Greetings

[colpat]

I'm colpat - age 77
Retired USAF after 22 years
Public school teacher K-12.
Missionary & pastor concurrent with many of other careers
I've been on the board about a week, trying to learn the rules, navigation & conventions. This is a very fast board. It may take me a bit longer to catch on but I'll give it my best shot.
How is this forum supported? I may have missed that?
Thanks for allowing me to join in the discussions

[ubs]

colpat wrote

I'm colpat - age 77
Retired USAF after 22 years
Public school teacher K-12.
Missionary & pastor concurrent with many of other careers
I've been on the board about a week, trying to learn the rules, navigation & conventions. This is a very fast board. It may take me a bit longer to catch on but I'll give it my best shot.
How is this forum supported? I may have missed that?
Thanks for allowing me to join in the discussions

Welcome colpat. You are our only theist right now, so brace yourself for a very full dance card. The forum is owned by Chris who stops by tri-annually. We have three mods, Smelly is the most diligent police officer. Pro tip: he's not a big fan of Christians starting zillions of threads. Most of us have been posting her for six or so years.

I am a strong atheist.

Why do you believe in God? Are you here to save us? Who will you be voting for in 2012 and why? I will be voting for Dr. Paul because I'm not a big fan of killing.

[colpat]

Thanks for the warm welcome and a chance to fill my dance card. I'm still working on quotes

Pro tip: he's not a big fan of Christians starting zillions of threads.

I'm not a big fan of starting more than 1 thread, not quite as talented at multi-tasking as in times past.

Why do you believe in God?

In my world view that includes the supernatural, I'm a spirit having a human experience. So it's a bit more than belief and faith.

Are you here to save us?

No. I don't have that power and that's not in my job description.

Who will you be voting for in 2012 and why?

The (R) who I hope will be Petraus. (R) Because the (R) goals are more in sync with my convictions than (D) and the (I)

I will be voting for Dr. Paul because I'm not a big fan of killing

By all means vote for Dr. Ron. That's one of the reasons I risk my life to fight for our freedom to vote our conscience.

[Kate]

colpat wrote

By all means vote for Dr. Ron. That's one of the reasons I risk my life to fight for our freedom to vote our conscience.

You teach in the inner city or something?

[colpat]

Greetings Kate:

You teach in the inner city or something?

I didn't teach in the inner city. The "or something" was as a USAF pilot with hundreds of combat missions. My aircraft was hit only one time. I've flown over USSR. I have close personal friends who were prisoners of war in Hanoi flying the same kind of missions.

[Smellyoldgit]

ubs wrote

Smelly is the most diligent police officer.

Now that just hurts.

[Kinich Ahau]

Hi there and welcome Colpat. What makes you interested in an atheist forum?

[Sternwallow]

Welcome Colpat. As a slightly younger coot on this forum, it will be good to see participation form someone with more substantial life-experience than some of the youthful riff-raff.

Why have you come to our refuge, our haven? If it is to inform and reform us, your trail will likely be a trial. If it is to inquire of us the skinny on atheism, most of us will happily oblige. If it is to poke us with a righteous stick, beware, our powerful retaliatory sticks have known dark places that your stick could not conceive of. If it is to participate in a rational discussion of ideas and ideals then I say hooray and let the festivities begin.

Threads are IMV a way to circumscribe particular topics to help discussions focus.

The thread for "material that doesn't deserve a thread" is for just ideas and items of interest for which long discussions are not expected.

So, if you have a new thought or interest provoking thing to present, making a discussion thread is the way to go. But, we are no better at multiprocessing than you so lots of threads, especially ones that duplicate existing threads are not a good idea.

OK, now,
Are you a Bible-based Christian, just a theist, a deist, a Young-Earth-Creationist ... Where do you stand broadly; I suspect you are not Muslim, Buddhist. Now that the official count of Christian religions has topped 39,000, it might help us to locate you on the Jeebus spectrum.

Why would you want people other than yourself to believe something that is only true to you, a personal experience that cannot be directly transferred to others? Or, do you have objective evidence for something supernatural that we can all share?

That is, is there any reason other than your internal subjective experience that causes you to include some supernatural in your view of reality?

Could there be a physical/natural explanation for all of the brain states that seem to be supernatural experience to the person experiencing them? If there is a natural explanation, would that not make the supernatural part, not disproven, but merely irrelevant and unnecessary even if strictly true?

Oh, yes, a hearty welcome to you.

[ghoulslime]

Greetings, Colpat!

Please be advised that this is the Raving Atheists forum. The gloves come off pretty quickly here.

[colpat]

Greetings to all and thanks for starting my dance card. My interest in an Raving Atheists forum, where the gloves come off, ol' phella's can spit and whittle and where a nice grown up discussion is encouraged is: for me to become a better teacher by learning the atheist language and be able to foster better understanding of an atheist world view. Much of today's teaching is based on gross misinformation. I welcome the opportunity to engage in a rational discussion of ideas and ideals. I have rare, but valuable experience. I roomed with an atheist for 13 months as an Aviation Cadet in 1953. The result was both strengthened our own world-view and a great friendship. I respect your refuge, your haven. I am located on the Jeebus spectrum at the far right. I asked Jesus to be my Boss at age 8,(saved, but able to backslide)Married 1954 to a Proverbs 31 lady. Before we married we covenanted to base our family on Proverbs 3:5-6. That is my experience. I cite it only to help you understand from where I am coming. I will do my best to choose the correct thread/s for the real festivities.

[Irreligious]

Getting back on track here:

colpat wrote

My interest in an Raving Atheists forum, where the gloves come off, ol' phella's can spit and whittle and where a nice grown up discussion is encouraged is: for me to become a better teacher by learning the atheist language and be able to foster better understanding of an atheist world view.

What, do you contend, is the "atheist language?" And how do you propose to understand incredulity in the very thing that you place all of you faith?

colpat wrote

Much of today's teaching is based on gross misinformation.

Teaching on what? Christian theology? When was the last time Christians were in 100% agreement?

I'm 20-something years younger than you, but I don't recall a time when there weren't Roman Catholic Christians, Greek and Eastern Orthodox Christians, and various Protestant Christians, not to mention Jehovah's Witness Christian, Mormon Christians, snake-handling Christians, Unitarian Christians, black Christians with an activist tradition who are heir to one set of Christian sensibilities, and politically conservative white Christians with another set of Christian sensibilites, and on and on and on.

I have been aware of this as the status quo for the bulk of my time on planet Earth. When was it ever different?

colpat wrote

I welcome the opportunity to engage in a rational discussion of ideas and ideals.

Ostensibly, we all do. Though my experiene here tells me that theists and atheists seldom agree as to what is rational when it comes to a discussion on religion and irreligion.

colpat wrote

I have rare, but valuable experience. I roomed with an atheist for 13 months as an Aviation Cadet in 1953.

I can beat that: I was raised in a Christian household for 18 years! I was married to a nominal Muslim for 10 years, and over 90 percent of the people I interact with on a daily basis subscribe to some kind of theological perspective as it pertains to unknowable matters.

colpat wrote

The result was both strengthened our own world-view and a great friendship.

I love my Christian family and friends, though I avoid having deep discussions with them about their respective religions. Past experience has informed me that it does little to enhance interpersonal relationships.

But who knows? Maybe I'll learn something valuable from you about how that can be accomplished. Long ago, I discovered that one way to achieve that is to make sure it's one-way conversation with minimal input on my end. It's not very satisfying for me, but then I have this virtual place to vent.

colpat wrote

I respect your refuge, your haven.

And I appreciate that sensibility.

colpat wrote

I am located on the Jeebus spectrum at the far right. I asked Jesus to be my Boss at age 8,(saved, but able to backslide)

I think I know what you mean here, but I'm still forced to make a lot of assumptions. You didn't literally communicate with someone called Jesus, did you? I take it you mean that you made a bargain with the Jesus in your mind (that is, as you imagine a Jesus to be) and vowed to do everything in your power not to offend this Jesus.

Do you believe this Jesus is constantly monitoring your behavior and thougts? If you believe that, wouldn't that make it extremely difficult to "backslide?"

colpat wrote

Married 1954 to a Proverbs 31 lady. Before we married we covenanted to base our family on Proverbs 3:5-6. That is my experience. I cite it only to help you understand from where I am coming.

Congratulations on your long marriage.

colpat wrote

I will do my best to choose the correct thread/s for the real festivities.

Good luck.

[West491]

Irreligious wrote

Long ago, I discovered that one way to achieve that is to make sure it's one-way conversation with minimal input on my end. It's not very satisfying for me, but then I have this virtual place to vent.

I've gradually come to this realization. So true.

[psychodiva]

colpat wrote

Greetings to all and thanks for starting my dance card. My interest in an Raving Atheists forum, where the gloves come off, ol' phella's can spit and whittle and where a nice grown up discussion is encouraged is: for me to become a better teacher by learning the atheist language and be able to foster better understanding of an atheist world view. Much of today's teaching is based on gross misinformation. I welcome the opportunity to engage in a rational discussion of ideas and ideals. I have rare, but valuable experience. I roomed with an atheist for 13 months as an Aviation Cadet in 1953. The result was both strengthened our own world-view and a great friendship. I respect your refuge, your haven. I am located on the Jeebus spectrum at the far right. I asked Jesus to be my Boss at age 8,(saved, but able to backslide)Married 1954 to a Proverbs 31 lady. Before we married we covenanted to base our family on Proverbs 3:5-6. That is my experience. I cite it only to help you understand from where I am coming. I will do my best to choose the correct thread/s for the real festivities.

see - this is where you lose my interest and rile me up at the same time- there is no such thing as an 'atheist world view' - it is merely not believing in the existence of a god or gods - that is it.

I think you are here to try and learn how to teach your poor little victims at school or whatever den of iniquity you call a church - how to argue with atheists- good luck matey- i think you arrive with preconceptions and presumptions dripping from you but what the fuck do I know eh?

[Smellyoldgit]

Greetings ol' phella, when you find the rules, can you let me know?
.... and missionary is a bit boring - I much prefer the good woman on top or on the kitchen table

[ghoulslime]

Smellyoldgit wrote

Greetings ol' phella, when you find the rules, can you let me know?
.... and missionary is a bit boring - I much prefer the good woman on top or on the kitchen table

Just one woman? Seriously? What is wrong with the fuckers of today?

Try one on your face, one on your cock, and a lady boy fingering your ass, and then tell me that paradise is not real!