Welcome!

[His Name Is John]

It seems to me, that new members rarely post a introduction thread anymore. As such I am making this thread as a way that new members can say hi, and get to know a couple of people on the forums.

So to all the new members:

First of all, hello!

Second, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 1 by His Name Is John]

Hi, everyone. This is my first post on DC&R. I live in north Alabama, USA. I was an evangelical fundamentalist Christian for fifteen years before I began to seriously question the Bible. I left my church less than a year ago and although I now call myself an unbeliever, the process of de-conversion is still going on. My wife and I are happily retired and enjoying life. I look forward to becoming more familiar with DC&R and participating in the forums and debates.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 387 by Freethinker43]

Hi Freethinker from one newbie to another.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 386 by Kalidor]

Hi, Kalidor. I enjoyed reading your post. As a recent Deconvert, it's good to read others testimony.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 386 by Kalidor]

Hi, Kalidor. Sorry about the loss of your father and child. I enjoyed reading your post. As a recent Deconvert, it's good to read others testimony.

[amortalman]

[Replying to post 385 by OnceConvinced]

Hi, OnceConvinced. Love your website!

[Freethinker43]

[Replying to post 387 by Freethinker43]

Hi Freethinker from one newbie to another.

Hey, amortalman from one mortal to another. This looks like it's going to be a great site with some cool conversation! I suppose studying up is the order of the day!

Oh, tell you guys about me? Well, I live in Northern Virginia, my beliefs are solidifying in a decidedly deist direction, I don't think you need a " supernatural" anything to give life meaning and a sense of purpose. I believe in God because I think the complexity of the Universe requires a Designer. I'll reserve my comments about the Bible, which can be a useful piece of literature that can be boiled down to " Love God, love your neighbor and everything is peachy." I'm 43, I think faith is a subjective term that implies trust in some Higher Power ( who won't necessarily give you a " doctrinal test" after you're dead to make sure you've followed " the right path") who has endowed us with reason somewhere along our evolutionary journey and expects us to use that faculty.

Prayer might just be people talking to themselves, but it can be useful in helping them visualize what their goals are and sometimes, a good self- talk can activate certain synapses that can put all the pieces of a puzzle together. Yeah, I know all the horrible things God has been accused of commanding people to do in the Bible, but it can represent the evolution of people's ideas of God from being the projection of a powerful Middle Eastern sheikh who demands the slaughter of strangers that own other deities to a stern father - figure who demands a human sacrifice ( of His own Son, no less) so he can love the human race.

I think that if the Bible had been able to include still later writings, they would have seen people's conceptions of god evolve still further to a loving Dad who would find the notion of one person's death as a vicarious sacrifice as repulsive as rational and faithful people do today. Anyway, those are my thoughts on the subject.

[Waterfall]

It seems to me, that new members rarely post a introduction thread anymore. As such I am making this thread as a way that new members can say hi, and get to know a couple of people on the forums.

So to all the new members:

First of all, hello!

Second, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi John and everybody else

I am from denmark and I am 46 years old.

My english aint to good, so I hope you all will bear with me on this.

As you will see I have a lot of questions...maybe to many questions

Is there anymore to say about me?

I have done bad things and I have done good things.

Thats just the way it is...

But I love music and that should count for something

Maybe I am a strange human being

[Hector Barbosa]

[Replying to post 1 by His Name Is John]

Hey everyone! I go by Hector Barbosa, I was referred to this place on youtube by Ray Villeneuve. I am a British/Irish Scandinavian. I have interest in just about everything, I am a nerd, I am a jock, I'm an idealist, a romantic and a entrepreur.
You might say I am a jack of all trade, but a master of none. If anything, the love of truth, creativity and science may be my greatest passion and where I am the closest to mastery.

I have both been referred to as unique, special and nothing special...all is true. I am just a small fry like everyone else, trying to figure thing out. It is perhaps my desire to learn everything which makes me the most unique, for I don't know many who shares this passion, so I hope to have this be a hub like youtube where I can kindle it In other words I am a newt, but I am trying to get better

I look forward to get to know everyone!

PS. I know Hector Barbosa is not spelled this way, but I prefer this spelling, and no it is not my real name

[Tired of the Nonsense]

[Replying to post 1 by His Name Is John]

Hey everyone! I go by Hector Barbosa, I was referred to this place on youtube by Ray Villeneuve. I am a British/Irish Scandinavian. I have interest in just about everything, I am a nerd, I am a jock, I'm an idealist, a romantic and a entrepreur.
You might say I am a jack of all trade, but a master of none. If anything, the love of truth, creativity and science may be my greatest passion and where I am the closest to mastery.

I have both been referred to as unique, special and nothing special...all is true. I am just a small fry like everyone else, trying to figure thing out. It is perhaps my desire to learn everything which makes me the most unique, for I don't know many who shares this passion, so I hope to have this be a hub like youtube where I can kindle it In other words I am a newt, but I am trying to get better

I look forward to get to know everyone!

PS. I know Hector Barbosa is not spelled this way, but I prefer this spelling, and no it is not my real name

Religion and ghost stories have always been intricately intertwined. Because things which are exciting, frightening and compelling take a hold of our imagination and command our attention. And so religion and ghost stories must either be viewed as real and valid; something to be taken seriously and for which there are methods of dealing with such things that must be learned, understood and performed. Or one can take a strictly (and boringly) rationalist stance and dismiss such beliefs as entirely an exercise of the imagination, and nothing more.

And as much as I enjoyed the first POTC movie, I must point out that the ghost story it indicates that "Miss Swan is in," was shot entirely on a movie set with actors in outrageous costumes.



It was an exciting, frightening and compelling exercise in entertaining us, and nothing more. Real life invariably turns out NOT to be that exciting, frightening and compelling. And so we derive stories from our imaginations to entertain ourselves with. Some of us then contrive to believe that our own make believe is actually true. Like believing in ghost stories.

And, oh yes. Welcome to the forum.

[Hector Barbosa]

[Replying to post 395 by Tired of the Nonsense]

Speak for yourself. I beg to differ. I find real life experiences and the quest for truth quite exciting . Sometimes I get more excitement than even I feel I can handle

Nice movie clips though

If you find life so boring, I suggest a bit more adventure than debating religions behind a computer screen.

Being here is relaxation to the drama I am used to