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Started by Luther Martini, November 01, 2017, 05:03:16 PM

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Luther Martini

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





Unbeliever

Welcome to our humble abode, Luther! We have a lot of fun here, hope you'll join right in.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Mr.Obvious

Welcome to our little band of heathens.
Sorry for your Baptist upbringing and all it entailed.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

Luther Martini

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.

Gawdzilla Sama

Welcome. I'm 66.6 years old and a lifelong atheist.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Hakurei Reimu

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:
Warning: Don't Tease The Miko!
(she bites!)
Spinny Miko Avatar shamelessly ripped off from Iosys' Neko Miko Reimu

Baruch

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.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Blackleaf

Welcome, fellow devil worshiper!
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

SGOS

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.

SGOS

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.

aitm

A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

trdsf

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...
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Mike Cl

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....................
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Mike Cl

Welcome, Luther.  Hope you stick around for awhile.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Unbeliever

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.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman