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The Lobby => Introductions => Topic started by: Luther Martini on November 01, 2017, 05:03:16 PM

Title: Hello from a new member
Post by: Luther Martini on November 01, 2017, 05:03:16 PM
Greetings Everyone.

I am in my late 60's, and have been an atheist since childhood. 

Growing up in a Southern Baptist environment, I was forced to attend and participate in the weekly indoctrination and brainwashing at the neighborhood church, but at an early age I came to realize that many of the core concepts which one had to internalize in order to become a believer and, therefore, a member just did not make any sense.  Being a child, however, I could not express my skepticism without suffering the consequence of severe beatings, berating, and emotional torture, therefore I pretended to conform and pretended to be a believer until I reached my late teens. 

At the time, those unhappy years seemed like an eternity, but now I view them more as the short introductory chapter of a long and happy life of being openly atheist..

-LM




Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Unbeliever on November 01, 2017, 05:36:23 PM
Welcome to our humble abode, Luther! We have a lot of fun here, hope you'll join right in.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Mr.Obvious on November 01, 2017, 05:53:09 PM
Welcome to our little band of heathens.
Sorry for your Baptist upbringing and all it entailed.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Luther Martini on November 01, 2017, 07:37:07 PM
Unbeliever and Mr. Obvious, thank you for the welcoming posts.

Mr. O, there is no need for sorrow.  Most of us go through some kind of hardships in life, and those hardships can break you or make you stronger.  In my case, I learned some valuable lessons from my Baptist immersion aside from the wisdom of knowing when it is best to hold one's breath and/or tongue. 

Among those lessons was the realization based on knowledge from first hand experience as a child, that the end goal of religion is societal conformity, and that all the bullshit about sharing "god's grace" or "eternal salvation" is just the candy coating that makes that bitter pill easier for masses to swallow.

I never swallowed the pill...I just kept in my cheek until I was about 17 and old enough to defend myself on a physical and on an intellectual level, then I spit it out and began to let people know what I really thought.  I tried not to directly confront my parents on the matter, and they avoided confronting me as well.  I would still go to church with them occasionally just to aid them in keeping up appearances, but I had earlier made myself unwelcome at Sunday School, therefore I had quit going there altogether.

One day, the adult leader of the sunday school for my age group was telling us not to listen if our high school biology teacher tries to teach us about evolution.  I just flipped out, told the idiot to step aside, and took over the assembly group, delivering an impromptu lecture on Darwin's "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection", urging other kids in the Sunday School group to read the book for themselves instead of taking the word of ignorant, science denying buffoons who had declared it to be a work of satan.  I was told to leave.

Upon, being told to leave, I asked the man, "would you classify me as a sinner?"

"Of course you are."

"Am I, therefore, lost?"

"Yes, you are."

"As a christian, isn't it your duty to save the sinners who are lost?

There was no reply.

"And instead of trying to save me, you are kicking me out."

That was pretty much the end of it.  No grace, no salvation -- just mindless conformity.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Gawdzilla Sama on November 01, 2017, 07:46:04 PM
Welcome. I'm 66.6 years old and a lifelong atheist.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Hakurei Reimu on November 01, 2017, 07:57:10 PM
Hi, friend!

Quote from: Luther Martini on November 01, 2017, 07:37:07 PM
Upon, being told to leave, I asked the man, "would you classify me as a sinner?"

"Of course you are."

"Am I, therefore, lost?"

"Yes, you are."

"As a christian, isn't it your duty to save the sinners who are lost?

There was no reply.

"And instead of trying to save me, you are kicking me out."

That was pretty much the end of it.  No grace, no salvation -- just mindless conformity.
I couldn't have done any better than you did there. You, sir, are awesome!  :clap:
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Baruch on November 01, 2017, 08:30:29 PM
Welcome also.  I have found Christian congregations well intentioned, but fall far short of their intentions when it is important.  Perhaps social grouping lowers our ability to stand up for ourselves.  Weakness in numbers, not strength.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Blackleaf on November 02, 2017, 12:47:29 AM
Welcome, fellow devil worshiper!
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: SGOS on November 02, 2017, 08:05:24 AM
Quote from: Luther Martini on November 01, 2017, 07:37:07 PM

One day, the adult leader of the sunday school for my age group was telling us not to listen if our high school biology teacher tries to teach us about evolution.  I just flipped out, told the idiot to step aside, and took over the assembly group, delivering an impromptu lecture on Darwin's "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection", urging other kids in the Sunday School group to read the book for themselves instead of taking the word of ignorant, science denying buffoons who had declared it to be a work of satan.  I was told to leave.
Good Grief.  I was a pain in the ass to a Sunday School teacher once, but nothing like that.

Welcome.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: SGOS on November 02, 2017, 08:19:43 AM
The great thing about Christianity is that you are offered so many choices to pick from. 

You want a Christianity where believers in evolution will spend a fiery eternity in Hell? 
Got you covered. 

You prefer a lighter version, where evolution actually happens, but you believe in talking snakes and donkeys.
Well, there's that too.

You want one where your peers get so excited they roll around on the floor and speak in a gibberish language?
You can find that. 

Suppose you just think it's cool to bob up and down on one knee and make the sign of the cross to ward off the Devil while believing man descended from previous ape like humanoids?
No problem. 

It's all part of Christianity.  It's the religion for everyone, and no thought is required.  All contradictions are part and parcel of the whole package.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: aitm on November 02, 2017, 08:34:23 AM
welcome to the gang.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: trdsf on November 02, 2017, 10:45:36 AM
Oh, I wish I'd had your chutzpah at that age... welcome!

I got evolution in my (Catholic) high school.  No one ever tried to teach me creationism.  I didn't pay much attention in biology in the first place...
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Mike Cl on November 02, 2017, 11:52:58 AM
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on November 01, 2017, 07:46:04 PM
Welcome. I'm 66.6 years old and a lifelong atheist.
You Devil, you....................
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Mike Cl on November 02, 2017, 11:54:40 AM
Welcome, Luther.  Hope you stick around for awhile.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Unbeliever on November 02, 2017, 04:49:44 PM
Quote from: Luther Martini on November 01, 2017, 07:37:07 PM
  No grace, no salvation -- just mindless conformity.
I think "mindless" is the operative word, there.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Blackleaf on November 03, 2017, 02:13:22 AM
Quote from: SGOS on November 02, 2017, 08:19:43 AM
The great thing about Christianity is that you are offered so many choices to pick from. 

You want a Christianity where believers in evolution will spend a fiery eternity in Hell? 
Got you covered. 

You prefer a lighter version, where evolution actually happens, but you believe in talking snakes and donkeys.
Well, there's that too.

You want one where your peers get so excited they roll around on the floor and speak in a gibberish language?
You can find that. 

Suppose you just think it's cool to bob up and down on one knee and make the sign of the cross to ward off the Devil while believing man descended from previous ape like humanoids?
No problem. 

It's all part of Christianity.  It's the religion for everyone, and no thought is required.  All contradictions are part and parcel of the whole package.

And conveniently, the only "true Christians" are the ones you agree with and approve of. lol
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Cavebear on November 04, 2017, 01:27:56 AM
I sure never did THAT speech.  Until the internet...
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Luther Martini on November 05, 2017, 06:18:18 PM
Thanks to all of you for welcoming me to the forum.

I am glad that some of you enjoyed my sunday school story.  That incident happened 50 years ago, but I am not quite as vocal in public anymore. 

For most of my life, I have considered the concept of deity, as well as myths like divine creation, original sin, and virgin birth, to be illogical and preposterous, and as a child/teen,  it was difficult for me to sit quietly week after week, and listen to what I considered to be brainwashing drivel.   Since that time, my non belief has become stronger through life experience and through study, but I have become more tolerant of believers, and strive to appreciate the good in people regardless of their susceptibility toward buying into the illogical dogma of superstition.
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Baruch on November 05, 2017, 06:21:01 PM
Quote from: Luther Martini on November 05, 2017, 06:18:18 PM
Thanks to all of you for welcoming me to the forum.

I am glad that some of you enjoyed my sunday school story.  That incident happened 50 years ago, but I am not quite as vocal in public anymore. 

For most of my life, I have considered the concept of deity, as well as myths like divine creation, original sin, and virgin birth, to be illogical and preposterous, and as a child/teen,  it was difficult for me to sit quietly week after week, and listen to what I considered to be brainwashing drivel.   Since that time, my non belief has become stronger through life experience and through study, but I have become more tolerant of believers, and strive to appreciate the good in people regardless of their susceptibility toward buying into the illogical dogma of superstition.

Some people grow up early, some are late.  But do you agree that Tide is New & Improved (tm)? ;-)
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Luther Martini on November 05, 2017, 06:30:23 PM
Quote from: Baruch on November 05, 2017, 06:21:01 PM
But do you agree that Tide is New & Improved (tm)? ;-)

only to the extent that the container is now easier to handle, and that a non-scented version is now available ;-)
Title: Re: Hello from a new member
Post by: Cavebear on November 07, 2017, 03:19:35 AM
Quote from: Luther Martini on November 05, 2017, 06:18:18 PM
Thanks to all of you for welcoming me to the forum.

I am glad that some of you enjoyed my sunday school story.  That incident happened 50 years ago, but I am not quite as vocal in public anymore. 

For most of my life, I have considered the concept of deity, as well as myths like divine creation, original sin, and virgin birth, to be illogical and preposterous, and as a child/teen,  it was difficult for me to sit quietly week after week, and listen to what I considered to be brainwashing drivel.   Since that time, my non belief has become stronger through life experience and through study, but I have become more tolerant of believers, and strive to appreciate the good in people regardless of their susceptibility toward buying into the illogical dogma of superstition.

An understanding of reality can be gained at any time in life.  I released the idea of The Easter Bunny around 8, Santa Clause at 9, and God at 10.  It was a logical progression.