Glad to have found you guys. My upbringing was ensconced in a protestant, charasmatic, quack, quack type of Christianity. I am not quite an atheist in the true sense of the word, but spring more from an agnostic platform. I arrive here, however, with an open heart and mind. As is the case, I suppose, with anyone breaking free from a brainwashing, I was more confused than Chaz Bono at a urinal when I commenced my journey to intellectual honesty. It was truly a baptism in fire; a birthing process if you will. Traversing through that process has proffered me opportunities that were impossible in Christianity: namely the freedom to challenge and critically cross examine my beliefs HONESTLY.
At any rate, I am thrilled to be here and expect to gain knowledge as well as an even more open mind to what life has to offer.
Hi Truthseeker
I'll be honest, when I read your user name I loaded up an FPAFFSDSR (Faith Piercing Anti Fundy Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot Round)! Glad to see it won't be necessary! :D
Thanks for making the effort to sign up and join in.
Welcome to HAF. (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg32.imageshack.us%2Fimg32%2F2922%2Fcheersi.gif&hash=d22c932723fd55512134b1ae98b018246ccbb424)
Regards
Chris
Notes for new members.
The Rules. (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=1522.0)
Users who comply with forum rules will graduate to full membership after 10 posts.
Till that time your ability to post is limited to the "Getting to Know You" (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php#2) section of the forum.
It is our hope that this small restriction improves the overall atmosphere of HAF.
Some threads you might find interesting.
Where did you get your username from? (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5133.0)
10 Things About Yourself (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=4940.0)
Tell us A Bit About Where You're From (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=8215.0)
Photography (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=7607.0)
Non-religious pet peeves (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=6917.0)
Pets...what do you have? (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=7.0)
Favorite Song, with video (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=8830.0)
How to tell your family you are an atheist. (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5111.0)*
"Rules for Conducting a Discussion" by Dr. Mortimer J. Adler (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5631.0)*
*You will need 10 posts before you can add a post to this thread, but you can read it at any time.
Please note you can do very little with your profile (Avatars, Sigs etc) until you have made 10 posts. This is an anti-spam measure.
Quote from: Tank on February 24, 2012, 01:46:06 PM
Please note you can do very little with your profile (Avatars, Sigs etc) until you have made 10 posts. This is an anti-spam measure.
Ahh. That is what I was concluding after viewing my profile status.
Thank you for your kind welcome. I have been using that user name when possible on every forum for which I am a member. I too am glad to hear that I will not be subject to your acronym. You just keep that thing tucked away in your pocket for someone elsd. That thing sound menacing. ;D
Hi and Welcome! So tell us a little more about yourself (hobbies, interests, et cetera). I was raised in an Evangelical Christian home, so I can totally relate to the long, sometimes painful process that comes with realizing that a lot of things you've been raised to believe are crazy and stupid and sometimes downright mean. :)
Quote from: Ali on February 24, 2012, 02:29:40 PM
Hi and Welcome! So tell us a little more about yourself (hobbies, interests, et cetera). I was raised in an Evangelical Christian home, so I can totally relate to the long, sometimes painful process that comes with realizing that a lot of things you've been raised to believe are crazy and stupid and sometimes downright mean. :)
Ali,
Thank you for your warm salutation. God, I am begging to feel like I was lost and now I am found.
As far as interests go, SunTzu's "The Art of War" is a mainstay in my life and has been for quite some time. It has in effect become my bible in certain areas. Check out Sonshi.com. Reading about historical figures is tantalizing. A perfectly cooked steak (quite difficult to find) in tandem with a Syrah will bring me to my knees. I will stop down for virtually anything that is Christopher Hitchens or Sam Harris. Even though I have not played in a while, I really enjoy chess and am a member of chess.com. A Master I am NOT in the slightest sense, but I do enjoyed its unpredictable nature. The music on my iPhone ranges from Tony Bennett, Nora Jones and Michael Buble to Led Zepplin, U2, Jimi Hendrix and Boston.
But above all (not even a remote second) would be my family. My wife is my solid gold diamond. Without her the whole structure falls apart. And my children are quite simply the end-all-be-all of human existence to me. Something happens to them just take me to the dump, I'm done.
Its funny, one of the things that was ingrained in me during my tenure as a Christian was the notion to guard against brainwashing by other ideas, philosophies or ways of life. Coming from my Christian instructors, that one sentence in itself was a brainwashing. I have fallen in love with the term "Free Thinking". Give that guy or gal a medal for coming up with that term. Was that Thomas Pain? I am not sure.
How long were you subjected to (I like to call it hypnotized) your Christian upbringing? If you do not mind me asking.
Wow, you have very high brow tastes. Chess and Syrah, my my. ;D I'm only teasing you and slightly teasing myself because I'm home sick from work and my plans involve Judge Judy and Sprite. :D
I know what you mean about your family and kids though - I have a 3 year old, and I seriously feel like I would just curl up and die if anything ever happened to him. I can't imagine how my heart would have the will keep beating without him. :)
So my Christian upbringing. Let's see. I was raised going to the First Christian church, which I think is Evangelical Presbyterian. I was baptized when I was 10, so I must have still been pretty into it then. I think I first started to really question Christianity when I was maybe 13 or 14. Just, a lot of things seemed really "unfair" about Christianity. If you get to know me better, you'll find out that I'm big on "fair." But, as I'm sure you know, I was also raised to believe that if I wasn't a Christian, I was going to hell. That's a pretty scary thing for a kid, and it took me a while to get past that. By the time I was in my late teens, I didn't consider myself a Christian really any more, but I was still looking for some sort of religious or spiritual beliefs because I thought that was necessary and because I thought if I came right out and declared myself an atheist, that was kind of a line I couldn't uncross, like if there was a god, calling myself an atheist and outright denying him would be the big unpardonable sin. Ya know?
So, dabbled in some new wavy Wiccan-y type beliefs for a while, which didn't really make much more sense to me, but at least they were more accepting of others (like, you can be a Wiccan and be gay and still go to Wicca heaven or be reincarnated, or whatever they believe, I don't remember. lol) Finally I realized that I don't believe in god, and you just can't make yourself believe because you think it would be nice to believe (or anyway, I can't.) So I finally bit the bullet, called myself an atheist, and when a bolt of lightening didn't strike me, I realized that I wasn't scared anymore. That's a good feeling.
Anyway, welcome again, and I'm sure you'll like it here. Here rocks.
Welcome!
Ah, sounds like a tactical thinker. I'll mind my p's and q's in debates with you. Welcome!
Thank you all for your warm welcome. I truly am looking forward to my future here at HAF. Now this is a church worth attending!!
Ali,
You caught on hell of a lot earlier than I did. I had to look upon my 1 1/2 old son before I made a clean break. Looking at my little one, the feeling that I would jump in front of a train to keep him from harm was undeniable and overwhelming. It also occurred to me that, as much as I had the power to do so, I would never have allowed for the option of an eternal punishment to befall him. There was no way in hell I would have allowed him the option to choose hell. To do so would have been an exhibition of ambivalence in the highest order. First to realize my love that passes all comprehension or understanding for him and then grant a choice to enter such a tragic and terrible future was absolutely nonsensical and repugnant. Then this tsunami of shock and awe knocked me on my ass with the notion that some sort of supreme being has allowed this to happen by the billions. It is unbelievable that I have a brain that at one point was so ignorant and stupid as to embrace and fall in love with such a teaching. I should go to hell just for thinking in that manner.
Jesus, I can tell this damn forum is going to interfere with my work.
I've thought about that too. I'm a flawed parent and human being, but I know what unconditional love is, and apparently some perfect all powerful being isn't capable of at least as much as I am?
I'm just glad that we're not going to raise our children to be afraid of hell. Life's hard enough without that nonsense hanging over your head.
Hello and welcome aboard! I've never believed in god, so have no direct understanding of what you're going through. But I'm glad you're here. :)
Welcome! HAF is a great, friendly place.
Welcome to the thingy.
If you are as cool as you say you are this is gonna be a hoot!
You all are so welcoming. Guardian, man I hope that my comments did not come off as narcissistic. That has to be one of the character qualites that I loath the most.
Quote from: Ali on February 24, 2012, 07:20:26 PM
I've thought about that too. I'm a flawed parent and human being, but I know what unconditional love is, and apparently some perfect all powerful being isn't capable of at least as much as I am?
I'm just glad that we're not going to raise our children to be afraid of hell. Life's hard enough without that nonsense hanging over your head.
Well, long story, but I am afraid I really screwed up here. When I got married my wife and I were both devout Christians. Subsequently, I went through the thought process mentioined above and my wife maintained her faith in space Jesus. At the time I commenced with my closeted agnostic life and allowed my children to carry on in church and so forth. It was not unitil my children were roughly twelve that I came clean with my wife. By this time my children were already sincerely involved with friends and all the trapings of Christianity. So I just let it go (still wonder if that was the right thing to do) :(. I mean my wife would have been deeply hurt if I demanded otherwise. At any rate, just as of a few months ago, I let my children (now ages 18 and 16) in on my new views. My daughter actually started crying abouit it. It did not affect our relatioinship in the least and they have accepted my backslidden devil ways. But they have been indoctrinated, no question about it. I did make it clear to them, however, that they do not ever need to feel that the HAVE to follow that faith or teaching. I am just hoping the day will come when they approach me with concerns and questions. I will be here with arms open.
That would be really hard to have a spouse that was still very committed to religion after you changed your mind. Trying to force your wife to raise your kids without religion could have potentially broken up your family. I'm lucky that I married a fellow atheist, so that's never been an issue between us, but I can imagine that it is for others, especially if when you married you were both devout and then only one changes.
Atleast through you, your children have the example that someone can be non-religious and still lead an admirable life. Hopefully that makes them think a little when people say that everyone who doesn't believe X is immoral and is on the fast track to hell.
Welcome!!
Quote from: Tank on February 24, 2012, 01:43:51 PM
FPAFFSDSR
Also known as a rampaging Asmo in bad temper with a boil on his gray butt.
Welcome,
Yours is a perspective on faith that I cannot entirely understand either, having never been a believer. It will be interesting to try to see things from your point of view through your posts. Your perspective on your child(ren) is definitely something that I can understand and respect. My two children are (legally) adults now, and I still feel the same way. My world would be pretty bleak without them.
Tank,
"I'll be honest, when I read your user name I loaded up an FPAFFSDSR (Faith Piercing Anti Fundy Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot Round)! Glad to see it won't be necessary!" Does that round have a depleted uranium or tungsten penetrator?
EDIT: removed screwed up quotes.
Mornington crescent.
Quote from: Reprobate on February 28, 2012, 04:39:45 AM
Quote from: Tank
"I'll be honest, when I read your user name I loaded up an FPAFFSDSR (Faith Piercing Anti Fundy Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot Round)! Glad to see it won't be necessary!"
Does that round have a depleted uranium or tungsten penetrator?
Neither. Dark Matter.
Quote from: Tank on February 28, 2012, 01:04:25 PM
Neither. Dark Matter.
Higgs Bosons. Doubly deadly. :D
Quote from: Truthseeker on February 27, 2012, 06:39:08 PM
Quote from: Anti-antidisestablishmentarianism on February 27, 2012, 06:36:44 PM
Welcome!!
Thanks man!! That is quite a user name you have there.
Thank you! It goes back to a drunken argument about the longest word in the English language. My friends were telling me that supercalifragilisticexpialidocious isn't a real word and that antidisestablishmentarianism is the longest word. I informed them that I knew supercaliwhatthefrickever wasn't a real word and that they should shut up and pass the damn bottle!
I grew up Christian too. My family is very engrossed in it. I am surprised your children are not more curious. Perhaps just slide in a few quotes here and there. They will most likely ask you about it one day. Reading the Bible is what made me realize it wasn't true, lol. I'm glad you are here and I hope to get to know you better!
Quote from: dustygirl122 on March 04, 2012, 01:36:48 AM
I grew up Christian too. My family is very engrossed in it. I am surprised your children are not more curious. Perhaps just slide in a few quotes here and there. They will most likely ask you about it one day. Reading the Bible is what made me realize it wasn't true, lol. I'm glad you are here and I hope to get to know you better!
Thanks Dusty. I know when I had doubts I had no one to turn to and admit it. At least my children will know they can ask me without any reproachful response. Man, why do people bite off on this belief. I am sorry. I know I am going a little crazy with how incredulous I have become. But this damn belief has got to be the dumbest idea to hitch one's trailer to. Guess I need some therapy. I actually feel HAF has been a sort of therapy really. So thankful for everyone's patience here.
No, I know how you feel. My mother clings to her beliefs (even though she believes in evolution yet somehow a 6,000 year old earth too), simply because she states that God has helped us out a lot.. Umm... from the abusive father/husband to homeless shelters to eating instant mashed potatoes made with water for dinner.. I want to know where he has helped us??
Yeah, it actually aggravates me too sometimes. I am glad this forum has helped so much for you!
Quote from: Truthseeker on February 24, 2012, 08:13:13 PM
Well, long story, but I am afraid I really screwed up here. When I got married my wife and I were both devout Christians. Subsequently, I went through the thought process mentioined above and my wife maintained her faith in space Jesus. At the time I commenced with my closeted agnostic life and allowed my children to carry on in church and so forth. It was not unitil my children were roughly twelve that I came clean with my wife. By this time my children were already sincerely involved with friends and all the trapings of Christianity. So I just let it go (still wonder if that was the right thing to do) :(. I mean my wife would have been deeply hurt if I demanded otherwise. At any rate, just as of a few months ago, I let my children (now ages 18 and 16) in on my new views. My daughter actually started crying abouit it. It did not affect our relatioinship in the least and they have accepted my backslidden devil ways. But they have been indoctrinated, no question about it. I did make it clear to them, however, that they do not ever need to feel that the HAVE to follow that faith or teaching. I am just hoping the day will come when they approach me with concerns and questions. I will be here with arms open.
I can totally relate with what you have been through. My husband and I were devout Christians when we married and now I'm not a believer. He was so depressed when I told him about it. He prayed for me. For awhile, I was on a roller coaster and would bounce back and forth between belief and disbelief. So, I'd come back to believing in Christianity and he would be so happy and so would I. Then, I would start analyzing why I had come back and what brought me back. And, then I'd realize that I hadn't made the right choice going back. It's really rough what we've been through. There have been nights were I would go to bed early because I'd be balling my eyes out because of my disbelief. God, I wanted to believe so bad. But, dammit, my mind wouldn't get out of the way.
My kids are 5 and 3 and I don't know when to tell them. My whole family is going to be so upset with me if I don't raise them Christian. I've thought about letting them go to church, and just not saying anything against it until they get older. But, then I'll be in your situation. Your kids probably think you are going to hell. And, I don't want that for my kids. I want to raise them as free thinkers, but everyone around me is Christian, so it's probably pie in the sky.
I'm so glad for you that your wife accepts your position and hasn't divorced you for it. My husband is pretty cool that way too.
Welcome to the forum!
Quote from: Asherah on March 12, 2012, 07:45:32 PMI can totally relate with what you have been through. My husband and I were devout Christians when we married and now I'm not a believer. He was so depressed when I told him about it. He prayed for me. For awhile, I was on a roller coaster and would bounce back and forth between belief and disbelief. So, I'd come back to believing in Christianity and he would be so happy and so would I. Then, I would start analyzing why I had come back and what brought me back. And, then I'd realize that I hadn't made the right choice going back. It's really rough what we've been through. There have been nights were I would go to bed early because I'd be balling my eyes out because of my disbelief. God, I wanted to believe so bad. But, dammit, my mind wouldn't get out of the way.
My kids are 5 and 3 and I don't know when to tell them. My whole family is going to be so upset with me if I don't raise them Christian. I've thought about letting them go to church, and just not saying anything against it until they get older. But, then I'll be in your situation. Your kids probably think you are going to hell. And, I don't want that for my kids. I want to raise them as free thinkers, but everyone around me is Christian, so it's probably pie in the sky.
I'm so glad for you that your wife accepts your position and hasn't divorced you for it. My husband is pretty cool that way too.
Welcome to the forum!
Yes, my wife is the bomb. I just knew this meant she would take the kids and leave me, abiding in 2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14.But she pointed out 1 Corinthians 7:13
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. She claimed if she really had the faith that she says she has in god then god will turn my heart around. But even if that does not happen she said she was not going anywhere. She is really a great lady! I am quite lucky to have her.
And I suppose you are correct that my children see me going to hell. What choice do they have but to think that. It is the cinder block of their faith.
My heart goes out to you Asherah. You have some tough waters to negotiate in your future. But it sounds like you have a solid family who loves you regardless. That makes all the difference.
Welcome! I haven't been a believer since I was very young, but I am glad that this forum has been helpful to you in some way. My family is quite secular, as is my wife's for the most part, so it was easier to "come out" as a non-believer. It's been fascinating to hear stories such as yours and Asherah's about how you reached this point in your belief system and I'm glad your wife has been so willing to accept what you believe, as difficult as it may be for her.
Quote from: cordactilicix on March 15, 2012, 03:22:36 AM
EDIT: Snipped content to remove links - Tank
Someone call SETI, it's seems we have contact! ;D
Quote from: Truthseeker on February 24, 2012, 05:20:56 PM
Jesus, I can tell this damn forum is going to interfere with my work.
Yeaaaaahh, this place has a habit of doing that. Erm, some of us have been know to request self-bans when it gets a bit out of hand. (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fforum.susan-boyle.com%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fwhistling.gif&hash=9bec17896dbf7625532fbae05eeabdd57982b879)
Also, welcome! There are a few parents around, so feel free to gush on the "parent's pride" thread. ;D
Thank you do much for joining us & keeping an open mind!