I can answer that.
If I was pushed to identify with a religion, I would say I was raised Catholic. There are so many years behind that belief. There are so many things that remind me of my experiences, and so many memories--both pleasant and not. There are still things in my life as an Atheist that are affected by my Catholic upbringing. I can't just "turn it off." It's like believing in Santa Claus. At one point in your life you stop believing, but that doesn't stop you from including him in your holiday. It's like you can't erase what you have already experienced that has had a significant impact on your life. It can be really hard to let it go.
"New" Atheists can still go to church, can still "pray" even if it's not in the normal sense of the word, can still follow traditions that they grew up with, and can still "identify" with the faith in which they were raised.
We are not hypocrites and we are not confused. We are acknowledging what we knew then, while being true to what we believe now.
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