Wednesday, July 7, 2010

So who are you guys?

PZ Myers did it, so I thought I'd try too.

In the comments below, tell me who you are, what your background is and what you do. How did you come to this blog, how long have you been reading, what do you think about it, and how could it be improved?
Looking forward to your answers!

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23 comments:

  1. I had the great good fortune to grow up without religion and discover religion as an outsider later on. I've never wavered in being an atheist. Religion is important as a phenomenon in cultural anthropology (I have two degrees in Islamic studies), but I've never found anything of value in the beliefs it promotes.

    I support the aggressive stance on religion advocated by people such as Dawkins and Hitchens. I think the key to progress is technology, not politics.

    I've been reading your blog for only a few months. I can't recall how I originally found it -- doubtless by following a link from somewhere (the blog title is a tad attention-getting). I like your calm and rational approach to the subjects you cover. I hesitate to say anything about "how it could be improved" because a blog should be the voice of its author and its author alone. The only thing I can think of is that I'd rather see more of your original writing relative to embedded videos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been following you for 2-3 months, +/- and I came upon your blog searching for info on "Mormons". I'm currently doing a specialty in the midwest (I'm from a small island in the caribbean) and suddenly found myself surrounded by Evangelicals and Mormons.

    I was curious because although they are all nice people, they don't branch out much when it comes to socializing and hanging out. Kind of culture shock, as where I come from, we are loud, extremely social and "free spirited" so to speak. :o)

    I found your "converting" (for lack of a better word) story very good.

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  3. I'm from a small town. I lived with my mom and dad till I was 4 then they separated after my dad abused my mom through 8 children, I was the youngest.(they were both alcoholics)
    I never grew up with religion other than going to church once in a great while and that was Sunday School church. My mom used to hide when church people came a callin'.
    After she "found" jesus through the 12 step program which is AA, she drove me nuts telling me I needed god and church, the whole bit. Very tired of even trying to have a conversation without church being brought up. I had only come to realize later in life that I was indeed an.....gasp, atheist. It had a name! I don't think I had ever even heard the term till I was an adult. It's not that I despise religious people, it's the intrusion into politics and schools.

    I don't remember how I came across your blog. :)

    I like your blog just fine the way it is.

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  4. Pssh. You already know who I am.

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  5. I forgot how I discovered this blog. Maybe twitter. Hope everything is going well.

    Kriss

    ReplyDelete
  6. Found the blog through your sister Kat--I've known her and Steve since I was 14. I'm pretty sure I've been reading this blog since a month or so after you began writing it.

    Born and raised Mormon but I broke away first at 15 and again at 17. Currently a full time mother and wife, which is perhaps ironic in light of my feminist distaste for "house-wifery" since I was a teenager. I promise, the division of labor isn't stereotypical.

    My only suggestion is to write more often... but I'm sure you're already working on that anyway.

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  7. Can't remember how we found each other, but I like you extra special because you know what living up north is like :) - and the former part of your Mormon past is wonderful. I am so proud of the Women like you who are speaking up about their non-belief and can speak of their crazy Christian self in the past tense.

    @tina FCD - so sorry to hear about the AA/Jesus Freak combo. I wrote about this recently and feel there is a need tackle the unfortunate relationship of addiction and religion. Good to hear you made it through with your logic intact.

    What I do? Whore myself out for tips while getting a second degree to become a librarian since I haven't figured out how to whore my writing/music talents out for hard cash.

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  8. I'm a gay ex-Mormon atheist who grew up in an extremely devout, orthodox and strict Mormon household (TV & Internet are literally the Devil).

    I don't remember how I found your blog, perhaps through Mind on Fire, and it was probably about a year ago.

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  9. Love reading these comments, and feeling so warm and fuzzy that the main suggestion is just for more of my writing!

    I'm at a point of transition in my life and I spent a few weeks pretty much just spacing out after I finished with school. Now I'm job hunting, since I, too, have not found a way to whore out my writing. :-) I have fallen into lazy-mode with posting a lot of videos lately. I will make an effort to mix in more original posts.

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  10. I forget how I found your blog, but I suspect I linked over from another blog... Perhaps the name caught my attention.

    I was born and raised in Africa, in a very devout Mormon home. I married a girl I met while on an LDS mission (Scandalous - I know) and then proceeded to live the Mormon dream. Had 5 kids, held the big callings and even went to walk at Church Headquarters...

    And then I started looking into Church history...

    I'm now an atheist with a great respect and reverence for my fellow man, and the environment. I'm still trying to recover full from Mormonism, and at some point I'll get up the courage to formally resign.

    I stop by whenever I see new content pop up on my blogroll...

    No suggestions for improvement, just keep doing what you do!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Been following since 1/21; Forgot how (probably from angry/ex mo' blog). Typical BIC male. Now atheist/anarchist (no longer owe allegiance to god or government). I enjoy your style, no need to improve.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I was born and raised in the church, didn't believe it (but had to take some time to "realize" it). I'm pretty sure I first heard about your blog when it came up in the Brodie's. Since I don't think your blog directly beat mine in any of the categories, we aren't mortal enemies (yet) ;)

    Even though I would like more articles, even the videos you post are interesting. And I have some lapses in my blogging, so I probably shouldn't talk to anyone about *that*.

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  13. Found your blog through a Reddit post. Used to be a very vocal atheist but now I'm just sort of an apathetic atheist. Twenty three years old. Male.

    You blog posts are good. Just keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  14. @christine Vrynon

    Is there ANY programs for addiction recovery without religion involved?
    Just a question, not an addict. :)

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  15. Andrew, I think I found you through MSP also, and we can be friends until it's time for next year's Brodies. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a smart idea for blogging! Hope you don't mind but I'm likely going to steal this idea for myself (in a few months... you know... let it breathe a little and get out of people's consciousnesses...)

    I'm Andrew (and godwillbegod). I'm hoping in the future to just use my name but I have to get my identities straightened out. I'm a preacher's kid, raised United Church of Canada but I had a very gentle and quiet parting of ways with the church. Currently, relatively funemployed and trying to figure out how get a belief-revolution going in the world.

    I found this blog maybe 6 months ago or so while starting to play around with my own blog. The name really caught my attention -- whoreofalltheearth is definitely a keeper!

    TED talks and the de-converting adventures kept me coming back, and now it's just that "curious community" feeling. Just find myself checking in and seeing what's going on.

    If anything, I'd suggest expanding a little more on the vids you find. Maybe mention how you change a habit or tried something out because of the new info, or talk about whatever next step might be out there. Or your new adventures with the Episcopalians. I think a lot of people are going to churches for non-belief reasons, and so that angle could lead to some interesting blog posts.

    (This a problem I'm finding with myself now -- I find all this cool information and then I don't do anything with it besides post it.)

    Whatever yer doin, keep it up! :-)

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  17. Hello, My name is Sakura. I am an ex-Mormon trans atheist who is currently unemployed ;_; I'm looking for work but in the mean time post articles on my silly little blog.

    I actually have seen your blog through the blogroll on many occasions but it was from a site that linked to yours. http://blogs.chron.com/believeitornot/2010/01/more_sixword_stories_1.html that's the exact story.

    I've been reading it for a short while and like your articles. As far as improvements, nothing I could suggest except to keep posting!

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  18. Hello Leah,

    I just became facebook friends with Angie Jackson (http://angietheantitheist.blogspot.com/) where your blog is listed on her blogroll. You've chosen your title well -- it definitely catches the eye.

    In my unending quest to become a better feminist, I try to read as many thinking women as I can. I'm also a huge Carl Sagan fan, especially his later books (The Demon-Haunted World, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors).

    I encourage you to continue writing. You are doing good work. If you're looking for a place to break out and don't mind a suggestion, you could try posting on Open Salon (http://open.salon.com).

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  19. I'm a 22 year old, just got married this past June, after graduating from Loras with a BA in English Lit (minors in religious studies and Irish studies). We live in Wisconsin now and he's working as an Autism therapist, while I search for a job. He was raised mormon, hasn't practiced in several years, officially resigned a year ago, but never actually believed. I got WAY into studying it when we started talking about it, and we're sort of in the process of educating his younger brothers on the true history of the mormon church, etc. I'm pretty sure I found your "exit story" on Main Street Plaza, but I honestly don't remember. I've only been reading it regularly this summer, but I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Found your blog through a Reddit post. Used to be a very vocal atheist but now I'm just sort of an apathetic atheist. Twenty three years old. Male.

    You blog posts are good. Just keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I forget how I found your blog, but I suspect I linked over from another blog... Perhaps the name caught my attention.

    I was born and raised in Africa, in a very devout Mormon home. I married a girl I met while on an LDS mission (Scandalous - I know) and then proceeded to live the Mormon dream. Had 5 kids, held the big callings and even went to walk at Church Headquarters...

    And then I started looking into Church history...

    I'm now an atheist with a great respect and reverence for my fellow man, and the environment. I'm still trying to recover full from Mormonism, and at some point I'll get up the courage to formally resign.

    I stop by whenever I see new content pop up on my blogroll...

    No suggestions for improvement, just keep doing what you do!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I had the great good fortune to grow up without religion and discover religion as an outsider later on. I've never wavered in being an atheist. Religion is important as a phenomenon in cultural anthropology (I have two degrees in Islamic studies), but I've never found anything of value in the beliefs it promotes.

    I support the aggressive stance on religion advocated by people such as Dawkins and Hitchens. I think the key to progress is technology, not politics.

    I've been reading your blog for only a few months. I can't recall how I originally found it -- doubtless by following a link from somewhere (the blog title is a tad attention-getting). I like your calm and rational approach to the subjects you cover. I hesitate to say anything about "how it could be improved" because a blog should be the voice of its author and its author alone. The only thing I can think of is that I'd rather see more of your original writing relative to embedded videos.

    ReplyDelete

Religion, skepticism, and carving out a spiritual life post-Mormonism