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Eponine
Where I live (as previously stated, pretty rural) atheist has always been synonymous with godless-heathen-evil-satanist-etc.
I didn't realize that some people believed this. Geez. It just means you don't believe in a higher power. Ironically, I would think that must people who don't believe in a "god" higher power also don't believe in a "devil" higher power.
But I digress from the OP's topic... ;)
Janet
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Thanks a lot for the replies guys, although it doesn't make me feel that much better, lol!
We put in our profile that although we're not religious, we have very strong values... which is very true. I guess the catch up is that we'd like a relationship with our future birthmom, and her understanding this aspect of us is very important, so we figured we should just be honest about it.
We live in PA, but our agency works in 7 different states. Sadly not much to do for us but wait (dh isn't comfortable with opening to race, we don't really live in an open minded area and can't afford to move unfortunately, and I don't think I'm ready to open up to more medical issues as I have no parenting experience whatsoever).
Hopefully it won't be too long now...
Fran27
Thanks a lot for the replies guys, although it doesn't make me feel that much better, lol!
We put in our profile that although we're not religious, we have very strong values... which is very true. I guess the catch up is that we'd like a relationship with our future birthmom, and her understanding this aspect of us is very important, so we figured we should just be honest about it.
We live in PA, but our agency works in 7 different states. Sadly not much to do for us but wait (dh isn't comfortable with opening to race, we don't really live in an open minded area and can't afford to move unfortunately, and I don't think I'm ready to open up to more medical issues as I have no parenting experience whatsoever).
Hopefully it won't be too long now...
You are doing all you can do in being honest, being who you are. I hope that very soon, things will work out.
I had to post a reply...... I run into this distinction with people alot (I work in a related field). For the record we are a very religious family!
An atheist does not believe in any higher power at all. They believe once you die your dead ect. Are you a Spiritual person? You could put that you do not adhere to a religion, but are spiritual. This will leave it open and the birthparents can than ask you in person if they have questions on what that means. All it means is that you believe in something it is just not defined! Hope this helps
Another thought is do celebrate any holidays? For some families Christmas is important...Do you have a holiday party of some sort? I would include all of this into your profile.....
Good Luck, you child is out there they just haven't met you yet! When you finally meet your child you will be glad you had to wait!!!!!
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My husband is an Atheist and I'm more of an Agnostic. Our son was placed with us within 7 months. I think it depends on the type of agency you're going through and where you live that may be causing some problems. We live in the Northeast and everyone knows we're all heathens up here ;) You could always say that you're a Secular Humanist or a Freethinker.
You're telling the truth, and who knows... it may be something that makes your profile stick out and be cause for discussion.
It will happen for you. But I know that the waiting is horrible.
Best of luck to you!
Ann, we don't really believe in spirituality... Christmas is more a tradition for me than anything else, and yes we celebrate it as well as Easter etc.
It never occured to me that I should mention that in our profile, I guess it's always been pretty normal where I come from to celebrate it even if you're an atheist - which is the case of a lot of people.
My agency never mentioned that religion might be a problem.
Ann07
I had to post a reply...... I run into this distinction with people alot (I work in a related field). For the record we are a very religious family!
An atheist does not believe in any higher power at all. They believe once you die your dead ect. Are you a Spiritual person? You could put that you do not adhere to a religion, but are spiritual. This will leave it open and the birthparents can than ask you in person if they have questions on what that means. All it means is that you believe in something it is just not defined! Hope this helps
Well actually the only thing athiesm involves is a non-belief in any diety. Nothing else (including the afterlife) is involved. Many athiests share common beliefs about other topics - but those common beliefs aren''t a part of the deffinition of athiesm. There is not "set" of athiest beliefs. Some athiests may think that an afterlife is possible - others may not think an afterlife is possible. A belief in a afterlife may not require a belief in a deity. For example in most buddhist religions - there is no worship of any one diety or god - and yet buddhists have a very strong belief in the afterlife.
Oh and athiests are capable of belief in "something" too and that belief can be in a very well defined set of ethics or even belief in your fellow man.
Not to be nitpicky - but as an athiest - I felt it was only fair that the correct information was offered.
If I may comment as a Catholic......
When we were looking for an agency we were startled by how many professed this huge Christian affiliation. I always wondered if the religion thing made it easier for them to register as non-profit. It really seemed a disproportional number to us. Believe it or not, a lot of those agencies do not consider Catholics Christians. But that's a different topic.
(DH isn't comfortable with opening to race, we don't really live in an open minded area and can't afford to move unfortunately, and I don't think I'm ready to open up to more medical issues as I have no parenting experience whatsoever). We are parents of an AA child, and I totally respect this statement. It is so important to consider the environment and diversity.
I really hope that you can adopt the child of your dreams.
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My family is Christian, but we hardly go to Church.
Our kids were brainwashed when we first met them...they were living in a group home funded by a certain denomination, converted from their Christian Denomination, and baptised in the new denomination.
They went to church upwards of 5 times a week, and were basically free labor for the home AND the 2 churches who split the "share" of all the children.
Those of you who believe in God, and even those who don't...I truly believe you never have to darken a churches door as long as you believe in God (this is only addressed to those who believe...not a prosetylizing attempt LOL).
SO, when we met our children, the group home had them ask a set of questions, and the first was "are you Christian?".
Of course, we are...but I strongly feel that the group home would have told their worker to turn us down had we indicated anything else...and I feel that selecting a family on religion alone (or lack thereof) is a HUGE disservice to all involved.
A person comes to religion, or strays away, on their own...it's their own path. Whether their family practices a religion or not may influence them, but it will not keep them or drive them away unless they experience those feelings themselves...so it should not be considered at all, IMO.
Teekay74
I've got a question. Kinda ot-
What is the difference in athiest and agnostic?
Oh, its ok. There are quite a few diffrent types of athiesm - and one can also be an agnostic athiest.
Thier is what is considered as "strong athiesm" in which a assertion that thier is or can be no diety is made. Meaning strong athiest declare as thier belief that no god exists or can exist - and are possitive about this as a "fact" of thier existence.
Thier is also what is consdiered as "weak athiesm" which is where an individual just doesn't hold a personal belief in any deity.
A person can also be an agnostic athiest (also a form of weak athiesm) in that they can not say for fact that no god exists - but hold no personal belief in any diety - and believe that any god existing is unlikley or impossible.
Not holding a personal belief in the existence of a god - and making a decliration that no god can or does exist are quite diffrent things.
Agnostics make no decliration about the existence or non-existence of any god. They neither believe or disbelieve in any diety. Some agnostics think it is impossible to know either way - so support neither choice. Most live as non-thiests but are not athiests.
Teekay74
I've got a question. Kinda ot-
What is the difference in athiest and agnostic?
From dictionary.com...
atheist: a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
agnostic: a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.
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Oh I also ment to say that agnostics can also be religious agnostics. They can say they don't know for sure - but can choose to fallow a religious path if they determine that is the more logical path to fallow over a non-religious path.
I'm terribly late to this thread, but you all have touched my little atheist heart with your stories of success. My dh & I have our information session next week with Bethany Christian Services. We're looking to adopt through Bethany from the foster system, where state funds say they should be fair to us, but we don't really trust them to be. We'll likely follow the advice of listing ourselves as non-practicing Christians to (possibly) speed up our matching process.