Insert Greeting Title Here

[silentaustin]

Hi there. Given the common belief (or rather lack thereof) of members here, let me give you a little introduction to me as an atheist. I admitted to myself that I was an atheist about three months ago, having considered myself an agnostic for almost two years.

I don't come from a very religious background, though both of my parents were technically Christian. I say technically because my mother never goes to church, with the exception of funerals, and has said that she doesn't believe in Hell. You can imagine that in this environment, I was never had religion shoved down my throat, and I'm thankful for that.

Until I was about thirteen, I believed in God and thought that it was probably the Christian God, but skepticism finally started to set it, and I decided that I just didn't feel like answering the question of God. So I became an agnostic.

Then my agnosticism was slowly poked at by my observations about the religious, and the fact that many of my heroes (Douglas Adams and George Carlin, in particular) were atheist. So about three months ago, I realized that all real belief in God had left me a while ago, and I embraced secularism. Since then I've been reading books about it, learning about contradictions in the Bible, and having my fair share of debates with my peers (I do live in the American South, after all).

Well...I'm hoping this wasn't too long-winded, but yeah, hi.  

[Whitney]

Hey silentaustin, welcome to the forum.

[SteveS]

Hey silentaustin - thanks for the interesting background, and a hearty welcome to the board!

[Kona]

Welcome austin!  You're getting a head of the rest of your cohorts....a good thing since you won't be wasting your time @ church.  Oh, and don't forget, Sept. 19 is "Talk Like A Pirate Day"!

[MommaSquid]

Welcome to the forum, silentaustin.  And thanks for the background info.   It's always nice to have a clue where the new guy is coming from.

Oh, and don't forget, Sept. 19 is "Talk Like A Pirate Day"!

Yaarrr!  Why be waitin' til then, me hearty?  

[Zakath]

Welcome, silentaustin.

It would be nice to be fifteen again, but without the religious baggage I grew up with.

Good luck!  

[Kona]

Avast, me matee, or I'll run you through with me's cutlass, throw you overboard and let ya bargain fer yer soul with Davey Jones!