Ronin

As you know, Helen, I live in southern Mississippi.

It was just a mere two years ago that I had never actually met or had any contact with another atheist...or, at least, those that would/could express their atheism confidently.

The IIDB was the connection to those of like mindset and it has become my sanctum sanctorum in a culture riddled with the nonsense and addle-brained thinking that theism perpetuates.

My motives for posting to the assorted threads here differ from topic and mood.

For the most part, I hope to be a part of that same solace for any other person that may not otherwise have known that atheists exist.

How about you...other than our intelligence, honesty, principle, sincerity and friendliness...what brings you into this nest of vipers?

Wayne P

Hi Helen - great poll.

I'm here because I like the mix of ideas that they get here. The more you know of what other people think, the more likely you are of getting along with them. I also like to keep new ideas flowing through the old noggin.

HelenM

Isn't that reason enough?

Ok, let me see...when I joined I was rather ill and I'd prefer not to try to remember why, let alone make those reasons public

As well as the reasons you listed, which are among my reasons, certainly, I have a great deal of natural curiosity (it's just as well I'm not a cat) and I wanted to know how 'vipers' think about life, a little better. (Somehow I suspected that if I didn't aggravate them they wouldn't bite me back) And I know from experience that second-hand information is far inferior, on the whole, to first-hand information. So what better place to find out than to come talk with atheists...?

I have learned a lot here and I hope it's made me less likely to commit the faux pas of less informed Christians. The downside is that it's harder not to wince when I hear them from Christians. Do I challenge Christians on them? Sometimes, depending on the context. I feel that is my own choice to make, depending whether I can envisage anything constructive coming out of such a challenge or only confusion and unnecessary added distance in relationships.

It's possible that I wanted to know - as it were - whether the grass was greener on the other side, when I felt like I was in a wasteland. Time and better mental health have led me to the conclusion that - as a friend at church once told me - when you're inside a garden you see the weeds more clearly. Every community has its strengths and weaknesses. You can enjoy its strengths or complain about its weaknesses - I think I do both, depending what mood I'm in.

Clearly, something has kept me here for the last two and a quarter years...and your guess aoubt what is probably as close to the mark as anything I've added in my response to you

Helen

p.s. BBT, I think you're right - this is my first poll (that I recall) and I didn't know that was an option...

p.p.s. Thanks everyone, for your comments so far.

schu

Well, I read a lot and contribute little. But sometimes I like to get involved with particular posters just to see if I can change their thinking a bit.

Because I find it exceedingly difficult to understand how someone can love people they hardly know I wondered why someone would use that farewell on their posts.

When they stop using it I feel they have become a bit more honest with themselves.

Soul Invictus

I post here for several reasons...I find the site and it's users very informed as well as well as interesting to converse with. Not the type of people I run into too often, on the critical thinking standpoint.

I especially like this site first and foremost for educational purposes. I really appreciate how you can pull something from everyone here... As someone who is bombarded a lot by fundies, I need this board to help me in my discourse involving religous aspects, so I can voice my concerns here, which in turn helps me in my dialogue...

Tony

I have a dream…

No, I have a goal!

It’s very simple – to speed the progress of our civilization, humanity needs to get more educated, especially in psychology, and get rid of religion and other barbaric prehistoric prejudices and rituals.

First of all – not only this board. I mean all these forums.

I voted - “More than one of the above”:


- It’s interesting – I’m sure I won’t die from Alzheimer's disease (visiting this site – it’s like playing chess)
- It helps me defend my theism/nontheism more effectively – Yeah, baby, yeah! (Dear Helen, I don’t say “baby” to you. I’m just excited as Austin Powers, but not about women, in this case – about defending atheism.
- Complaining about religion makes me feel better – Eh. Maybe a little. I feel good enough because I’m lucky to be an atheist. Can you imagine me as a religious person? If I was religious person, I would create a new religion, convert every religious person in my religion, proclaim myself as THE ONE AND ONLY GOD and cancel myself. I mean - cancel religion and everybody would become atheists. Yahoo!
- In the hope of helping others realize what's true/correct – Yeah, baby, yeah! (Hmm, it doesn’t sound like “hope”. It more sounds like I’m sure. Yes, I am sure! It will help other to realize what’s true.)

Thanks for the poll.

cydonia

The negativity religion has put into my life is still there, and this site helps me to learn more and help/be helped by others with similar existential problems.

Basically, I think about this stuff too much and this site helps me to at least think about it more rationally.

diana

Because it helped me work through much of the negativity religion brought into my life. There's still some there, of course. Life isn't all a bed of roses. But I'm now able to separate the label "Christian" from the idea "brainwashed," and that is a huge step forward.

d

HelenM

Thanks, schu.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

I selected "most of the above" because they are all relevant on some level or another.

I suppose the main reason is that this board offers a place for me to get away from the herd I have to deal with in real life. It's very difficult for me to watch the people closest to me spend so much time concerning themselves about an ancient belief system, and then quickly disregarding anything which might contradict their beliefs without so much as a thought.

-Nick