Brand New Forum Member!

[ladyblackwell]

Hi everybody! My name is Irene and I've recently started being more public with my Atheism. I guess you can say I was raised in an environment ripe for raising an Atheist: while I was baptised Eastern Orthodox Christian, my parents were never strictly religious. I grew up on encyclopaedias and science books and trips to the natural history and science museums. Sure, there were icons in my home and I went to Sunday School for 15 years (from 3-18), but my parents always emphasised that knowledge was the most important thing to acquire. Sure, I believed in God and that his son Jesus Christ was my Lord and Saviour, but I generally ignored everything else and focused on being a good person.

Of course once I hit my high school years the conflict between science and faith began, but I never really dwelled on it. It wasn't until I was at church camp this past summer and a Deacon came to speak with us that I really started questioning religion. In an Orthodox marriage ceremony the wife must vow to be be subservient to her husband, and the Deacon said that he, not his wife, had the harder role in the marriage because he had to make all the decisions. That got me thinking. Why should I be subservient to my future husband? Why should I follow my husband's path alone and not one we create together? Do I not have a brain? Am I not educated? Am I not able to make my own decisions? Why would God give me my knowledge if I had to obey my husband strictly? My idea of marriage is built on friendship, love, and equality. Especially the equality part.

Around this time I also began accepting my bisexuality. Again, the fact that I could go to hell simply for falling in love with someone of my own gender really got me angry about the whole thing. If God commands us to love, then why would you be sent to hell for something as simple as that?

So I finally realised I've probably been an Atheist this whole time. I still attend church to please my parents and see the wonderful people there, but on the whole I think religion is crap. My Catholic friend pointed me towards this forum, and here I am!

I can't wait to make some lovely new atheist friends! You guys seem awesome!

(Sorry for the wall of text. And it's already four in the morning? Damn.)

[Tank]

Hello Irene

What a wonderful story. It's a shame we don't get as many gentle realisations like yours. Often the transition to an atheistic view is connected with a lot of angst both internal (one's own doubts) and external (the hostility of others).

The Eastern Orthodox linkage is interesting. How did that come about?

Thanks for making the effort to sign up and join in.

Welcome to HAF.

Regards
Chris

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Some threads you might find interesting.
Where did you get your username from?
10 Things About Yourself
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Photography
Non-religious pet peeves
Pets...what do you have?
Favorite Song, with video
How to tell your family you are an atheist.*
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[OldGit]

Welcome, Irene.  Don't apologise for the length of your post, it's interesting.

[The Magic Pudding]

but on the whole I think religion is crap.

Crap ye but they do wear some interesting hats.

Hello

[ladyblackwell]

The Eastern Orthodox linkage is interesting. How did that come about?

My family is from Ukraine, so they're all Eastern Orthodox.

[Amicale]

Irene, welcome!

I'm glad to meet you. You're definitely among friends here

Like you, I also asked the "why would a god send someone to hell for..." (insert issue here) and like you, the answers came up lacking.

Ah, well. As Pudding pointed out, some of the religious do wear spectacular hats. 

[DeterminedJuliet]

Hello, welcome.
I hope you like it here. I like the way you write.

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome!

[Tank]

The Eastern Orthodox linkage is interesting. How did that come about?

My family is from Ukraine, so they're all Eastern Orthodox.

Ah! And there was me hoping for a really tortuous route 

[ThinkAnarchy]

Very nice introduction. Welcome aboard.

[Recusant]

Hello and welcome to HAF ladyblackwell. That deacon sounds like a proper Charlie to me, but sometimes such feckless fonts of fatuous folderol inadvertently point people in the right direction.

I enjoyed reading your introduction, but would like to point out that generally the word "atheism" is not capitalized. This is because it's not a proper "ism" like Unitarianism or Catholicism; there are no doctrines or dogmas which define atheism, rather it's a condition or state of not having a belief in a deity or deities. In the same way, one doesn't capitalize a word like "albinism" which is a state of lacking skin pigment. Some atheists capitalize the word (though I've never understood why), but most often you'll see it capitalized by theists who are trying to score a subtle (if inaccurate) rhetorical point. Essentially they're saying that atheism is really a belief system or set of dogmas just like Trinitarianism, for instance. I'm sorry for that little lecture, but it's one of my minor pet peeves.      

I hope that you enjoy your time reading and posting here!

[ladyblackwell]

Hello and welcome to HAF ladyblackwell. That deacon sounds like a proper Charlie to me, but sometimes such feckless fonts of fatuous folderol inadvertently point people in the right direction.

I enjoyed reading your introduction, but would like to point out that generally the word "atheism" is not capitalized. This is because it's not a proper "ism" like Unitarianism or Catholicism; there are no doctrines or dogmas which define atheism, rather it's a condition or state of not having a belief in a deity or deities. In the same way, one doesn't capitalize a word like "albinism" which is a state of lacking skin pigment. Some atheists capitalize the word (though I've never understood why), but most often you'll see it capitalized by theists who are trying to score a subtle (if inaccurate) rhetorical point. Essentially they're saying that atheism is really a belief system or set of dogmas just like Trinitarianism, for instance. I'm sorry for that little lecture, but it's one of my minor pet peeves.      

I hope that you enjoy your time reading and posting here!

I'll remember to be a lowercase-a atheist then. Thanks for the tip!

The Deacon is a really nice guy and he and his wife are probably the most in-love, happy couple I've ever met, but that statement just really got to me. I wish him the best and privately thank him for inadvertently showing me the right direction.

[ladyblackwell]

The Eastern Orthodox linkage is interesting. How did that come about?

My family is from Ukraine, so they're all Eastern Orthodox.

Ah! And there was me hoping for a really tortuous route 

Nope. Although that would have been a really fun story. And Pudding, Orthodox priests/bishops have the best hats.

[Tank]

How did your Catholic friend know of us?

[Stevil]

the wife must vow to be be subservient to her husband, and the Deacon said that he, not his wife, had the harder role in the marriage because he had to make all the decisions. That got me thinking. Why should I be subservient to my future husband? Why should I follow my husband's path alone and not one we create together? Do I not have a brain? Am I not educated? Am I not able to make my own decisions? Why would God give me my knowledge if I had to obey my husband strictly?

Hmmm, maybe I need to introduce my wife to Eastern Orthodoxy, "Get me a beer, woman!" or maybe just crushing the old can, or tossing it onto the floor, could be the signal.

My idea of marriage is built on friendship, love, and equality. Especially the equality part.

God knows what is ideal, who are you to challenge the all knowing, all perfect god?

God is a man, god's son is a man, god's son's apostles are men.
Men were meant to rule, woman are good at cooking, cleaning and making and rearing male babies, that is your purpose, know your place!

If God commands us to love, then why would you be sent to hell for something as simple as that?

Because god knows all, sees all.
God doesn't like man on man action, woman on woman action. Why are you forcing god to see you do this? Poor god, he must have nightmares having to watch that. Stop being so selfish think of god, for god's sakes.