I posted in an earlier thread about an experience I had as a child (sorry I don't know yet how to refer to a thread) where my brother and cousin and myself were removed from our respective class rooms every morning because bible study and recitation of the lords prayer occured for an hour every morning.  When my father discovered this and lodged a complaint (this was in a public school system which in Canada is non-denominational) we were relegated to a hallway with nowhere to sit and nothing to do.  My brother was given the strap (yes as in corporal punishment) because he was caught peeling paint from a door frame. This was in the mid 1970's.

Now as an adult, I live in a fairly relgious community in central Canada and although I work in post secondary education, I'm surrounded by people of faith, or almost as bad IMO, atheists who refuse to admit that they are.  I will admit at times in my life to thinking it would just be so much simpler if I had been born a "sheep".  You know, one of those people who just blindly believes everything I am told and belongs to a social community of equally blind believers.

I moved to this community more than 20 years ago to find employment and have never fit in or felt as though I belonged.  I am outspoken about many things, I say what I mean and think, which most people can't handle and so write me off as "different".  When it comes to expressing my atheism they give me that pitiable smile and gently move along to the next topic as if I am some how broken or morally deficient!   I love that I live in a multi-cultural melting-pot society, but my opportunities for getting to know people are severely limited because I do not "believe". 

Has anyone else experienced this lack of community due to not having faith?