Hi Peeps

[Markos]

Just a polite "Hello" to you all as I wander, curiously, into a foreign Internet-land of atheists, agnostics, ignostics and who knows what else... (you seem to have some fundie Christians here too: funtimes). Hopefully my "religious" "views" are clear: I find arguments for/against the existence of some hypothetical philosophical god pointless and dull (and completely unconvincing). Jesus is much more interesting, as are real atheists with bite (i.e. those who have got beyond the monotonous mantra of "evidence, evidence"). I hope to find both here.

A little more about me: I'm from the UK, married, and currently on the long winding road to hopefully becoming an Anglican vicar (much to my horror). My background is in mathematics, having done a brief spell working at the Nrich project and then as a maths teacher and tutor for a couple of years. I'm currently based at a CofE church involved doing various things to get some experience of church from the "inside" while doing some theological study.

That's enough rattle, and hopefully I'll be sticking around to get to know some of you chaps and lasses. Play nice.

Markos

[Phil]

Just a polite "Hello" to you all as I wander, curiously, into a foreign Internet-land of atheists, agnostics, ignostics and who knows what else... (you seem to have some fundie Christians here too: funtimes). Hopefully my "religious" "views" are clear: I find arguments for/against the existence of some hypothetical philosophical god pointless and dull (and completely unconvincing). Jesus is much more interesting, as are real atheists with bite (i.e. those who have got beyond the monotonous mantra of "evidence, evidence"). I hope to find both here.

A little more about me: I'm from the UK, married, and currently on the long winding road to hopefully becoming an Anglican vicar (much to my horror). My background is in mathematics, having done a brief spell working at the Nrich project and then as a maths teacher and tutor for a couple of years. I'm currently based at a CofE church involved doing various things to get some experience of church from the "inside" while doing some theological study.

That's enough rattle, and hopefully I'll be sticking around to get to know some of you chaps and lasses. Play nice.

Markos

With a background in maths I have to ask, what is the one argument for gods existence that added up (excuse the intended pun) to you wanting to become a vicar?

[Markos]

With a background in maths I have to ask, what is the one argument for gods existence that added up (excuse the intended pun) to you wanting to become a vicar?

Well, it's not been a case of coming to believe that God exists and then wanting to become a vicar in response to that. Rather it's been a sense of vocation (despite what I wanted to do, not because of it!) that has slowly grown since becoming a Christian. For me, the question of God's existence has not ever been a particularly important question. More fundamental to me is the question, What do you mean by the word "God"? Part of the "conversion" process for me (which is something that is ongoing, and not in any way a linear process, to use maths-speak) has been wrestling with the implications of what it means if God has revealed himself through the story of Jesus' life and death and resurrection. The most important implication for me has been the idea that the only appropriate response to such a God is to give up following every other false god (including money, status, ambition, ...you name it) and to seek instead a different, Cross-shaped path, which for me - being the kind of person that I am* - seems to look like what Anglicans call "priesthood".

(*Which is to say that it doesn't at all mean that that is what it looks like for everyone.)

So what does it mean for you to be a "polyatheist"? How does that affect the way you see things?

[Phil]

So what does it mean for you to be a "polyatheist"? How does that affect the way you see things?

Poly = many ; atheist = without theism. IOW, I disbelieve in many gods. Why would that have any effect on the way I view reality?

[Markos]

Poly = many ; atheist = without theism. IOW, I disbelieve in many gods. Why would that have any effect on the way I view reality?

That would depend on which gods you disbelieve in, and what importance you place in reacting to the fact that some people do believe in them. And more significantly it would depend on what you do "believe" in - or in other words, what positive framework of views you accept and live according to. By your definition I'm also a polyatheist (as, I would guess, is pretty much everybody) so obviously polyatheism underdetermines how you view reality.

[Phil]

Poly = many ; atheist = without theism. IOW, I disbelieve in many gods. Why would that have any effect on the way I view reality?

That would depend on which gods you disbelieve in

ALL - are you being argumentative for the hell of it or are you really that ignorant of what the term atheist means?

, and what importance you place in reacting to the fact that some people do believe in them.

None, why should it effect me one iota what other people believe in or not (as long as it doesn't effect me as it would in any "religious" legislation).

By your definition I'm also a polyatheist

Firstly, it isn't my definition and you would know that if you cared to do one little sliver of research. Secondly, I am glad you realize that you too are an atheist in the sense that you disbelieve in other gods (technically an atheist lacks those beliefs while you actively disbelieve). Now when you are able to understand why you reject those gods, you will understand why I and other atheists do not have a belief in your god. Maybe then you will experience some personal growth and announce your atheism to the world.

[Markos]

I'm not quite sure why you reacted in such a way, and I apologise if I came across as argumentative (though I'm not sure how you came to read me that way). I was in no way trying to argue against anything you said (what was there to argue with - you were simply describing your stance) and certainly wasn't trying to get some kind of reaction out of you. I'm simply interested in what your views are, as part of getting to know you in a small way. Obviously I need to be a bit more careful in how I express myself, so sorry once again.

[Kayenneh]

So, first we get a molecular biologist, who wants to become a nun and now we have a mathematician, who is to become a vicar..

Welcome, Markos!

[Markos]

So, first we get a molecular biologist, who wants to become a nun and now we have a mathematician, who is to become a vicar..

Welcome, Markos!

I do sometimes wonder if we're actually living in a computer-simulated sit com...

[Annik]

Welcome to the forum.