Member introductions.

This is where you can post your religious beliefs and views as a reference for other members. I'll start first.

Hi, I'm Felix and I'm from the UK.

Hello, I am Bryan. 33 from Little Rock, Arkansas. I was rasied in a non-demonational church, but started questioning the Bible as soon as I could understand it. During the time I was 16-20 years old I questioned everything and tried to start forming my own beliefs that worked with the morals my parents instilled in me. At around 20 I made a decision to say that I believe there is no God, and have stayed there for 13 years. I read constantly on religion and anti-religion subjects, and still go to church with my wife and children, but have yet to see or find anything that could make me believe in God. I will always try to keep learning, even though I'm 99.99% sure I already have my answer.

Hey guys, my name is Dylan. I became an atheist when I learned to question my beliefs (I had been a Methodist in all of my previous years), which all started with reading a book by Ayn Rand. After reading all of her fiction books, it became clear to me that I had been believing in something that had no basis in reality. I relealized it's myself, not a god, that has control over my life and that I can change it for the better. From then on I've questioned every belief I have and have been much happier because of this, as it's allowed me to become more realistic and grounded. Also trying to get others to see this as well, yet it's not worked very well in my experiences heh.

I look forward to having much discussion with all of you.

I was raised and baptized by Ladder Day Saints (Mormon), which is one of the craziest forms of Christianity. I was never certain that God exists and I never really believed in the Book of Mormon, but I did believe in the Bible for too long. I'm very open-minded about religion, so I will pray to just about any God or Goddess. I've been somewhat agnostic for a long time, especially when I can't be sure about anything that can't be proven. Pantheism describes my personal beliefs well, because I believe that the universe is God and I'm a firm believer in natural law. Religious fundamentalists are annoyingly stupid and I even consider organized religion for the weak-minded. Anyone can come up with their own religion. If Joseph Smith and L. Ron Hubbard can convince so many people to follow them then I can get a bunch of idiots to worship me.

God told me that Bush is really getting his advice from the devil. ;)

Hi, Im Kirk from Downunder. I don't think it's healthy being told what to think, hence religion being a controlling method and having bizarre dogma.

Hi, Im Kirk from Downunder. I don't think it's healthy being told what to think, hence religion being a controlling method and having bizarre dogma.

THUMPTABLE

I guessed you were an Aussie from your signature:D. Your reason is spot on. It's not healthy being told what to do, espicially by 2000 year old bronze age tribesman.

Hello, I'm possibly the only religious person in this Union!

I've always been a skeptical person, and underwent what can best be described as an existential crisis that lasted two years, which had changed my entire view on life. As of right now, I am a Christian (Not those one's that you fellows have problems with, mind you) and I hope to provide my own input on this board.

So, I know what it's like to walk a life of doubt; I still do.

Hello, I'm possibly the only religious person in this Union!

I've always been a skeptical person, and underwent what can best be described as an existential crisis that lasted two years, which had changed my entire view on life. As of right now, I am a Christian (Not those one's that you fellows have problems with, mind you) and I hope to provide my own input on this board.

So, I know what it's like to walk a life of doubt; I still do.

STWELCH

[QUOTE="THUMPTABLE"]

Hi, Im Kirk from Downunder. I don't think it's healthy being told what to think, hence religion being a controlling method and having bizarre dogma.

felixlynch777

I guessed you were an Aussie from your signature:D. Your reason is spot on. It's not healthy being told what to do, espicially by 2000 year old bronze age tribesman.

Especially when you know they've been drinking and likely using other drugs. Oh look, Jesus turned water into wine... wooooo, let's party!!

Hello, I'm possibly the only religious person in this Union!

I've always been a skeptical person, and underwent what can best be described as an existential crisis that lasted two years, which had changed my entire view on life. As of right now, I am a Christian (Not those one's that you fellows have problems with, mind you) and I hope to provide my own input on this board.

So, I know what it's like to walk a life of doubt; I still do.

STWELCH

Sure, we need people who have different views. What has kept you a Christian through your doubt if I may ask? I doubt it's the "logic will try to lead you astray! It's a test!" kind of deal... so I'm wondering.

[QUOTE="STWELCH"]

Hello, I'm possibly the only religious person in this Union!

I've always been a skeptical person, and underwent what can best be described as an existential crisis that lasted two years, which had changed my entire view on life. As of right now, I am a Christian (Not those one's that you fellows have problems with, mind you) and I hope to provide my own input on this board.

So, I know what it's like to walk a life of doubt; I still do.

SimpJee

Sure, we need people who have different views. What has kept you a Christian through your doubt if I may ask? I doubt it's the "logic will try to lead you astray! It's a test!" kind of deal... so I'm wondering.

I can sum it up with a quote:

"Doubt isn't the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith." - Paul Tillich

My doubt is, paradoxically, why I have faith. It is the overcoming of this doubt that fuels me. It is me refusing to surrender, so to speak, to existential despair. It is the reason why I can empathize with unbelievers of any sort, rather than what others, say in the OT section, who just flame you for having the hard duty of actually thinking, unlike them.

Nothing makes me more angrier than those Christians who ask you to surrender your critical thinking in order to live by their own version of a "Gospel" which has no correlation to the human situation. The real Gospel is one that both shows the greatness of man and the despair of man; they remove both.

Hey, I'm 19 and from Seattle. My background is somewhat religious, with my Mom being a very devoted Christian and my Dad following my Mom to church, and as such until around 8th grade I was very religious. For some reason however at the beginning of high school I began to have serious doubts about my faith, and the only explanation I can come up with is that pure faith could not go hand in hand with my growing reliance on reason to tell me what was true and what wasn't. So by the time I was a freshman I was a deist, and by sophmore year I considered myself an agnostic. Naturally I should have continued on to become atheistic, but to this day I am still searching for religion and consider myself an agnostic favouring the existance of a higher power. The reason for this is, as i found out, if you try to reason your perception of the world, the reductionist ideal, then you come to some disturbing and depressing results. So rather than go that path I decided to keep my mind open to religion. Unfortunately however the only "godly" moments I've experianced probably had a lot more to do with a lot of alcohol and a severe lack of faith in my college's football team than anything truly religious. :P

Hey, I'm 19 and from Seattle. My background is somewhat religious, with my Mom being a very devoted Christian and my Dad following my Mom to church, and as such until around 8th grade I was very religious. For some reason however at the beginning of high school I began to have serious doubts about my faith, and the only explanation I can come up with is that pure faith could not go hand in hand with my growing reliance on reason to tell me what was true and what wasn't. So by the time I was a freshman I was a deist, and by sophmore year I considered myself an agnostic. Naturally I should have continued on to become atheistic, but to this day I am still searching for religion and consider myself an agnostic favouring the existance of a higher power. The reason for this is, as i found out, if you try to reason your perception of the world, the reductionist ideal, then you come to some disturbing and depressing results. So rather than go that path I decided to keep my mind open to religion. Unfortunately however the only "godly" moments I've experianced probably had a lot more to do with a lot of alcohol and a severe lack of faith in my college's football team than anything truly religious. :P

sleepychicken5

How was your trip to downunder a while ago?THUMPTABLE

It was great, although I wish I had gotten to see more of Australia while I lived there. Unfortunately there's that bit about Perth being the most isolated city in the world, so I only got to experiance the rest of Australia during vacations (after being in the Northern territories, I'll never complain about flies again).

Oh, and the sports. I had just gotten to liking the Freo Dockers then all of a sudden I was back in the States, wtf?

My name is Dominic and I hail from New Zealand. I was the kind of kid who never fell for the Santa claus story and always knew that it was my parents sneaking money under my pillow case at night after I had lost a tooth. That same nature has made me an atheist now and I find it to be a fascinating topic to debate. I came here to Gamespot in the first place becase of the religion threads and that's what has kept me here. I'm taking a philosophy and english degree at university right now so I often bring what I learn directly to Gamespot.domatron23

[QUOTE="domatron23"]My name is Dominic and I hail from New Zealand. I was the kind of kid who never fell for the Santa claus story and always knew that it was my parents sneaking money under my pillow case at night after I had lost a tooth. That same nature has made me an atheist now and I find it to be a fascinating topic to debate. I came here to Gamespot in the first place becase of the religion threads and that's what has kept me here. I'm taking a philosophy and english degree at university right now so I often bring what I learn directly to Gamespot.THUMPTABLE

Oh no, we're going to have a Australia Vs New Zealand rivalry!:P

[QUOTE="domatron23"]My name is Dominic and I hail from New Zealand. I was the kind of kid who never fell for the Santa claus story and always knew that it was my parents sneaking money under my pillow case at night after I had lost a tooth. That same nature has made me an atheist now and I find it to be a fascinating topic to debate. I came here to Gamespot in the first place becase of the religion threads and that's what has kept me here. I'm taking a philosophy and english degree at university right now so I often bring what I learn directly to Gamespot.THUMPTABLE

Sexy looking.

Hi, I'm Draconis and I'm the leader of the Christian Union. Thumptable sent me an invite which I got a good laugh at. I might stop by from time to time, not to proselystize though. I consider myself part of the charismatic, evagelical part of the church.

I have no ill will or hatred towards atheists nor do I judge all atheists by the horrors and killings done by atheistic communists. I would hope that atheists would not judge all Christians because of the horrors and killings committed by Christians, especially since those acts were against Christian teaching.

Hi, I'm Draconis and I'm the leader of the Christian Union. Thumptable sent me an invite which I got a good laugh at. I might stop by from time to time, not to proselystize though. I consider myself part of the charismatic, evagelical part of the church.

I have no ill will or hatred towards atheists nor do I judge all atheists by the horrors and killings done by atheistic communists. I would hope that atheists would not judge all Christians because of the horrors and killings committed by Christians, especially since those acts were against Christian teaching.

Draconis

I'd really like to thank you for joining, don't worry we don't judge people, we can all hopefully learn from one another.

Hi everyone. I caught wind of this place in the Church and State Union and it looks like there will be great discussions o'plenty. Coincidentally perhaps, I've been in recent weeks looking into the likes of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Ellen Johnson, and groups like American Atheists, and the Rational Response Squad. However, this has been to see things from their point of view, not to change my own :P

Hi, I'm Draconis and I'm the leader of the Christian Union. Thumptable sent me an invite which I got a good laugh at. I might stop by from time to time, not to proselystize though. I consider myself part of the charismatic, evagelical part of the church.

I have no ill will or hatred towards atheists nor do I judge all atheists by the horrors and killings done by atheistic communists. I would hope that atheists would not judge all Christians because of the horrors and killings committed by Christians, especially since those acts were against Christian teaching.

Draconis

[QUOTE="THUMPTABLE"][QUOTE="domatron23"]My name is Dominic and I hail from New Zealand. I was the kind of kid who never fell for the Santa claus story and always knew that it was my parents sneaking money under my pillow case at night after I had lost a tooth. That same nature has made me an atheist now and I find it to be a fascinating topic to debate. I came here to Gamespot in the first place becase of the religion threads and that's what has kept me here. I'm taking a philosophy and english degree at university right now so I often bring what I learn directly to Gamespot.felixlynch777

Oh no, we're going to have a Australia Vs New Zealand rivalry!:P

[QUOTE="Draconis"]

Hi, I'm Draconis and I'm the leader of the Christian Union. Thumptable sent me an invite which I got a good laugh at. I might stop by from time to time, not to proselystize though. I consider myself part of the charismatic, evagelical part of the church.

I have no ill will or hatred towards atheists nor do I judge all atheists by the horrors and killings done by atheistic communists. I would hope that atheists would not judge all Christians because of the horrors and killings committed by Christians, especially since those acts were against Christian teaching.

THUMPTABLE

I think dragon said he would not have the time to devote to this union at the moment.

Hi everyone. I caught wind of this place in the Church and State Union and it looks like there will be great discussions o'plenty. Coincidentally perhaps, I've been in recent weeks looking into the likes of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Ellen Johnson, and groups like American Atheists, and the Rational Response Squad. However, this has been to see things from their point of view, not to change my own :P

Alter_Ego

Thank you for joining, and I try to do what you do, i.e, read religious books, look at websites. It's interesting and I hope that I can maybe learn a thing or two along the way.

I'm Matt and I'm 23 from Australia. I personally have never had any eureka moment as to when I became an Atheist. Personally I've never been in Church once for a Friend's wedding.

I did all the things you did as a child like partake in Religous education but my family was never into religion and there was no pressure to take on board religion. I'd always questioned things and been a strong science student. I have a interest in the bible/koran ect, more as an overblown telling of some historical events.

I do belive that there was a person named jesus who may or may not have been crucified by the Romans. I am strongly against creationisim as it is extremly missinformed, although I can see the case for intelligent design although this is an overly simplistic view of nature and species so it also falls flat

I've never really seen the point of religion it's a waste and it has wasted some brilliant minds in my opinion. Well that's me and my experenice. That went on longer than I was expecting.

Hello, just joined 08-25-08

After viewing this recent thread with the huuuuuuge quote-trees of this Crushmaster fella, I saw the Atheism Union so decided to join.

I am not a fanatic atheist, I am just...an atheist. I have yet to see any proof, nor do I have the need in my life to believe in superior being.

I am fairly antireligious, but I dont actively oppose religion. The only time I will badmouth religious nuts is in defense.

Hey people, new user here. Anyways I consider myself athiest with a little bit of influence of satanism, I am pretty much anti christian and I tend to show my hate towards it on OT which gets me in trouble like just a while ago but I dont care.tzar3

We are going to have fun with each other, then.

Hello, the names Chris and I hail from Scotland. I found the union through a link in someones sig and according to the test I took in the other thread I'm a spiritual atheist.Lairdo91

What exactly is a spiritual atheist?

[QUOTE="Lairdo91"]Hello, the names Chris and I hail from Scotland. I found the union through a link in someones sig and according to the test I took in the other thread I'm a spiritual atheist.Draconis

What exactly is a spiritual atheist?

I don't know myself. Could you tell us Chris?

What exactly is a spiritual atheist?

Draconis

Spiritual implies religion, or so that's what I'm reading in it.

Here's a definition of the term "spiritual" (without any religious implications):

lacking material body or form or substance

So, I'm assuming this can be of many aspects of life, such as emotions or morality.

[QUOTE="Draconis"]

What exactly is a spiritual atheist?

Genetic_Code

Spiritual implies religion, or so that's what I'm reading in it.

Here's a definition of the term "spiritual" (without any religious implications):

lacking material body or form or substance

So, I'm assuming this can be of many aspects of life, such as emotions or morality.

So, a belief in something transcendent?

Hey, I'm Mike, 19 years old. I live in Kansas, grew up in a heavily religious house (my mom has a full time job at our church, to put things in perspective). I wasn't super-duper religious until my freshman year of high school, when I went on this huge youth retreat that pretty much changed my life. I met some really cool friends who I instantly started looking up to and following. The next 2 years or so I was a hard-core Christian, going to 2 or 3 bible studies a week, praying constantly, reading my bible all the time, wanting to go into ministry, ect.

Then, I started posting at Church and State. I never realized the house-of-mirrors I had been raised in; everyone I knew was Christian, devoutly so. I finally started seeing the 'other side' of things. People much, much smarter than me were destroying me in debates/arguments. I started with anger and absolute rejection of anything that disagreed with what i believed in. It warmed into a slight open-mindedness, grew into acceptance and understanding, and finally blossomed into full-on disbelief of religion.

Looking back, I can see the strongest driving factor in me being religious was the people. I wanted to fit in, and I can see now I was able to sub-consciously convince myself to abandon critical thought and embrace religion. I was able to tell myself the goosebumps I got from worship music were from God, not from me enjoying the music. Similarly, my intuition was divinely inspired, not just good logic. Boiled down, everything I THOUGHT was God was just mental. And I wasn't a wishy-washy Christian, at that point in my life I would've DIED for that belief. ugh.

The biggest factor in my conversion was probably when I found out all my older church friends I looked up to were drinking and partying and such. I felt alone and betrayed, which, combined with my slight disbelief, pushed me over the edge. I was a pretty emotional and bitter agnostic at first, but the last few years I've been trying to logically assemble what I "believe" in, and its made my convictions that much stronger. I'm still fairly open minded and looking for answers, though.

Sorry for the essay, it just felt good to write. :P

Sorry for the essay, it just felt good to write. :P

mikeg0788

No need to. That was a very interesting read. I'm not a member of the Church & State Union. No one's recruited me and I simply have no interest for whatever reason. However, it'd be interesting to see some of the debates you just mentioned.

The biggest factor in my conversion was probably when I found out all my older church friends I looked up to were drinking and partying and such. I felt alone and betrayed, which, combined with my slight disbelief, pushed me over the edge. I was a pretty emotional and bitter agnostic at first, but the last few years I've been trying to logically assemble what I "believe" in, and its made my convictions that much stronger. I'm still fairly open minded and looking for answers, though.

mikeg0788

I'm going through that right now. I've been an an atheist/agnostic for 14 months now, but within the last month, one of the reasons I liked where I was moving to was that it was close to churches. Wow, was I wrong. The place is filled with corruption. It's a living paradox. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Christianity but simply people who believe in what they believe in just because they've been brainwashed to, and not settle down and finally accept that they have to make a change in their life to promote action and rely less on purely belief because the two aren't exclusive.

By the way, I notice that you have a quote from blackregiment in your signature. Was that, by chance, mocking blackregiment or were you perhaps promoting some nontheistic alternative to evolution?

___

So, a belief in something transcendent?

STWELCH

Perhaps a belief in the concept of something transcendent, I'd gather.

No need to. That was a very interesting read. I'm not a member of the Church & State Union. No one's recruited me and I simply have no interest for whatever reason. However, it'd be interesting to see some of the debates you just mentioned.

Genetic_Code

They honestly probably wouldn't be TOO interesting...this was 3 years and much ignorance ago. I like to think I've grown a lot in the last few years.

Thanks for reading, btw. :P

I'm going through that right now. I've been an an atheist/agnostic for 14 months now, but within the last month, one of the reasons I liked where I was moving to was that it was close to churches. Wow, was I wrong. The place is filled with corruption. It's a living paradox. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Christianity but simply people who believe in what they believe in just because they've been brainwashed to, and not settle down and finally accept that they have to make a change in their life to promote action and rely less on purely belief because the two aren't exclusive.Genetic_Code

Ya, there's a lot of people here who think change can only come through someone ELSE changing, without themselves having to do much outside of write a check (or even less). However, I know a LOT of people who have gone on missions trips, donated a significant amount of time or money, or sacrificed in some other appreciable way outside of the typical apathetic American, almost all of which are strictly religious. I give them credit on that.

By the way, I notice that you have a quote from blackregiment in your signature. Was that, by chance, mocking blackregiment or were you perhaps promoting some nontheistic alternative to evolution?

Genetic_Code

Hi, I'm Sam from Woodbury, MN, and I became atheist only this year. I never really thought about it too much before this. My grandma made me go to little church classes and stuff, but I didn't really pay attention. Now that I have thought about it, religion really doesn't make sense. So now I am Atheist.stedtfeld

Haha, pretty simple how that happens isn't it? Just think about something enough and you run out of excuses for religion. Welcome to the Atheism union stedtfeild, glad to have you :)

I'm Sam from England. I'm 17 and have never been a Christian. I couldn't be even if I wanted to, I could never truly accept religion, truly manage to believe in a deity without some form of first-hand experience.

My crappy username is a reference to the punk band Rancid, and I've always been embarrassed by it.

Mike, 24, California

Throughout my life I've been all over the Western religious spectrum, not in terms of exactly what faiths I've followed, but the "types" and degrees of piety with which I believed them. As a child, I was a vehemently self-righteous, fire-and-brimstone Catholic "thanks" to my family upbringing. Years later, when misplaced teenage angst and rebellion inevitably reared their ugly twin heads, I became a self-proclaimed Satanist a la Anton La Vey, courtesy of formerly famous mediocre schlock-rocker and cult leader Marilyn Manson. Then in my very early adulthood, I ventured into the not-so-wonderful world of New Age mysticism, wherein I was free to believe and/or make up absolutely anything I wanted so long as it gave me a pleasant, sappy feeling deep in my heart chakra and, of course, flew in the face of everything those stubborn, cynical meanies in the scientific community had empirically established.

And now, here I finally am, a humbly content maggot-food Atheist for the past several years. It's a shame I don't remember the date because I can actually pin-point the exact moment I saw the light. I've worked these past six years at my local library, you see, and very early in my career I happened upon a life-saving entry-level Skeptic's handbook by none other than Michael Shermer, entitled "Why Do People Believe Weird Things?". This miracle-debunking miracle book made swift work of my neo-pagan stupor and was the first step in my ever-continuing sojourn in the ways of Science, Skepticism and Critical Thinking, and I don't imagine anything will set me off this course short of death or debilitating head trauma.

And as if my all-encompassing religious background didn't provide enough of an insider's perspective on the opposition, I'm actually happily married to a devout, albeit very liberal Christian. We were high-school sweethearts back in the day and have spent the past 10 years sharing the ups-and-downs of our respective ideological tumults, thereby negating such comparatively petty differences that would undoubtedly clash a lot worse in relationships with much shorter betrothal periods under their belts, if not outright prevent said couples' unions in the first place.

So that's my story in a nutshell. Sorry if it turned out to be an excessively large nutshell; probably that of a coconut, I'd imagine. Whose up for a cross-dressing Luau, then? Or perhaps a medieval quest on imaginary horseback?

I'm funny.

Whose up for a cross-dressing Luau, then? Or perhaps a medieval quest on imaginary horseback?creepy_mike

I'm up for a medieval quest. :)

Welcome Mike. I believe you might be one of the older members of the board (I'm not sure, as we have not taken a poll of the age of the members). That being said, your story is one of great interest. I'm glad that you strayed away from the corruption of Marilyn Manson.

Also, I think it's so noble how you and your wife are married despite the differences in your beliefs. It's such a great thing when love can overcome belief. It's so genuine. Another user on this union, btaylor, is also married to a Christian.

Welcome. :)

...my heart chakra...
creepy_mike

Please tell me that was a subtle Fight Club reference?

Good story, btw. What's your wife's view on your beliefs? Most of my devout Christian friends here in the midwest would probably never marry an atheist (I've overheard some saying they wouldn't marry a Catholic unless they "converted" them), due to the fairly reasonable belief that an atheist might cause them to 'stumble' or 'fall away.' What's your wife think? You said she's pretty liberal, so I'm guessing that means shes pretty accepting (especially if she married you :P).

[QUOTE="creepy_mike"]...my heart chakra...
mikeg0788

Please tell me that was a subtle Fight Club reference?

Good story, btw. What's your wife's view on your beliefs? Most of my devout Christian friends here in the midwest would probably never marry an atheist (I've overheard some saying they wouldn't marry a Catholic unless they "converted" them), due to the fairly reasonable belief that an atheist might cause them to 'stumble' or 'fall away.' What's your wife think? You said she's pretty liberal, so I'm guessing that means shes pretty accepting (especially if she married you :P).

Wow, that's a selfish belief. If their faith is that fragile...then that's their problem.

Hi everyone, I'm 123625 a New Zealander born in Christchurch. I'm most likely one of the few theists on this union, in that I'm a christian and beleive in God :P

How I came to be a christian exactly I'm not, only that it happened about a year ago when I said I was a fulfledged one. Before that and the earliest age I can remember first hearing of religion was about when I was eight. It was a religion class, and probably on of the first classes I really enjoyed, I remember learning about moses and snake, and thats about it.

Then for a long time I just beleived In God, I didn't beleive in Jesus, cause i didn't know who he was or what he did, I just beleived in God, and Moses. That was a time I didn't know at all what religion was, nor did I care. But then as I grew older, and when God didn't answer my prayers I guess i sort of just stopped beleiving in him for about five years.

Only recently when i moved back to NZ i took an interest in religion. Before then I was most likely atheist or agnostic. About the first time I considered myself interested in religion when I saw the catholic interpretation of the ten commandments, or a web page like that. I bagan to research christianity and what it was actually about, and then decided I was a christian through what God did through Jesus for us.

The only negative thing was that I was a fundementalist, creationist, christian. This changed my personality in many ways, as I felt that some religions were made by satan, and that evolution was incompatiable with christianity. Gradually though as I learnt more about the religion, I grew less out of beleiving in the bible literally and I find my faith stronger than ever now. So as of right now, I consider myself an agnostic theist, christian.