Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on July 20, 2011 at 3:15am

Girl I think??!Yep...happy pills all round in that picture!!

Will check out the link, thanks.

Will send a friend request through to you......no pressure!!!!

Cheers, Sean

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on July 20, 2011 at 3:23am

you finished mid sentence.....?

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on July 20, 2011 at 3:35am

Thanks, Mike

Permalink Reply by Leela Moses on July 22, 2011 at 4:48pm

What about hamiltonians?

I keep trying to organise a sitter to go up to an ak meet (of skeptics at the pub), but thats easier said than done.

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on July 22, 2011 at 6:22pm

 

Thanks for the reply.

Another NZ non-theist......fantastic.

I was getting a bit concerned.

Slightly jaded today...........had long doorstep discussion with a JW yesterday.......like talking to an alien!!!

Permalink Reply by Miles La Mont on August 7, 2011 at 9:25pm

Keep your chin up! There's plenty of us, and in the digital age we're all neighbors anyway ^_^
Hope you're not considered an ethnic minority, cause Nelson is about as parochial as Christchurch in that respect!

That's a great thought about starting your own gathering, you could also be adventurous and attend a theistic gathering, and see just how many are merely following the crowd. Apart from that you can see if there are any atheist or similar societies in the Nelson Marlborough institute of Technology. It's doubtful, but one always has to live in hope that a higher-learning institute will encourage rational and free thought.

Permalink Reply by Iain McMahon on August 13, 2011 at 7:19pm

Hey:)

I was once told (by people in the baptist church I attended when I was growing up) that NZ was the second most secular society in the world after France... so that tells me that there must be a lot of atheists here. I'm living in Christchurch at the moment but will be moving to Auckland soon. There are definitely Skeptic in the Pub meet-up groups in both of those cities but I think the reason why there aren't tonnes of atheists from NZ here on AN is because many people are probably "apatheists" ;)

IF it is true that NZ is so secular then many fellow Kiwis probably don't feel the need to make a stand against unreason and superstition. My guess is that the people who care most about being "Out" atheists among their friends are those who used to be religious (like me). A loud, proud Christian de-convert usually makes a pretty loud atheist :D

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on August 14, 2011 at 5:43pm

Hi Iain,

Thanks for the comments.

Yep....I think you are right about NZ.....thankfully it doesn't seem to either attract or home produce radical religion....but there is still a risk of complacency and as the world becomes a smaller place NZ may need to make a stand for what it believes in…….looking at the front runners in the US presidency run up (Bachmann, Palin, Perry) if they get in they will definitely square up to Islam….looking for a fight.

Coming from the UK, which is pretty complacent about its own Christian roots and certainly not extreme like USA, i have watched the infiltration of other faiths particularly Islam creep in...bringing Sharia law with it........multiple religions in the same proximity inevitably lead to intolerance/friction.

NZ suffers from what I would call ‘middle class Christianity’.....going to church on Sunday etc 'what’s the harm'.......well I am pretty chilled about individuals believing what they like, it’s when they start formalising it into group structures and indoctrinating their own children that scares me. When you visit the NZ bible society site, you may be forgiven in thinking that they are well meaning wanting to give every child a bible as a moral code......but is this right......I think Dawkins got it right when he said it was a form of child abuse….and we need to wake up! seems a harsh statement at first but the more I think about the more I see the risk in ‘group think’ religion…..many conversations with JW’s who like to drag little children along with them I find disturbing and who are honestly looking forward to judgment day….it scares me…….I wonder how many Christians are on Boards of Schools, run public organisations, councils, government depts. and get their values from the little black book.

My first impression of NZ was the amount of churches I saw and people trotting off to them every Sunday……this is probably just historical and from the European influence……it would be nice if NZ could become more ‘high profile’ secular!

I think countries in Europe and NZ/Australia need to become more progressive and have a voice on the world stage to help combat/influence the obvious extremism in both the US and Middle Eastern countries, and I think this has to start at home and look at what we teach our own kids.

I am pretty tolerant and no doubt typically reflect a lot of arm chair non-believers with my own apathy, but I realising that if I don’t make a stand others are going to screw up this world with their lazy thinking.

I don’t like the term aggressive atheism but sitting on the side line isn’t an option either for me anymore……and I would respect the individual….but I don’t have to accept their lazy thinking.

As a Kiwi Iain….am I way of base here? Should NZ get more involved? I have to remember I am import so I would appreciate your point of view.

 

Thanks, Sean:)

 

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on August 14, 2011 at 10:20pm

ten not bad....

When I lived in whakatane BOP there must have been at least 10 including a destiny church......for a population of circa 15000, live near Motueka now and seems quite a few active ones here though.

Sean:)

Permalink Reply by The Doubter on August 14, 2011 at 10:53pm

I will do some market research an you let you know.

There's a baptist type church on the main st. and the car park looks pretty full on sundays!!

Had th JW visit the other week......and we live a bit of the beaten track....but they always seem to find you....all good fun!!

:)