Just Curious

scabaskiblio

New member
I'm not new to this forum, but I haven't posted in a really long time (I only posted a few times over a year ago). I'm just wondering if there are any other virtual CF communities out there that don't congregate under this particular aegis.
I like this forum, but I think it is less welcome to subversive opinions than I'd like. I am an atheist (though at times I may be agnostic), I'm an existentialist and a nihilist, etc., but cheerfully so, not lugubriously. I find that life's absurd. I don't personally find any hope in the idea of God or an afterlife, nor do I find the idea of no God, no afterlife depressing.

Having CF has motivated me in part to form these opinions, but it seems like most of the people on here are somewhat to very religious. I don't want to start arguments with those who do believe in God, but I want to share my opinions about things. From what I've read in a lot of the threads, that's hard to do around here without hurting people's feelings or offending them. I don't want to try to get people to not believe in God, but I don't want anyone to try to convert me either.
That seems like an extended introduction to a simple question: Where can I go to talk about issues I care about (I guess I'd call them philosophical/ethical issues, such as the concept of free will, etc.) and not get shut-down by people who have already found their answers in religion? More specifically, where can a person like me, one who has both the need for more critical and skeptical discussion and also CF, go?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
I'm not new to this forum, but I haven't posted in a really long time (I only posted a few times over a year ago). I'm just wondering if there are any other virtual CF communities out there that don't congregate under this particular aegis.
I like this forum, but I think it is less welcome to subversive opinions than I'd like. I am an atheist (though at times I may be agnostic), I'm an existentialist and a nihilist, etc., but cheerfully so, not lugubriously. I find that life's absurd. I don't personally find any hope in the idea of God or an afterlife, nor do I find the idea of no God, no afterlife depressing.

Having CF has motivated me in part to form these opinions, but it seems like most of the people on here are somewhat to very religious. I don't want to start arguments with those who do believe in God, but I want to share my opinions about things. From what I've read in a lot of the threads, that's hard to do around here without hurting people's feelings or offending them. I don't want to try to get people to not believe in God, but I don't want anyone to try to convert me either.
That seems like an extended introduction to a simple question: Where can I go to talk about issues I care about (I guess I'd call them philosophical/ethical issues, such as the concept of free will, etc.) and not get shut-down by people who have already found their answers in religion? More specifically, where can a person like me, one who has both the need for more critical and skeptical discussion and also CF, go?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
I'm not new to this forum, but I haven't posted in a really long time (I only posted a few times over a year ago). I'm just wondering if there are any other virtual CF communities out there that don't congregate under this particular aegis.
I like this forum, but I think it is less welcome to subversive opinions than I'd like. I am an atheist (though at times I may be agnostic), I'm an existentialist and a nihilist, etc., but cheerfully so, not lugubriously. I find that life's absurd. I don't personally find any hope in the idea of God or an afterlife, nor do I find the idea of no God, no afterlife depressing.

Having CF has motivated me in part to form these opinions, but it seems like most of the people on here are somewhat to very religious. I don't want to start arguments with those who do believe in God, but I want to share my opinions about things. From what I've read in a lot of the threads, that's hard to do around here without hurting people's feelings or offending them. I don't want to try to get people to not believe in God, but I don't want anyone to try to convert me either.
That seems like an extended introduction to a simple question: Where can I go to talk about issues I care about (I guess I'd call them philosophical/ethical issues, such as the concept of free will, etc.) and not get shut-down by people who have already found their answers in religion? More specifically, where can a person like me, one who has both the need for more critical and skeptical discussion and also CF, go?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
I'm not new to this forum, but I haven't posted in a really long time (I only posted a few times over a year ago). I'm just wondering if there are any other virtual CF communities out there that don't congregate under this particular aegis.
I like this forum, but I think it is less welcome to subversive opinions than I'd like. I am an atheist (though at times I may be agnostic), I'm an existentialist and a nihilist, etc., but cheerfully so, not lugubriously. I find that life's absurd. I don't personally find any hope in the idea of God or an afterlife, nor do I find the idea of no God, no afterlife depressing.

Having CF has motivated me in part to form these opinions, but it seems like most of the people on here are somewhat to very religious. I don't want to start arguments with those who do believe in God, but I want to share my opinions about things. From what I've read in a lot of the threads, that's hard to do around here without hurting people's feelings or offending them. I don't want to try to get people to not believe in God, but I don't want anyone to try to convert me either.
That seems like an extended introduction to a simple question: Where can I go to talk about issues I care about (I guess I'd call them philosophical/ethical issues, such as the concept of free will, etc.) and not get shut-down by people who have already found their answers in religion? More specifically, where can a person like me, one who has both the need for more critical and skeptical discussion and also CF, go?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
I'm not new to this forum, but I haven't posted in a really long time (I only posted a few times over a year ago). I'm just wondering if there are any other virtual CF communities out there that don't congregate under this particular aegis.
I like this forum, but I think it is less welcome to subversive opinions than I'd like. I am an atheist (though at times I may be agnostic), I'm an existentialist and a nihilist, etc., but cheerfully so, not lugubriously. I find that life's absurd. I don't personally find any hope in the idea of God or an afterlife, nor do I find the idea of no God, no afterlife depressing.

Having CF has motivated me in part to form these opinions, but it seems like most of the people on here are somewhat to very religious. I don't want to start arguments with those who do believe in God, but I want to share my opinions about things. From what I've read in a lot of the threads, that's hard to do around here without hurting people's feelings or offending them. I don't want to try to get people to not believe in God, but I don't want anyone to try to convert me either.
That seems like an extended introduction to a simple question: Where can I go to talk about issues I care about (I guess I'd call them philosophical/ethical issues, such as the concept of free will, etc.) and not get shut-down by people who have already found their answers in religion? More specifically, where can a person like me, one who has both the need for more critical and skeptical discussion and also CF, go?
 

blondelawyer

New member
Hi Valerie,

I am not sure about other sites, but I just wanted to say that there are some of us that are in the same "boat" as you are. I tend to just ignore the religious posts and have really never felt like someone was trying to convert me (I used to be very religious--have a degree in special ministries from a conservative christian college and used to be a youth pastor!, but after much thought and studying, etc., I really don't think that there is a label for me, but if I had to chose one I would say agnostic). My husband is in the same boat too and I know that he would love to discuss the types of things that you are talking about. (interesting--or perhaps not--I wrote an entire paper on free will and the omniscience of god when I was in college).

So...I am not sure about another group, but I know that I for one would be up for engaging in some of these discussions!

Take care,

Lisa
 

blondelawyer

New member
Hi Valerie,

I am not sure about other sites, but I just wanted to say that there are some of us that are in the same "boat" as you are. I tend to just ignore the religious posts and have really never felt like someone was trying to convert me (I used to be very religious--have a degree in special ministries from a conservative christian college and used to be a youth pastor!, but after much thought and studying, etc., I really don't think that there is a label for me, but if I had to chose one I would say agnostic). My husband is in the same boat too and I know that he would love to discuss the types of things that you are talking about. (interesting--or perhaps not--I wrote an entire paper on free will and the omniscience of god when I was in college).

So...I am not sure about another group, but I know that I for one would be up for engaging in some of these discussions!

Take care,

Lisa
 

blondelawyer

New member
Hi Valerie,

I am not sure about other sites, but I just wanted to say that there are some of us that are in the same "boat" as you are. I tend to just ignore the religious posts and have really never felt like someone was trying to convert me (I used to be very religious--have a degree in special ministries from a conservative christian college and used to be a youth pastor!, but after much thought and studying, etc., I really don't think that there is a label for me, but if I had to chose one I would say agnostic). My husband is in the same boat too and I know that he would love to discuss the types of things that you are talking about. (interesting--or perhaps not--I wrote an entire paper on free will and the omniscience of god when I was in college).

So...I am not sure about another group, but I know that I for one would be up for engaging in some of these discussions!

Take care,

Lisa
 

blondelawyer

New member
Hi Valerie,

I am not sure about other sites, but I just wanted to say that there are some of us that are in the same "boat" as you are. I tend to just ignore the religious posts and have really never felt like someone was trying to convert me (I used to be very religious--have a degree in special ministries from a conservative christian college and used to be a youth pastor!, but after much thought and studying, etc., I really don't think that there is a label for me, but if I had to chose one I would say agnostic). My husband is in the same boat too and I know that he would love to discuss the types of things that you are talking about. (interesting--or perhaps not--I wrote an entire paper on free will and the omniscience of god when I was in college).

So...I am not sure about another group, but I know that I for one would be up for engaging in some of these discussions!

Take care,

Lisa
 

blondelawyer

New member
Hi Valerie,

I am not sure about other sites, but I just wanted to say that there are some of us that are in the same "boat" as you are. I tend to just ignore the religious posts and have really never felt like someone was trying to convert me (I used to be very religious--have a degree in special ministries from a conservative christian college and used to be a youth pastor!, but after much thought and studying, etc., I really don't think that there is a label for me, but if I had to chose one I would say agnostic). My husband is in the same boat too and I know that he would love to discuss the types of things that you are talking about. (interesting--or perhaps not--I wrote an entire paper on free will and the omniscience of god when I was in college).

So...I am not sure about another group, but I know that I for one would be up for engaging in some of these discussions!

Take care,

Lisa
 

scabaskiblio

New member
Lisa,
That's wonderful. I am engaged right now in a thesis (albeit a thesis of poetry; I am getting an MFA in creative writing) that has as its guiding theme the question of free will. I'm a compatibilist when it comes to the question of the freedom of the individual will; of course CF has helped shape this idea, too. While genetic determinism more often is concerned with the condition of the individual mind/personality (some are genetically 'determined' to be psychopaths or depressives, for example), I find it applies to genetic defects that affect non-cognitive organs too (Our freedom is bound because the choices we make [or think we make] are determined by our physical environment, our bodies). We are confined by biological constraints to live according to a certain natural 'law,' but within these constraints we are able to manipulate the system. This is where ethics, religion and society tend to come in, imposing an artificial system of 'determinism' over top of the irrevocable biological one. This is the layer that I am most interested in 'unmasking' to reveal a wider berth of freedom than we may believe possible. It is a matter of extracting oneself from the system while still remaining engaged in it. So one has to strip off all the constructs: God, government, morality, and see what is. Blah, blah, blah, I'll go on and on. But tell me, what did you discover when you were writing your thesis? Also, any one else have any thoughts about it?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
Lisa,
That's wonderful. I am engaged right now in a thesis (albeit a thesis of poetry; I am getting an MFA in creative writing) that has as its guiding theme the question of free will. I'm a compatibilist when it comes to the question of the freedom of the individual will; of course CF has helped shape this idea, too. While genetic determinism more often is concerned with the condition of the individual mind/personality (some are genetically 'determined' to be psychopaths or depressives, for example), I find it applies to genetic defects that affect non-cognitive organs too (Our freedom is bound because the choices we make [or think we make] are determined by our physical environment, our bodies). We are confined by biological constraints to live according to a certain natural 'law,' but within these constraints we are able to manipulate the system. This is where ethics, religion and society tend to come in, imposing an artificial system of 'determinism' over top of the irrevocable biological one. This is the layer that I am most interested in 'unmasking' to reveal a wider berth of freedom than we may believe possible. It is a matter of extracting oneself from the system while still remaining engaged in it. So one has to strip off all the constructs: God, government, morality, and see what is. Blah, blah, blah, I'll go on and on. But tell me, what did you discover when you were writing your thesis? Also, any one else have any thoughts about it?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
Lisa,
That's wonderful. I am engaged right now in a thesis (albeit a thesis of poetry; I am getting an MFA in creative writing) that has as its guiding theme the question of free will. I'm a compatibilist when it comes to the question of the freedom of the individual will; of course CF has helped shape this idea, too. While genetic determinism more often is concerned with the condition of the individual mind/personality (some are genetically 'determined' to be psychopaths or depressives, for example), I find it applies to genetic defects that affect non-cognitive organs too (Our freedom is bound because the choices we make [or think we make] are determined by our physical environment, our bodies). We are confined by biological constraints to live according to a certain natural 'law,' but within these constraints we are able to manipulate the system. This is where ethics, religion and society tend to come in, imposing an artificial system of 'determinism' over top of the irrevocable biological one. This is the layer that I am most interested in 'unmasking' to reveal a wider berth of freedom than we may believe possible. It is a matter of extracting oneself from the system while still remaining engaged in it. So one has to strip off all the constructs: God, government, morality, and see what is. Blah, blah, blah, I'll go on and on. But tell me, what did you discover when you were writing your thesis? Also, any one else have any thoughts about it?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
Lisa,
That's wonderful. I am engaged right now in a thesis (albeit a thesis of poetry; I am getting an MFA in creative writing) that has as its guiding theme the question of free will. I'm a compatibilist when it comes to the question of the freedom of the individual will; of course CF has helped shape this idea, too. While genetic determinism more often is concerned with the condition of the individual mind/personality (some are genetically 'determined' to be psychopaths or depressives, for example), I find it applies to genetic defects that affect non-cognitive organs too (Our freedom is bound because the choices we make [or think we make] are determined by our physical environment, our bodies). We are confined by biological constraints to live according to a certain natural 'law,' but within these constraints we are able to manipulate the system. This is where ethics, religion and society tend to come in, imposing an artificial system of 'determinism' over top of the irrevocable biological one. This is the layer that I am most interested in 'unmasking' to reveal a wider berth of freedom than we may believe possible. It is a matter of extracting oneself from the system while still remaining engaged in it. So one has to strip off all the constructs: God, government, morality, and see what is. Blah, blah, blah, I'll go on and on. But tell me, what did you discover when you were writing your thesis? Also, any one else have any thoughts about it?
 

scabaskiblio

New member
Lisa,
That's wonderful. I am engaged right now in a thesis (albeit a thesis of poetry; I am getting an MFA in creative writing) that has as its guiding theme the question of free will. I'm a compatibilist when it comes to the question of the freedom of the individual will; of course CF has helped shape this idea, too. While genetic determinism more often is concerned with the condition of the individual mind/personality (some are genetically 'determined' to be psychopaths or depressives, for example), I find it applies to genetic defects that affect non-cognitive organs too (Our freedom is bound because the choices we make [or think we make] are determined by our physical environment, our bodies). We are confined by biological constraints to live according to a certain natural 'law,' but within these constraints we are able to manipulate the system. This is where ethics, religion and society tend to come in, imposing an artificial system of 'determinism' over top of the irrevocable biological one. This is the layer that I am most interested in 'unmasking' to reveal a wider berth of freedom than we may believe possible. It is a matter of extracting oneself from the system while still remaining engaged in it. So one has to strip off all the constructs: God, government, morality, and see what is. Blah, blah, blah, I'll go on and on. But tell me, what did you discover when you were writing your thesis? Also, any one else have any thoughts about it?
 

kswitch

New member
well, valerie, there are a number of people on this forum that share similar views as you. true, many of our expressions do get oppressed by a vigilant happy, religious, sonshiny [sic] dominance. often we are accused of being negative and infectious, so we tend to limit our participation to threads that are of personal relevence, or when our secular viewpoints are requested.

from what i can discern from your post is that you are pretty focused and well on your way in developing the ideas you're pursuing. are you hung up somewhere? perhaps you are in need of a dialogue to provide some validation or maybe to bounce a few ideas off of someone who can digest your perspective.

unfortunately, a thread of this nature on this site might not be the place to do this. if you have aim or msn and nothing to do during late nights or thursday afternoons, you should pm me your handle.

you can also check out my blog archives for april 2007 for a couple posts where i touch on my theological perspective. they're not too in depth really, but i think you could get a sense of whether or not i'm someone you feel you could talk to.
 

kswitch

New member
well, valerie, there are a number of people on this forum that share similar views as you. true, many of our expressions do get oppressed by a vigilant happy, religious, sonshiny [sic] dominance. often we are accused of being negative and infectious, so we tend to limit our participation to threads that are of personal relevence, or when our secular viewpoints are requested.

from what i can discern from your post is that you are pretty focused and well on your way in developing the ideas you're pursuing. are you hung up somewhere? perhaps you are in need of a dialogue to provide some validation or maybe to bounce a few ideas off of someone who can digest your perspective.

unfortunately, a thread of this nature on this site might not be the place to do this. if you have aim or msn and nothing to do during late nights or thursday afternoons, you should pm me your handle.

you can also check out my blog archives for april 2007 for a couple posts where i touch on my theological perspective. they're not too in depth really, but i think you could get a sense of whether or not i'm someone you feel you could talk to.
 

kswitch

New member
well, valerie, there are a number of people on this forum that share similar views as you. true, many of our expressions do get oppressed by a vigilant happy, religious, sonshiny [sic] dominance. often we are accused of being negative and infectious, so we tend to limit our participation to threads that are of personal relevence, or when our secular viewpoints are requested.

from what i can discern from your post is that you are pretty focused and well on your way in developing the ideas you're pursuing. are you hung up somewhere? perhaps you are in need of a dialogue to provide some validation or maybe to bounce a few ideas off of someone who can digest your perspective.

unfortunately, a thread of this nature on this site might not be the place to do this. if you have aim or msn and nothing to do during late nights or thursday afternoons, you should pm me your handle.

you can also check out my blog archives for april 2007 for a couple posts where i touch on my theological perspective. they're not too in depth really, but i think you could get a sense of whether or not i'm someone you feel you could talk to.
 

kswitch

New member
well, valerie, there are a number of people on this forum that share similar views as you. true, many of our expressions do get oppressed by a vigilant happy, religious, sonshiny [sic] dominance. often we are accused of being negative and infectious, so we tend to limit our participation to threads that are of personal relevence, or when our secular viewpoints are requested.

from what i can discern from your post is that you are pretty focused and well on your way in developing the ideas you're pursuing. are you hung up somewhere? perhaps you are in need of a dialogue to provide some validation or maybe to bounce a few ideas off of someone who can digest your perspective.

unfortunately, a thread of this nature on this site might not be the place to do this. if you have aim or msn and nothing to do during late nights or thursday afternoons, you should pm me your handle.

you can also check out my blog archives for april 2007 for a couple posts where i touch on my theological perspective. they're not too in depth really, but i think you could get a sense of whether or not i'm someone you feel you could talk to.
 

kswitch

New member
well, valerie, there are a number of people on this forum that share similar views as you. true, many of our expressions do get oppressed by a vigilant happy, religious, sonshiny [sic] dominance. often we are accused of being negative and infectious, so we tend to limit our participation to threads that are of personal relevence, or when our secular viewpoints are requested.

from what i can discern from your post is that you are pretty focused and well on your way in developing the ideas you're pursuing. are you hung up somewhere? perhaps you are in need of a dialogue to provide some validation or maybe to bounce a few ideas off of someone who can digest your perspective.

unfortunately, a thread of this nature on this site might not be the place to do this. if you have aim or msn and nothing to do during late nights or thursday afternoons, you should pm me your handle.

you can also check out my blog archives for april 2007 for a couple posts where i touch on my theological perspective. they're not too in depth really, but i think you could get a sense of whether or not i'm someone you feel you could talk to.
 
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