Hello! I'm a newbie and hopefully the first of many atheists from Wales, if there aren't already any here to start with.
My ambition for life is to learn, to contribute to this board, and also develop myself further into scientific research and enquiry. That said, my goal for life is really speaking to encourage intellectual honesty and rational thought where I see none (yeah, I could've picked a smaller goal, I know). ^^
That said I feel I owe you a brief background to my deconversion and you can draw up your own conclusions about me:
I was raised (and spoon-fed) to be a fundamentalist Christian by my family, my current stance or world-view rather, had arisen from a relatively short period of good honest examination of the religious texts and scriptures that makeup the Bible, something I had never actually bothered to do previously.
I forced out myself of my protective blanket when I arrogantly asserted I could convert anyone to Christianity. I didn't start to doubt my position until I tried to defend my ill-placed evidence-free beliefs. My atheist friend kindly warned me not to continue in something so counterproductive, but I wouldn't listen to reason, I was so sure I was right. Exchange after exchange had the same result, my beliefs were unsupported, illogical and hearsay, while the findings of science I was so ready to be sceptical of, were in fact, supported by empirical evidence.
My flawed reasoning in the spiritually of the universe was exposed, the God concept I previously associated with a cosmic entity who loved me dearly, was in actuality, a murdering manipulative tyrant, unfit to be acknowledged by anyone as "good", let alone worshipped.
Try as I might Logic couldn't support my unfounded claims, and an inspection of other religions made me realise they couldn't all be right, but logically they can all be wrong. Finally when my faith in the God concept collapsed entirely, I give into despair. All my life I invested a lot into something untrue, refuted by reality and all I had to show for it was incalculable wasted time and effort for being an Apologetic windbag. For years I wallowed in self pity and mindlessly tried to find purpose or ultimate meaning in anything appealing at the time, you name it, Paganism or Deism, and even Nihilism at one point!
Finally I got off my lazy arse and bothered to use my brain, debating with devote Christians and dishonest former friends was a painful but necessary experience, as I gradually came to terms with this demonstrable reality accessible through my senses and confirmation of these manifestations from others who I share this world with.
This is where I am now today. =D
Looking back I regret nothing... with the notable exception of losing one of the few friends I genuinely had over arguing about such pathetic religious dogmas that once polluted my mind 24/7... and nearly rotted it out to the core.
My ambition for life is to learn, to contribute to this board, and also develop myself further into scientific research and enquiry. That said, my goal for life is really speaking to encourage intellectual honesty and rational thought where I see none (yeah, I could've picked a smaller goal, I know). ^^
That said I feel I owe you a brief background to my deconversion and you can draw up your own conclusions about me:
I was raised (and spoon-fed) to be a fundamentalist Christian by my family, my current stance or world-view rather, had arisen from a relatively short period of good honest examination of the religious texts and scriptures that makeup the Bible, something I had never actually bothered to do previously.
I forced out myself of my protective blanket when I arrogantly asserted I could convert anyone to Christianity. I didn't start to doubt my position until I tried to defend my ill-placed evidence-free beliefs. My atheist friend kindly warned me not to continue in something so counterproductive, but I wouldn't listen to reason, I was so sure I was right. Exchange after exchange had the same result, my beliefs were unsupported, illogical and hearsay, while the findings of science I was so ready to be sceptical of, were in fact, supported by empirical evidence.
My flawed reasoning in the spiritually of the universe was exposed, the God concept I previously associated with a cosmic entity who loved me dearly, was in actuality, a murdering manipulative tyrant, unfit to be acknowledged by anyone as "good", let alone worshipped.
Try as I might Logic couldn't support my unfounded claims, and an inspection of other religions made me realise they couldn't all be right, but logically they can all be wrong. Finally when my faith in the God concept collapsed entirely, I give into despair. All my life I invested a lot into something untrue, refuted by reality and all I had to show for it was incalculable wasted time and effort for being an Apologetic windbag. For years I wallowed in self pity and mindlessly tried to find purpose or ultimate meaning in anything appealing at the time, you name it, Paganism or Deism, and even Nihilism at one point!
Finally I got off my lazy arse and bothered to use my brain, debating with devote Christians and dishonest former friends was a painful but necessary experience, as I gradually came to terms with this demonstrable reality accessible through my senses and confirmation of these manifestations from others who I share this world with.
This is where I am now today. =D
Looking back I regret nothing... with the notable exception of losing one of the few friends I genuinely had over arguing about such pathetic religious dogmas that once polluted my mind 24/7... and nearly rotted it out to the core.
