Wall of Shame: Family Members #2

My Aunt Lori is such a ‘loving Christian’ [and so is my Aunt Carolann]. About a month or so after she added me as a friend on Facebook, she responded with vitriol (presumably because she read something I wrote) on my Facebook wall and in Facebook messages. She thinks that I am still a Catholic [Apparently giving up candy for Lent, going to church, being an altar boy, being confirmed, etc. makes someone a Catholic forever. While some Catholics may think this, it’s quite absurd because one can’t be both a Catholic and an atheist (one who lacks belief in any gods], threatens me with Hell, am dishonest about my beliefs, is lying about what my family members are saying, is now calling family members to “talk to them about me,” says that I will turn out to be a nothing [like my father, of course, because she also is bashing him for some reason and bringing him into this].

Some information is blotted out above. My aunt claimed that I was saying bad things about my mother and her boyfriend online (which led to my mother calling my phone to scream and cry in on a voicemail message). I later had to explain that I didn’t say any of these things after some unneeded major drama. My aunt also claims that my “Aunt Dee” (I won’t use her name here) is saying bad things about me which is false because I am on very good terms with “Aunt Dee.”

It’s obviously the case that not all religious people are like this, but I would find it extremely hard to believe that her religious ideas are not the cause of this nonsense (especially because she brings this into the discussion). The point of this post, really, is to show how harmful religious beliefs can be – to lead family members such as my Aunt Lori to send me nonsense and try to make my life worse.

Atheists need to come out if they can so that this nonsense is ebbed – help to end the marginalization, stigmatization, and invisibility of atheists. Theists, too, need to speak up in their own communities when they hear atheist-bashing language or other wild misconceptions.

I eventually blocked my aunt after she ceased to actually defend her beliefs and failed to respond to anything anyone was saying. Spew hate, talk nonsense…why not? I would think that she would follow 1 Peter 3:15 if she believes “the bible is from god above,” but I suppose not.