ORIGIN

[Samson]

Thought you all would like the topic name for a few questions I had....lol


Honestly, because I am new to the forums, I just was just curious as to what country everyone here is from and what is your trade?

You don't have to be specific, I understand this is the internet......

I'll begin...


If if you haven't figured out by now, I'm from Louisiana (U.S.A.) and go by Samson on the forums, but sense I thought no one would really know the difference, "Samson" is my real name.....One of the nice things about having it....lolol (I'm not asking you to tell me your real name. It's always been a nice surprise on my side for people)...

I've been a Chemist for 15 years and travel Internationally about 20% of the year. Great family and of course I am as non-believing in any mythological bullshit as they come...

[Kyuuketsuki]

British (English), half-Scot. Born in in Sussex, now living in Kent, Applied Biology graduate now working in IT (20 plus years) and live in Kent (near Canterbury the seat of the Anglican Church) with my wife and 1 of my two children (the other still technically lives with us I guess but is away at Uni).

Atheist (fundamentalist so I'm told) as is my family (though my wife wouldn't describe herself as such) smart I suppose but a tendency to be a bit aggressive and very easy to wind up. Been in this game (debating the nutjobs) for 15 years though I was kinda starting way back on CompouServe 20 years ago.

There's more about me on my blog if anyone is sad enough to be interested

Kyu

[leo-rcc]

Dutch, born on a dairy farm very close to the Belgian border so always had an affinity with that country as well. When the farm was sold I moved to Roosendaal.

For a hobby I used to be a radio jock for EVRO FM in Belgium before I had to give that up to make an honest living. I am a computer nerd and active in the Roosendaalse Computer Club since I was 14, where later on I joined some programmers and musicians to create our own demo group called "Coneheads" which later merged with Mindex to the demogroup "New Order" where we were very active as computerdemo party organisers and competitors. I was responsible for the 3D objects and images to be used in the demos. A lot of the demo scene friends have now moved on and work for game companies like Valve and EA, or large firms like KPMG and Euretco, or started their own companies. I was offered to start working for a 3D animation studio in France but I declined.

In 1999 I founded "Team RCC" the robot building and competing branch of the Computer club. We specialised in combat robots for Robotwars where I was on the show 5 times though mostly behind the scenes. I also have a large collection of toy robots, I have a room full of them.

Furthermore I drive, fly, or pilot anything that flies, rolls, or floats with a remote control. Cars, tanks, boats (preferably tugboats), planes, helicopters. Just no bikes.

I've been in IT for 15 years now, before that I worked for an industrial gasses production plant, was industrial cleaner, fire and water damage expert, worked for Philip Morris, and an electrical plant. Then I started working as a system administrator for small companies that can't afford full time system administrators. I did this while working for a small IT company.

Then I got an opportunity to start working for a chemical company as the European IT manager. This gave met the option to buy a house and move to the Rotterdam area to be a bit closer to my work. I travel quite a lot for my job, keeping track of the sales offices and production facilities in Europe and Asia.

I pretty much have been an atheist all my life. Growing up in a family where religion was never an issue I had no idea the impact religion had on the daily lives of the Dutch.

Then I stumbled upon a few websites and found through TV programs that there are groups who would like nothing more than have creationism taught in schools and follow the American example. That was the point I knew I wanted to express my opinions before it was too late.

[Tiberius]

English, born in Portsmouth in 1988. Spent childhood in Salisbury which has the tallest cathedral in England and is also near Stonehenge. Lost (I prefer the term "discarded") my Christian beliefs sometime around age 9-11 and have been living happily as an atheist ever since.

Read Dawkins' book a few years ago and it spurred me into active atheism, starting these forums over at atheistforum.com before moving them 9 months ago. I also started an atheist blog over a year ago (http://atheistblogger.com) and I work very closely with Atheist Nexus.

Currently attending Royal Holloway, University of London reading Computer Science with Information Security. Trying to write a book

Oh yes, and hopefully if all things go well, I'll be moving to the US in a year.

[Edwardo Piet]

I'm from the UK (in case you don't know) born in, and lived all my life in England.

I'm three quarters English, an eighth Welsh and an eighth Irish.

I was born in more specifically, Wolverhampton, 5th Septhember 1988 at exactly 5.am - I spent most of my life in Norwich though from when I was almost 8 years old. I have been living up Northwest, though; since Jan 2007

I never really believed in God at all. I never really understood what I was being 'told' I was always kind of unsure on the matter, until I heard about Darwinism and Evolution at 9 years old - and then I knew of no reason (in my mind) to believe in God at all. Before that I kind of always had the 'God is a Mystery' attitude and never really believed just in the sense that if I did believe - I had no idea what I was believing. It would have just been an 'ooh mysterious bullshit'. Closer to deism than theism - I never really believed in a Christian or other theistic God. If I ever did believe in moments it would just be that the universe must have 'come from somewhere' from something mysterious - but I never believed in a person God as far as I can remember. Because if I did when I was a very young kid - I never really knew what the fuck I was actually believing.

Since about late 2001 I think, I had been a Gnostic atheist and believed I just 'knew' God didn't exist simply because he was 'so absurd' or 'so ridiculous'.

I went more philosophical, I became agnostic but also 'unsure' about my disbelief (but I still disbeleived) the last 2 years or so, until august last year after reading TGD - since then, I have very firmly disbelieved in God. I'm agnostic now though not 'unsure' - I'm only agnostic towards "God" like I am to the Tooth Fairy! I, of course, disbelieve the Tooth Fairy! I think the Tooth Fairy is very improbable and there's no evidence, etc, etc - but I'm still agnostic on the matter in the sense that I don't believe the Tooth Fairy or "God" is absolutely disproved, you can't prove a negative. Nor do I claim absolutely knowledge and absolutely "Believe God/The Tooth Fairy doesn't exist".

I don't claim absolute knowledge - I'm agnostic. But I'm still as fucking certain minus that! As certain as I can be about anything without being "Gnostic" on the matter.

I have been on computers basically daily since 6 years old, I learnt to touch type fullly and with all fingers in 1 day in about half an hour. I find typing more comfortable than talking.

I have spent most of my life playing computer games. And the majority of it playing 'AoC' (Age of Empires II The Age of Kings: The Conquerors Expansion (Pack)).

I have gone into exactly how much I gamed and more detail on the matter elsewhere, I find it kind of frustrating racking my brains in all the details to repeat it all here and now. I think I've said enough! I may edit if I feel the need later and I can think of what to say lol - and I'm not sure I'd want to just copy and paste it over here :S

Oh, and my name's Mike.

EvF

[Samson]

A lot of Europeans on the forums I see...lol

Trust me, I wish I was back in Norway raising my kids, but unfortunately that's not going to happen at this moment in time.

KYU WROTE:

though my wife wouldn't describe herself as such

Same with my wife, I guess she would simply put it as "Mystic" than anything else. However, she does have the same attitude towards Organized religion as I do.

LEO-RCC WROTE:

Then I got an opportunity to start working for a chemical company as the European IT manager. This gave met the option to buy a house and move to the Rotterdam area to be a bit closer to my work. I travel quite a lot for my job, keeping track of the sales offices and production facilities in Europe and Asia.

I can't even imagine the restriction you guys have in place for a Chemical Plant of any sort. (I've had to deal with the ones in German and Australia in the past).
What is Rotterdam like? I've seen pictures of the area, but is it pretty relaxed or no?

Tiberius Wrote:

Trying to write a book

If you don't mind me asking, what is your book going to be about?


EVF WROTE:

I never really knew what the fuck I was actually believing.

That's pretty much the same way with me back then. I was raised in a hardcore Baptist/Pentecostal/Muslim backing.

I had all sides telling me which was right and why I was pretty much going to hell if I did this, this, & this. At about the age of eleven, I finally broke free of it all and by the age of 18 had read the Bible and was starting into Qur'an. (Funny how closely related they were...lol)

Now in my mid 30's I have my own understandings, but they are by far nothing to do with any type BS organizations of the Christian, Judaism, or Muslim sects.

Science & people is what I focus more of my "Faith" towards...lol... The rest is for people who have voids to fill.

[Edwardo Piet]

I didn't have a religious upbringing at all though, really,, Samson; my Dad was the most and he didn't believe in any religion in particular, he always said things like "God is a mystery" - and all that bullshit.

I heard some shit at school, is all (they year I was there) - but like I said; I never really knew what the fuck I was believing.

But the crucial point is that it was never serious - I didn't really have a religious upbringing at all. And I cannot remember one point in my life when I was actually serious in any direction, never really a theist, or a deist really - I didn't understand these things really.

I guess I was kind of an apatheist really, if you can give me any label. Cos whenever I myself bought into the "God is a mystery" thing then I didn't exactly believe in God didn't i? Because I had no idea what that even meant - it was 'just a mystery'.

EvF

[leo-rcc]

I can't even imagine the restriction you guys have in place for a Chemical Plant of any sort. (I've had to deal with the ones in German and Australia in the past).
What is Rotterdam like? I've seen pictures of the area, but is it pretty relaxed or no?

As any large city, there are nice parts and parts you don't want to come. The area I live in is okay, I got nice neighbours.

[Samson]

I didn't have a religious upbringing at all though, really,, Samson; my Dad was the most and he didn't believe in any religion in particular, he always said things like "God is a mystery" - and all that bullshit.

I heard some shit at school, is all (they year I was there) - but like I said; I never really knew what the fuck I was believing.

But the crucial point is that it was never serious - I didn't really have a religious upbringing at all. And I cannot remember one point in my life when I was actually serious in any direction, never really a theist, or a deist really - I didn't understand these things really.

I guess I was kind of an apatheist really, if you can give me any label. Cos whenever I myself bought into the "God is a mystery" thing then I didn't exactly believe in God didn't i? Because I had no idea what that even meant - it was 'just a mystery'.

EvF

Just consider yourself lucky that you were not raised in the "Arm Pit" Bible belt of America...(Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and last but not least good ole southern bell Georgia...)..

The places listed is where you will find some of the first people to not have a problem with telling you how "Hell Bound" you are..... lolol

As any large city, there are nice parts and parts you don't want to come. The area I live in is okay, I got nice neighbours.

I'll rephrase my question a bit....What is special or makes your city stick out a bit more?

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

A baby boomer Australian by birth (born 1947), 100% Irish Celt on both sides by ethnicity. A " cultural Irish Catholic", if that makes sense.

Have been retired for some years.I was a career public servant for over 30 years.Most of that with Social Security,which is VERY different from the American version.

Although I did a business diploma early on,my main interest is Social Anthropology,in which I have degree with a double major.That probably accounts for my at times pedantic approach to religion and belief systems.-and why I have no patience with the "religion is evil/stupid/ insane"" attitude of some atheists one finds on forums,applied generally or specifically.

My deconversion from devout Catholic to atheist took 20 years,and was difficult and often painful. I finally reached the point where I was simply unable to believe.It was not a matter of choice.

I've never been a militant atheist,although I was an unspeakable little prig as a teenage Catholic.Today I honestly don't care what others believe. I no longer have the arrogance to believe my world view is superior to any other. The certitude of my youth has been replaced with room for doubt in most of my basic life assumptions..