Hullo

[ElDinero]

Hey gang...looks like the last new member has caused a bit of a stir. But that's probably his fault for being extremely susceptible to misinformation. In any case, I'll try to make comparatively fewer ripples with my intro.

So I'm an atheist living in England, in love with the USA. I'm hoping to go to university as a mature student next year to take Religious Studies and with any luck take a few people on the course down a peg. I'd say I've always been an atheist, I went to a Church of England school so as a kid I probably would've said I thought God was real. Certainly from the age of reason, I've been a non-believer, and I'd be amazed if anything were to ever change my mind. I'm also of that Hitchens 'anti-theist' school of thought who are thrilled to bits that none of it is true.

I do write a blog on religion and other supernatural claims which I update when the mood takes me (used to be very frequently, now less so). I'll link to it upon request, or after I've posted here a bit so you don't think I'm some dickhead just coming on to promote his blog.

I like video games (particularly anything with the words 'Super Mario' in the title), football (English and American), and a whole bunch of other crazy crap that will probably come out over time. Any questions, let me know.

[Minimalist]

Hi there....

I'm hoping to go to university as a mature student next year to take Religious Studies

Why not do something useful with your life instead?

[ElDinero]

Thanks for the friendly welcome. Despite the way the question was presented, I'll answer sincerely. Religion interests me, I am interested in the reasons people are religious, become religious, stop being religious, and so on. I'm interested in either writing or teaching, so I'm planning to take a course to learn more about it.

[weakagnostic]

Hey gang..

Hi and welcome I'm pretty new here too... There are some good guys and not so good guys here but don't let the not so good guys get to you. Just don't take them too seriously. Stay focused and don't let them hook you. Good luck!

[Autumnlicious]

Hi.

I agree with Min, though for a different reason -- I've of late been hearing stories from my fellow nonbelievers who are in Religious Studies and the subsequent bigotry and unfairness directed at them for the crime of not being a magic sky wizard cock sucker (some of them are just cock suckers, but that's between them and their partner ).

Are you sure you want to go into an area that most likely will gun for you instead for with you?

[weakagnostic]

Thanks for the friendly welcome. Despite the way the question was presented, I'll answer sincerely. Religion interests me, I am interested in the reasons people are religious, become religious, stop being religious, and so on. I'm interested in either writing or teaching, so I'm planning to take a course to learn more about it.

I promise there are others here who are friendlier. Just answer in a civil way and others might bite.

I am also interested in why people become religious or lose their religion. I bet there are as many reasons as there are people. Would be nice if someone could study it and compile a list.

I just put in "why people become religious" on Google and there seems to a lot about it there.

[Minimalist]

Despite the way the question was presented

The question was meant sincerely. ( I usually only shit on the theists.) For example, you could study Shakespeare because you love it too but your career opportunities will be somewhat limited as a result. You could also study Software Design ( as an example ) and read Shakespeare in your leisure time.

Similarly, what does a degree in "theology" accomplish? In Europe it seems to be a dying field and in the US the fundies would kill you if you dissed their godboy.

[fr0d0]

We have all sorts of crappy intelectuals paid by the state in the UK for sitting on their asses & contemplating their navels.

Welcome Dinero - you sound fun

[ElDinero]

Despite the way the question was presented

The question was meant sincerely. ( I usually only shit on the theists.) For example, you could study Shakespeare because you love it too but your career opportunities will be somewhat limited as a result. You could also study Software Design ( as an example ) and read Shakespeare in your leisure time.

Similarly, what does a degree in "theology" accomplish? In Europe it seems to be a dying field and in the US the fundies would kill you if you dissed their godboy.

Well I think I've already answered this, to some degree. If I was going to write/teach on the subjects, it would be good to have a qualification that directly relates to it, no?

Since you touched on it, and someone else said something similar, I'm not really bothered about what people in the class would think of an atheist taking a religious studies course. I'm certainly not going to shy away from it just because some God-loving prick gives me a hard time about it. Bring it on, I say.

I don't think the level of intolerance in the UK is really anything like what I hear coming out of the US, that being said. In a way, I'd much rather be in the US, I'd experience so much more stuff on a daily basis. You have to look a little harder to find examples of religious groups being afforded greater rights than non-religious groups and so on (a good time to add that I am a secularist and a humanist). Not much harder, but a little.

[weakagnostic]

This might be of interest: Atheist in a Catholic school