Lurkers, Come Out!

Fair enough.

Really enjoy the blog. It’s one of the few that I read just about every post. Good stuff. Thanks!

I’m not so much a Friendly Atheist virgin, but I may as well introduce myself since I kind of just popped on here a few months back (even though I have already managed to win a contest!!! Thanks Hemant!)

My name is Derek Berner. I’m 26, live in Franklin, TN, and write medical transcription software with Base Systems. I am getting married to Leslie Kinnunen in August of this year. Mike Clawson used to be the youth pastor at my mom’s church before he was kicked out for being too postmodern, and I found this site through his blog.

I listen to Def Leppard, Journey, Weird Al Yankovic, and despite being agnostic I still have a soft spot for Petra. In my spare time I enjoy reading, cooking, more programming, video games, esoteric board and card games, and singing along with the radio (I’ve been told I don’t suck too badly).

I’m agnostic of the “weak atheist” variety, and I shed the last vestiges of my Christian faith about a year ago in response to a Christian Pastor at my brother’s church in Kentucky pulling me aside against my will when I was due for a movie and insisting on having a deep conversation with me about my relationship with Christ. I decided, foolishly, to be honest, and told her the truth: I do profess a faith in Christ, but I don’t exactly know how closely I hold to that and I don’t attend church regularly.

As the discussion wore on, despite my fruitless attempts to exit the conversation gracefully, she eventually started pleading with me to shed my intellectual hangups about Christianity and just “let Christ in.” I was finally able to wriggle out of there by asking her to pray for God to lead me to finding the truth. I spent some time praying to God and indeed had one final “spiritual experience” where I thought Jesus was talking to me, but by the time I got back home I was decided that I was pretty much a weak theist agnostic. Since then I’ve kept a blog about my ramblings which you may or may not find interesting, and have spent a lot of time both observing and engaging Christians and Atheists alike on the blogosphere.

An atheist glad to say I’m not alone down here. Site is pretty cool, love the contests and the posts. I’m 19 and a computer programmer with a few startups in work, gotta make the money 😉 Look forward to coming back and conversing with other atheists/theists alike.

*coming out of lurkdom*

I love the friendly atheist!

Well, I’ve been a reader for a month or so, so I might as well introduce myself.
The names Daryl, and I’m from Puerto Rico. Raised catholic by my Mother and Grandmother yet have always considered myself atheist. Probably a direct result of a life spent in catholic school and my father’s constant push toward a search for knowledge. So, I’ve never been a believer. The school year did create a lot of anger and contempt towards catholicism and other forms of Christianity, though ever since entering college, and releasing a lot of steam by preaching atheism like there’ no tomorrow and ranting about God and religion, I’ve calmed myself down and have becomed more of what I really am that remained hidden by so many years of forced belief, just an all around nice guy..I hope.. I’m 19, studying English, the Literature track, though I’ll have my occasional slip up since it’s not my native language. Getting a minor in Film Studies. Can’t really think of anything else to say to introduce myself, so I’ll just leave it at that. Any wan all questions about me, if they exist, I can try to answer.

Really enjoy the site. Keep up the good work.

Hi there! I’ve been a lurker for a little while now. I’m a bartender, magician, skeptic and recent “de-convert” I don’t have time to go into in now, but if pushed, I can give you my story later. 😉

Thanks so much for the work you’re doing and the great content.

http://twitter.com/dezrah

Hey,
I’ve been lurking around this blog for quite a long time and I find it to be very interesting. I’m 21, female, agnostic and live in Hamburg, Germany.

Hey, I love the blog. It’s the only one that I visit every day (for the past month or so) and I have really enjoyed it so far. I don’t know if I’ll leave very many comments as I usually read in the down-time at work, but you might hear from me.

The power of Hemant compels you! Reveal yourself!

Hi. Been viewing the site periodically since November, and just started posting a bit within the past few weeks. Really nice place, but still a good amount of debates. The internet is very scary place…

I’m a lurker.
One of the many Secular/Atheist blogs in my RSS reader, I occasionaly write about this topic myself.

I love this blog, read it every day. Never commented though. Going back to lurking now.

I think I’ve commented before.

I visit this site at least every other day. I very much enjoy the posts, links (love Indexed), comments and ground rules. Thanks for the time, effort and thought you put into Friendly Atheist.

I’m a gardening, hiking, bibliophilic, ex-accountant. I’m also an atheist, homeschooling wife and mother of two. I live in beautiful upstate SC.

Anne

I’m not exactly a Friendly Atheist virgin, but I’ve really only done oral here so far.

;^D

Seriously, I’ve posted a few comments, but I haven’t been here that long (a couple of months or so at most). I enjoy the blog a lot, both Hemant’s posts and many of the clever and/or very thoughtful responses by other readers. This is one of the sites I check up on almost daily.

As for introducing myself, I am an editorial assistant who primarily proofreads peer-review petroleum engineering journal articles and books; though my degree is in English, not engineering, I am a longtime fan of sciences and thus have at least a vague idea of what I’m reading — except for the math, but fortunately I don’t have to vouch for that. (I do wish I did this for something I really wanted to be associated with, though, like the NCSE or something. And working with articles of a slightly less technical nature would be nice, too.)

I was raised nominally Methodist Christian, but never took religion or the Bible all that seriously — certainly not literally, and I was appalled and bewildered when I first encountered adults who did. I have been an agnostic atheist since my teens, but didn’t really know I could express it that way until a few years ago; I just described myself as agnostic, but it’s more accurate to say that I consider God/gods to be an utterly implausible and certainly unproved assertion, which means that until there’s evidence for divinities, I am atheist by default. I’m open to evidence, but considering the nature of the claims, it had better be darned extraordinary evidence.

In spite of this, I had a 14-year relationship (until she passed away 3 years ago) with someone who was devoutly fundamentalist Christian, yet certainly was by no means stupid. We occasionally had some fairly intense debates over religion, but never really fought about it. I even attended church with her for several years (a nondenominational “Bible church”), and I think that most of the people I met through her church are really great people, and many of them are highly intelligent. So I know that “theist” does not always equate to “raving idiot.”

Final wrap-up of details about me: I like to read science and history nonfiction (as well as historical mystery fiction and sci-fi), I play D&D, and I sing in an a capella vocal group that does professional Christmas caroling in Victorian attire and soon will be offering to sing madrigals in the off season (for weddings, etc.). Yes, I do acknowledge the irony of that last pastime!

~David D.G.

Hi – I’ve been lurking for a while, actually, and have really enjoyed your blog, Hemant. There’s a wonderful air of… pleasantness, I suppose. You’re not a closet Anglophile, are you?

I’m a Zen Buddhist-cum-atheist – I got interested in transpersonal psychology while an undergraduate, and studied it at masters’ level here in the UK… but the more I’ve studied psychology generally, and the more I’ve engaged with my Zen practice, the more I’ve questioned a lot of the naive thinking underlying faith, religion and the field of “transpersonal studies” (which for many – but certainly not all – just seems to be a way to try to legitimise New Age flakiness). I happen to know quite a few parapsychologists, and bump into them at various academic conferences. Great arguments rage, late into the night, and always in good spirit. Essentially, until I actually witness a physical law being violated (dramatic healing, an actual ghost, a voice that could only be from the grave, etc), I just can’t buy it.

But I’m not a pure materialist – I’ve experienced a few “moments of transcendence” (not all while meditating) that have served to foster some doubt in me. If pushed, I call myself a ‘transcendent materialist’ – there’s something more than mere organised matter, and I don’t know what it is. Does some separate ‘mind-stuff’ exist that somehow interacts with the brain? Is consciousness a mere epiphenomenon? Wish I could tell you! My Zen, though, has over the years made me question the normal safe assumptions of ‘identity’ – what it is to be ‘me’, what that means, and how much of that is manufactured and how that leads to unnecessary suffering.

I’ve enjoyed reading some of the New Atheists, but I don’t recognise my own ‘faith’ (more accurately it’s a tension between faith and doubt) in the straw men that Prof Dawkins & co set up. I’ve enjoyed your blog, H, because you’ve not gone down that route, and you seem to me to be someone who is willing to tentatively respect others’ experience and try to find a middle ground to engage with them on, without buying into the belief systems they espouse.

10 points, you.

Well, heck. How can I resist an open invitation? Minnesota skeptic and atheist over here. Howdy.

I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. I recently discovered your site and find it insightful and amusing so I check up on it from time to time. I’m an agnostic btw.

Keep up the good work!

…officially delurked.
I love this blog! As a high school student myself, I really appreciate your involvement with young atheists/agnostics/freethinkers.

I’ve commented here in the past so I guess I’m not technically a lurker. I am an atheist living in Idaho. I am also an ordained Atheist Minister with the First Church of Atheism 😉

So there ya go!

If I haven’t commented here for months, is that sufficient to classify me as a “lurker?” Or is that like reversing one’s virginity?

Been lurking for a few months now. I’m an atheist living in northern California. I read the blog almost every day, so keep up the good work.

@Roy McKenzie: you’re not alone!

I’ve been lurking for quite a while, and I just get too caught up in reading people’s comments to post comments of my own. 😛

I, too, am from the Central Valley of California. Fresno, to be specific. Although I would have to say that the areas I am in the most are a healthy mix of religious and non-religious. I know that other atheists exist in Fresno, from the Letters to the Editor in our newspaper, The Fresno Bee. I also know that there are quite a deal of the crazy religious types, also from their letters. It seems though that most people in my city are largely tolerant, or at least indifferent, to many [non]religion[s].
Of course, it could just be the areas that I frequent, since they’re usually primarily “artsy” areas, like the Tower District and my school (a performing arts school). Usually I just lay on the down-low, to avoid confrontation, since I do know several rather religious people.

I’m a senior in high school, with aspirations to go into medicine to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. So really, my atheism has been solidified with the amount of scientific reading and research that I have done.
But it all really began last year, at a friend’s party. I drank way too much alcohol, which, of course, caused me to start vomiting. Another friend stayed with me for most of the 4 hours I was at the toilet, and one of the things he said was “you know, most people just say they’re atheists because it’s cool, but they’re not really. They say that, but they’re still afraid of hell.” That got me thinking (when I could start thinking again) about my own beliefs. (And just so you know, that one experience was enough negative reinforcement that I haven’t had any alcohol since then. I’m on an aspirin & coumadin regimen (long story), so all that vomiting caused a huge abrasion in my stomach, which caused me to bleed for several days. Huge blood loss, had to have two (or three) transfusions.)

Up to that point I had been raised Episcopalian. Baptized, and even Confirmed (not in this diocese, if it means anything to you). My attitudes towards other people didn’t change much at all. Actually, it’s quite possibly my raising that really influenced my “liberal” “let it be” attitude (Episcopalians are notorious for that).
Oh, and I also went to an Episcopalian school for preschool up to kindergarten, and Catholic school from 1st grade to 8th.

Sorry about the extremely long first comment. I like to write, especially about my life. 🙂

It’s nice to be invited ;o) I’ve been lurking for a few weeks after I found my way over from Pharyngula, but this is my first comment here. Hello from New Zealand!

Hi my names Michael. Been lurking for a few months now. I’m an atheist living in Ottawa Canada. I currently go to the University of Ottawa in an undergraduate Biochemistry program. I think your doing a good job keep it up. Now back to lurking.

Las Vegas – just saying hi to all.

John

Jackie from Ann Arbor, Mi. I’m going into my last year for Materials Science and Engineering at the U of Michigan. I’ve been an atheist for 6some years now. The contests are definitely my favorite.

I’m one of those lurkers who just needed an invitation to participate.

I’m a second generation atheist, married to an atheist, and the proud mother of two fabulous atheist daughters. I’m also an elementary teacher who is much loved and respected by my school community, and yet I would likely lose my job if it became known that I am an atheist.

I read Hemant’s blog everyday, along with Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe (love their podcast!), Skepchick, Pharyngula and No God Blog. These sites keep me updated on what’s going on in the atheist/skeptical communities, as well as help me feel less alone.

Thanks for the opportunity to share!

Thanks for living up to your blog’s name. I enjoy how upbeat it is and you are. It is on my IGoogle Atheism tab. Keep up the good work. I hope you get more responses than you have time to approve.

Welcome, lurkers – it’s great to see you! It’s also really, really nice to hear positive comments about how tactful, pleasant and friendly we are – we so often get the opposite reaction from newbies who pop up here. 😉

Couple of comments I wanted to respond to:

(I do wish I did this for something I really wanted to be associated with, though, like the NCSE or something. And working with articles of a slightly less technical nature would be nice, too.)

I would recommend that you volunteer to do some proof-reading or writing for the NCSE and/or some other secular and atheist organizations. Most of them run on a shoestring and might at least consider accepting your services as a volunteer. If you impress them and make yourself invaluable, you might end up doing some paid freelance projects for them and from there … who knows?

Grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist family and spent most of my life being a missionary’s kid in Mexico. We were pretty much the weird family that dressed funny (”modestly”) and seemed to have their own language.
We moved to the states when I was fourteen and I slowly became something of an American … when I was nineteen I realized that all of Christianity was basically bullshit. It was a hard thing to go through (especially since I simultaneously realized I was gay) but at the end of the process I found myself liberated.

Hey, I’m one of the moderators of an ex-fundy online support group for people who have deconverted or are considering it. We have someone in the group with a background very much like you (she also did missionary work in Mexico with the fundy Baptists). If you – or anyone else who used to be a fundamentalist (of any religious persuasion) – would benefit from support and encouragement from other likeminded people, please jump into our group.

I think I’ve commented before but I might be wrong. Either way, I figured I should say hi.

I’m a student at the university of delaware. I would love to join the secular student assiciation here, but every semester this year and last year, their meetings have been in the middle of my frisbee practices (I play competitive ultimate and love it!) Hopefully next fall I’ll be able to join them.

I was pretty much neutral on the topic of religion (I didn’t believe in god and really didn’t bother to think about it much) until the end of high school, when I started dating my current boyfriend and his parents decided that it was inappropriate for him to be dating an atheist. They tried to get him to find a “nice christian girl” but he refused to dump me over religion. I feel awful watching his parents brainwash his 4 younger siblings into their evangelicalism without being able to say anything (and I don’t… I’m on shaky enough ground with them already). So I suppose watching their family really pushed me to become more outspoken about my lack of religion.

Well, I’ve been here only a few months, so I’ll introduce myself. (Even though I have two Friendly Atheist wristbands now, I still feel new here.)

Middle-aged mother of two lovely daughters, in the DC suburbs. (Currently obsessed with Harry Potter and Doctor Who.) Raised Presbyterian, spent my teenage years doing tons of youth group and youth choir activities. In college, majored in Physics, and shed all the religion. I realized the only part I really liked about church was singing, so I kept singing, and dumped all the rest.

I’m still pretty much in the closet in my community, since I am an officer in my local chorus, and many of the church musicians in the group would not take it well if I openly proclaimed my total lack of belief in their religions. My only obvious outward sign of atheism would be the pirate fish on my car.

Now I’m trying to raise my children to be open-minded, thoughtful, critical thinkers. They keep encountering Fundie relatives and schoolmates, and I am trying to help my girls deal with all the preaching and proclamations that they are going to hell. I’ve been haunting the atheosphere, including pharyngula, venganza, de-conversion, daylight atheism, and here, for wisdom and insight, and some really good laughs. I comment occasionally, but I am here every day.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure that the Bad Astronomer was in my 6th grade class. I wonder if he still plays the trombone.

Hi everyone! *de-lurks*

I’m a 26 year old computer science student from Germany. Raised in a liberal Catholic family, I haven’t been a really religious person since my childhood. For a long time, religion just was a non-issue for me. Last year, finally, I somehow felt the need to think about it again, and quickly realized I had been an atheist all along. And – I liked it this way.

It was then that I subscribed to a couple of atheist blogs, this being one of them. The friendly and open atmosphere make it a very nice and interesting place to visit. 🙂 I must say, though, some of the stories I read really make me glad that I live in a country where relligious fundamentalism is rather insignificant. Good luck and more power to those less fortunate!

I’ll take this invitation; thanks!

I’ve been lurking for several months now, and occasionally considered commenting, but never actually have. Now that I’ve done so once, I’ll have less excuse not to do so in the future.

Karen, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll look into it!

~David D.G.

I must say that all this openness and comraderie is making me feel like an old stick-in-the-mud fraidy-cat snob, so here’s my Hello!
I’ve been reading Hemant’s blog for about a year; it was my introduction to the wonderful world of atheist/skeptic/science/political blogs. It felt a lot like coming home.
I gave up any pretense of religiosity when I was about 9 and never looked back, even though I was treated like a mutant (not a cool X-Man either) throughout school. As an adult being an atheist was something that came up rarely, so I mostly never sweated it, until I had a child after moving to Georgia.
Now it’s hugely important to me to “rear ‘im right”, especially because we’re embedded in Bible Belt culture, including my Jesus-loving, preacher’s-daughter MIL.
So many thanks to all of you for giving me the intelligent, warm, strong environment I need to think well and be a better woman and mom.

I just started looking through this blog today, and I really like the friendly, intellectual atmosphere. I think I’ll keep coming back.
I’m a 24-year-old Shinto Buddhist in the Marine Corps. I also try to adhere to Bushido as closely as possible. I really enjoy studying religion, philosophy, culture, language and the way they interact and influence each other…also the ways they don’t. It’s important not only from a military perspective, but also for my personal understanding of the world.

Just yesterday I was about to post a comment for the first time (about coincidental meetings), but got caught up with work. I guess I can’t ignore this invitation.

I’ve always been atheist (born that way, right?) but have recently become more aware of and interested in the issues we face as non-religious people in the United States. My baptism (Catholic) was probably the last time I actually took part in any religious ceremony. My mother always wished my brothers and I would go to church, but we were never forced to go, which was probably due to my father being atheist.

Growing up in the diverse population of a university town (Ann Arbor – Go Blue!), I was not overtly aware of the extent to which I was an anomaly. Whether coincidentally or by subconscious measures (ooh, maybe it was Divine Providence!), my friends tended to be non-religious if not atheist, or were simply private about their faith.

I now live in Washington (the state), about 30 minutes north of Portland, OR. While the Northwest is considered one of the least “churched” regions of the country, I have found that, particularly in the smaller cities and towns, people seem to be quite dedicated to their religious beliefs. There are certainly times when I feel a bit out of place in the small towns where I live and work, but it is far from inescapable.

I am thrilled that there exist places, both on the internet and in real life, where we atheists can freely exchange ideas with like-minded people. Especially the friendly ones.

– Carlos

Ah, go on then. Twentysomething atheist from the UK here, still just getting started with all this “skeptical community” malarkey, having realised that it exists only a few months ago. I’m still generally commenting much less than I’m lurking, and doing actual blogging even less than that, but making an effort to ramp it up from time to time. Big fan of the site, been stopping by every so often for a while now. (Tried to post this from work a little while back, pretty sure it didn’t go through but apologies if I’m repeating myself.)

I can’t remember if I’ve ever commented before, but I really enjoy this blog. So, hello! 🙂