Ostricized Atheist
Offline Greetings,
I'm brand-new to this site, so I'll be lurking/reading more than posting for awhile. Found this site while googling Pen Jillette. I grew up as a born-again christian who knew how to talk in tongues (it's easy, gibberish works if you have a straight face) and who believed that one guy on a pulpit could touch you and make your ailments maaaagically go away.
I've always had questions about god and theology. Not just the Judeo-Christian god, but ALL forms of deities. Don't get me wrong: I find ancient Rome and Greece to be fascinating, and their use of deities as control over the masses was genius, but from a purely entertaining standpoint.
My folks tell me constantly that I'm on my way to hell. I know they love me, and they say it out of genuine concern, but honestly, I can't profess allegience to the Invisible Man simply because I'm afraid of a burning lake of fire. If I was this invisible guy, I wouldn't WANT all those fickle "what iffers" following me around. Bunch of sycophants if you ask me.
So anyway, here I am. It's hard to talk about my beliefs (or lack thereof) to people, because the reactions are always the same: They hear you're an Atheist and nod slowly and say "That's cool, that's okay" and get real quiet. Or, they say "You are huh? Well, I'm going to pray for you" like I'm afflicted with this horrible disease called Skepticism that needs deliverance. Very rarely, I'll get someone who actually wants to ARGUE and really get offended that I don't think like they think. One lady actually called me demon-possessed... her eyes got REALLY big when I made choking-gargling-growling noises and started talking about Marduk & mephistopholes.
Nice to meet you all. I look forward to reading.
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute
-Ayn Rand
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Lmfao @ your performance for "One lady".
Welcome! You're going to feel at home here.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Welcome to the board.
My strict Catholic family prays for my eternal soul and hopes that I will one day see the light again.
I was brought up fanatically religious, but have found that life has become much better without it.
You'll find allot of like minded Atheists here and none of us are demon possessed.
So, your no longer ostracized and free.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
To quote Obe Wan from the original Star Wars
"You will never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy"
Now pick up your SS atheist membership badge and be sure to record the NFL without their permission and rip the tag off your mattress.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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We BBQ kittens every Sunday morning without exception, Bring your own bib and recipe book. I am in Canada near Toronto, where the hail are you from? All paternity test are handled by our law firm of Springer & Povich LLB esq.
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
my family have prayer groups for me, too. They don't want me to burn for all eternity in a lake of fire their beloved, gentle jesus has got going on.
If you're looking for like minds, this is the place.
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
Thanks for the warm welcome guys. It's nice to feel welcomed in a group of like-minded folks. I've always felt like the odd man out because I couldn't bow to a deity that demanded constant ass-kissing in order to get something done. I mean it! Growing up, if I needed something (school clothes, for example) my folks would say "Pray for it!" and somehow, miraculously, the clothes would appear in my room a few days later... along with a heaping dollop of self-righteous drivel like "God has allowed your father to make good money so we can buy you school clothes. You need to praise and thank him!"
Nope.
Why can't people as a race just accept the fact that there IS no super-being that made the world in 6 days. There wasn't a boat out there with 2 of each kind of animal/insect that floated around while the entire earth was underwater, and there sure as HELL wasn't a bearded white man bombing around Jerusalem hoping to save souls, who died on a giant stick and came back after 3 days of rigor-mortis and decomposition in order to tell people that he'll be watching them FOREVER, and they have to love him to be accepted into the magical cloud-city where Lando Calrissian lives and there all our dreams will come true.
I got born. I'll work my ass off for my slice of happiness in life, and then when the time comes, I'll kick off. I plan to do what I need to for myself and my family - in order for us to be healthy and happy. I have no time to devote to a non-existant god with no sense of humor and no tolerance for every type of person out there - but who is REALLY quick on the uptake when it's time to pass the collection bucket around.
Nope. Not for me.
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute
-Ayn Rand
Welcome to the forums, post early and often no topic is taboo around here.
puts it rather well...
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
im new to this site too, i forgot about it for a while till i was thumbing through myspace and found them on my friends list.. FINALLY ive found an outlet for my skepticism.. i totally feel you on the reactions to lack of faith.. im assuming by the speaking in tongues that it was a pentacostal church? ive heard so many explanations about god and the afterlife and most of them are diffrent to one degree or another. i once heard a pre tribulation preacher say that we all get gold mansions to live in after the rapture for 7 years and we will reign with christ for 1000 years... ive attended several different churches over the years.9usually as a foavor to someoe else). but no matter how many times ive tried the god thing it never made any sense to me.. i dove into the faith thing before and it was nothing more than questions to me.. i always arrived to agnosticism or atheism. i wasnt brought up in a church going household so i wasnt burdened with being drug to church and i consider that a good thing cause it allowed me to sit on the sidelines and watch religion... most people think that to question faith is wrong from what i can see.. and they will spew their stuff out all day long even if you didnt ask for it but the MINUTE you express a view that differs from theirs out comes the battle armor.. and even fair weather christians turn holy roller when someone questions faith.. i also know that not all churches and christians are like that but ive met a bunch that are welcome to the site and i hope you find what you need
Chris