Atheist Attic Visitor Profile
What is your name? (Real or pseudo)
What is your date of birth?
What is your gender?
What is your race?
What is your e-mail address? (optional)
What is the name and URL of your homepage? (optional)
Where do you live? (City, State, Country)
How would you best describe your form of freethought? (Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist, etc.)
Atheist. I used to claim agnosticism, but realized via reading in the
Attic and elsewhere that chiefly agnostics are "polite" atheists.
Were you raised as a freethinker or to be religious?
My father's family are Southern Pentecostals and I attended their churches
when young. I mostly lived with my mom though, and religion was never a
big issue with her and her family.
What originally set you on the path to freethought?
I've wavered around in life concerning theology, but I guess I was first "turned on" to freethought and atheism in the 11th grade of high school through my copious reading of
Ayn Rand and Objectivist and libertarian philosophy.
When did you "come out" as a freethinker to family/friends/public, and how did it go over?
Can't say
that I officially "came-out" as an atheist and freethinker, but I'm a
blunt person who speaks my mind always.
Do you feel it necessary to continue to hide your beliefs in any circumstances, and if so, why?
Freethinkers cannot afford
to hide any longer. Our nation is under attack by the Christian
Coalition, the anti-science Creationists, and superstitions like angels
and New Age gobbly-goop. We must stand up for our beliefs and rights.
Have you ever been the victim of discrimination or abuse because of your beliefs?
I've been ridiculed in various situations for my beliefs, usually by
nominal Christians. Once, a redneck became so angry that I didn't
believe his one-dimensional love for the Bible that he wanted to
physically fight about it, thus showing the usual Christian
sanctimony. He backed down when I informed the bonehead that I didn't see
why it had to lead to fisticuffs, but I'm no pacifist so bring it on if
it made him feel like a good thumper. The person above was later
convicted of beating his wife and kids and jailed for a short-time.
In what types of freethought activism, if any, do you participate?
I'm ashamed that I haven't done a lot of activity concerning freethought,
but plan to do more in the future.
What do you feel is the best part of being a freethinker?
The best part of being a
freethinker is the knowledge of being aware that you are indeed free in
your mind and not cluttered with base dogma and superstition.
What do you feel is the worst part of being a freethinker?
The worst part of freethought is dealing with all the ignorant people out
there, and living in a culture where religious-oriented beliefs
rule. Freethinkers are at the mercy of the 90% so-called theists.
What is the societal atmosphere for freethinkers where you live?
Kansas is in the Bible Belt more or less, but I dwell in a campus town
somewhat liberal in outlook, so it is not so bad. I work in the
construction trades where I meet a thumper time to time.
How do you define "freedom of religion" and do you think your country attempts to grant this?
The phrase
should be "freedom from religion." I get sick sometimes knowing that
working-class people pick up the tab for religions who do not pay property
taxes. I can't watch TV anymore without some person wanting to put god
in the format.
If you could share one thought with whoever might read this profile of you, what would it be?
If I could say one thing to freethinkers it would be
"attack." Do not hold back in speaking your mind. Don't be afraid to
offend someone. (Do you think Christians care about offending you?) The
entire point of being a freethinker is to express your mind to humanity.
After World War Two, a German pastor wrote a poem concerning the Nazis, detailing
his cowardice for not speaking out when the Gestapo rounded up Jews,
Communists, Socialists and Catholics because he was not a member of the
above groups, and no one was left to speak out when they came for
him... " ...then they came for the freethinkers..."
