Godless Profile

[talktooloose]

After reading the rantings of one too many hate-filled fundamentalists this morning, I've gone and added "aetheism" to my list of interests and this paragraph to my profile:

"I am an aetheist. I used to think of myself as an agnostic but in a world where fundamentalism is causing untold harm, I think it's important for me to come down strongly on the other side. Philosophy is largely a pragmatic concern to me. Whether there are one or more invisible men in the sky who may or may not have inspired nature is of no relevance to my life. We have each other and we have the world around us; that is responsibility and mystery enough for me."

That out of the way, I will spend my day awaiting a dishwasher repairman, cleaning our house, working on a freelance web job and writing a pivotal moment in my novel.

Comments

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

Godspeed!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Imaginary invisible man is my co-pilot!

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

I prefer grimmlok's "sky fairy".

[mofic.livejournal.com]

I think your description is pretty agnostic, actually. You're saying you don't know and don't care if there's a god, not that you're sure there isn't one. But I support your right to self-identify however you like! And am with you on the dangers of religious fundamentalism. Still, not all religiously affiliated people are hate-filled fundamentalists (or hate-filled or fundamentalists, for that matter).

Of course if you were USAmerican rather than Canadian you'd be an atheist instead. And that's a horse of a different colo(u)r.

[painglass.livejournal.com]

Oh oh oh! I Love that paragraph! Go you!

Your pup must be crazy if the dishwasher is broken- whatever is he to lick clean now?! :)

[mentalmakeup.livejournal.com]

You can be an atheist and agnostic at the same time, so, yay!

[a-trick-mind.livejournal.com]

It is not God whom I object to, it is those who claim so loudly to be His representatives that I abhore.

[redtheblue.livejournal.com]

If the choice is one of opposition then if you're an atheist long enough you might become an "atheist/Satan Sympathizer", like me. I have a special place in my heart for every god of evil and mischief. They're a misunderstood lot.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Interesting; it's not what you said, but I first read your comment as: "Don't turn your back on God because of the fundamentalists."

And of course, that's not you said so I seem to be a bit defensive.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I could get behind that one; especially if he had a lot of glitter.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I'm writing a 250,000 word novel in American spelling. I need to spell "correctly" somewhere.

I compare my right to self-identify as aetheist to my right to self-identify as gay. Perhaps in another time and place with different political and social underpinnings, I'd identify as bi or not identify with a label at all.

I'm sure there isn't a god because such a sphere of consciousness is utterly irrelevant to me in the same way as I cannot picture curved time-space or make such a construct useful in my life. Curved time-space, the different physics of sub-atomic particles, god, sports; all of these have no bearing on my life. Okay, I like skating and curling.

Aetheism is perhaps an act of faith. It is a commitment to a course. I don't usually like commitments, but for now, this one makes sense. And I think it is important that we not slip into a time when everyone has to say they believe in god whether they go to church or not. It is important to add my voice to the aetheist numbers.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Please to explain.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

The pup's tongue is not broken. Corgi pre-rinse is working fine!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

heh.

But I don't like the dualism of god/satan. We Jews don't have that anyway. Also, evil and mischief are very different concepts. Mischief can be used to better the world.

I want my opposition to better the world, not just mess with the works.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Where'd you come from, anyway? You surfed here through our aetheism link? Or Brecht?

I like Warren Ellis, too. I'm reading my way through NextWave currently.

[redtheblue.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm all for bettering the world, and I try to do it in my own small ways. I guess my outlook has just gone past cynical and over the deep end.

(And I don't understand religions with the god/satan duality myself, and I grew up with it. Inevitably one reaches a precocious age when it isn't that hard to see one's religion sports an obvious ethical-metaphysical construct that has a lot in common with G.I. Joe. This can either demonstrate to the dedicated believer that god's beneficence is omnipresent, even in G.I. Joe, or it can feel a little insulting to the intelligence.)

[redtheblue.livejournal.com]

I was just looking through interests for interesting journals and yours stuck out :) I've been wanting to read NextWave. Right now I'm reading Richard K. Morgan, though. He has a lot in common with Ellis, except that his work is more geared toward the economics and politics of corporate- and state-sanctioned violence, and his view of the future is much more grim.

[mentalmakeup.livejournal.com]

Agnostic:
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.

Atheist:
a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.

For example, I'm an agnostic--I allow for the possibility of a God--but I operate under the belief that there is no God, hence, atheist. "Weak atheist", technically.

[briseur.livejournal.com]

What would you be doing back there?

[briseur.livejournal.com]

Curling and skating? You are so canadian. Wait! No hockey? You are so gay. Wait! You already said that.
In other news, I believe in God (given that the influence exerted by the idea of Him creates too much havoc too be denied); I just hate Him.

[briseur.livejournal.com]

No Satan for Jews? Who tempts Job?

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

And what do all those closeted evangelists mean by "Get thee behind me, Satan!"

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Ahh, we're on the same page. I had misunderstood "agnostic" as being "I dunno; some days I think there is and some days I don't."

I allow for the possibility of God by having a guest room in the basement.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

The G.I. Joe comparison is not just casual as religion is often just a construct to get poor people to willingly give up their lives for the rich in battles over treasure.

I had a G.I. Joe doll as a kid. His trim little hair and beard were so metrosexual!

I'm not a cynic, btw. I find cynicism lazy. I'm a skeptic and full of wonder.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Welcome. I will make no attempt not to bore you.

Oh! Thanks to your profile page for taking me to 40k_films! Hotness!