(April 30, 2011 at 6:29 am)thesummerqueen Wrote: He seemed like an easy-going guy on chat.
Welcome!

(April 30, 2011 at 6:32 am)Aerzia Saerules Arktuos Wrote: I LOVE TURTLES
Welcome

Thanks!

(April 30, 2011 at 6:51 am)oggtheclever Wrote: Welcome along, and kudos to you for having the guts to admit that you are a freak :p

I think it takes more guts to believe that you are "normal".

(April 30, 2011 at 7:15 am)Gawdzilla Wrote: Speaking for all the normal people on this forum I must say this trend is disturbing.

Abnormal and trendy! I'm ticking lots of boxes today.

(April 30, 2011 at 7:15 am)tackattack Wrote: Welcome to the forums, feel free to jump right into a conversation you enjoy.
As for your aversion to talking about yourself, what is your specific religious background and what type of Church do you go to?

For most of my life I've been a Church of England member of a fairly liberal/mainline persuasion, with a short stint in a Pentecostal denomination (which got rather tiresome eventually...) as well as serious periods of doubt (especially while at university where I did a lot of reading around the big questions). I'm now an Evangelical Anglican (think Tom Wright, Richard Bauckham, etc.) and still go to a C of E church (its theology of tea is a large factor ).

(April 30, 2011 at 7:56 am)Zen Badger Wrote: Hi @ Mattie
From the best damn country on the planet.

Lies.

(April 30, 2011 at 5:20 am)Matthaios Wrote: Hello everyone! I'm Matthaios, a Jesus freak from the tea-imbibing capital of the world. I've been lurking around the last couple of days, made a brief visit to your Chat Room (which was much fun, you nutty bunch!) and it seems like a divine forum! I'm here simply to get to know the kinds of people that I would rarely encounter in the circles I move in, and to some extent to show you that not every "religious" person is intent on blowing up buildings, ranting stupidly about the age of the earth and evolution, mindlessly accepting every dogma shoved down their throats, etc.

My least favourite subject is me, so I'll refrain from giving you a full-blown biography... but if there are any particular things you are dying to know about me, this would be a good place to ask!

Ciao for now,
Matthaios

Hi Matthaios, I am taking a break from the chat-room for a while. However if you stay there, I will encounter you sometime.

Anyway welcome to the forums.

(April 30, 2011 at 9:08 am)Atman Wrote: Hi Matthaios, I am taking a break from the chat-room for a while. However if you stay there, I will encounter you sometime.

Anyway welcome to the forums.

Thanks Atman, look forward to it!

(April 30, 2011 at 9:11 am)Matthaios Wrote:

(April 30, 2011 at 9:08 am)Atman Wrote: Hi Matthaios, I am taking a break from the chat-room for a while. However if you stay there, I will encounter you sometime.

Anyway welcome to the forums.

Thanks Atman, look forward to it!

And remember, don't even mention the super-secret clique.

(April 30, 2011 at 5:20 am)Matthaios Wrote: Hello everyone! I'm Matthaios, a Jesus freak from the tea-imbibing capital of the world. I've been lurking around the last couple of days, made a brief visit to your Chat Room (which was much fun, you nutty bunch!) and it seems like a divine forum! I'm here simply to get to know the kinds of people that I would rarely encounter in the circles I move in, and to some extent to show you that not every "religious" person is intent on blowing up buildings, ranting stupidly about the age of the earth and evolution, mindlessly accepting every dogma shoved down their throats, etc.

My least favourite subject is me, so I'll refrain from giving you a full-blown biography... but if there are any particular things you are dying to know about me, this would be a good place to ask!

Ciao for now,
Matthaios

Hello Matthaios.
Welcome to the forum. I'm new here too.
So you accept evolution, you agree that the universe is close to 14 billion years old, and you don't blow up buildings. Naturally, we atheists automatically assume that all theists are terrorists, so I'm glad you set our minds at rest.
Would it be impolite to ask what is your religion?

(April 30, 2011 at 11:33 am)Maria Wrote: Hello Matthaios.
Welcome to the forum. I'm new here too.
So you accept evolution, you agree that the universe is close to 14 billion years old, and you don't blow up buildings. Naturally, we atheists automatically assume that all theists are terrorists, so I'm glad you set our minds at rest.

Hello Maria, lovely to meet you. I think you slightly misunderstood the point of what I was saying there, which was that not all religious people are fundamentalist nutcases or hold beliefs for no reason. I think there is a tendency on the part of some atheists (particularly those influenced by the "Four Horsemen") to see all religious believers that way.

Quote:Would it be impolite to ask what is your religion?

It would not be impolite at all - though I have said already that I am a member of the Church of England! (Admittedly there are some agnostics who lurk there, but not many Evangelical agnostics!)

Quote:a Jesus freak from the tea-imbibing capital of the world.

Drink less tea.....perhaps you'll recover.

(April 30, 2011 at 12:19 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Drink less tea.....

Heresy.

(April 30, 2011 at 12:22 pm)Matthaios Wrote:

(April 30, 2011 at 12:19 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Drink less tea.....

Heresy.

Not true! Excess tea drinking has been known to colour a person's skin and introduce extraneous letters into their lexicon.

(April 30, 2011 at 11:51 am)Matthaios Wrote: Hello Maria, lovely to meet you. I think you slightly misunderstood the point of what I was saying there, which was that not all religious people are fundamentalist nutcases or hold beliefs for no reason. I think there is a tendency on the part of some atheists (particularly those influenced by the "Four Horsemen") to see all religious believers that way.

I did understand your point, Matthaios, I was being sarcastic. Sorry, I know it's the lowest form of wit, but I love it!

Quote:I am a member of the Church of England! (Admittedly there are some agnostics who lurk there, but not many Evangelical agnostics!)

Most of my family are C of E. I'm the sole evil atheist. There's always one, isn't there? Having said that, half the C of E bishops are atheists