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)
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
How would you best describe your form of freethought? (Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist, etc.)
Were you raised as a freethinker or to be religious?
I was baptized and raised Catholic.
What originally set you on the path to freethought?
Going to Catholic school in the seventh grade allowed be to see things I didn't like.
In high school I had a religious fanatical neighbor that spoke too much about living life in fear of the Devil.
In college I was approached by many fundementalists that tried to convert me. I really began identifying myself more as an atheist at that time, rather than an agnostic. I started studying literature and found the writings and historical significance of many great atheists and thinking more about a life philosophy.
I took a Logic class in college which discussed, of many things, free will vs determinism. I chose free will, rather than believing I was living according to some invisible man's plan.
When did you "come out" as a freethinker to family/friends/public, and how did it go over?
I told my immediate family in my later high school years. I told my friends and some extended family in college.
Today, some extended family do not know, and my co-workers and boss don't know.
Do you feel it necessary to continue to hide your beliefs in any circumstances, and if so, why?
I believe it is necessary to hide my beliefs from some extended family because they have young children that look up to me, and they may see it as counter to their teaching and wouldn't appreciate it.
I work, I am a teacher and my staff and my boss are religious fanatics often speaking of god, and the work place would become more uncomfortable if I told them I was atheist, so I don't.
Have you ever been the victim of discrimination or abuse because of your beliefs?
No, but I have been in the room when religious people have spoken disrespectfully about people of another religion and those that don't believe in Jesus as our savior. I speak up in those cases, without mentioning specifically that I am atheist.
In what types of freethought activism, if any, do you participate?
I have attended a HALVASON meeting in Vegas, it was fun.
I also attended an atheist meeting in Tampa, FL and met many nice people with good ideas for social programs.
I attended the Godless March on Washington DC in 2003. That was a fantastic time.
I am planning on going to Phoenix for a special event in early to mid August 2004.
What do you feel is the best part of being a freethinker?
To know that I am free from fear about what may happen after I die. To know that my beliefs actually make solid sense, and are not based on what some King said, that some Ruler said, that some prophet said, that some other person said, from some language that was translated from another for the purpose of controlling the masses. To know that my beliefs do not promote hate, separation, or war. To know that I can acknowledge any new information that history or science or experience discovers without fearing contradiction. To know that I do not have a socialized mental disorder into believing that I can see the emperor's new clothes.
What do you feel is the worst part of being a freethinker?
Why there are so many delusional theists around me, humanity could and would accomplish so much if we dropped the shackles of faith and built upon the pillars of freedom.
What is the societal atmosphere for freethinkers where you live?
Mostly Christians, but no one seems to live like it, they just say they are and defend it. Atheists are quiet and hard to find, but they are around.
Vegas is not a social community, it runs on money. There is money in religion. There is not money involved in promoting atheism. For example, look at how many rich religious universities there are Notre Dame, BYU, SMU, Boston College, etc. There are no rich atheist universities that I know of.
How do you define "freedom of religion" and do you think your country attempts to grant this?
The right of any person(s) to choose to worship or not worship as they see fit so long as they cause no harm to themselves or other person(s) as a result. The problem is worshipping is in direct correlation to causing harm to others. Politicians get the religious worked up any time they want to take someone's civil rights or start a war. They just claim god is on their side.
If you could share one thought with whoever might read this profile of you, what would it be?
Please read about atheist in history, read about how religious people have treated those of different faiths or non-religious, read about the leaders that have turned to religion to control the population and watch for these things in today's world. They are still happening because people have chosen to blindly not question their faith and learn from the past.
