Glad I got my star and found this place.

[Discord]

Wish I had found it sooner.

I think I lost it in GD the last couple days. Was very uncharacteristicly... enraged.

I went on a rapid fire attack on religion... yes... all of it.

I think I may have upset some people, but I just couldn't help it. I was having religion overload, and my mind was scorched with fear at the thought of where this country is headed.

I'm just so fed up with it all. Its like I can see down the road, and it goes right off a cliff. Everyone in my community is walking with me, but they are all walking with their eyes fixed to the skies above. No matter how much or in which manner I try to convince them to watch their step, they assure me that as long as they continue to watch the sky, no harm could come to them...For thats what they've been told, and through fear, convinced them that to look down, would cause the world they know to vanish, and they would suffer for straying their eyes from the beautiful skies above.

I hope this place can be a place of refuge for me when it gets too much to handle, and a place where I can talk more freely about my views without worrying about offending or being attacked for expressing my views on religion.

I also see some familiar names posting in here. I have read many good posts written by many of you. (why does that not surprise me... :P )

Look forward to getting to know you all.

[onager]

1. Welcome!

:hi:

I've seen some of your posts and enjoyed them.

[Discord]

2. Thank you. I appreciate that.

I think its natural that on DU people tend to hear from those who disagree with you much more often than the ones who agree with you.

[Fenris]

3. Welcome to the refuge from God Squad.

:hi:

[Discord]

4. Thank you!

:toast:

[Rhiannon12866]

8. LOL! I ran into those in school!

When I filled out my application, for a college roommate, I said that I'd put up with anyone but "God Squad!" Thanks for this!:D

[Warpy]

27. My first college roommate put up a picture of dyspeptic Jesus

(you know, the white guy with the long hair, pained expression, and burning, exposed heart) and told me she was going to convert me.

A month later she was drinking beer. Lots of beer.

Two months later she got busted for necking with a black guy on campus (and this was the mid 60s in the south).

I had very little to do with it. I'd just tuned her out and raised my own kind of hell and had fun doing it.

A lot of those god squad types have the seeds of rebellion in there somewhere. All they need is fertile ground to grow in. If Mom & Dad hustle them off to some little bible "college," they're lost. If not, there's hope.

In the meantime, they're allowed to be wrong. Pity them, and let them know where the boundaries lie. They're not allowed to force you and me to be wrong.

[progressoid]

5. After the Schiavo weirdness, now the Popeapalooza...

it's easy to get overloaded. I haven't watched TV for days (don't really miss it) and only skim most of the posts outside of this forum. Hopefully life will return to it's previously irritating state in a couple weeks.

[Discord]

12. We can hope. I'm afraid that they will just find something

else thats completely meaningless to cover after all this settles down.

[fshrink]

6. Welcome. And for the rest...

Get a chute, 'cause we're going down.

[Discord]

13. LOL.

ready, willing but not Able.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Welcome! Glad to have you with us! And congrats on your star!

But don't expect smooth sailing here, LOL! We may share the same lack of religious belief, but, not necessarily, the same beliefs. *sigh* But I'm still really glad that you found us, and you already know DU is the best place on the web. Welcome. I hope that this group can be your refuge.

Rhi :grouphug:

[Discord]

14. Thank you!

I never expect smooth sailing anywhere nowadays...

But one thing I would expect from here...

RATIONAL THOUGHT!!!

What a concept...lol

[progressoid]

18. Rational thought?!? HA HA HA HA HA

Hell, even Martin Luther knew that was the enemy of religion. I think his quote is something like, "That damned whore, reason"

[Discord]

19. Yeah, kinda funny how something as evil as rational

thought can endanger religious principles.

:evilgrin:

At least we know we are doing something right.

:rofl:

[Az]

26. More wisdom from Martin Luther

Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has: it never comes to the aid of spritual things, but--more frequently than not --struggles against the Divine Word....

Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding, and whatever it sees must be put out of sight and ... know nothing but the word of God.

To be a Christian, you must pluck out the eye of reason.

Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of his reason.

[Rhiannon12866]

24. You're more than welcome. This group is supposed to be our

"safe haven," but I've already seen my share of disagreements and have gotten flamed here more than I have in other forums on DU. But this is a new concept and I think we just have to give it time and work out the kinks. All of us here share something and I think we just need time to come to grips with that fact! We're not used to it! And I love your concept of rational thought. This should become our motto. I'm just glad that you found us.:-)

[zippy890]

9. I feel the same way

This is a refuge within a refuge. I feel very safe here, and free to express my views.

Religiosity overload in our country these days. Ugh

Hi fellow freethinkers! :hi:

[Discord]

15. hehe. I been seeing this "religiosity" term lately.

I like it!

[PassingFair]

10. Hiya, Discord!

I wish the admins would relegate all the religious torment to the religion and theology room for a while....I'm tired of it.

Kinda fun watching the true colors sprout, though.
Guess the "give me a child until he is seven" thing is pretty dead-on!

P.S. Big HI to you, too Zippy! :hi:

[Discord]

16. I had sent a request for that via the ATA forums

I was respectfully declined.

He cited that it was current events, and an important issue to discuss with polyreligious and non religious community, and that they were doing their best to moderate the threads to help keep it civil.

[YankeyMCC]

11. Welcome

We may not all hold the same views but this is still a refuge. It should be a place that no matter what views you hold there's a high expectation of rational discourse here.

[Discord]

17. Thank You! and My thoughts exactly.

:hi:

[southpaw]

20. Yep... this forum is a bit of a refuge...

Plus, I've learned a lot from reading the ideas of some of the regular posters.

Welcome!

[Discord]

21. Thank you and glad to be here.

I hope to learn, and maybe even teach, with our distinguished panel and occasional guests.

[zippy890]

22. distinguished panel?

did I miss something?

[Discord]

23. I distinguish anyone capable of rational thought!

:evilgrin:

[Az]

25. Welcome!

We've all been there. We look into the heart of religion and we see a darkness that threatens all. We become overwhelmed with a desire to free everyone in shouting distance of its unfluence. And we become all the more desperate when no one hears our pleas.

So glad you found us. Comiserate with us for a while. Trade ideas and notions. And perhaps together we can find a way to increase the reason if not remove the belief from the world.

[Discord]

28. ahhh... what a wonderful concept.

People being good to one another because they want to... not feel they have to.

Then we'd really see who the good people were and who were just labeled that way.

[Rhiannon12866]

29. Welcome, Discord! So glad to have you with us.

You're safe here. We may have minor squabbles, like on any forum, but this is the safe place to air your grievances. I understand and identify.:-)