Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen Turner on March 19, 2010 at 11:22am

My pleasure. All the best of luck--it ain't easy. Funny, though, when I told my mom I liked women she barely batted an eye. Weird, huh : )

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Permalink Reply by Diaddy_lil_Freethinker on March 18, 2010 at 4:50pm

Thank you to everybody that took the time to read my post and respond. I am happy that I can talk about issues like this one with understanding people! You guys are all GREAT! =]

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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Maloney on March 18, 2010 at 5:46pm

Your mom is right and wrong. You're a young woman exploring Atheism. Do yourself a favor and keep things at home down to a dull roar. And for real, FB is last place you want to express your activism. FB is owned, operated and mined by "the man". It might not matter to you at the moment - but down the road when you look for a job, apply for credit or run for public office, the FB crap which at this time might seem harmless to you - can cause you major problems. I know it's difficult to yield to the potential dangers of FB, but you should find another forum (chat?) where you and your friends can discuss controversial subjects and can talk openly without concern of your mom/s reading your stuff or creating a history for "the man" to use against you in the future.

Getting into a row with your mom over religion ain't worth it. She doesn't know any better. She probably didn't think progressively like you when she was your age and has been forever brainwashed. Maybe earlier in life she was a renegade (in her mind), but apparently finds comfort in the sheeple zone. Just lay low during the rich-ual holler daze and pretend SantaChrist is a good thing, the Ether Bummy died on the kross for your youthful indiscretions, etc. Over time, you will be able to educate your friends and maybe your children about religious myths.

Enjoy your freedom from the chains of religion, but don't get in your mom's face about it.

My thoughts,

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Diaddy_lil_Freethinker on March 18, 2010 at 6:02pm

Thanks for your thoughts! :)

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Permalink Reply by Sonny Mobley on March 18, 2010 at 6:08pm

"just lay low during the rich-ual holler daze and pretend SantaChrist is a good thing" Phew, that would be impossible for me. Plus, I would think that for a person with children it would be even more important that one was adamant about not entertaining the ignorant beliefs of the superstitious. Participate, sure! But in the most secular ways possible and never with a ducked head. Such things reek of shame.

Also, who is this "man" and what could he do with my comments about silly theists and anime that could hurt me? heheheheh. :D I would never put pictures or talk about me getting fucked up on the weekends in such a place for all the world to see, but deny my atheism when I get barraged by christian themed stuff by other users? Pshah!

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Permalink Reply by Diaddy_lil_Freethinker on March 18, 2010 at 6:20pm

exactly... I never put stuff like that either specially since I got family on my facebook but I'm really not gonna hide how I feel about stuff like religion, specially when my friends are so clueless about everything... lol sometimes I think, damn I need new friends!!! That's why I'm here! :)

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Permalink Reply by Sonny Mobley on March 18, 2010 at 6:28pm

I'm lucky to live in a house with two other non-theists, but other than them and a few of my slightly younger friends that kind of looked up to me as they grew up everyone I know is your typical dumb ass theist. (It's really amazing 've gathered as many like minded folks as I have in the rural areas of north louisiana.) Even my friend of two decades, since before kindergarten, is one and he sums up everything that is wrong with your average believer. Willfully ignorant and wants you that way too. (In his own way he even admits this pretty often with comments such as "You think too much.", "I wish I cared about things like you but I don't." and "If it was good enough for my daddy it's good enough for me!" That last one is his ammunition for when I force him to actually think. ) The only way we maintain a friendship is thanks to our lifelong history with one another, no doubt about it.

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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Maloney on March 18, 2010 at 7:50pm

Sonny, I did not suggest denying, ducking head or displaying shame in any way. Try not to misrepresent my remarks. If you scoff at "the man" an his ability to mine minutia to be used against you, you're either very uninformed and vulnerable or playing me. "The man" (IMHO) is any person, persons or organization accessing and using your personal information against you. FB is only one example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwnTWZ1-UWY.

Back in 1971, after leaving the military (Combat Engineer Paratrooper) and marrying my wife (yes, still happily married, children and grandchildren), we drove our 1964 Ford Falcon station wagon to DC for the MayDay anti-war demonstrations. We picked up a couple chicks hitchhiking and talked about all kinds of crazy shit. One conversation involved the questions... "What if the man had the power to shut down all the vehicles heading into DC". And just yesterday.... this: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0318/Disgruntled-... (Disgruntled hacker remotely disables 100 cars). The point is, "the man" (in this case OnStar?) is constantly gaining ways to stop your life in its tracks - usually in the name of safety or protecting you.

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Permalink Reply by Sonny Mobley on March 18, 2010 at 8:12pm

Didn't mean to misrepresent. Simply what I gleaned from the read. No offense intended in all seriousness. As a matter of fact I agree with most of your post - in its essence.

The fact is that I have nothing to hide - period. Certainly nothing that I would post on the internet. Someone isn't going to use my intense love of cartoons, the band Tool or anything I may or not hint at about religion against me. At least not in any way 'm going to care about. I was practically raised by the internet in the 90's so I have a decade and a half of online things 've done and I have never had a problem professionally, legally or otherwise.

I think we just come from two different generations with two different concepts of "the man". (That generational gap has been the subject of much discussion in atheist circles...) "The man" to me is more of a symbol for corporate take over and rampant consumerism and anyone/anything that wants to keep people ignorant. Disgruntled workers aren't 'the man'. They are likely created by and lashing out at 'the man'. ^_^

Besides, I can't think of anyway such things could stop my life in its tracks. I drive an old car, live in the country and often gather my own food. I've yet to meet a computer problem that didn't mean more moneys for me. >D (I do IT for government entities... until I tired of it in a few more years anyway and get my history degree)

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Permalink Reply by David L. Reeves on March 19, 2010 at 10:24am

Completely off topic.

A single "disgruntled hacker" could also be used as a great example. No matter what "the man" (define that as loosely as you want, governments, corporations, whatever really) does to control people, a single clever dissident can do the same (and oft times turn it against them.) I've witnessed similar behaviors in the DRM debate. Whatever measures the corporations use to ensure their products are out of the reach of pirates quickly fall apart while they declare they haven't. Sometimes the security measures are the "pirates" only inspiration for breaking the security, because it is there, because it can be done.

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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Maloney on March 19, 2010 at 12:25pm

RC:

Discussing "the man" (in the traditional sense - ie., BigBrother), in this forum, or as it relates to Diaddy_lil_Freethinker's original post is certainly not off topic. See, to me, the best (or worse) example of the "the man" is religion. No single insidious effort to control our lives from cradle to grave is larger, more powerful or better funded the one/s controlled by the religious zealots (zealots as used in contemporary connotation).

Pirates = The Man? Ummmmm Not so much. Well maybe in an urban way. Like when an enterprising lad or gal "cracks" a program and then in a rhetorical shout questions, "Who's da man, who's da man?". The power a pirate perceives is usually fleeting, can make or ruin your day, but it's usually pretty easy to wiggle out from under the thumb of a jubilant pirate.

Just having a little fun with ya thar RC.

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Permalink Reply by Sonny Mobley on March 18, 2010 at 6:00pm

"Atheist symbols???? OMG!" That is funny for so many reasons. :D

Don't hide who you are! Not how I roll and neither should you. :D I recommend just saying the simple thing :"I am an atheist." And go from that. Remember, though, that most christians don't even have the critical thinking faculties to even comprehend being anything other than a sheep. So I wouldn't expect too much other than scorn even if it is your mother. I don't think a lot of people realize how much the realization that atheist's are real shakes the core of your average theist. Mmmm, I luff it.

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