Ask the Atheist

You're a classic cultural Christian, as Richard Dawkins often describes himself when people ask him about Christmas. It doesn't mean that you're Christian and love culture, you're just "culturally Christian".

A cultural Christian is a former Christian who acknowledges the large role Christianity played in his/her upbringing, and may even participate in some of its rituals for the sake of community, while continuing to publicly reject its doctrines. I'm in this category too.

It's true that the language is difficult to shake off. I was particularly fond of the word "hell", but now I think of its literal meaning every time I say it and it sounds silly. You'll get rid of it all in good time if you really want to. Just take notice every time you use a Christian phrase, and ask yourself quietly what else you could have said. You need to build up a new secular vocabulary, and this will help you do that. For example, use the German "gesundheit" when someone sneezes. It means "good health".

In the meantime, if someone regards you as a Christian who has lost the faith, ask them if such a person is still a true Christian at all. Most every Christian has a very specific definition of "true Christian", and few are willing to include an atheist in theirs.

You were raised Baptist. You're kinda stuck with that. Don't be ashamed of it, most atheists had some religious upbringing. Be proud that you were able to escape its hold on your heart and your mind.

- SmartLX