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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
 Posted - 11/20/2006 : 18:27:11 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Montgomery
Name is Montgomery and I'm old and starting to not believe a thing I read, see, nor hear. I like that my life is ending that way...leaves open the possibilities ahead after this crap life is gone...
Welcome Montgomery. Try not to be so cheerful, though, it scares the hell out of the natives.  |
The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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perrodetokio
Skeptic Friend
275 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2006 : 15:18:22 [Permalink]
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Hello.
I'm Perro de Tokio, but you can call me Perro.
I was born in Argentina, same as my parents *my granparents were born some place in the swiss-germany border and in Italy. I've lived in a lot of differents places of Argentina (which is like saying "a lot of different countries" since the geography and people are very different), in fort Lauderdale for six years and in London for another five. Now I am back in Argentina (don't know for how long). I've always been a skeptic (although I did not know that for many years).
I have worked as a graphic designer for about 13 years now and I've always enjoyed being involved in band projects. I came across this website a few months ago and a day doesn't go by without me visiting it (there are dead hours in my job and I enjoy inmensly the estimulating discussions originated here, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!).
I've only posted once. However, when (and IF) I have something interesting I shall post it straight away.
Thank you again SFN and all the people invloved!!!
nico, the Perro de Tokio |
"Yes I have a belief in a creator/God but do not know that he exists." Bill Scott
"They are still mosquitoes! They did not turn into whales or lizards or anything else. They are still mosquitoes!..." Bill Scott
"We should have millions of missing links or transition fossils showing a fish turning into a philosopher..." Bill Scott |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2006 : 17:56:30 [Permalink]
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| Thanks and welcome to SFN, perrodetokio!! |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Denwash
New Member
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 12:32:08 [Permalink]
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| Howdy! I have been posting on the site for a couple of weeks, and only just discovered this thread. I suppose I should introduce myself, now that I have already irritated most of you with my semi-insane rambling. I was born into a christian household in 1964, and most of my childhood was devoid of any type of skepticism. Both of my parents were pretty devout, my Mother loudly, and my Father quietly. I was a christian-by-rote until I was about 13 years old, when I was taken to a show at a place called "Melodyland" in Southern California, where stumbling and weeping, I made my way to the stage to be "born again". At that point in my life, I would have considered anyone posting to a site like this a suitable case for treatment, and would have been endlessly posting the "good news". I believed strongly in Magic, Astrology, telepathy (and other forms of esp), spoon-bending, bigfoot, the loch ness monster, the abominable snowman, and that the poor old lady on the next block was a satanic witch. In my high school, biology was a required course, and evolution was part of the curriculum. I expressed my displeasure to the teacher at having to learn this "so called theory", and he changed my life. He said "Don't take my word for it, read it yourself." This concept was so simple, so logical to me, that it became a matter of principle for me to read this trash, tear it apart piece by piece and become the person who had destroyed Darwin. Reading the book required me to beat my head against concepts in it for quite a long time, but I began to realize something as I read: It all seemed to make sense. Moreover, it contained only the most oblique references to God, or Atheism or Jesus as far as I could find, which seemed to be at odds with the information given to me by my christian peers. Of course I immediately put the book down, but the damage was already done. I knew 2 things at that point: 1. This science stuff seems to make sense when you actually look at it. 2. I had been collectively lied to by people that I trusted. At this point, I started to go too fat the other way and could have ended up as a disillusioned cynic, but I saw a television show with James Randi, who was calmly explaining to a gentleman the difference between asking for proof and hostile disbelief. Mr Randi deeply impressed me because he was one of the first people I had ever seen on television who admitted to ignorance on any subject. Soon after, I discovered Carl Sagan, who's influence opened up a reading list to me that I am still working on more than 20 years later. Later still I found people like Michael Shermer and Richard Dawkins, but I was already <ahem> converted by then. Now, I have found a whole internet full of people who hold concepts up to rigorous standards as I do, and I celebrate this fact! Thanks for the web site, and thanks for all of your posts! I am deeply grateful to have found a pool of logic in the desert of modern belief. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 18:15:21 [Permalink]
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A most interesting story, Denwash. I'm happy you made your "conversion" to reason, and eventually came here.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2007 : 15:04:42 [Permalink]
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I suppose that I cannot fit in well here. I have no problem with different sorts of people so I have no axe to grind about individualists. LJBRS - my initials as shown on my wedding certificate - are the simplest way for me to identify myself. I do not post very often because I have a very heavy (time consuming)job and I also belong to a number of interesting groups (keeping me away from my computer for extended periods of time). So, when I do visit this site, it is usually to read the interesting "stuff" which is related here by everyone.
Keep up the good work. The "stuff" you write is always interesting and I visit this site whenever I have the time.
LJBRS (my initials - all of them).
It is great to read everybody else's "stuff"
ljbrs |
"Innumerable suns exist; innumerable earths revolve about these suns in a manner similar to the way the seven planets revolve around our sun. Living beings inhabit these worlds."
Giordano Bruno
(Burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church Inquisition in 1600) |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2007 : 15:32:02 [Permalink]
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Welcome to SFN Denwash. Your story reminds me that there are more than a few roads to skepticism. The most difficult is probably going through having to let go of an entire worldview, as you have done, to get there. I didn't have to do that. I have the utmost respect for those who did.
And ljbrs, it's always good to see you around these parts…
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Denwash
New Member
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2007 : 22:23:06 [Permalink]
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| Thanks Kil and all - I find that I am actually grateful for my time as a christian for 2 reasons: 1. I studied the Bible for several years (although I am certainly not a Bible scholar), and I can often tell when someone is deliberately misrepresenting, taking out of context or making up out of whole cloth something from the Bible to support their position. The look on people's face when an admitted athiest corrects their Bible knowledge has been pretty much worth the price of admission. 2. I learned that there can be value in the type of passion that is generated by religion and faith. It often behooves me to remind myself that I do not know everything, science, while I believe it is the best tool we have developed is not designed to answer every question, and that breaking with conventional thought can lead to paths untread. For the record, I also call myself an agnostic - in the classic sense - it seems that if there were a supreme being capable of creating the entire universe/time/space, any attempt of mine to understand it would be on a par with a paramecium trying to fathom the subtleties of quantum theory - human beings are just not equipped. I certainly do NOT however, take seriously the Christian representation of a God. To me he always looks like the aliens on Star Trek - humans with pointy ears, or little ridges on their nose (Or long grey beards) . I also tend to disregard the thought of God(s) being involved in the universe, or even sentient in a way that we would define the word. I also reject the term "Supernatural" when referring to any godlike entity or universe creator. If there were a being that created the universe, what could possible be MORE natural than that? |
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marduk
New Member
United Kingdom
11 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 18:03:40 [Permalink]
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OOh where to start
some of you might be aware of my existence already
I post at quite a few archaeology type forums across the net
I am extremly sceptical about some of the ridiculous claims made by some people who think that the likes of Erich Von Daniken and Graham Hancock and Zechariah Sitchen are to be commended. I don't have so much of a problem with Pseudoscientific authors themselves as I do with people who accept what they say as Gosepl when it clearly isn't
i think its admirable that some people have found a percentage of the gullible public who will buy what theyre shovelling wholesale without checking the ingredients but its when that information is related in my presence that I choose to retaliate
I am not shy when it comes to doing this and have in my time been banned from several forums and welcomed in advance from several others
the ones who banned me were normally those connected to pseudoscientific authors and I was banned on generally fabricated charges because the posts that I made proved the claims of the authors concerned erroneous and I was damaging sales
I am Marduk
I frequently need to slap some posters who attack me instead of finding credible information to prove me wrong by claiming that I have a superiority complex and think I am a babylonian god
to which I usually reply that the name of the God is BelMarduk and Marduk on its own is a babylonian name
"do you think every kid in mexico named Jesus is the messiah"
:)
so i know a lot about my subject of expertise which is human history 10,000 - 2000bce
if anyone needs any help slapping some pseudohistorians i'm always on call
of course because of my expertise in this period I'm also deadly to the religiously devout but still believe in God myself, just that he doesnt have a beard and sandals
I'd also like to be a veterenarian so i can help sick children
;)
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| Edited by - marduk on 01/22/2007 18:13:29 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
 Posted - 01/22/2007 : 18:14:45 [Permalink]
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| Welcome to SFN, marduk!!! |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 19:30:33 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by marduk
I'd also like to be a veterenarian so i can help sick children
;)
An oldie but a goodie.I just want to say that being chosen as this month's Miss August is like a compliment I'll remember for as long as I can. Right now I'm a freshman in my fourth year at UCLA, but my goal is to become a veterinarian, 'cause I love children.
- Julie Brown, "'Cause I'm a Blonde" Welcome to the SFN, marduk.  |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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McQ
Skeptic Friend
USA
258 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 19:37:12 [Permalink]
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Dammit, marduk! You mean I paid all that money to buy the Piri Reis Map from the Turkish government and it's not all that Graham Hancock says it is?
I've been swindled! I'll sue!
Welcome to the forum!
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Elvis didn't do no drugs!
--Penn Gillette |
| Edited by - McQ on 01/23/2007 15:21:40 |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 21:11:03 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by marduk
so i know a lot about my subject of expertise which is human history 10,000 - 2000bce
if anyone needs any help slapping some pseudohistorians i'm always on call
Welcome marduk-- it's good to see a kindred spirit. Fortunately (or no) we haven't had too many raving about the true word of Sitchen and the like. An old regular used to talk about the Masons and their connection to Babylonian this-or-that, but it's been awhile since ol' Verlch came around. Still, you'll find all types here. Do stick around! |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 22:42:54 [Permalink]
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Welcome to SFN, marduk! I'm not an historian or prehistorian, but I sure enjoy the subjects.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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marduk
New Member
United Kingdom
11 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2007 : 02:27:22 [Permalink]
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I also am firmly against the idea of 12,000 year old pyramids in bosnia built by space travelling Maya from the pleaides that only a houston engineering contractor can discover
thanks for the welcome guys
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Introduce yourself
