Joined because I have too many religious Friends on Facebook now.

I guess I decided to join Atheist Nexus because I've acquired too many religious friends on Facebook and I usually feel like I'm walking on egg shells over there, or biting my tongue when they post something stupid (sometimes I can't help myself and still shoot my mouth off, to register a little dissent from their supernatural world views). When I started on FB, I mostly had nonreligious friends, but over time, meeting up with old High School friends, former co-workers, etc, I've acquired an eclectic mix of people, including a few who are actual Protestant ministers (two Methodists and one Episcopalian). I had been fleeing back to MySpace to speak my mind, but over there I don't really actively correspond with many people. I kind of like the idea where I can rant about religion on a personal blog space area and not worry about offending friends/family overly much, at least not stick it in their face via a "news feed", etc.

I was married to a borderline agnostic who knew of my atheism; unfortunately, she drifted back to the Jesus cult (& held on doggedly to crazy creationism and other nutty, irrational ideas) and that was splitsville for us in the end. We were boyfriend/girlfriend a year, and married for just over a year after that. No kids, thank goodness. While the divorce was ongoing, my Ex tried not only to save our marriage but also my "soul"; she failed on both accounts.

She was/is a very sharply intelligent person, so I guess I kept naively hoping she would come to her senses and drop the religious nonsense. Alas, she only became more fanatical with time, and ultimately I just had to get out of the relationship; She was very controlling and emotionally abusive, I felt very cut off from family & friends, unable to express any complaint or dissent or blow off steam, just simmered in my own resentments until I finally worked up the courage to walk out. I've been so much happier since I made that decision for myself, feel like I got my life back. I even dated someone after my divorce for a few months before moving away from my hometown to take my current job.

I'm not looking for anything "serious", just someone to date casually, hang out with, have fun with, etc. I'm determined never to date Christians ever again. It's a sometimes painful decision...there's this really cute girl who just graduated from the university I work in, who I used to talk to and kind of flirt with, and she seemed to go out of her way to talk to me, but it turns out she's a hard-core Christian and i've seen her with her bible study group around town. I want to hand her my copy of Woe to the Women, published by FFRF, but I of course know it's not that simple.

My Ex still lives here in town, but thankfully she has a new boyfriend, and we just stay out of each other's way and keep a respectful distance.

Anyway, I founded a Meetup.com group in my town of Denton, TX, and have enjoyed making new local friends that way as well. An atheist from neighboring Frisco suggested I join Atheist Nexus, so here I am.