Atheists and Weddings: Questions, Conflicts, Advice
Atheists are human too, and so of course atheists are just as likely as anyone else to participate in many of the common social experiences which mark a society. One of them is, of course, weddings - both their own and the weddings of friends and relatives. Unfortunately, wedding ceremonies are commonly religious in nature - what is an irreligious atheist to do?
There is a common perception that marriage is a fundamentally religious institution - that it is based upon religious values and exists to serve religious ends. Thus, if a person is not religious, then it might seem natural for that person to avoid entering into marriage - and that would include many atheists as well.
Yes! There are quite a few options available for people who are uninterested or unwilling to have any of the traditional religious wedding ceremonies. Some are both nonreligious and without any real ceremony. Some include ceremony and ritual, but without religious elements. Finally, there are options which are religious in name, but not really in act.
If two people have very different ideas about the way a wedding should be planned, there will likely be a lot of arguments. Usually these disagreements involve the number of guests, the colors, etc. - but when it involves something so fundamental as religion and religious rituals, it can be very difficult to reach an amicable solution.
This may be the first situation where a person's atheism comes into serious conflict with the religious assumptions and beliefs of his or her in-laws. You may encounter numerous circumstances in which such conflicts can occur over the course of a marriage, but in many respects this can be one of the most serious.
If this is simply a question of invitation to attend a wedding ceremony which will happen to be religious, there isn't much reason why you shouldn't go. The mere fact that the ceremony is religious shouldn't dissuade you unless the ceremonies are so long that you might fall asleep or are such that you can't avoid some level of participation which bothers you.
