Howdy and hello. :)
I just signed up and wanted to pop in for a quick introduction. I'm 37, I've been openly agnostic with atheist tendencies since the age of 13. My mother is catholic, father was raised Protestant but they didn't force religion or even take me to church. I did attend church and bible camp with friends regularly(Lutheran and baptist) but I never could catch the religious germ. I tried hard to become infected but I seem to be impossibly resistant :)
Growing up with these views was stifling! I was shot down and my opinions ridiculed every time I tried to express myself. Ultimately, I stops expressing myself and was okay with that for many years. It just wasn't worth the social ostracisation at the time. Anyone who knew me, knew my views and made it clear they felt sorry for me. I laughed that off for a long time, but it got really old.
for the past several years, I've lost the ability to remain quiet. I hope I don't offend anyone, but I find religion and the religious to be positively frightening! Watching religion seep more heavility into our government is the worst part of it all.
Speaking out is something I need to do, ......it's like eating and breathing but it's coming at a high cost. My friends are all religious, and cannot understand why I need to make points against religion (but of course they can talk about God all they want). I'm treated like I'm crazy, confused, ignorant. It's incredibly frustrating, especially since I care about these people. It's also hard to be the only vocal/active agnostic/atheist I know in real life. I'm not lacking for friends and family, but I am lacking like minded friends and that's why I'm here. :)
I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone, and I admit I'm genuinely hoping to meet some allies. I feel like I'm the enemy whenever I discuss issues that appeal to me. I'm still familiarizing myself with the forum so it might take awhile for me to fully dive in.....but I'll get there :). I'm having trouble uploading a photo but I think it's because I'm on an iPad. Thanks for reading.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on -
I somehow doubt you needed me to tell you that --
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Permalink Reply by Sagacious Hawk on -
I hope I don't offend anyone, but I find religion and the religious to be positively frightening!
You won't being offending anyone here and you certainly aren't alone in that sentiment.
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany bottoms on -
That is a huge relief! :)
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Permalink Reply by Ross O'Neil on -
Tiffany I'm very interested in your use of the metaphor "impossibly resistant to the religion germ", I have many times felt the same way and in my teen years found myself having to synthesize and almost force myself to believe. I did occasionally hallucinate some supernatural feeling but was forever having to convince myself until just letting my education and understanding of science and reality supercede the bs. I wonder how many more our there identify with the "germ resistant" metaphor?
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany bottoms on
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Ross, I'd be interested in that as well. Sometimes I feel I wasn't born with the biological makeup to be religious. :) However its a bit hard to judge in my case as my parents were not strong advocates of religion. My dad would preach the importantance of living a moral life, and following the Ten Commandments. My mother would preach the God of love and forgiveness, saying things like "God never closes a door without opening a window". It was through my friends families that I learned of the vengeful God, and I believe that is when I realized the silliness of it all. I was no more than 7years old when I realized I didn't believe what I was hearing on Sundays. I was far too young to intellectually comprehend WHY I felt that way.....I just knew I did. In my teen years, i realized I thought/saw the world completely differently than my peers (on more levels than just religion) and I often thought my parents did me a disservice by not indoctrinating me. I used to think it would be easier to think like others, but I can safely say I no longer view it that way. Two years ago my father admitted he's an atheist/agnostic as well. So is it nature or nurture? Or maybe both? I've experienced many things which could be considered supernatural, however I've always believed their is a logical explinatiom for everything. I'm fascinated with Scociology, and studies conducted on faith. The God Gene is intersting but not conclusive yet. I'll be following that. I'd like to believe that religious people have no choice in believing the absurd. :)
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Permalink Reply by Heiko Knipfelberg on -
Welcome, you're a free thinker, I think you're going to be just fine.
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany bottoms on
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I like to hope so....as a matter of fact, I pray I will be ok every night. Lol. Ok, that wasn't funny. :)
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Weaver on -
Lol... Speaking of praying...
My girlfriend called me on her lunch today and while we were talking was at a stop where she could not see at all if someone was coming. So she quipped before she tried going, "Maybe I'll pray that no cars are coming and pull out. No wait, last time this happened and I prayed, I pulled out and a hit a school bus...."
Nobody was hurt though at all, it was a low speed area. And there were no kids in the bus.
I tell ya... the power of prayer I tell ya.
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany bottoms on
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I'm so glad she's ok! I'm especially glad she didn't test the theory again :). Do you know how many babies are born each year from this logic (maybe ill pray and pull out). Lol....once again, not a very funny joke. Sorry bout that.
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Weaver on
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LMAO no.... that was a good one haha!
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Weaver on
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Awesome play on words. I'm still laughing out loud :-P
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany bottoms on
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I'm glad it was appreciated. Usually, I'm the only one who laughs at my jokes :)
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