Cogito Ergo Dues Non Est

[philosoraptor]

I happened to stumble upon this place via a link on an atheist blog I recently started following.  Be it that I enjoy both the internet and being a filthy heathen, joining seemed like a good decision.  

I'm 24 years old, and about to complete my Master's in philosophy, so I spend 75% of my time arguing proofs for God's existence/nonexistence and other religious topics.  My father was a Methodist minister, and being forced to attend church until I was a late teen cured me of any desires I might have ever had to participate in organized religion.  As the saying goes, it's not God that I can't stand, just His fan club.  More than anything, the bigotry and misogyny that seems to be inherent in much of Abrahamic religious text and practice is what has turned me off to theism in general.  I call myself an existentialist because I believe that we are both wholly alone and totally responsible in defining the courses of our lives.  While I'm not completely closed off to religion, I have yet to find anything that has resonated as strongly within me as Existentialism is a Humanism did.  I have considered myself an atheist/existentialist for almost 9 years.

My mother told me a joke the other day: Why does it suck to be an atheist?  Because they have no one to talk to when they're having sex.  I told her that as an atheist, this was a problem I had never had.  She scoffed at me, and told me I wasn't an atheist.  My life story, welcome to it.  I'm tired of having people dismiss my viewpoint, as if it is somehow more illogical than any other religious belief.  So here I am.

[pinkocommie]

Welcome to the forum!  

[philosoraptor]

Haha, thanks!  It was your blog that led me here.

[pinkocommie]

Haha, thanks!  It was your blog that led me here.

Rad!  I hope you enjoy it, I do.  Lots of different opinions and people are usually really fair and patient.  Lots of intellectual honestly...and a few looneys to keep things internet-ish.  

[Logikos]

I'm 24 years old, and about to complete my Master's in philosophy, so I spend 75% of my time arguing proofs for God's existence/nonexistence and other religious topics.

A retroactive welcome!   )

[philosoraptor]

I'm 24 years old, and about to complete my Master's in philosophy, so I spend 75% of my time arguing proofs for God's existence/nonexistence and other religious topics.

A retroactive welcome!   )

I'm not doing a thesis, I'll be taking comprehensive exams instead.  For some reason, the profs in my department seem to have an aversion to sitting on thesis committees.

[Logikos]

I'm not doing a thesis, I'll be taking comprehensive exams instead.  For some reason, the profs in my department seem to have an aversion to sitting on thesis committees.

Ah, ok.  I suppose setting exams involves a lot less effort on their part.  What are your specialisms in Philosophy of Religion?

[philosoraptor]

My main areas of interest are nontheistic religion, existentialism/absurdism, and ethics.  When I do take my comps, I'll be doing them on Sartre, religion, ethics, and epistemology.  And yes, it requires less effort on their part to set up exams, go figure.

[Logikos]

When I do take my comps, I'll be doing them on Sartre, religion, ethics, and epistemology.

That is an insanely broad range of subjects!

[philosoraptor]

Yes, the list of possible questions for the religion comp especially is pretty intense.