Just wanted to introduce myself
Posted on: September 3, 2007 - 6:10am
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Just wanted to introduce myself
Hello all! My name is Wrath James White, author, fighter, trainer, atheist. Been an atheist for some twenty years or so but never imagined that there might be even a rudimentary organization of atheists until recently. I've been pretty much reading and writing in a vaccum for years, contenting myself with arguing my points on Christian sites. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion."
- Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
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WrathJW,
Welcome. Look forward to getting your perspective on many issues we discuss here.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. - Seneca
HI WrathJW,
Hope you stick around. This is my favorite forum to keep current on the new and whacky things theists come up with and the great responses atheists give back. Welcome.
Hey man, you are black, you owe it to our whity ancestors because they forced their slaves to convert. You owe it to gawad homie!
(Note to self: Did I think that, or type it? Reminder, poster is a fighter, could put a hurten on ya Brian37)
Translation: Welcome.(Please dont hurt me)
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Hi, my name is Jon Eccles. I'm a lifelong atheist, who lives in Bristol, in the UK. I first came in here when I saw your blasphemy challenge.
I've become more militant about my beliefs over the last few years, mainly in response to a resurgence in political religion. In a poll in the UK last December, when asked if they were religious 64% said no. And yet we still have an official state religion, and half the time you turn on the TV there's some bishop, rabbi or imam telling us what we should all think. Recently, a law which would have treated 'religious hatred' as a hate crime, like incitement to racial hatred, was only narrowly defeated. The consequences of this law were hotly debated, but many of us were hugely relieved when it didn't pass.
There are positive signs. Recently, it became illegal for adoption agencies to discriminate against gay parents. The Catholic Church asked for its adoption agency to be exempted from this legislation, and was turned down. Although respect for 'spirituality' remains high, the public mood is strongly against religious intolerance.
That's me, anyway. Nice to meet you all.
I always feel compelled to comment on issues of speech. This is an OP/ED, not aimed at any one poster, but something both the theist and atheist should consider if they value their freedom:..............:
Iit is not only a stupid idea to use goverment to censor people, it is a BAD IDEA.
What politically correct "hate speech" fans fail to consider is that they may not be the policman, the judge, the jury, or parlement member deciding what is or is not hate.
This site would be shut down by politically correct Christians if given the chance. As an atheist who values my right to criticise and even blaspheme religion, I am not going to shoot myself in the foot by giving those in the majority the government power to silence me.
The intent of fighting bigotry is nobel, but the PC exicution is piss poor. That attitude can and will backfire on the people who want it.
COMMON LAW, at least in the states, already says that you cannot physically harm someone. COMMON LAW already says that you cannot tell someone else to go hurt someone else.
It is illegal, for example, for me to say "Go beat up my neighbor because they wont stop their dog from barking"
That is no different than saying for example, "Go beat up my wife because she cheated on me"
No different than saying, "Go beat up this person because they are Muslim, or Christian or atheist".
Goverment does not have the right to silence the expression of my emotions, good or bad.
"I hate Christians" is a bigoted statement, but is not, nor should be illegal.
"I hate atheists" is a bigoted statement, but again, is not, nor should be illegal.
I dont think PC people realize the errosion they will cause to the freedom if those types of laws replace COMMON LAW.
Does anyone really want to put a Christian in charge of deciding what you or I say as an atheist as being "hate".
I think anyone is a fool who takes this tactic and will only distroy the freedom they value in their quest for polliticall correctness.
I can agree to have goverment arrest people for violence or advocating violence. But it is a bad idea to have goverment play morality or thought police.
There are idiots in America both Atheist and theist who, if they could, have shows like South Park and Dave Shapel and Howard Stern, banned, not because they commit crime, but merely because someone was offended.
They are playing with fire with their freedom and I dont think these well intended, missguided people, would like living in a pollitically correct censorship state, because at some point they will have law inforcement, or a burocrate telling you what you can or cannot say.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Hi
My name is Mats, I'm 44 years old and I live in Sweden. I'm educated to be a librarian but earn my bread from working as a data architect.
Ive been raised fairly secular. My mom did send me to "Sunday school" (kind of church activity for kids) when I was 5 and I attended a few times mostly because Ive always liked a good story. You could say Ive been a agnostic/atheist most of my life.
In the last few years Ive become more of a militant though. Mostly because of the establishing of religious schools here in Sweden and religious groups moving in to politics around the world.
I have realized that I'm fortunate to live in Sweden when it comes to the subject of religion. Here most people are agnostics or atheists. One survey claimed it was as much as 85%. Maybe that figure is a bit exaggerated but in any case atheism is the the norm here.
I'm engaging in the religion debate here and on YouTube mostly as a act of solidarity with atheists around the world and especially the atheists in the USA. I also do it because of the influence USA has on the political situation around the world. I find it very frustrating to see the US move toward "Jesus nut-ism" and not being able to vote so instead I engage in debates.
Welcome to Sweden. The country where 85% are atheists and the crime rate are among the lowest in the world.
Welcome to the forums James, Jon and Mats!!
My goodness - three in one thread! Welcome all of you - glad you are here.
Welcome to the hizzle, all!
Welcome, WrathJW!
That's quite a resume you have. Author? We'd love to read some of your stuff. Links by any chance?
You're right that being an atheist can many times be an isolating experience. It's such a nice surprise to find communities of like-minded individuals.
Welcome, jonecc!
Yet another example of how the U.K. is far ahead of the U.S.
We have lots of representation from the U.K. here on the forums so you'll feel right at home!
Welcome, Faidros!
Educated as a librarian and working as a data architect? How the heck did you make that leap?
Yes, you are fortunate to be in Sweden since things are so secular, although it sounds like the fundies are starting to move in.
We appreciate your solidarity as the "Jesus nut-ism" is pretty much all over the U.S.
We're really glad all of you are here and look forward to your contributions to the discussions!
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
Susan:
We're ahead in some respects, but what we don't have is the separation of church and state. Some of us are working on it though.
I've never been to the States, but it comes across as a deeply divided nation, where say New York or Seattle are virtually separate countries from the rural hinterland. We have the same divide, but when I compare the literate, articulate Americans I meet online with the semi house-trained creationist hordes the gap seems as large as you'd meet in any industrialised nation.
Wrath, you officialy have the best name ever.
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.
Susan,
I write what is known as "Extreme Horror" though with a decidedly atheistic bent. Unless you're a real hardcore horror fan you might find it difficult to stomach. I am working on a book on African-American Atheism that I'm hoping to have completed by the end of the year and sold by the end of '08. I'll definitely keep you posted on that.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion."
- Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
What, youo write stories where God doesn't kill people???
I hope that when the world comes to an end I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.
My humor translator must be off 'cause that one just went right over my head.
In my stories God is every bit as ruthless, capricious, and intolerant as in the Old Testament or just completely non-existent as in real life.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion."
- Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Love the quote from Weinberg! Hope you enjoy it here.
Well it is not such a big leap as one might believe as both professions has a lot in common. Catalogs, classification, defining notions etc. In mather of fact learning how to organize books gives a good base for organizing all kinds of data.
And you are right that the fundies are on the move here to. However nothing like what is happening in the US. Our greatest problem is that most people here still believes they are harmless.
Welcome to Sweden. The country where 85% are atheists and the crime rate are among the lowest in the world.
Errrrr, could you give me a little better definition of "extreme horror"? Is this slasher kind of stuff or vampires? (You don't have horrible things happening to critters, do you?)
That sounds fascinating. Yes, please keep us in the loop... a teaser would be nice. (hint hint)
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
No critter killing. If anything the critters do the killing in some of my stories. Extreme horror is usually described as graphic sex and violence. You could have a vampire story that was extreme though that would be atypical. I'd personally rather nueter myself with a sharp spork than write (or read) vampire fiction but that's mostly due to the whole paranormal romance dreck that it's fallen into in recent years. Slasher or Psychological horror definitely lends itself to the extreme. The funny thing is that even if I don't have any graphic sex or violence in a story if there's any sort of religious criticism in it it still gets classified as extreme. Further proof that fundies rule the world.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion."
- Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Whew! Otherwise, you and I were going to have harsh words.
Um, Er.... are we talking just on the edge of porn or are we talking gang rape?
tee hee Watch out. Those sporks can be dangerous!
Actually I agree, but I admit to enjoying 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (which was much better than the movie).
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.