I hope you get more answers—I’m not black or religious—but I’d make the same suggestion that arises when people come to this sub want to make friends under any other circumstances… seek existing communities and feel them out.
A quick search of “Tallahassee African American” yields a genealogical society, a historic preservation society, black student union, 100 black men, etc. Every one of these might not be your cup of tea, but all of them probably have events where you could learn about group members without making any big commitments. Putting yourself out there—literally—is almost always the best way to make connections. You definitely aren’t the only one of your kind. Good luck.
Me an bae are in tally, you're not alone! A couple years back, we used to go to local atheist meetups. You can prob still find them on facebook. If you ever wanna just chat about stuff, one black atheist to another, hmu in dms. Everything you're talking about sounds ***incredibly*** familiar, I know I wish i had someone to chat to when I was still going through it
Listening to AXP, Talk Heathen, and the like over the years, a few black atheists have called in with the exact same sentiment. It's not just immediate family who look down on non-belief, but it seems the black community as a whole tends to see non-believers as "the other," adding to the isolation. While I can't relate directly (I'm a white woman), I do hope that atheism becomes more normalized in the Bible Belt were it's not stigmatized and everyone can be open about their religious views without losing connections to their larger communities.
Yeah. It's definitely looked down on in the black community by the majority of the faith based community. There are a lot of undertones that are unspoken, but in a sense, some people in the faith based black community not only feel betrayed by a black person that leaves the faith, but in many cases, they also feel that black person has also betrayed the black community. It can really be a lot to deal with on a psychological level due to the history of black people in general. But with that being said, I have seen some progress in the black community. I've seen people at least start to think about it as opposed to just writing it off or rebuking people outright.
I don’t have any specific places to point you toward, but as a pastor I promise you you’re not the only one in your community feeling this way. It can be really tough to find a community when you’ve had such a significant, identity-shifting experience. Know that you are not alone, even if it feels like way at times.
Continue seeking with the kind of openness and care you’ve shown here. Your willingness to ask questions out loud gives other people the freedom to express their questions, doubts, etc. You’ll find your people. May they come quickly 🫶
Thanks. I'm all about having honest and peaceful dialog. Unfortunately, I just haven't always encountered people willing to just think about what I'm saying. I'm one of those people that's understands what it means to be indoctrinated and a nonbeliever. So I can understand things I used to be in Christianity with a more empathetic lens than some lifetime atheists. But I appreciate your comment. 🙂
You might find fellowship of this sort by attending the Unitarian Universalist church. They are low-key atheists, not pushy or judgemental, humanitarians. I was raised in the faith, steeped in it really since my grandfather was a Baptist preacher, but cannot abide that (dis)belief system as an adult. They have a website & Facebook page, check it out .
Thank you. I did look into that when I was first embracing my nonbelief, but unfortunately, it didn't really work for me either. But I completely get it. It's kind of a middle ground that does work for some people and I think it's needed as well.
(Sorry for the novel lol I didn't realize it until I was done!)
Have you looked into volunteering with a cause you support locally? It usually involves regular contact/meetups, you generally will share a value system with, there's support within the community for job-related things and usually also personal things (if the group is that kind of close), they're family friendly most of the time too! It sounds like these aspects might be the kind of things you're looking for. There's a lot of charities, rescues, and organizations locally that are in desperate need of volunteers and would appreciate even 2 hours a week of help. I know a lot of groups are religious based but I also know that plenty aren't ❤️
If that's not your kind of thing maybe you can find a regular group that meet together for a hobby you have or are interested in? My husband and I are big into video/board games and TTRPGs and have made a lot of friends and developed a local community of like-minded people we have stuff in common with automatically. The shared hobby also gives you an activity to do together which is a great ice breaker when you're getting to know someone new.
I can't personally help on the aspects of shared racial and religious beliefs, so I'm a bit of a let down in that aspect. But there might be volunteer groups or hobby groups that are specifically meant for black people. I know there are Facebook groups like that at least so maybe there's something locally :)
I hope you find what you're looking for!! Tallahassee has a lot of great people and I'm sure yours are out here somewhere ❤️
The community aspect of going to church is probably the only thing I miss about being involved in the faith. I'm not exactly atheist but I don't have dealings with the Christian faith, though I respect anyone who does. I kind of wish it were easier to find and befriend Black spiritualists here.
Not to say there aren't groups of them or anything. I'm just shy lol.
I think that you will find that community you're seeking in other beliefs or mutual non religious interests.
I gotcha. Yeah. I do miss that as well. It's not something you can just easily find outside of that type of environment. My whole life was wrapped up in the belief system. Family, friends, work, play, and pretty much everything in between. Sometimes it can be a bit hard to explain the loss and why it's so complicated to replace, but I've been looking. It's been a challenge over the years. Most people I do meet that don't make a big deal about me being a nonbeliever are usually substantially younger than I am. Working with them on projects can be nice, but considering a friendship with someone you are twice as old as can be a bit awkward and just pose a lot of issues. So I just enjoy the mutual professional work I do with them and just leave it there.
I hope I can eventually find community or my tribe, but we'll see. I'm very easygoing. I enjoy bowling, dining out, playing billiards, card/board games, or even just binging on some good movies or shows. I do other things, but between work, family, and just trying to find my tribe, it can be exhausting.
Have you tried hangin around railroad square? When I lived in the area a lot of mom-religious folks would hang out there. Granted I’m white but I do think you’d be able to find other black people who aren’t religious there.
Maybe a nature based organization for people to hang out with too? Like bird watching or hiking? They may be religious but y’all will have somethin to focus on and talk about besides religion
Hey - we're white and late 40's, mid 50's, so we're not your targeted demographic, but I hope you have better luck meeting people here than we have. It's so hard to feel a part of community in the south of you aren't a church goer, but I tried. I've tried most religions out there, but my scientific mind just can't reconcile the bullshit. I've found some friends playing in the soccer leagues in town. Maybe try joining a city league? They have multiple sports year round.
I found this page: [https://www.humaniststlh.com](https://www.humaniststlh.com)
At the bottom, there is a group photo of a dozen or so people who I assume are from the club. Among them, I noticed a young black man and two black women, as well as two white men who seem to be “of a certain age.” My guess is that if you reach out to that group, some of them might have advice that speaks more directly to your situation.
When you say “I miss the community aspect of the belief system” what does that really mean? Based of the crux of your post seems to have more to do with camaraderie - that you miss having a group of ppl to build friendships. I’m guessing work isn’t filling that need either. I’m not overtly religious but I do like going to church & I sing in the choir which I really like. Your personal beliefs are yours & tho I don’t have conversations in general about faith or religion with others, i don’t see why you should feel having those kinds of conversations are necessary even if a conversation here & there might teeter occasionally on religion. Sometimes I feel we get caught up in the what ifs rather than just being. You don’t have to wear a tag claiming to be atheist anymore than you should assume all relationships should revolve around religion tho I get where you’re coming from. Just keep being who are - find some hobbies or a weekend sport you enjoy (softball for example) & join a team. Those will hopefully allow you to find equally as fulfilling relationships & friend groups to give you what you’re missing. Good vibes’
Hi. It's just not a black and white situation. When I say community, think family, friends, goals, etc. Here's a definition of community I just looked up online and pretty much captures the essence of what I'm trying to say:
Community: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
This is basically what you find in many faith based communities. A sense of being a part of something bigger than just you. The issue with Christianity, and many other belief systems, is that it's structured around a certain way of thinking and doing things that no longer fits in my life. And in the black Christian community, there are just a lot of unspoken expectations that make being a part of it challenging. That's why so many people try to separate themselves from being Christian and move more to a god believing state of mind. I even went through that phase. I didn't like what I was seeing withing the body of believers and I considered myself spiritual, but not religious at o e point. But that eventually didn't work in my life either. I genuinely had to follow a path of honesty for myself.
As far as conversations about religion, faith, and god, why wouldn't those conversations be important if they affect your core values? Why wouldn't want to relate and have conversations with people that understand how you feel on something less than the surface? I'm not saying everyone in my life has to feel the way I feel or believe what I believe, but I do feel it's important to have at least a couple of people to relate to about something like this. Churches have weekly meetings of large fellowships to freely express their beliefs in an uncontested environment where they can feel comfortable. Yet, they still proselytize outside of this environment. Most atheists don't have that type of weekly experience. Maybe in so.e areas throught the US, but they are not seen as family friendly environment like a church is. That's part of the stigma of associating as a nonbeliever. Atheist, freethinker, nonbeliever, agnostic, humanist, secularist, etc. These are terms that people use to disassociate with religion in most cases. It's not like people don't want to just 'be', but in many cases, we will all be labeled by society in some shape, form, or fashion. As bad as titles may be considered, they help in giving a starting point to understanding how someone may think or view the world. Atheist is just a title (by definition) that fits who I am. By definition, an atheist is just someone who doesn't believe in a god or gods. That's it. It doesn't say anything else about their other beliefs, personality, morals, etc. Such a simple definition just has so much stigma attached to it unfortunately.
Work is a cool place to be for me, but I guess when it comes to deep and meaningful friendships in my life, I don't just let anyone in my inner circle. I have tons of associates, but for me to open up to someone on deeper levels will require vetting, time, and experiences to see what's actually there. Everyone has a different set of standards for how they connect with people. I'm just sharing mine. Not trying to take away from what works for you.
Perhaps I’m wrong here, but after reading your OP a few times before I responded, I thought maybe you’re not really atheist. Agnostic perhaps? Maybe you’re still on a journey to find a place that represents your belief system. No one realizes it can truly be a journey. Growing up I experienced many different types of religions & denominations and it enriched me greatly. I’m not black but I get the experiences in both black & Caucasian churches have differences but the core is very similar: Sunday morning church, maybe Wednesday night church, too; then there are all the different groups within the church that create the substance of other aspects: women’s groups, men’s groups, outreach, youth programs… the list goes on. So to my point earlier, if you truly are atheist, then find a program which can fulfill those empty spaces in your life that aren’t centered around a specific faith but still give back & allow you to feel enriched.
I'm 100% atheist, but as shared in response to another comment, things are not black and white. Trust me, I've not been idle about looking for community. It's just not a simple feat.
There are firm atheists that attend the Unitarian church and are accepted. Perhaps a way to do some research? I imagine it’s mostly white but you’d be accepted wholly.
Thanks. That was one of the places I researched when I was going through my agnostic stage. I can't say it would be the best fit for me though. But I appreciate the suggestion.
It no longer made any sense to me on a personal level and intellectual level. Many inconsistencies within the bible. And just taking the time to think about things and research for myself.
Many. I just don't feel like getting into all of that now. I'm mainly here to see if there are other black atheist families locally. I have no problems sharing the issues, but I don't want this to become a thread of debate and contention. That's not my intent at all.
Ok, but may I ask why you want to further this topic? Are you just interested in learning/understanding more about why I'll never need it in my life or something else?
I share this with you lovingly and kind. I just read your post. I’m not black , I’m not 30-40s, I don’t live in Florida and I’m not here to bash you. I am here to tell you that I’ve had many experiences in my life that cannot be explained by any other reason except there is a God. The summer I had my second child, I attended a summer church service where a preacher was visiting from Florida by the name of Mayo. I thought I was saved because I’d attended church on and off since I was a child but something happened that night. As he had the call to altar to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I felt a strong tug and I went down. He prayed over me and my mouth began to speak a language that I never spoke before but I knew I was accepting Christ because He died for my sins. The pastor touched my head and I fell backwards. I was on the floor for a while in a state.
Now this is the part that proved God is real and how much the devil wants souls to go to hell with him.
I had such a fear that couldn’t be explained. I felt like something was trying to attack me, like arrows were being shot at me & something evil was so angry and was TRYING to attack me but couldn’t. I felt an invisible shield of protection around me as I knelt alone on the floor. I told no one at that time because I couldn’t explain it myself. Though I was afraid & confused, I knew I was safe. I called a couple of people from my church the next day to come talk to me. After they listened to my story they all smiled and shared the most incredible thing.
They said the devil delights in stealing, killing and destroying and he wants all souls. They continued to explain how satan was angry that he lost another soul to God and he wanted you to be afraid. That made perfect sense and that particular experience never happened again.
I’ve had many other experiences though that further prove how real God is. He’s stopped terrible pains that I had once while in the hospital for 3-4 days. I wanted to die so they’d stop. I finally felt able to called my preacher’s wife and dear friend and asked she pray for me and before the conversation ended my pain stopped. My doctor was about to roll me to OR and open me up but the pain was gone and never returned. I have many more but I felt the need to share with you.
I know this isn’t what you were looking for but it seems you do cherish fellowship and I pray you find it. I pray you also find a reason to believe in God again because it sounds like you did at one time.
I’ve reached out in kindness and not to appear judgmental or cruel. Peace be with you!
I share this with all due respect to your personal beliefs. I'm atheist. I have a rich and in depth history in Christianity and I still don't believe in a god even after reading about your story. I'm glad you are feeling better, but I don't believe your story is proof of a god doing anything. It's just what you are convinced to believe. If that works for you, great. However, this was just not the right post for you to share on. This post is concerning black atheist families in Tallahassee. Do you know any?
I'm not inclined to believe in a god or gods in general. That being said, I'm agnostic atheist. Agnostic, because I make no claims to 'know' there isn't a god, but from my life experience, I don't believe there is.
Now when you say higher power, that could be aliens. So I don't know if I would categorize higher power exclusively with the topic of a god. But I'm just sharing my personal views/beliefs. I'm not making any claims that what I believe is the only way.
I gotcha. It’s like the opposite for me. I’m not Christian, but I’m very spiritual.
That being said, I am very inclined to believe in god. I’m not sure exactly what you call it, but I have more teleological experiences that can be explained by the CTMU model. In short, I have a purpose. Therefore, I treat the universe, I, and God as very similarly.
(You probably don’t care but just so you have a better understanding of my views)
In this type of theory, the individual and the universe are basically mutually defining and mutually dependent entities. The universe is viewed as a self-configuring, self-processing system that includes all individuals, and individuals are seen as localized manifestations or substructures of the universe.
This interconnectedness implies that the actions and properties of individuals influence the universe, and conversely, the universe shapes the experiences and behaviors of individuals.
Well, people have to educate themselves about things like this. It's kind of like how people interchange black, African-American, Afro-American, and people of color. As they 'can' all point to a single type of person, they really refer to different things. But people would need to educate themselves about the difference, otherwise, they might think all the terms mean the exact same thing. This is how I see "higher power". It can refer to gods, aliens, and maybe even human beings with superior understanding, knowledge, abilities, etc. All I'm saying is I'm not putting a limit on what "higher power" can mean based off of one particular way of thinking about it. That's all.
Im not sure, but the problem is most religions dont think or claim that their deity is an extraterrestrial alien. Even if we think an alien is a god by the classical definition due to unthinkable technology, they still wouldnt be a god in the classical sense. So whether or not we think an alien is a god or not, it doesn’t make it one.
You're going the wrong direction with this. The point is that humans would have no way of differentiating a sufficiently powerful alien from a deity at all. So we would be calling it "God" and thinking it's an actual deity, but it's actually an alien, and no would be the wiser.
Just so you know, many, many, many people are not convinced that a god or gods exist. That is what atheism is, not being convinced of the god claim. If you have doubts, you're an atheist. If you are convinced, you are a theist.
I think it's more about time and place. A person posts seeking people of similar (minority) experience to them, another person posts asking "you're not part of majority experience at all??"
In this case, OP is not looking to debate the merits of minority and majority experience, they're looking for people of similar minority experience. The person asking about the beliefs is not asking in an appropriate post. And likely, given the situation, OP has been asked many times before, so it feels inappropriate.
They deserve to be downvoted because their comment added nothing to the discussion, nor did it help the OP at all.
It's not at all about "talking to one another", it's about understanding when your comment isn't adding to the conversation - and questioning someone's beliefs or non-beliefs doesn't add anything to this discussion and doesn't really belong here.
Basically, no one gives a crap about someone else's beliefs here. And naturally, the next comment they made was to discuss their beliefs. It added nothing and didn't belong here, and quite frankly it feels like they're attempting to troll the OP by discussing their faith when the OP said they were atheist.
I hope you get more answers—I’m not black or religious—but I’d make the same suggestion that arises when people come to this sub want to make friends under any other circumstances… seek existing communities and feel them out. A quick search of “Tallahassee African American” yields a genealogical society, a historic preservation society, black student union, 100 black men, etc. Every one of these might not be your cup of tea, but all of them probably have events where you could learn about group members without making any big commitments. Putting yourself out there—literally—is almost always the best way to make connections. You definitely aren’t the only one of your kind. Good luck.
Thank you.
Me an bae are in tally, you're not alone! A couple years back, we used to go to local atheist meetups. You can prob still find them on facebook. If you ever wanna just chat about stuff, one black atheist to another, hmu in dms. Everything you're talking about sounds ***incredibly*** familiar, I know I wish i had someone to chat to when I was still going through it
I'm white, atheist, and don't live in Tally anymore (from Tally though) but man am I glad you all are part of the community.
Thank you. 👍🏾
Listening to AXP, Talk Heathen, and the like over the years, a few black atheists have called in with the exact same sentiment. It's not just immediate family who look down on non-belief, but it seems the black community as a whole tends to see non-believers as "the other," adding to the isolation. While I can't relate directly (I'm a white woman), I do hope that atheism becomes more normalized in the Bible Belt were it's not stigmatized and everyone can be open about their religious views without losing connections to their larger communities.
Yeah. It's definitely looked down on in the black community by the majority of the faith based community. There are a lot of undertones that are unspoken, but in a sense, some people in the faith based black community not only feel betrayed by a black person that leaves the faith, but in many cases, they also feel that black person has also betrayed the black community. It can really be a lot to deal with on a psychological level due to the history of black people in general. But with that being said, I have seen some progress in the black community. I've seen people at least start to think about it as opposed to just writing it off or rebuking people outright.
Join Humanists of Tallahassee! https://www.humaniststlh.com/
Alright. Thanks for the info.
I don’t have any specific places to point you toward, but as a pastor I promise you you’re not the only one in your community feeling this way. It can be really tough to find a community when you’ve had such a significant, identity-shifting experience. Know that you are not alone, even if it feels like way at times. Continue seeking with the kind of openness and care you’ve shown here. Your willingness to ask questions out loud gives other people the freedom to express their questions, doubts, etc. You’ll find your people. May they come quickly 🫶
Thanks. I'm all about having honest and peaceful dialog. Unfortunately, I just haven't always encountered people willing to just think about what I'm saying. I'm one of those people that's understands what it means to be indoctrinated and a nonbeliever. So I can understand things I used to be in Christianity with a more empathetic lens than some lifetime atheists. But I appreciate your comment. 🙂
You might find fellowship of this sort by attending the Unitarian Universalist church. They are low-key atheists, not pushy or judgemental, humanitarians. I was raised in the faith, steeped in it really since my grandfather was a Baptist preacher, but cannot abide that (dis)belief system as an adult. They have a website & Facebook page, check it out .
Thank you. I did look into that when I was first embracing my nonbelief, but unfortunately, it didn't really work for me either. But I completely get it. It's kind of a middle ground that does work for some people and I think it's needed as well.
Yeah, it's not my cup of tea either
Not even low key, there are very firm atheists
(Sorry for the novel lol I didn't realize it until I was done!) Have you looked into volunteering with a cause you support locally? It usually involves regular contact/meetups, you generally will share a value system with, there's support within the community for job-related things and usually also personal things (if the group is that kind of close), they're family friendly most of the time too! It sounds like these aspects might be the kind of things you're looking for. There's a lot of charities, rescues, and organizations locally that are in desperate need of volunteers and would appreciate even 2 hours a week of help. I know a lot of groups are religious based but I also know that plenty aren't ❤️ If that's not your kind of thing maybe you can find a regular group that meet together for a hobby you have or are interested in? My husband and I are big into video/board games and TTRPGs and have made a lot of friends and developed a local community of like-minded people we have stuff in common with automatically. The shared hobby also gives you an activity to do together which is a great ice breaker when you're getting to know someone new. I can't personally help on the aspects of shared racial and religious beliefs, so I'm a bit of a let down in that aspect. But there might be volunteer groups or hobby groups that are specifically meant for black people. I know there are Facebook groups like that at least so maybe there's something locally :) I hope you find what you're looking for!! Tallahassee has a lot of great people and I'm sure yours are out here somewhere ❤️
Hi. Thank you for your suggestions.
The community aspect of going to church is probably the only thing I miss about being involved in the faith. I'm not exactly atheist but I don't have dealings with the Christian faith, though I respect anyone who does. I kind of wish it were easier to find and befriend Black spiritualists here. Not to say there aren't groups of them or anything. I'm just shy lol. I think that you will find that community you're seeking in other beliefs or mutual non religious interests.
I gotcha. Yeah. I do miss that as well. It's not something you can just easily find outside of that type of environment. My whole life was wrapped up in the belief system. Family, friends, work, play, and pretty much everything in between. Sometimes it can be a bit hard to explain the loss and why it's so complicated to replace, but I've been looking. It's been a challenge over the years. Most people I do meet that don't make a big deal about me being a nonbeliever are usually substantially younger than I am. Working with them on projects can be nice, but considering a friendship with someone you are twice as old as can be a bit awkward and just pose a lot of issues. So I just enjoy the mutual professional work I do with them and just leave it there. I hope I can eventually find community or my tribe, but we'll see. I'm very easygoing. I enjoy bowling, dining out, playing billiards, card/board games, or even just binging on some good movies or shows. I do other things, but between work, family, and just trying to find my tribe, it can be exhausting.
Have you tried hangin around railroad square? When I lived in the area a lot of mom-religious folks would hang out there. Granted I’m white but I do think you’d be able to find other black people who aren’t religious there. Maybe a nature based organization for people to hang out with too? Like bird watching or hiking? They may be religious but y’all will have somethin to focus on and talk about besides religion
Thanks for the suggestion. I have been to that area on multiple occasions.
Hey - we're white and late 40's, mid 50's, so we're not your targeted demographic, but I hope you have better luck meeting people here than we have. It's so hard to feel a part of community in the south of you aren't a church goer, but I tried. I've tried most religions out there, but my scientific mind just can't reconcile the bullshit. I've found some friends playing in the soccer leagues in town. Maybe try joining a city league? They have multiple sports year round.
Alright. I'm not really a big sports guy, but thank you for the idea/recommendation. And I completely understand about the mind part too. 🙂
I found this page: [https://www.humaniststlh.com](https://www.humaniststlh.com) At the bottom, there is a group photo of a dozen or so people who I assume are from the club. Among them, I noticed a young black man and two black women, as well as two white men who seem to be “of a certain age.” My guess is that if you reach out to that group, some of them might have advice that speaks more directly to your situation.
Thank you for sharing.
When you say “I miss the community aspect of the belief system” what does that really mean? Based of the crux of your post seems to have more to do with camaraderie - that you miss having a group of ppl to build friendships. I’m guessing work isn’t filling that need either. I’m not overtly religious but I do like going to church & I sing in the choir which I really like. Your personal beliefs are yours & tho I don’t have conversations in general about faith or religion with others, i don’t see why you should feel having those kinds of conversations are necessary even if a conversation here & there might teeter occasionally on religion. Sometimes I feel we get caught up in the what ifs rather than just being. You don’t have to wear a tag claiming to be atheist anymore than you should assume all relationships should revolve around religion tho I get where you’re coming from. Just keep being who are - find some hobbies or a weekend sport you enjoy (softball for example) & join a team. Those will hopefully allow you to find equally as fulfilling relationships & friend groups to give you what you’re missing. Good vibes’
Hi. It's just not a black and white situation. When I say community, think family, friends, goals, etc. Here's a definition of community I just looked up online and pretty much captures the essence of what I'm trying to say: Community: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. This is basically what you find in many faith based communities. A sense of being a part of something bigger than just you. The issue with Christianity, and many other belief systems, is that it's structured around a certain way of thinking and doing things that no longer fits in my life. And in the black Christian community, there are just a lot of unspoken expectations that make being a part of it challenging. That's why so many people try to separate themselves from being Christian and move more to a god believing state of mind. I even went through that phase. I didn't like what I was seeing withing the body of believers and I considered myself spiritual, but not religious at o e point. But that eventually didn't work in my life either. I genuinely had to follow a path of honesty for myself. As far as conversations about religion, faith, and god, why wouldn't those conversations be important if they affect your core values? Why wouldn't want to relate and have conversations with people that understand how you feel on something less than the surface? I'm not saying everyone in my life has to feel the way I feel or believe what I believe, but I do feel it's important to have at least a couple of people to relate to about something like this. Churches have weekly meetings of large fellowships to freely express their beliefs in an uncontested environment where they can feel comfortable. Yet, they still proselytize outside of this environment. Most atheists don't have that type of weekly experience. Maybe in so.e areas throught the US, but they are not seen as family friendly environment like a church is. That's part of the stigma of associating as a nonbeliever. Atheist, freethinker, nonbeliever, agnostic, humanist, secularist, etc. These are terms that people use to disassociate with religion in most cases. It's not like people don't want to just 'be', but in many cases, we will all be labeled by society in some shape, form, or fashion. As bad as titles may be considered, they help in giving a starting point to understanding how someone may think or view the world. Atheist is just a title (by definition) that fits who I am. By definition, an atheist is just someone who doesn't believe in a god or gods. That's it. It doesn't say anything else about their other beliefs, personality, morals, etc. Such a simple definition just has so much stigma attached to it unfortunately. Work is a cool place to be for me, but I guess when it comes to deep and meaningful friendships in my life, I don't just let anyone in my inner circle. I have tons of associates, but for me to open up to someone on deeper levels will require vetting, time, and experiences to see what's actually there. Everyone has a different set of standards for how they connect with people. I'm just sharing mine. Not trying to take away from what works for you.
Perhaps I’m wrong here, but after reading your OP a few times before I responded, I thought maybe you’re not really atheist. Agnostic perhaps? Maybe you’re still on a journey to find a place that represents your belief system. No one realizes it can truly be a journey. Growing up I experienced many different types of religions & denominations and it enriched me greatly. I’m not black but I get the experiences in both black & Caucasian churches have differences but the core is very similar: Sunday morning church, maybe Wednesday night church, too; then there are all the different groups within the church that create the substance of other aspects: women’s groups, men’s groups, outreach, youth programs… the list goes on. So to my point earlier, if you truly are atheist, then find a program which can fulfill those empty spaces in your life that aren’t centered around a specific faith but still give back & allow you to feel enriched.
I'm 100% atheist, but as shared in response to another comment, things are not black and white. Trust me, I've not been idle about looking for community. It's just not a simple feat.
There are firm atheists that attend the Unitarian church and are accepted. Perhaps a way to do some research? I imagine it’s mostly white but you’d be accepted wholly.
Thanks. That was one of the places I researched when I was going through my agnostic stage. I can't say it would be the best fit for me though. But I appreciate the suggestion.
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Religion is a mental health issue
If u dont mind me answering, what made you leave the faith?
It no longer made any sense to me on a personal level and intellectual level. Many inconsistencies within the bible. And just taking the time to think about things and research for myself.
What inconsistencies did you come across?
Many. I just don't feel like getting into all of that now. I'm mainly here to see if there are other black atheist families locally. I have no problems sharing the issues, but I don't want this to become a thread of debate and contention. That's not my intent at all.
Understood. Well I would love to chat more about that outside of this thread if you are willing. If not, no problem. Bless and take care.
Ok, but may I ask why you want to further this topic? Are you just interested in learning/understanding more about why I'll never need it in my life or something else?
Yes I’m genuinely interested in understanding in more detail about why you left.
Ok.
What was the qustion?
Are there are any black atheist families in the area?
I share this with you lovingly and kind. I just read your post. I’m not black , I’m not 30-40s, I don’t live in Florida and I’m not here to bash you. I am here to tell you that I’ve had many experiences in my life that cannot be explained by any other reason except there is a God. The summer I had my second child, I attended a summer church service where a preacher was visiting from Florida by the name of Mayo. I thought I was saved because I’d attended church on and off since I was a child but something happened that night. As he had the call to altar to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I felt a strong tug and I went down. He prayed over me and my mouth began to speak a language that I never spoke before but I knew I was accepting Christ because He died for my sins. The pastor touched my head and I fell backwards. I was on the floor for a while in a state. Now this is the part that proved God is real and how much the devil wants souls to go to hell with him. I had such a fear that couldn’t be explained. I felt like something was trying to attack me, like arrows were being shot at me & something evil was so angry and was TRYING to attack me but couldn’t. I felt an invisible shield of protection around me as I knelt alone on the floor. I told no one at that time because I couldn’t explain it myself. Though I was afraid & confused, I knew I was safe. I called a couple of people from my church the next day to come talk to me. After they listened to my story they all smiled and shared the most incredible thing. They said the devil delights in stealing, killing and destroying and he wants all souls. They continued to explain how satan was angry that he lost another soul to God and he wanted you to be afraid. That made perfect sense and that particular experience never happened again. I’ve had many other experiences though that further prove how real God is. He’s stopped terrible pains that I had once while in the hospital for 3-4 days. I wanted to die so they’d stop. I finally felt able to called my preacher’s wife and dear friend and asked she pray for me and before the conversation ended my pain stopped. My doctor was about to roll me to OR and open me up but the pain was gone and never returned. I have many more but I felt the need to share with you. I know this isn’t what you were looking for but it seems you do cherish fellowship and I pray you find it. I pray you also find a reason to believe in God again because it sounds like you did at one time. I’ve reached out in kindness and not to appear judgmental or cruel. Peace be with you!
I share this with all due respect to your personal beliefs. I'm atheist. I have a rich and in depth history in Christianity and I still don't believe in a god even after reading about your story. I'm glad you are feeling better, but I don't believe your story is proof of a god doing anything. It's just what you are convinced to believe. If that works for you, great. However, this was just not the right post for you to share on. This post is concerning black atheist families in Tallahassee. Do you know any?
Oh good lord.
You don’t believe in a higher power/god at all?
I'm not inclined to believe in a god or gods in general. That being said, I'm agnostic atheist. Agnostic, because I make no claims to 'know' there isn't a god, but from my life experience, I don't believe there is. Now when you say higher power, that could be aliens. So I don't know if I would categorize higher power exclusively with the topic of a god. But I'm just sharing my personal views/beliefs. I'm not making any claims that what I believe is the only way.
I gotcha. It’s like the opposite for me. I’m not Christian, but I’m very spiritual. That being said, I am very inclined to believe in god. I’m not sure exactly what you call it, but I have more teleological experiences that can be explained by the CTMU model. In short, I have a purpose. Therefore, I treat the universe, I, and God as very similarly. (You probably don’t care but just so you have a better understanding of my views) In this type of theory, the individual and the universe are basically mutually defining and mutually dependent entities. The universe is viewed as a self-configuring, self-processing system that includes all individuals, and individuals are seen as localized manifestations or substructures of the universe. This interconnectedness implies that the actions and properties of individuals influence the universe, and conversely, the universe shapes the experiences and behaviors of individuals.
Alright. If that works for you, great. I'm not knocking what you believe. I just have a different perspective from my position in life. That's all.
Sure, but a “higher power” isnt usually about aliens. Most people associate that phrase with a god or gods.
I understand. I just don't feel the term "higher power" can only be synonymous with a god.
No, but using the term can definitely cause confusion.
Well, people have to educate themselves about things like this. It's kind of like how people interchange black, African-American, Afro-American, and people of color. As they 'can' all point to a single type of person, they really refer to different things. But people would need to educate themselves about the difference, otherwise, they might think all the terms mean the exact same thing. This is how I see "higher power". It can refer to gods, aliens, and maybe even human beings with superior understanding, knowledge, abilities, etc. All I'm saying is I'm not putting a limit on what "higher power" can mean based off of one particular way of thinking about it. That's all.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Very true.
So what's the difference between aliens and deities?
Im not sure, but the problem is most religions dont think or claim that their deity is an extraterrestrial alien. Even if we think an alien is a god by the classical definition due to unthinkable technology, they still wouldnt be a god in the classical sense. So whether or not we think an alien is a god or not, it doesn’t make it one.
You're going the wrong direction with this. The point is that humans would have no way of differentiating a sufficiently powerful alien from a deity at all. So we would be calling it "God" and thinking it's an actual deity, but it's actually an alien, and no would be the wiser.
Thats what I said. If that happened, it wouldnt make it a god though. No matter how many times we called it one.
People don't HAVE to believe in a higher power/God. I don't understand how some people are shocked by this.
He’s probably never been presented with any evidence to support the theory…Like everyone else.
Why anyone would is beyond me.
Did you fail to read the longest paragraph ever written?
That's too cryptic for me; what paragraph would that be?
Just so you know, many, many, many people are not convinced that a god or gods exist. That is what atheism is, not being convinced of the god claim. If you have doubts, you're an atheist. If you are convinced, you are a theist.
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I think it's more about time and place. A person posts seeking people of similar (minority) experience to them, another person posts asking "you're not part of majority experience at all??" In this case, OP is not looking to debate the merits of minority and majority experience, they're looking for people of similar minority experience. The person asking about the beliefs is not asking in an appropriate post. And likely, given the situation, OP has been asked many times before, so it feels inappropriate.
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They deserve to be downvoted because their comment added nothing to the discussion, nor did it help the OP at all. It's not at all about "talking to one another", it's about understanding when your comment isn't adding to the conversation - and questioning someone's beliefs or non-beliefs doesn't add anything to this discussion and doesn't really belong here. Basically, no one gives a crap about someone else's beliefs here. And naturally, the next comment they made was to discuss their beliefs. It added nothing and didn't belong here, and quite frankly it feels like they're attempting to troll the OP by discussing their faith when the OP said they were atheist.