Reading one of the welcome threads reminded me of some points to why I choose to be militant about my atheism, I thought I'd share my points and while I'm at it get others opinions on the matter.
There are a few things that cause me to want to visit churches or talk to theists about their faith, the first thing I want to mention is my almost intense desire to experience and learn.
I'm not sure when it started but, as far back as I can remember I have always seen it as my place to learn as much as I can. Everything is just so interesting when viewed beside the world under the microscope. I wasn't particularly good at school, especially during my earlier years during which I made some big academic mistakes but, in the end I did manage to find my place with computers and score an A honour roll. It's from this that I desire to be a university professor one day.
So I like to learn, obviously that is not all of it. For one reason or another I seem to be attracted to controversy; I like to be offensive and I like to watch people react to everything I do. Religion becomes one of the hottest topics of all-time when you make yourself open to the possibility of either side being right. Somewhat attached to this is my particular love of psychology; while not an exact science by any means there are some parts of it that are well established. Religion provokes endless swarms of data for a psychological study and I could spend hours a day dissecting a person or groups response to my questions.
The third mention should go to individualism and honesty. From early school age I was never the popular one, a select few friends most of which I trusted and a few that I wonder if they ever really wanted anything to do with me. From this I got to observe and take notes a lot of the time and I developed an extreme hate for 'fake' people. People who lie to each other are a sad reflection on their upbringing; of course I am not talking about the parent who tells their child they have a cold when really they just found out they have cancer because they can't deal. Worse yet than those who needlessly lie to each other to be popular or 'cool' are people who lie to themselves. Masks of make-up and a visualised personality, wearing the popular clothes and walking a walk perfected by years of robotic behaviour. I can't stand these people and choose to follow a motto I learned back in the young year of 2003 at a Air Cadet summer camp. Of course the damn thing is written in Latin but, it means "Lead By Example". I am brutally honest whenever I can be, to myself especially. I refuse to hide who I am and all those years spent sitting in the corner trying not to be seen have created a man who acts like a spotlight with a strobe-like flicker trying to point right into your eyes.
To conclude, I would like to point out that with all of this I am strongly in support of community and social work. The only jobs I consider real jobs are ones that progress society, scientists, teachers, tradesman, inventors and builders. I could not be happy forking for the corporate machine. Community centers are one of the most important buildings in the whole town to me, the church acts like a community center however, a doormat labeled "Us or them and they are not welcome" is destructive and immoral. Truly if we were to search for the antithesis to a true community it would be the church. The elite that believe they are the only ones chosen to be at the top, looking down on the world that gave them everything they have.
I hope that accomplished it's goal of giving some insight into my mind and why I do some things that I choose to do. I look forward to responses and hearing others views on the matter.
There are a few things that cause me to want to visit churches or talk to theists about their faith, the first thing I want to mention is my almost intense desire to experience and learn.
I'm not sure when it started but, as far back as I can remember I have always seen it as my place to learn as much as I can. Everything is just so interesting when viewed beside the world under the microscope. I wasn't particularly good at school, especially during my earlier years during which I made some big academic mistakes but, in the end I did manage to find my place with computers and score an A honour roll. It's from this that I desire to be a university professor one day.
So I like to learn, obviously that is not all of it. For one reason or another I seem to be attracted to controversy; I like to be offensive and I like to watch people react to everything I do. Religion becomes one of the hottest topics of all-time when you make yourself open to the possibility of either side being right. Somewhat attached to this is my particular love of psychology; while not an exact science by any means there are some parts of it that are well established. Religion provokes endless swarms of data for a psychological study and I could spend hours a day dissecting a person or groups response to my questions.
The third mention should go to individualism and honesty. From early school age I was never the popular one, a select few friends most of which I trusted and a few that I wonder if they ever really wanted anything to do with me. From this I got to observe and take notes a lot of the time and I developed an extreme hate for 'fake' people. People who lie to each other are a sad reflection on their upbringing; of course I am not talking about the parent who tells their child they have a cold when really they just found out they have cancer because they can't deal. Worse yet than those who needlessly lie to each other to be popular or 'cool' are people who lie to themselves. Masks of make-up and a visualised personality, wearing the popular clothes and walking a walk perfected by years of robotic behaviour. I can't stand these people and choose to follow a motto I learned back in the young year of 2003 at a Air Cadet summer camp. Of course the damn thing is written in Latin but, it means "Lead By Example". I am brutally honest whenever I can be, to myself especially. I refuse to hide who I am and all those years spent sitting in the corner trying not to be seen have created a man who acts like a spotlight with a strobe-like flicker trying to point right into your eyes.
To conclude, I would like to point out that with all of this I am strongly in support of community and social work. The only jobs I consider real jobs are ones that progress society, scientists, teachers, tradesman, inventors and builders. I could not be happy forking for the corporate machine. Community centers are one of the most important buildings in the whole town to me, the church acts like a community center however, a doormat labeled "Us or them and they are not welcome" is destructive and immoral. Truly if we were to search for the antithesis to a true community it would be the church. The elite that believe they are the only ones chosen to be at the top, looking down on the world that gave them everything they have.
I hope that accomplished it's goal of giving some insight into my mind and why I do some things that I choose to do. I look forward to responses and hearing others views on the matter.
- if others are happy then I'm happy. I like to have fun of course - but if 'all is well' then I'm well (unless I'm physically unwell or something, of course). If that's not aultruistic then I don't know what is; and then I guess I'm not :S 
