Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Ted Hoffman · 02-05-2003, 05:02 AM

Just Another Infidel Wrote In this thread :

Quote:

Matter-of-fact, I've been very surprised by the quantity of posts I've seen on the IIDB relating to depression. Somedays I feel like I stumbled into a depressed persons discussion board rather a forum populated by people who've broken free of religious indoctrination and are simply killing time before they are whisked off to heaven.

I've attributed this high incidence of depression related posts to a high degree of personal candidness among fellow non-believers, but I'm really beginning to wonder if that's the reason (Can somebody rewrite that sentence for me??).

Is there a correlation between ex-believers and depression as opposed to persons who weren't religiously indoctrinated and aren't prone to depression? Or is this just an Internet thing, people come here to vent and moan and we don't hear so much about the positive things in their lives? You know, no news is good news.

Well, my current relationship sucks and I may be breaking my engagement soon, but I was made Training Manager in my company (New Horizons) two days ago. This, is a good, positive thing.

So yes, we do have lives. And Good things in our lives too. Make no mistake.

Oh, I am also working on a paper - a response to Christopher Michael Langans CTMU.

I am also learning two songs. My voice is ugly but who cares. I have decided to start doing some of those things I have been afraid/ shy of doing. If my fiancee behaves, well, I will sing for her.
If she doesnt, well, I will sing away anyway.

I also have plans in my life and I am starting my Masters Degtee in 6 months.

I think I have a good life. My love life sucks but that does not define who I am. Not even close.

I wouldnt get promoted If I looked all grouchy, sniffy, pathetic and all sad-faced all the time now would I?

Next?

frostymama · 02-05-2003, 05:23 AM

I have a new son who is 13 days old and healthy as a horse.

I weigh 1 lb less than I did when I got pregnant with my new son (24 lb loss in 13 days) I still have 42 lbs left to lose from the first pregnancy, but it still feels damn good.

My oldest son is finally completely potty trained.

I am out as an atheist to everyone in real life and I have never been happier about it.

I have a great husband who loves me for who I am.

My husband has a great job (that he doesn't have to worry about losing in spite of the bad economy). We have no debt and aren't really struggling financialy even though I stay home with the kids.

I have re-established contact with my grandparents and will be going to see them in April for the first time in 12 years.

pz · 02-05-2003, 05:29 AM

My life is just hunky-dory.

Another tack to take, though, is to notice that theists aren't exactly all smiles and laughter. What I've seen of ChristianForums, for instance, has been a few people who are abysmally messed up to a degree we don't see here (think "Susan"...), and an even greater number of people who are simply too stupid to notice what screwed-up slaves to superstition they are.

I don't think atheists are particularly depressed. We're just lacking that population of superficially happy idiots.

HelenM · 02-05-2003, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pz
Another tack to take, though, is to notice that theists aren't exactly all smiles and laughter.

It is but it's not the tack of this thread. This thread, imo, is for nontheists to share what they are happy about and to be happy for each other about those things.

I think it's a great idea because it's all too easy to overemphasize our problems and overlook what's going well. Ironmonkey, thanks for a thread that focuses on what's going well in peoples' lives - and congratulations on your promotion!

frostymama, that's a wonderful list...I'm glad to hear you had your baby and evidently you're doing well.

Ok, I'm not a nontheist, but I'm very happy that I just finished making replacement curtains for our basement that are better than the original ones!

(I had never made curtains before and I just got a sewing machine a few months ago after not sewing with one for about 20 years so I'm very pleased I could do this!)

Helen

scarmig · 02-05-2003, 07:38 AM

My 4 month old daughter has learned how to turn over. Like her daddy, she does things the hard way, learing how to roll from back to tummy first. And she's learned which smiles I can't ignore. She is very healthy and as happy a natural born princess can get. We've managed our schedules that we don't have to deliver her into child care except for emergencies. The dog has shown nothing but patiences and protections to the baby and rarely complains about his personal loss of attention. The wife is recovering from a 100% successful cancer removal, no deistic interference necessary. My job is going good, keeping busy. Finances are always an issue with us, as we both racked up lots of debt through college, but it's not a source of too much worry. And the government hasn't come for me yet!

Things be pretty good.

openeyes · 02-05-2003, 07:52 AM

Well, for starters I have a well-paying job and just got an 8% raise. It's not all enveloping so I have time for my kids.

I enjoy both my kids immensely, even the younger one who misses the bus every other week or so. The teenager seems to be making good choices for himself.

I know enough atheists in the area to not feel isolated. I even know enough of them to realize that we're human and don't always get along with each other.

Ninety-eight percent of the time I enjoy being single. Confident (sorta) that when I have more time, I'll be able to make some sort of connection if I want.

I have sister that I know will always be there for me.

I feel life is still unfolding in some ways, despite being middle-aged. I have no problem finding things I like to do.

My family still accepts me even though I told them I'm atheist.

captainpabst · 02-05-2003, 08:03 AM

I have no debt, money in the bank, and a couple good prospects for beginning grad school in the fall.

I'm enjoying singing in the 4 university choirs that I'm in, as well as co-teaching a college voice class.

My immediate family knows of my non-belief, and I haven't really encountered any problems with it.

My love life...sux. Oops, that's not positive.

TomboyMom · 02-05-2003, 08:06 AM

Well, people do post about problems they are seeking support for. Just want to say my life has too many good things to go into detail about here, and some of the nice recent ones includer ealizing that I am an atheist, learning and thinking more about that, finding this board, and enjoying the intelligent and open-minded people I am meeting here.

Rene

pz · 02-05-2003, 08:39 AM

Oh, OK. Good things.

I got promotion and tenure earlier this year.

I was temporary chairman of my department last semester (the good news is the emphasis on the past tense).

We're buying a house. It's very nice.

This is the semester I teach one of my big service courses, genetics. It's only the second time I've taught it. The good news is that all the structural stuff was done the first time, and the even better news is I'm finding I know the content of the course damned well.

My kids are doing well in school -- mostly As, with a B or two creeping in. Despite some initial shocks on the social scene (they were the weird new atheists in this very churchy midwestern small town), they've developed some good friends and are getting along.

My fish have been a bit off their game lately, but they seem to be getting better. They were having lots of wild acrobatic sex this morning.

It's snowing, and the temperature is hovering around 0 deg. F. It's perfect weather.

I got free books in the mail yesterday: a couple of textbooks I'm evaluating for a course, and another that I have to review. It's just one of the nice perks of this job that publishers send me free stuff all the time.

A colleague just sent me a nice e-mail. She's got a new job in the south of France. Yay!

I get to go on a protest march this evening. It won't do a thing to hinder this country's lurching into madness, but it'll make me feel a bit better.

Hobbs · 02-05-2003, 08:59 AM

Great idea for a thread, IronMonkey.

As for me, I've got a great (atheist) wife and a wonderful, bright, friendly, inquisitive, and extremely energetic 3 year old son. I cannot think of a job I'd rather be doing than working as a college librarian (well, other than perhaps being a billionaire philanthropist, but I lack one essential qualification, that of being a billionaire), especially since I work at a top school with intelligent, motivated, interested students. Working at a school like this, I have lots of nontheist friends and the theist friends are not the obnoxious god-bot types. I also have many hobbies I am able to participate in, such as woodworking (I'm currently building a toy chest for the kid and a large cabinet/bookshelf for housing stereo stuff, tapes and CDs, and of course books), gardening (well, when the ground is not covered in show), reading, art (not very good yet, but I'm getting better), photography, piano (I'll never be anywhere close to a professional, but it's fun to bang around and create a relatively recognizable tune) (not that the kid leaves me with much time for any of that now, but I'd rather spend time with him anyway). My wife's parents would be good friends even if they hadn't had a daughter for me to marry (though I'd have needed some other excuse to have met them), and my wife gets along just as well with my family (when we were dating, my mother said "she's going to end up in this family one way or another because if you don't marry her I'm going to adopt her"). We make enough money, and are cheap enough, to live well within our means and put away a lot into savings. We have a great house we had designed and built for us, and we like our neighbors. And the universe is an utterly wonderfully amazing place to exist (even more utterly wonderfully amazing when you realize there is not a god behind it, and that all the amazingness is here in this world and not just a reflection of some other god-heaven-world).

02-05-2003, 05:29 AM	#3
pz Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Morris, MN Posts: 3,341	Re: For JAI: What good things are happening in the lives of Infidels? My life is just hunky-dory. Another tack to take, though, is to notice that theists aren't exactly all smiles and laughter. What I've seen of ChristianForums, for instance, has been a few people who are abysmally messed up to a degree we don't see here (think "Susan"...), and an even greater number of people who are simply too stupid to notice what screwed-up slaves to superstition they are. I don't think atheists are particularly depressed. We're just lacking that population of superficially happy idiots.

02-05-2003, 08:06 AM	#8
TomboyMom Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 10,931	happy as a clam Well, people do post about problems they are seeking support for. Just want to say my life has too many good things to go into detail about here, and some of the nice recent ones includer ealizing that I am an atheist, learning and thinking more about that, finding this board, and enjoying the intelligent and open-minded people I am meeting here. Rene

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02-05-2003, 05:23 AM	#2
frostymama Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Georgia USA Posts: 927	I have a new son who is 13 days old and healthy as a horse. I weigh 1 lb less than I did when I got pregnant with my new son (24 lb loss in 13 days) I still have 42 lbs left to lose from the first pregnancy, but it still feels damn good. My oldest son is finally completely potty trained. I am out as an atheist to everyone in real life and I have never been happier about it. I have a great husband who loves me for who I am. My husband has a great job (that he doesn't have to worry about losing in spite of the bad economy). We have no debt and aren't really struggling financialy even though I stay home with the kids. I have re-established contact with my grandparents and will be going to see them in April for the first time in 12 years.

02-05-2003, 07:38 AM	#5
scarmig Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Somewhere Posts: 689	My 4 month old daughter has learned how to turn over. Like her daddy, she does things the hard way, learing how to roll from back to tummy first. And she's learned which smiles I can't ignore. She is very healthy and as happy a natural born princess can get. We've managed our schedules that we don't have to deliver her into child care except for emergencies. The dog has shown nothing but patiences and protections to the baby and rarely complains about his personal loss of attention. The wife is recovering from a 100% successful cancer removal, no deistic interference necessary. My job is going good, keeping busy. Finances are always an issue with us, as we both racked up lots of debt through college, but it's not a source of too much worry. And the government hasn't come for me yet! Things be pretty good.

02-05-2003, 07:52 AM	#6
openeyes Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Minnesota Posts: 4,215	Well, for starters I have a well-paying job and just got an 8% raise. It's not all enveloping so I have time for my kids. I enjoy both my kids immensely, even the younger one who misses the bus every other week or so. The teenager seems to be making good choices for himself. I know enough atheists in the area to not feel isolated. I even know enough of them to realize that we're human and don't always get along with each other. Ninety-eight percent of the time I enjoy being single. Confident (sorta) that when I have more time, I'll be able to make some sort of connection if I want. I have sister that I know will always be there for me. I feel life is still unfolding in some ways, despite being middle-aged. I have no problem finding things I like to do. My family still accepts me even though I told them I'm atheist.

02-05-2003, 08:03 AM	#7
captainpabst Regular Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 200	I have no debt, money in the bank, and a couple good prospects for beginning grad school in the fall. I'm enjoying singing in the 4 university choirs that I'm in, as well as co-teaching a college voice class. My immediate family knows of my non-belief, and I haven't really encountered any problems with it. My love life...sux. Oops, that's not positive.

02-05-2003, 08:39 AM	#9
pz Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Morris, MN Posts: 3,341	Oh, OK. Good things. I got promotion and tenure earlier this year. I was temporary chairman of my department last semester (the good news is the emphasis on the past tense). We're buying a house. It's very nice. This is the semester I teach one of my big service courses, genetics. It's only the second time I've taught it. The good news is that all the structural stuff was done the first time, and the even better news is I'm finding I know the content of the course damned well. My kids are doing well in school -- mostly As, with a B or two creeping in. Despite some initial shocks on the social scene (they were the weird new atheists in this very churchy midwestern small town), they've developed some good friends and are getting along. My fish have been a bit off their game lately, but they seem to be getting better. They were having lots of wild acrobatic sex this morning. It's snowing, and the temperature is hovering around 0 deg. F. It's perfect weather. I got free books in the mail yesterday: a couple of textbooks I'm evaluating for a course, and another that I have to review. It's just one of the nice perks of this job that publishers send me free stuff all the time. A colleague just sent me a nice e-mail. She's got a new job in the south of France. Yay! I get to go on a protest march this evening. It won't do a thing to hinder this country's lurching into madness, but it'll make me feel a bit better.

02-05-2003, 08:59 AM	#10
Hobbs Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Posts: 929	Great idea for a thread, IronMonkey. As for me, I've got a great (atheist) wife and a wonderful, bright, friendly, inquisitive, and extremely energetic 3 year old son. I cannot think of a job I'd rather be doing than working as a college librarian (well, other than perhaps being a billionaire philanthropist, but I lack one essential qualification, that of being a billionaire), especially since I work at a top school with intelligent, motivated, interested students. Working at a school like this, I have lots of nontheist friends and the theist friends are not the obnoxious god-bot types. I also have many hobbies I am able to participate in, such as woodworking (I'm currently building a toy chest for the kid and a large cabinet/bookshelf for housing stereo stuff, tapes and CDs, and of course books), gardening (well, when the ground is not covered in show), reading, art (not very good yet, but I'm getting better), photography, piano (I'll never be anywhere close to a professional, but it's fun to bang around and create a relatively recognizable tune) (not that the kid leaves me with much time for any of that now, but I'd rather spend time with him anyway). My wife's parents would be good friends even if they hadn't had a daughter for me to marry (though I'd have needed some other excuse to have met them), and my wife gets along just as well with my family (when we were dating, my mother said "she's going to end up in this family one way or another because if you don't marry her I'm going to adopt her"). We make enough money, and are cheap enough, to live well within our means and put away a lot into savings. We have a great house we had designed and built for us, and we like our neighbors. And the universe is an utterly wonderfully amazing place to exist (even more utterly wonderfully amazing when you realize there is not a god behind it, and that all the amazingness is here in this world and not just a reflection of some other god-heaven-world).

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