I’ve enjoyed reading your comments (welcome by the way).
Quick question, which god or deity do you believe in?
Just curious, because it doesn’t sound like you believe in the ones written about and are “popular” hehehehe.
I’d assumed @PaulDavisCooke is an atheist and or agnostic. That his profile omission is just an oversight?
His posts don’t read like he’s a theist, perhaps he’s just uncomfortable with the label atheist, which in a country like the US, where atheists are openly derogated and even discriminated against, is perhaps understandable.
When I stumbled onto this site, I had never thought about what an “atheist” was. Rarely do I label myself.
But then I had to choose: a or b
Jesus fuckin’Christ- whaaaaaa??? Stooopid site!!!
So I finally looked it up.
hmmm, yup, I dis-believe or with-hold belief in anything without the appropriate level of evidence to claim.
hmmmm - fuck! Does that mean I’m a fucking atheist??? !!! SHIT!! Fuck!!! Stoooopid labels 
only a stooopid, fucking, intelligent site would force me to examine my “beliefs”. Had to join.
Hi. I’m not sure what you mean about my profile. I tried to make it clear that I am not a believer. To clarify, I am an agnostic atheist, as we all are. I cannot ‘know’ there is no God but without evidence I refuse to ‘believe’ in one.
These days I prefer to use the term humanist, because I dislike being characterised by a negative. To simply say I do not believe something tells people little about me.
For me, being a humanist means not hiding behind God and not praising or thinking him either. It is taking the credit for what we have accomplished, as individuals and as a species and taking responsibility for things we have done wrong.
Figured.
Lol - the lack of “atheist” under your name indicates “theist”… and it prevents you from the hub.
That was precisely the inference I had taken from your posts. Welcome to AR btw…
I know what you mean, but if it helps the regular posters here will wait for you to tell us who you are.
OK. I thought my profile did that but I’ll expand on it here.
I am a 62 year old Englishman. I make my living as a freelance writer of magazine articles, web site content and anything people need, even writing letters to institutions and government for those that struggle.
I was raised a Christian (Church of England) by wonderfully supportive parents who, typically, believed in God in a vague non-specific way and used their church on high days and holidays. The over zealous forms of worship don’t sit well with the English temperament.
In my teens I discovered a Jewish heritage (my mother’s parents had escaped Europe before WWII and changed their name for security). In a youthful search for identity, I embraced Judaism, converted and at age 18 went to live on a kibbutz in Israel.
Three years later and after much study, I left Israel a different person. I had been living with Jews from a variety of countries who had no time for religion. We were often too busy fighting to stay alive. My questions about the Bible had not been answered to my satisfaction and I was already having doubts.
I began to study comparative religions and over the next few years I came to realise that everything people believed to be facts, from any and all religions, were actually only beliefs. I had always been fascinated by science and I adopted the scientific or critical way of thinking about problems. By my late twenties I was an atheist.
At first I was a zealous angry and combative atheist but I have mellowed. I am still an atheist and even an anti-theist, at least towards the Abrahamic God but in reality I am what we all are, an agnostic atheist. I cannot know God doesn’t exist but I believe he doesn’t. Or rather I refuse to believe he does on no evidence.
Today I prefer humanist, rather than be labelled simply by what I am not. For me it carries a sense of responsibility regarding my actions as an individual and ours as a species. With no god to blame or to give credit to, we are able to own up to our mistakes and be proud of what we achieve.
There is a sign on my front door which reads, ‘Good without God’.
There you go. I hope that helps. If you want to know anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask.
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I guess we can update our profiles now and add stuff! I clicked on your face and it was there!
Learn something new, everyday!
I don’t know how to update or add to a profile “about me”. Mind you I do like the mystery of “me” to the newcomers!
Never mind…
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I only joined today. I think the profile may have been slow to load. It seems like a good place for lively discussion though.
Atheists are only people who do not believe in gods. There are no other principles or ideas which are implied or may be inferred. Consequently I think your claim is nonsense. Atheists are no more rational than any other group of people as far as I can tell.
Understanding that heaven and hell are man made may well make a person more fearful not less for all I know. .
Speaking only for myself, I am terrified of the experience of dying, it’s instinctive and a-ration as far as I can tell. I am not as afraid of being dead because I’m unable to believe being dead is an experience. Seems to me that I will simply cease to exist, just as I did not exist for the aeons before I was born.
An agnostic atheist, I’m unable to claim that I know. Even though I think it’s unlikely, I must concede that I may be wrong. Not knowing makes me a bit fearful.
A favourite quote:
"I was not
I was
I am not
I don’t care " From an ancient Roman tomb on the Via Apia not far from Rome.
The unknown.
The place regardless of feelings about “it” we go.
Myself, close to dieing twice… first was a “fast” incident. Time slowed and I relaxed completely. Don’t remember the event - just the aftermath. No pain.
Second, a reaction in a hospital. As my body reacted and responded (lifted off the bed and extreme convulsions) and the medical staff worked on me - I remember thinking “what all the fuss was about”; no pain - some mental disconnect and a feeling of extreme cold 
. That cold was the hardest to “overcome” afterwards mentally.
That seems to be a fairly common experience.
I’m beginning to think that as we get older and the production of all kinds of hormones and chemicals changes, that the organism which supports the self begins to prepare for death.
At least that’s how it seemed with my mother. She died at time of her choosing, making a lucid and rational decision to accept only palliative care. Mum was ready to die and that’s what she did.
I also suspect near death experiences fall under the same broad heading of the body protecting ‘the self.’
I may be wrong, but I’m in no hurry.
PS My dad was demented with arteriosclerosis and deeply distressed when he had a more-or-less lucid day. Dad died from pneumonia, helped along by just enough morphia.
Of course we all speak purely from personal feeling and experience but you will note that I specifically mentioned death, not dying. It is perfectly rational to fear dying, it may be sudden or may be drawn out and painful, but death is simply oblivion, in my opinion and thus holds no fear.
Also, my comment was in response to a question regarding selling your soul to the devil and was meant to demonstrate that belief in the supernatural, as in gods, demons,heaven & hell brings with it irrational fears. Irrational because there is no evidence that such concepts are real.
After reading a couple of your posts, it appears you have a decent grasp of things. It will be nice to have you around. So many times we get the little one post wonder, angry atheist wannabees, who jump in with both feet making the most inane assertions they can about religions, the religious and gods, to such an extent, they end up sounding just like the Christians they are bashing. It will be nice to have another voice of reason in the mix. Welcome to the site.
I agree, death I’m not afraid of, as there is no reason to believe I’ll experience anything. Dying on the other hand, that’s something of a concern.
Welcome to AR btw, in case I’ve not said it, and I’m from the UK as well, I was born and live in south Wales.
Like you I don’t believe in any deity, and like you, and most other atheists here, I am agnostic about all unfalsifiable claims, including of course all unfalsifiable claims about any deity or deities.
We do get a few theists coming through here, but most of them find having their religious beliefs held up to critical and rational scrutiny is not for them.
Enjoy…
Thank you. It looks like my kind of place. I was really searching for religious platforms with the courage to debate but they are hard to find. This site seems interesting.
And the added benefit - they come here. I have no interest in “preaching”.
But, if they darken our doorstep, debate is the name of the game.
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Many thanks. I’m from London but now live in Derbyshire. As I said to Cognostic, I was looking for a religious site with the courage to debate but you’re right, its a rare thing. Still, I think I will enjoy it here.