Hello, I'm new to the forum

[Kidnapkid]

Preface Sorry this took so long to post. I wanted to do it weeks ago but in the process of writing this intro my laptop’s power connection crapped out and I had to ship it off to be repaired. Luckily I had time to save most of this intro, so what you’re reading today is half what I wrote three weeks ago and half what I finished up today.

Hi everybody. I'm new to this forum so here I am posting an introduction. My screen name is Kidnapkid. (A little note on that.) I'm a HUGE Smashing Pumpkins fan, and the name comes from a song lyric. I'm not some one who actually kidnaps kids. I just think it sounds  like a cowboy name. (Not that I'm a cowboy either.) I'm a woman actually. 28 years old, and an atheist all my life. Err well, maybe that's not accurate. I used to not be an anything. I was pretty ignorant about God until I was about 8. I had some old testament story/picture books, but I didn't regard then as anything different than my other fairy tales, because no one ever told me any differently. Kids at school (often cruelly) started "cluing me in" about 4th grade. Which basically meant pushing me around on the play ground and telling me I'm going to hell. A few nicer Christians would try to get me to go to church with them, but I was never interested. I didn't even have an inkling about Evolution, but even at a young age God didn't seem like anything more than just another lie adults tell their kids. Like Santa (who I was terrified of till 3 when my mom told me he wasn't real to get me to stop crying.)

I've always had a bit of a problem with authority figures. I know I was probably a few teachers personal hell for 9 months. I was diagnosed with ADHD and subsequently drugged up for the next 10 years or so. In the midst of my mental issues, the God issue going on all around me (I'm originally from West Virginia) sorta hit the back burner. My last year of junior high I started listening to the Smashing Pumpkins and any part of my brain that needed something to believe in found that in Billy Corgan's music. His music taught me that I'm not alone in the world, that there are people out there who have lives like than mine, that love is true, and ultimately belief in myself self and faith in my fellow man are all I really need. 15 years later the Smashing Pumpkins are still giving me insight and inspiration.

I live in Philadelphia now, and have for the past 5 years. I love how liberal this city is. It's a lot easier to be an out atheist here than it was in WV. There is basically no Muslim presence in my old WV town so I was basically just dealing with Christians, and a lot of ignorant, uneducated ones at that. My mother and I were once evicted from our apartment because I refused to go to church with our landlord and their daughter. That was really a rough time for me and my Mom.

Now she was raised Baptist, but always hated it. When asked she says she believes, but I've never seen her pray and I suspect she's deluding herself, cos she's actually got a bit of a problem with that sort of behavior anyway.  (My f.ed up genes came from both my parents.)  A bit of a black sheep and a rebel herself. She was a rocker mom. She married my dad because he was in a band and looked a bit like Jackson Brown. Their brief marriage didn't work out and they divorced after 4ish years.  I lived with her thru my childhood. She never once tried to force any kind of religion on me, just chores (ha.)

My dad was around off and on, but I didn't really get to know him really well till I was 17. He's agnostic bordering on atheism, but he's got a weird sort of respect for religion. But Dad... well he's eccentric. And kinda weird. I totally get him, but most don’t.  He's a story teller, loves history.  

Another great part about living in Philly is that there are a lot more people walking around who are either atheist or agnostic. I adamantly refuse to date with anyone who believes in god. Not because believers are bad people per say, but because it would defiantly come between us in the end. My current boyfriend (and the love of my life) is a fallen Irish Catholic. (Irish as in from Ireland.) He’s basically a Buddhist because it was Buddhist teachings that helped him escape the residual catholic guilt that I think a lot of ex-catholics deal with. (Not to mention practicing cathliocs.) He had a much tougher time when he realized he no longer believed in god. His father completely rejected him and then died before they could reconnect. He spent a lot of time reading about other dogmas searching for something to believe in. He’s read the Bible, the Q’uran, and the Torah, as well as a ton of Buddhist philosophy. It was Buddhism that helped him ultimately believe in himself. Though if asked he will say he not a Buddhist. He is not an anything, an atheist, like me. He is a very stabilizing influence on my and most of our friend’s lives. I have been lucky to find him.

I myself am reminded of my intellectual liberty every day.  I work very close to the liberty bell and Independence Hall. In a field reflected of both. Though nothing fancy, just retail work.  But I am reminded daily of America’s fight for freedom including the freedom to believe (or not believe) in anything we want. I have heroes like Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Pain to look up to.  At my work I actually feel comfortable talking about my atheism in a casual way without being worried that it will cost me my job, and I am thankful of that. It would be illegal and hypocritical to fire me for my lack of belief, though everywhere else that doesn’t seem to matter, and I have lost jobs before for that reason, particularly in WV.  (I took the wrong book to work once. I ended up having bible flyers stuck in my locker for a month before I was fired. Though religion wasn’t the “reason” I was fired. If you get my drift.) Anyway I’m in Philly now and feel a lot less hated on. Though bigotry hasn’t completely left me alone.

I’m not sure what all else to say about myself. I suppose if anyone has any questions I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. Basically I just want to be more involved with other atheists and agnostics. I think that disorganization is one of the main drawbacks to being an atheist. I see the world and the problems it has especially in regards to religion and the religious people who run important things, and it worries me terribly some times.  I think we need to stick together. So here I am.

Kidnapkid

[elliebean]

Hi Kid!

Wow, a biography! But a good read. Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself so thoroughly.

And welcome to the forum.  

[Kidnapkid]

Hi Kid!

Wow, a biography! But a good read. Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself so thoroughly.

And welcome to the forum.  
)

[hismikeness]

Welcome. I eagerly await chapter two in the Kidnap Bio...  

I'm a HUGE Smashing Pumpkins fan, and the name comes from a song lyric.

My brother and I have a saying: there is but one Billys Corgan. Nice choice in music.

Hismikeness