Introduce Yourself

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Replies

  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Thanks for sharing, Scattered Thoughts.
  • ohenry78
    ohenry78 Posts: 228
    Hello everyone,

    Other than a few a posts in one of the other Atheists groups here, I have mostly lurked in this particular group. I think I feel guilty at times for being a lazy Atheist. :) Now is as good a time as any for a little more background.

    Anyhoo. I am married, with 2 boys (10 & 14).

    My mother was a Baptist, but church was something we only attended sporadically; for me it was just a place where they made me go sometimes, like being dragged to the mall when my mother wanted to go shopping. :laugh:. I remember going to several different ones as a child, but I probably spent more time looking around than actually paying attention to what was being said. For some reason my brother was baptized, but I never was; not that it really mattered to me. I think he just expressed more interest in doing it. I don't consider myself as ever having believed in God or religion.

    My wife is Catholic, but I don't think that religion is extremely important to her. She certainly does not try to convert me, and so far our children have not even attended a church. We've never pushed our sons towards one side or the other.

    I just try to live my life, without having to worry about some higher power taking care of anything for me.


    Thanks for sharing that! That's pretty much exactly how it is for me as well (TWINS OR SOMETHING TEEHEE). I went through CCD and got confirmed and got taken to church, and while I never quite "believed", I didn't have a good grip on my dis-belief. I just kept all the questions to myself and went because I was supposed to.

    Taking Philosophy 101 in college opened my eyes. Hey, other people think about this stuff too! I'm not weird!

    My wife is Catholic as well, but she has fallen out of it more or less. We go on the holidays to appease the family but that's about it.
  • darylewb
    darylewb Posts: 45
    Hello folks. I'm retired Navy; trying to get back into the sort of shape that I was in just a few short years ago. I retired and realized that there was no career depending on my physical fitness, so I started ignoring it. I was a freelance writer, which generally means a lot of sitting at a keyboard (and not a small amount of single malt scotch). I'm currently working for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Afghanistan, from my office in Kabul.

    I've never been religious, though for a few years, during my ill-fated first marriage, I tried really hard to be Catholic. I was not capable of the suspension of disbelief necessary.

    Much of my extended family are very religious. My wife, daughter and two step-sons are not. My views and theirs tend to put us at odds. Not because I don’t accept them, but because they just can’t accept my lack of belief. I have never been one to need or seek validation from others, so it doesn’t bother me as much as one could assume.

    I’m a strict vegetarian, or as strict a vegetarian as one can be in a deployed environment.

    My fitness peak when I was still active duty. I was 75 kilos and was running nearly 100 KM per week. My long runs were at 13 KPH. I’ve got quite a long way to go to get back to that sort of shape.
  • SabrinaLC
    SabrinaLC Posts: 133 Member
    Hi everyone!
    I'm Sabrina, 27, married and a SAHM to 3 boys.

    I've been atheist as long as I can remember. Even though I went to church as a child I never really thought much about it. It was story and play time for me.

    I'm glad to find a group like this.

    Feel free to add me as a friend on here :-)
  • candyass1
    candyass1 Posts: 23
    Hey everyone been using MFP for a while and it works great. Happy to see there is an atheist group on here. I still don't understand how at this day and age people still can have faith. Or wait yes I do ignorance. I have a feeling that a significant amount of people would consider themselves atheist had they a working knowledge of science and the scientific method.


    Anyway yay for MFP and working out and stuff. Add me if you want look forward to hanging out on these forms
  • AndreaNicole87
    AndreaNicole87 Posts: 6 Member
    Happy Friday all!! I'm Andrea, 25, and a recently outed Atheist. I've been a "non-believer" since the age of 12, but played along with my families religion mostly for the free brunches after church. Lucky for me, my parents let me stop going all together at the age of 16.

    As for MFP, I recently rejoined 2 days ago, after a couple months off my diet. I've lost in total 75-80 pounds since January 2012, and I'm ready to lose the final 65 to get to my goal weight! Glas to see there are fellow Atheists on here. Now we can congratulate each other on OUR hard work, and not "gods" miracle of helping us through it!!!
  • Hey there! I've been on and off of MFP for a year or so now I think. Now I feel as though my life depends on me losing weight, so I'm working hard at it! I've been an out and loud atheist for 4 or 5 years now, an out lesbian for 13 years, and a happily coupled lesbian for 1 1/2 years. :) Waving hello from Seattle!
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    Hello Seattle!!! It is always good to see a new poster in the atheist forums. I hope you are able to stick with it and lose all the weight that you want. I hope you are able to lift heavy weight. I am a huge proponent of that. If you ever need to chat with another godless atheist I am here.

    Is your partner going to be joining you on the fitness track? If she does tell her to join us on the atheist forums.
  • hi all, I am not new at all in fact I deleted my account a while ago when I was at my goal weight but I came back ( I missed it ) I live in south Australia, im 46 and have no beliefs in supernatural crap. ( tell anyone that believing in a god type thing is supernatural and watch them argue lol ) I am trying to maintain my weight but it either goes too low or too high aaahhh. seems harder than losing it. anyway I have just the 1 friend on here so your welcome to add me if you want to. I look forward to using this group now I know it is here. :flowerforyou:
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    Welcome back! I will be sending you a friend request asap.
  • moni_tb_192
    moni_tb_192 Posts: 188 Member
    Hello everyone :) I'm Mónica, I'm a sociologist (well, kind of.. I still have about a year of paperwork before graduation :P), a linux geek, spelling nazi, metal music lover and the proud mom of a 4 year old french poodle :)

    I started lots of new things for me this year: MFP, running, cycling to and from work and actually commiting to a healthier lifestyle.

    I was raised in a very, very, VERY catholic family (but they're horrible to people) and started my journey towards being an "out of the closet atheist" around the age of 10 or 12, when I started taking History lessons at school. By the time I was 15, I was totally sure that religions blind people, but I didn't feel understood by anyone. I didn't just live with a catholic family (and I mean the whole family... grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins... everyone!), I went to a catholic school and had to go to mass once a week during school time.

    However, when I made it to the university everything changed :D most of my classmates are also atheists, or non-believers, or are at least very critical about their own religion... so no fanatism to deal with there! Also sociology has given me a deeper perspective on religions, and how useful they are to a specific part of the society in order to keep the rest of the people subdued.

    Feel free to add me if you want to chat or support each other, just let me know you're from this group :D
  • Want me to be your geeky atheist grandma? I figured out a long time ago that religion puts walls between people and is generally bad for women. For those about to rock, we salute you! (AC/DC)
  • emaren
    emaren Posts: 934 Member
    Hi,

    I am a Brit living in SoCal.

    My parents and grandparents represented most of the major religions in the world (Jewish, Catholic, CofE, Muslim, Agnostic, Baptist), and as such I was pretty much left to come to my own conclusions.

    There is no God.

    Since moving to the US in 1999, I have become more and more anti-relgion. Twenty years ago I barely cared about it, I avoided the scarier and crazier ones (Jehovahs and Born agains), but in general barely thought about it. In the UK nobody cares, what church you go to, or avoid, is simply not relevant. (Unless you are a nut-job).

    Since I have lived here, though I have become more and more outspoken. WHEN the watercoler conversation rolls around to 'So, what church do you go to', I simply say that I think that I am an atheist and that I prefer to spend my Sunday mornings doing some good in the community.....

    So, I am outspoken and blunt and I rail heavily against anyone pushing their brand of worship.
  • Alisonb8
    Alisonb8 Posts: 20
    Hi, I'm a 36 year old Brit with a lot of weight to lose. I guess I joined this group because no matter what message board I seem to read through there will be someone who says "put your faith in God" to lose weight and needed this group as a bit of an antidote from all of that.

    Religion has never been a part of who I am, I was brought up basically with no religion but I think a lot of British people will say that. The concept of a god never really entered into my upbringing. As an adult I now class myself as Atheist.

    I'm now determined to lose weight and exercise more and all challenges and all successes will be because of me and my decisions.

    My loves are science, music, science fiction, learning.

    A lack of a god makes the world just seem more amazing to me.

    Ali
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    Welcome to the group. I completely understand what you mean. Believers are so convinced that their weight loss is credit to their god and their weight gains are their own failures. It makes no sense to me.
  • cv2k
    cv2k Posts: 30 Member
    My name is Charlie and I will be on the MFP membership 2 weeks tomorrow. I decided to check out the MFP groups today. I am happy to find like minded people on MFP and am relieved that there is a group that takes full responsibility for their successes and failures instead of on an imaginary deity.

    Much of my family have it in their heads that there is a higher power that we can't see. I used to be that way until I started questioning ALL the religions and why there wasn't a universal way to worship god. Stemming from that idea, I soon began to realize the truth, and as a famous fictional character once said: "The truth will set you free".:wink:

    Any friend requests would be appreciated. Thanx
  • FearAnLoathingJ
    FearAnLoathingJ Posts: 337 Member
    Hi I'm Jeanette. I live near Dallas TX. Been back on Mfp for about a month after being gone for awhile. I am a life long atheist. I have never believed god
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    Welcome new people. I was raised in a Catholic family. I had to learn that the bible did not manifest our of magic after I quit being a child. Being an atheist wasn't an option for me as a child. Now that I am an adult I have had to accept that my lack of faith has caused something of a rift between me and my mother. I admit that the indoctrination I went through is pretty powerful. Every once in a while that crushing Catholic guild will rear its ugly head and the fear of hell will creep in to my mind. When that happens I have to remind myself that it is just a story book written by people.
  • cv2k
    cv2k Posts: 30 Member
    It's familiar to to me when you speak of hell, I have some fears out of nowhere sometimes from all the stories I used to hear when I was a kid.

    I think it's just natural for humans to fear the unknown and many thoughts will pop in their heads trying to discern the possible explanations for the unknown. I grew up with many ghost stories and I'm sure you can guess what pops in my head when a strange noise is made, lol.

    I'm glad most of my family has accepted my lack of faith (from outward appearances anyway), in fact my mom tells me she prays for me, I tell her I appreciate it and she's happy with that. I thinks she finds a glimmer of hope in that, but thats cool.
  • peggymdellinger
    peggymdellinger Posts: 151 Member
    Hey! Started MFP about a month ago... Mom to 4 yr old twins, married to a fantastic man, History major soon to graduate and work on a master's, and I work part-time cleaning at my college. I eat as much organic and locally sourced food as possible. No diet in particular... kind of a mixture of the "eat more to weigh less", "in place of a roadmap", and "clean eating" ideas. I do my best to get in cardio, 10,000 steps a day and I love lifting weights. Also, I knew I'd find you heathens! :P
  • LordOberon
    LordOberon Posts: 73 Member
    Hello all. Just started using MFP to track my diet and exercise. I've been an Atheist for awhile and definitely get irked when people use "God's will or God's plan" for things that happen or don't happen in life. I am not sure how much support/motivation I can find online, but do not need empty faith-based platitudes for support.
  • dangdangBB
    dangdangBB Posts: 18 Member
    Hi everybody! I just joined this group yesterday (go figure), but I've been a declared agnostic atheist since about 14. Mostly I'm here at MFP to lose some weight before I get too old and it becomes more difficult to get it off. I also want to live a generally healthier lifestyle.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    It is nice to see all the new faces please post new topics of you own for discussion. Open dialogue is what this is all about and I get sick and tired of feeling like the only agnostic atheist in the world.
  • Hello,

    I'm Lisa, an atheist since age 12. I was raised a Southern Baptist and spent one year in Catholic school, so they beat any faith I ever did have right out of me. LOL
    I am married and live in central Texas and I am glad to meet y'all.
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
    Hi Lisa, welcome to the group!
  • spookiefox
    spookiefox Posts: 215 Member
    Hi! I'm a general-purpose skeptic. In addition to not believing in deities, I am skeptical of alt-med (there is a name for CAM that is demonstrably effective. It's called "medicine."), bro-science and everything else not supported by evidence.

    I'm a bit of an anti-theist as well because of the great harm I see coming out of religion in the world.

    I currently wear a FitBit Flex--my fourth FitBit product and my seventh FitBit overall. (I have put several FitBits that attach to clothing through the washer, which is why I am now trying the Flex. See if I can avoid destroying another $100 item. LOL) I would generally like to be more active and healthier, but I absolutely do not see the value in obsessing over it. I consider quality of life more important than quantity and would rather than eat what I enjoy than live to be 100. Or even 80. I'm a cancer survivor (bladder) and have both fibromyalgia and central pain syndrome.

    I work in IT. I am disabled and walk with a cane. I motorcycle. I camp rather avidly, and own a home-built teardrop camper, which is in my profile picture.

    I have a low tolerance for stupid.
  • spookiefox
    spookiefox Posts: 215 Member
    Oohh, I'm also a female Linux geek, and a spelling and grammar nazi! HI!
  • I love your camper spookiefox!

    Hello all. My journey to atheism came about from going to church and Sunday school as a child and teen and always feeling uncomfortable about being expected to worship some invisible man with a son born to a virgin and who died for me before I was even born. It all seemed so ridiculous.

    Then I went to university and studied evolution and genetics and I became a loud and proud atheist. I'm fortunate that I live in a country where I feel that I can be loud and proud about it. I know some atheists who live elsewhere (mainly the USA) and they feel the need to keep it quite. I've upset a couple of my international graduate students by (nicely) telling them that I'm an atheist in response to their offers to pray for me if I'm sick with a cold, or have applied for a promotion etc. I don't understand why some people assume that we all worship the sky fairy.

    I joined MFP to track my calories and try to avoid putting on weight, which seems to happen to just about everyone in my family. I venture into the general forums sometimes and I usually get myself into trouble because I have an aversion to ignorance and pseudoscience which seems to dominate. I know I should stay away but it's like having chocolate in my cupboard...once it's there I just can't stay away from it.
  • PS. I also should add, I learned about IIFYM and 16:8 intermittent fasting here on MFP and as much as possible, follow them both to keep my weight stable. They really seem to work for me. :)
  • asimmons221
    asimmons221 Posts: 294 Member
    Hey guys my names Aaron, I'm 29 and have been an atheist for quite some time. I can't really pinpoint what age, I do remember being very skeptical even at an early age. I was raised in a Catholic family and had to go through the whole ccd processes until my conformation. Around this time I was forced to stay an extra year by my mom for my lack of faith. I guess it never made a whole lot of sense to me, but i think i started referring my self as an atheist in my early 20's, before that I never gave it much thought.

    Anyways, glad to find some like minded people and your welcome to add me.