New Member in an attempt to find a place to fit in and learn more.

[highway17]

Hello all! I've joined this forum in hopes that this forum will be a welcoming place. I am in an environment that isn't so friendly to atheists, which is why I am currently in the closet about it. (the environment I speak of, is a Catholic high school.)

You're probably wondering "Are you forced to attend Catholic high school?" In response, no. I chose to attend catholic high school for two reasons.

1. My parents are catholic, but they asked me where I wanted to go to school.
2. I feel I am in a safer environment, where more learning can be done. I also feel I bond better and make friends easier at religious based schools, than public schools. Why this is, I'm not sure. They accept me for who I am, more than anybody in public school did, which I also find odd. Oh well, the point is I made friends, they accept me for who I am, and they're not constantly trying to get me into drugs. Good deal. 

I am adopted, which can be very confusing at times, and is almost indescribable in how it feels to people who are not adopted.

I have joined this forum so that I hopefully can have at least one place, one community where I am not silenced for what I think. I feel this is a step in the right direction for me, as I am sick of not being able to express my opinions freely, and openly. I'd like to express a sincere thank you to every member of this forum, for keeping forums like this alive, so that we may penetrate the Christian dominated society that at least us Americans live in, and continue to promote the rights, and freedoms that every citizen of this earth deserves.

Lengthy post, I know. One more section: My hobbies.

I am mostly interested in one subject: Information Technology. I am fascinated by Artificial Intelligence, how data gets communicated from one place to another, robotics, telecommunications, computer networking technologies, and a whole host of other things related to computers, technology, the internet, etc.

I also love baseball, hockey, and music. My favorite baseball teams are the Seattle Mariners and the Denver Rockies, my favorite hockey team is the Colorado Avalanche. My favorite kind of music is classical, but I also like Owl City, Bad Religion, The Offspring, Lady Gaga, etc.

So that's me in a nutshell. If you've made it this far in the post, you're awesome.    I welcome any questions or feedback.

[Whitney]

Hi from another adopted child.  I was adopted from just a couple days after birth so my experience may be different but if you ever need to talk let me know.

I have to say that I'm glad I grew up in a part of the city where public school was safe; I didn't really fit well with the private school crowd so I chose to switch to public.  However I couldn't chose the catholic school even if I had wanted to because we weren't catholic so it would have been expensive.  I'm glad it is working out for you other than not being able to be open about your non-belief...of course, situations like that always make me wonder which ones would stick around if they knew.

[highway17]

I have told a few, and for the most part, they don't care. This year (Junior year) we are required to take a "Catholic Morality" class, and in that class it seems students believe in their religion more than they think. It's quite fascinating, you've got students who go do dangerous activities, than when they're put in a religion class, and asked questions like "how do we know God exists?" they answer with a serious, genuine expression, "Because he is all powerful, loving, and is the father of Jesus Christ who also loves us." It's very odd.

The priest who instructs that "Catholic Morality" class also takes a stab at "godless atheists" almost every day, which I find hilarious.

[saulgood]

Hi... way17! (Can you see what I did there?)

Hello from one newbie to another.  I got a warm welcome when I joined up and after having a bit of a poke around I have to say I like what I see.

Here's hoping you like it too.

[highway17]

Thanks! A warm welcome to you too! My username comes from the Half Life series of video games, which I am a HUGE fan of.

[BullyforBronto]

Hey, high schoolers are still listening to Bad Religion? There is hope for the future.

I listened to that band when I was in high school, which was back before Adam and Eve, according to the young earth people.

[highway17]

I love their style of music, and I admire the lead singer Greg Graffin. I also find the name pretty funny. The first time I'd ever heard of them, was in a Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 for the N64. Loved them ever since.

[The Magic Pudding]

Hi... way17! (Can you see what I did there?)

Ye I noticed and I think it's allgood.
Keep it up, you could become the one monkey of an infinite number of monkeys who rewrites Shakespeare.

Welcome

[highway17]

Ha! Thank you! I think I'll use that sign for an avatar.

EDIT: DONE!   

[BullyforBronto]

I've been riding skateboards since the '80s, and this old dude's still going strong. I really do think skateboarding and its culture in the '80s and early '90s played a large role in shaping who I am today (id est, questioning authority, mainstream ideals, etc... Basically, your normal teenage rebellion-type stuff).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think G.G. holds a PhD in evolutionary biology and is a lecturer/associate professor these days. Pretty cool.

Tony Hawk's done great things for our communities here in the U.S. by donating funds to municipalities for the construction of public skateparks. Though, maybe it's nostalgia talking, but there will never be anything like listening to Bad Brains while storming a condemned backyard empty pool! Catharsis.

[highway17]

You're correct, Greg is a professor at the University of California. It's odd to see him in his professors costume.

[ThinkAnarchy]

Aside from going to a Catholic Highschool for safety  and education, we don't have much in common. I love (american) football and hate baseball. But yeah, I went to a Catholic school because my family are Catholics and they didn't want me getting jumped or joining a gang. Both of which aren't unreasonable parental fears where I live.

[highway17]

Absolutely, I'd take a safe religious environment over a gang ridden public school any day. I can ignore the religion.

[Sweetdeath]

Hello and welcome!
I actually do wish I attended a catholic school, because the "educational" standards at my public h.s were a joke. >___<

So your catholic school friends accepted you as atheist?

[Medusa]

I have told a few, and for the most part, they don't care. This year (Junior year) we are required to take a "Catholic Morality" class, and in that class it seems students believe in their religion more than they think. It's quite fascinating, you've got students who go do dangerous activities, than when they're put in a religion class, and asked questions like "how do we know God exists?" they answer with a serious, genuine expression, "Because he is all powerful, loving, and is the father of Jesus Christ who also loves us." It's very odd.

The priest who instructs that "Catholic Morality" class also takes a stab at "godless atheists" almost every day, which I find hilarious.

Sounds pretty par with me. It seems a big population of Catholics think one way and do another with no problem whatsoever. I have a fellow co worker who was trying to get Sundays off. He said he was just going to lie about going to Catechism class. Didn't blink an eye. I commented about him asking him if he was not in fact lying. And he told me jokingly to shut up. Then he makes fun of me because I 'believe in teh devil'. I tell him I'm not the one lying about my religion. I just don't get it.