Inspired by Easter coming up, with the "no meat on Good Friday" rule and everything else.
Before being an atheist I had decided to go vegan. So forget non veg, I can't even get myself to consume any animal product at all on Tuesdays. Although I had decided to become a complete vegan during the lockdown, my parents force me to eat milk products since we can only eat what we find. But still I somehow convince them that I will not eat it on Tuesdays. Earlier I didn't eat animal products during Friday also, but I had to sacrifice that because two days a week would be enough to annoy my parents.
Other than that I always do pranam to all the books or devices if I drop them or touch them with my foot. So is there some practice you also do in spite of having become atheist? I have OCD so there's no way I can give up on these habits, and there isn't any atheist that I know of personally. So I have no idea if you all do such things too.
For example:
- I still memorize Quran by heart, I even correct mom if she mistakes reciting it
- When I fake praying, I say all the pray things like a robot
- This is sooo funny but I still get afraid from Ψ§ΩΨΉΩΩ, meaning: jinx
Lots more but these are the funniest I can think of
This stems from a post I made yesterday. Where a 30-year-old mother with her male partner, pushing a baby in a stroller, entered Target, and as she walked by 3 or 4 female employees - they all mocked and laughed at her as passed them. I don't believe she knew, but then again their snickering was loud so it was pretty obvious to me and most likely her as well.
I also posted this on my Facebook and it went pretty viral, getting almost 200 comments.
Now a number of women on my post pointed out that it's pretty unusual for a woman to go Target in a booty shorts. But...
- This is Fort Lauderdale, FL which is hot and maybe 5 miles from the coast (maybe less).
- It's not uncommon for teen girls to wear similar attire in the mall or in Target.
- The shorts weren't that short and she wore a regular t-shirt on top of it.
Anyway, a number of women started pointing out to me that it's not necessarily these women's fault. It's the fault of our religious patriarchy that policed women's clothing for far too long. It instilled this virtue in women that girls are supposed to dress modesty and if they don't they're seen as promiscuous.
I'm not sure I buy into that argument, firstly, I think anyone over 16 should be mature enough to not make fun of someone. Secondly, I think her dress was appropriate, for the life of me I can't see how a little piece of a butt is somehow scaring or vulgar.
I have another point of contention which I'm in two minds about.
A few women on my Facebook posted things like, "She's free to wear what she wants, but expect people to judge her and see her differently".
That doesn't sit well with me at all. It's not like she went to church or a job interview wearing this. It's a casual environment, for all we know she was on the beach right before and had to make a stop in Target on the way home. So many unknowns about a person, but you choose to judge them on freaking booty shorts in Target?
What are your thoughts on this? How should we women deal with this?
Yea I eat meat. But my family are orthodox shaiva hindus and don't eat meat. Moving out isn't option and I guess I'm stuck till I get a job.
Has anyone faced a similar situation?
It might just be a personal thing but I feel like unlearning a religion is a lot harder than learning one. I catch myself (although it is happening less) doing things I was taught like saying βbismillahβ before activities, etc. I always take a step back and im like shit! I was brainwashed to the point where Iβd overthink if I put my left shoe on before my right. Little small daily things. It was very hard when I first realized I no longer wanted to be muslim and it still happens now. I was just wondering, anybody else still catches themselves doing similar things?
Sometimes I wonder if I've ever been spiritual in any way. I joined Christianity 11 years ago now and have taken part in church services and counseled at camps, even given messages. I'm at services pretty much every week and continue to read daily. However, with always having a hand in interests and habits that aren't spiritual and struggling to stop them, starting to have bisexual urges, and having a strong desire to have sex, I wonder why I'm even trying to continue. I feel as if I can't share what few spirtual views I have either because of the differing viewpoints of friends and family. I don't doubt God at all, he's definitely there. But Christianity seems like a huge uphill battle that no matter what changes I make, I'll always be tied up with it and struggling to feel as if I'm doing it correctly.
I don't want to come up as an asshole or anything but no matter intelligent you come across but decide to start coming off all religion on me I become all judgemental on how someone could seriously believe that story.
What's the best mode of approach to adopt , so that won't look down on them on the basis of that. Sometimes I would be tempted to bring up some point why they need to be open minded and let's reason things out together, but I don't want to come off as an asshole.
Any pointers on how to live my life without giving my religious community any serious thought?
I have thought about the impact eating meat does on the animal itself and have wanted to go vegetarian or even vegan but the problem I always have is that the lifestyle requires me to go all in.
Not just the food but other things as well, for example one of my guilty pleasures is leather products. Is it not better for the cause that you start people out slowly and not make it taboo to own leather for example?
