http://www.heavingdeadcats.com

Way to go, Neece.  I really liked your recent post. One of the more frustrating aspects of being a non-believer is being a minority:

The very fact that we have atheists today, in growing numbers all over the planet, shows that if you take away the dogma and expose the lies and myths, some people will shrug off the mantle of religion even though in most societies, it means putting oneself outside the supposed comforts of society. It turns them into an outsider, to some degree.

I can assure you that here in the deep south, I am a minority, but not quite an outsider.  I am not an outsider, because I keep my atheistic beliefs fairly quiet. When asked directly, I am always forthcoming, but generally it doesn’t come up.  What is stunning is the number of times per day that people will refer casually or tangentially to their faith.

Just today I was talking with a coworker about a recent death of a friend. I inquired about upcoming services because it was important to him, but seemed to be taking a while. He mentioned that the friend had opted for cremation. He went on to say that this person’s family does things a “little differently”. I said, “Whatever do you mean?”  He went on to say that “Uhh…cremation has never been practiced in Judeo-Christian tradition and only pagan religions cremate.  Look it up… throughout recorded history… blah blah”.

I can count on one hand the number of times the word “pagan” has ever come up in a conversation. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that atheists tend to opt for cremation as well. You can well imagine where this person stands on the issue.

Anyway, if you were not already aware, here is some additional reading, statistics, and fun facts on the topic of cremation.

Oh, and keep up the great work, Neece (and Butch).